The gate

DEVOTION

PROVERBS

THE GATE

Prov 24:7

7 Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.

NIV

It would be good to understand the meaning of the gate in order to understand why the fool has nothing to say at it. In the days of Solomon many of the cities were walled. They had one or perhaps in the case of large cites several gates. But the main gate was not just a door, or a portal, but was deep, perhaps twenty or thirty feet deep. Within the framework of the gate were sort of rooms, or places with stone benches. This is where the business of the city took place. If a stranger came to sell his wares within the city he must first meet with the city officials and receive his permit, so to speak. Any traveler must go through the gate and thus encounter the officials before entrance. So it would only be those who have either been elected because of their wisdom or those who had the power or influence in town because of their wealth. Either case a fool would not be one who was either elected or had any power or influence in the city. So how does this apply to our lives?  We have elected city officials, but then we do not have any city gates. We might be tempted to see this in the Christian community, or rather the church community. We would think those who sit at the gate are those who are wise in the affairs of the church. Those who have influence in the church because of either Spiritual wisdom or great wealth. But that would not fit as this would imply those who do not sit on any church board or position of leadership are but fools. The fool has to be the one who refuses or cannot see any reason to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. The fool in the original language is the perverse or silly. This certainly is the non-believer. In light of that truth, there is a city coming that will have twelve pearly gates. The fool will have nothing to say at this gates for he will not be allowed to enter. It will only be those who are wise, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior who will be in the assembly at the gate. We will not only have something to say, such as praise God, but we will hear those blessed words. “Welcome friend, enter into my city, my rest”.