The Towers of Jerusalem

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Towers in the Scripture speak of two main things. The first is shelter and safety, and thus we read, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov. 18:1010The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)). The second is detection and protection. The position of the watchman in Scripture is so important, requiring ongoing awareness, diligence and continuance. See 2 Kings 9:17-2117And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, I see a company. And Joram said, Take an horseman, and send to meet them, and let him say, Is it peace? 18So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu said, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. And the watchman told, saying, The messenger came to them, but he cometh not again. 19Then he sent out a second on horseback, which came to them, and said, Thus saith the king, Is it peace? And Jehu answered, What hast thou to do with peace? turn thee behind me. 20And the watchman told, saying, He came even unto them, and cometh not again: and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi; for he driveth furiously. 21And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite. (2 Kings 9:17‑21).
In addition to the gates of Jerusalem mentioned to us in the Book of Nehemiah, Scripture mentions a number of towers in the wall around the city that are very instructive as well. While there are twelve gates mentioned in Nehemiah, there are only six towers mentioned. Chapter 3 gives us ten of the gates and all of the recorded towers.
The Tower of Meah
The first tower given to us is in Nehemiah 3:11Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. (Nehemiah 3:1)—the tower of Meah. Meah means “one hundred” and is the tower right next to the sheep gate. It is the first tower mentioned, and perhaps the thought is that the salvation of a soul is totally a work of God and that once a soul is saved, it is only by staying near to the Lord that a saved one can be happy, fruitful and preserved. The Lord desires to have us 100% for Himself, and in a coming day He will reward faithfulness.
The Tower of Hananeel
The Tower of the Furnaces
The next tower seems to have been in disrepair, and so it is recorded in verse 11 that “Malchijah  ... and Hashub ... repaired ... the tower of the furnaces. Perhaps this would speak of the need for self-judgment in our lives. No doubt this was needed in Jerusalem for things to go on well once the wall was finished, in order to get rid of rubbish. Its lack of use might have been the reason the city had fallen into decline in the first place (Neh. 4:1010And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. (Nehemiah 4:10)). Malchijah means “my king is Jehovah” and Hashub means “thoughtful,” so these men were very fitting volunteers to rebuild this tower. Those who love the Lord want to be near to Him and so realize the importance of self-judgment to stay near to Him (1 Cor. 11:2828But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (1 Corinthians 11:28)).
The High Tower
The next tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is in verse 25. It is the high tower (JND trans.). What a resource we have in our Lord Jesus! “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psa. 18:22The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalm 18:2)). The kings were to be always near the Lord for his keeping grace, protection and direction. It is no wonder the high tower was by the king’s house which was by the court of the prison.
The Tower That Lieth Out
The next tower in verse 26, the tower that lieth out, was near the water gate. When we go out to the world with the gospel, we need to remember that, despite man’s responsibility to come to Christ, it is the sovereign work of God in the soul that imparts new life and saves (Rom. 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13); Rev. 22:1717And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17); John 17:24-2624Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:24‑26); Eph. 1:4-124According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. (Ephesians 1:4‑12)).
The Great Tower
The sixth and final tower mentioned in Nehemiah 3 is the great tower in verse 27. Scripture mentions that it also “lieth out.” Our labors for our brethren need to have the Lord and His glory as their object. The Lord Jesus is the good Shepherd, the chief Shepherd, and also the great Shepherd. As “under” shepherds, we have Him as an example for our ways with His people. (See 1 Peter 5:1-41The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (1 Peter 5:1‑4).)
Long before Nehemiah’s time, Solomon was busy with upkeep and repair on the wall of Jerusalem. In 1 Kings 11:2727And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. (1 Kings 11:27), we read that at that time Jeroboam “lifted up his hand against the king.” He was “a mighty man of valor” and also “industrious” (vs. 28), but perhaps his thoughts were for himself rather than the defense of Jerusalem and the good of God’s people. We know what evil Jeroboam later introduced into Israel. May we value the work of the Lord in our lives and do our work for the Lord with more of a realization of His love and the resource we have in Him.
P. E. House