My temptations are my masters of Divinity.
–Martin Luther
After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. (Nehemiah 7:1-2)
As soon as Nehemiah had the walls up, he turned his focus on the temple and made sure that all the important jobs were filled. One of the most critical responsibilities belonged to the gatekeepers, who were to protect the temple by controlling what was allowed into it.
There are actually two types of gatekeepers: those assigned to the temple and those assigned to the city gates. Gatekeepers made sure that only good things were allowed in and that bad things were kept out. By following this simple principle, the city and the temple were protected. If the gatekeepers compromised their leadership role, they endangered the temple, the city and all those within it.
For us, it’s important to guard both our hearts and our minds from attacks by the Enemy. Your gates, as you may remember from the introduction, include your ears, your eyes and your mouth. Things come into your city (i.e., your mind) through your eyes and ears, and things leave your city through your mouth.
If we allow the Enemy past our gates, he can do untold destruction to our hearts and minds. Maybe you remember the story about another city whose gatekeepers compromised when deciding what to allow in the gates.
