No. 3: Gates and Doors

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I have been thinking about immigration. I suspect many of you have, too. So, just how is the Christian to view our nation’s growing problem of illegal immigration? Well, I do not claim to have the definitive answer, but I do have some thoughts.

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3:24 NKJV

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 NKJV

Here we have two fairly well-known passages of Scripture, one from Genesis, and the other from Revelation—a set of bookends one might say. In-between, we find a gross array of gates, doors, walls, boundaries, and borders. Scripture is full of them.

The first passage tells us how God placed a cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden to guard the way of the tree of life. In the second passage we read of Christ’s gentle knock on the door of our hearts.

Although the Genesis passage does not directly mention the word “gate,” the phrase “gates of Eden” is often employed to describe the entry and exit points into and out of Eden’s garden. The cherubim and flaming sword guarding Eden’s tree of life tell us that God thinks in terms of boundaries. The picture of Jesus’ knock tells us the same thing.

Throughout Scripture we see walled cities. Moses’ tabernacle and Solomon’s temple had doors. And Jesus proclaimed, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:7-9 NIV) Jesus Himself is the gate!

Abraham came out of Ur and entered into the promised land. The children of Israel went into Egypt, then came out four-hundred years later. Forty years after that, they entered the land of Canaan. Still later, Israel was taken captive into Babylon. Eventually, she came out. Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean, entering and exiting cities and cultures.

I could go on. The point is, Scripture provides countless examples of exits and entrances. With each one, there is a threshold to cross, a recognized boundary that divides. The whole of the Bible is about going out and coming in. There is a right way to go about this. And there is a wrong way to go about this.

Consider Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron. Though not sanctioned to do so, they chose to enter the Holy of Holies to bring an offering to the Lord. But they were uninvited. God called their offering “strange fire,” and struck them dead.

I submit these stories and examples not as dogmatism, but as fodder for Biblical principle. Consider adding them to your internal Worldview filter.