The Old Gate

As the third gate in our walk through the Christian life, and in the act of rebuilding this is a key gate. All the gates speak of what we need to put into our lives and this is no exception. You may well ask, why do we need something old when we are looking to build something new?

Nehemiah 3:6

6. Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

Whenever we lose sight of the old ways, trouble raises its head.

Judges 2:8-10

8. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
9. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
10. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Joshua followed Moses as leader of Israel. When he died there was a power vacuum. The entire generation failed to pass on their old ways to the next generation and the results were catastrophic for Israel. The same happened time and again with Israel. For some reason we think that a new generation needs new ideas, but the truth is that the old ways are the best when it comes to God’s ways.

Proverbs 22:28

28. Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Jesus himself confirmed that the Old Testament is as important as any other part of scripture.

Matthew 5:17-18

17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

But this gate was also set at the corner of the wall, and known as the corner gate.

2 Chronicles 26:9

9. Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, and at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

Looking at the secondary name of this gate, the corner gate, we see another parallel that backs up laying the firm foundation of the Old Testament.

Acts 4:10-12

10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The corner gate, and the corner stone are key in any building work, and Jesus himself is the corner stone of our lives. That corner stone is all about foundations.

Ephesians 2:19-20

19. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

If we stand on the foundations that have been laid of old, we will stand strong, and Jesus gave us that link between the Old Testament law, as brought by the prophets, and the New Testament promise as witnessed by the disciples.