The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.
(Nehemiah 3:15-16)
This gate was located at the end of the pool of Siloam. It was also near the king’s garden. This section of the gate and the surrounding was likely to border the official residence of the king. Jeremiah 39:4, records that king Zedekiah used the fountain gate to flee from an invasion by the Chaldeans in the city. It is possible that this was a heavily guarded gate as it was an entry point in to the royal palace.
The pool of Siloam is a rock-cut pool on the southern slope of the city of David. The pool was fed by the waters of the Gihon spring (2 Chronicles 32:20). The Jews used water from the pool for purification rituals in the temple during the feast of tabernacles. Jesus while in the process of healing the blind man in John 9:7, He asked the man to go wash his mud pasted eyes in the pool of Siloam.
A fountain is a source of life bursting forth streams of waters that moisturize crops and satisfy thirst. The Samaritan woman who came to fetch water at the well was a walking empty woman. She thought she needed water to take care of a couple of chores in the house. Unbeknownst to her, she had a thirst that not even the well could quench. When Jesus questioned her inner thirst, she pulled the religion card and started to talk history and ancestors. But for the first time she had encountered the fountain gate having spent her life roaming around the dung gate in her adulterous life.
There is agreement in the world that we are in search of abundance. The blind man was incomplete without sight. The Samaritan woman was thirsty for love and acceptance. They all needed something to satisfy their need. The Samaritan woman had wasted her life trying to satisfy that need from the wrong sources until she had a taste of the living waters.
Are you stuck in a rat race? Chasing after vanity and hoping it will satisfy the longings of your heart? The author Wayde Goodal in his book “Why Great Men Fall”, says that the greatest preoccupation in America today is not money, sex or the like. It is the search for significance. Money, sex, etc are our just containers of our perceived significance. Listen to what the preacher says in Eccl 1:14, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
The world is mourning the death of Robin Williams, an award winning comedian, film producer, and screenwriter. He possibly inspires many of our upcoming artists. What shocks the world is, he made people laugh yet he was so sad inside. It is claimed that he died partly due to depression (he was battling with addiction) and his death is attributed to suicide.
Jesus says in the beatitudes, Matt 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” The blind man showed up and got his healing at the pool of Siloam. The Samaritan woman encountered the Jesus and her thirst was quenched forever. King Zedekiah used the fountain gate to flee from invasion. The bible says in Proverbs 18:10 that “the name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
There is thirst everywhere yet people are quenching their thirst from the wrong sources. While the world drinks sewer water to quench thirst Jesus is heartbroken pointing to the flowing clean fountain right next door which is being ignored. The result is a sick society on the death bed. Hear His call today and seek out the clean waters. Quit the sewer water, you are a son of royalty and should drink from the fountain of life not the dirt that Satan keeps throwing your way packaged in appealing bottles yet toxic to your system.
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
(Psalms 36:5-9)
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