Wednesday Bible Blurb The Gatekeeper 4 22 2026
John 10:3-4 [NKJV]
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
She simply would not put my call through to my supervising agent. I needed some clarification to continue working on a project and his secretary refused to allow me to talk to him. “He is a busy man.” “He can get back to you in a couple of days.” She was his gatekeeper. Her word was final and only she would allow or disallow access to the boss.
Recently I read I Chronicles and the word “gatekeeper” kept coming up. I Chron. 9:17; 16:38,42; 23:5 and 26:1,12. These passages reminded me of the storm trooper secretary who protected the boss at all costs over the phone. The temple in Jerusalem had 4,000 gatekeepers watching over the city and keeping guard. The gatekeepers had different divisions, and they served in the house of the Lord. The New King James Version uses the word gatekeepers where the King James version uses the word porters. The secretary who would not put my phone call through was definitely a gatekeeper. She was guarding her boss from all she deemed not having a worthy need to speak to him.
Unger’s Bible Dictionary says, “As used in the A.V., porter has always the sense of door or gatekeeper.” Porter/gatekeepers had specific duties: temple guards, they kept people from accidentally going too far into the temple. Sometimes they were utilized as the King’s bodyguards and occasionally they opened and closed gates.
The Syrians were making war against Israel (See the entire story in II Kings 7). As was the custom of the time the attacking army would lay a siege on a city to starve it to death. One morning four lepers who were kept outside of the city found the camp of the Syrians completely abandoned and over flowing with food. They went to the city that had been under siege and reported to the gatekeepers all they had found. Even under the most desperate of times a city had gatekeepers watching and protecting the city. We cannot underestimate the importance of the gatekeepers.
My three sheep live in a field which has three main gates allowing access in and out. As their shepherd one of my jobs is to protect my flock by making sure all the gates are closed so no carnivore can slip in and kill my sheep. Gatekeepers (Porters in the KJV) were often stationed at the doors of sheepfolds. Their job was pure protection. Nothing was to go in or out without their approval. They were gatekeepers. I am a literal gatekeeper for my sheep.
Who is the gatekeeper of our mind? What are we allowing into our mind and then into our heart? Paul struggled with this same concept. “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” (Rom. 7:14-20). Be on guard and gate keep our minds from the evil of this world. Like Paul we will all wrestle against the prince of the power of the air who tries to fill our minds with the lust of this world. (Eph.2:2). We must be the gatekeeper of our own mind.
Jesus is our Shepherd, “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:3-4). Jesus is our gatekeeper who watches over us and keeps guard like a temple porter protecting us. “Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and come out to find pasture.” (John 10:7,9). Jesus is the door guiding, protecting and watching over us and He let’s us into His family. He is our gatekeeper.
This morning I took a walk in my very green Spring fields followed by my three sheep. They know the voice of their shepherd (me). I know their distinguishing Baahs and grunts. They followed me across the field to another green pasture where I sat down in the grass and they came over for me to scratch them behind their long floppy ears. I am their gatekeeper. They appreciate me. Jesus is our gatekeeper. Be ever so grateful that we have such a wonderful loving shepherd in Jesus, our ultimate gatekeeper.
