From above the horse gate repaired the priests, every one over against his house.
Nehemiah's work belongs to the time after his safe journey to Jerusalem under the power of the Persian king, secured by royal letters to the governors of the provinces along the route for honorable reception and prompt assistance, and by a military escort showing he had come on an important mission, and after his arrival excited the jealousy of the heathen tribes living near the city, whose chiefs Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian watched his movements with critical eyes and endeavored by every means with injury and insult to thwart his plans and hinder his work. The organization set in place divided the citizens into companies under men of ability and influence, each leader made responsible for a certain part of the wall, with some assigned the portion opposite their own house, while the people in general were animated by patriotism and zeal to build despite the contrary example of the Tekoite nobles who refused. In that arrangement the priests repairing above the horse gate, every one opposite his own house, were among the first to catch the spirit of zeal and earnestness, and their ready cooperation at the very outset helped the success of the work because their influential position could do much to advance or hinder it.
The record that the priests repaired above the Horse Gate, each working opposite his own house, belongs to the account of rebuilding Zion's defenses, which is an image of strengthening homes and the people's spiritual life. It calls each church member to begin with personal reformation over against his own house and to build up the work nearest to them, while encouraging and strengthening fellow believers in doing God's will. Building over against his own house means a deep work of grace in the own heart and personal responsibility for awakening and reformation first, aroused even by the preaching that converts sinners, so that each believer gives the unconverted evidence that he believes truth of heavenly origin and practices the truth he professes, for unless he awakes the world will not believe his profession, and as applied to the church in Los Angeles every member is to seek this deep work and do the work God has given them. Working every one over against his own house is an individual work for the church begun with fixed principle of action, not with occasional blazing up of feeling like a blazing meteor whose brilliancy is short-lived and goes out leaving darkness in its track.
The verse means each person must examine and correct his own conduct and do personal work rather than let a critical, self-righteous spirit govern how he treats others or judge others. Every person must build over against his own house as an individual spiritual work, calling everyone living under light to take up life's burdens and engage in the warfare as never before. Building at his own house means not speaking of the faults of others and having nothing to do with the sins of others, but looking into his own heart and having much to do with himself, taking the Bible and going to God in earnest prayer, asking Him to teach self-knowledge, to show weakness, sins and follies in the light of eternity and how the self stands in the sight of heaven, and sending the petition in humility and not resting day nor night until able to say what the Lord has done and to bear a living testimony of victories won. When God's people understand their position they will commence the work at their own house with decided reformation that they may be purified and made white, as was pressed upon those in Rockhampton. Doing this work elevates, purifies and sanctifies individual powers, changes the moral taste, takes away the scent of self that spoils influence, and cherishes every talent as a precious entrusted gift to meet the very highest standard and bring other minds under the power of truth, leaving no time nor disposition to become church tinkers, to fill the mouth with arguments to prove someone is doing wrong, or to show the defects in brethren and sisters and so furnish Satan with arguments for his own work of accusing, for all have come far short of the glory of God.
Nehemiah's work belongs to the time after his safe journey to Jerusalem under the power of the Persian king, secured by royal letters to the governors of the provinces along the route for honorable reception and prompt assistance, and by a military escort showing he had come on an important mission, and after his arrival excited the jealousy of the heathen tribes living near the city, whose chiefs Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian watched his movements with critical eyes and endeavored by every means with injury and insult to thwart his plans and hinder his work. The organization set in place divided the citizens into companies under men of ability and influence, each leader made responsible for a certain part of the wall, with some assigned the portion opposite their own house, while the people in general were animated by patriotism and zeal to build despite the contrary example of the Tekoite nobles who refused. In that arrangement the priests repairing above the horse gate, every one opposite his own house, were among the first to catch the spirit of zeal and earnestness, and their ready cooperation at the very outset helped the success of the work because their influential position could do much to advance or hinder it.
The record that the priests repaired above the Horse Gate, each working opposite his own house, belongs to the account of rebuilding Zion's defenses, which is an image of strengthening homes and the people's spiritual life. It calls each church member to begin with personal reformation over against his own house and to build up the work nearest to them, while encouraging and strengthening fellow believers in doing God's will. Building over against his own house means a deep work of grace in the own heart and personal responsibility for awakening and reformation first, aroused even by the preaching that converts sinners, so that each believer gives the unconverted evidence that he believes truth of heavenly origin and practices the truth he professes, for unless he awakes the world will not believe his profession, and as applied to the church in Los Angeles every member is to seek this deep work and do the work God has given them. Working every one over against his own house is an individual work for the church begun with fixed principle of action, not with occasional blazing up of feeling like a blazing meteor whose brilliancy is short-lived and goes out leaving darkness in its track.
The verse means each person must examine and correct his own conduct and do personal work rather than let a critical, self-righteous spirit govern how he treats others or judge others. Every person must build over against his own house as an individual spiritual work, calling everyone living under light to take up life's burdens and engage in the warfare as never before. Building at his own house means not speaking of the faults of others and having nothing to do with the sins of others, but looking into his own heart and having much to do with himself, taking the Bible and going to God in earnest prayer, asking Him to teach self-knowledge, to show weakness, sins and follies in the light of eternity and how the self stands in the sight of heaven, and sending the petition in humility and not resting day nor night until able to say what the Lord has done and to bear a living testimony of victories won. When God's people understand their position they will commence the work at their own house with decided reformation that they may be purified and made white, as was pressed upon those in Rockhampton. Doing this work elevates, purifies and sanctifies individual powers, changes the moral taste, takes away the scent of self that spoils influence, and cherishes every talent as a precious entrusted gift to meet the very highest standard and bring other minds under the power of truth, leaving no time nor disposition to become church tinkers, to fill the mouth with arguments to prove someone is doing wrong, or to show the defects in brethren and sisters and so furnish Satan with arguments for his own work of accusing, for all have come far short of the glory of God.