Ezekiel
47 reminds me of a story I heard about my home town. Oysters were
once so plentiful in the bays that they were a cheap food source for
the masses. The result was that the discarded shells were used to
pave many of the roads. As the population grew, many of the natural
rivers were diverted to be used for drinking water. The lack of
fresh water coming into the bays made the brackish water too salty
for the oysters to survive and today no oysters can be found in the
waters of entire region. Water has different meanings to different
people, but for much of the world, fresh water means life. In
today’s chapter we see a word-picture of how the third person of
the Trinity, God the Spirit, brings healing and life. Ezekiel is
once again brought back to the Temple by the angelic architect, “and
I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward
the east“. Following the
trickle’s flow, “he measured
off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was
ankle-deep“. Continuing on
the stream became deeper, “water
that was knee-deep… was up to the waist… was deep enough to swim
in… Then he led me back to the
bank of the river“. What does
he find there? “I saw
a great number of trees on each
side of the river.”
Eventually this river flowed into the Dead Sea, a lake so salty no
fish can survive. What happens when God’s Spirit enters anything
that is dead? “When it empties
into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh… so where the
river flows everything will live“.
Ezekiel
describes the effects, “Swarms
of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will
be large numbers of fish…
Fruit trees of all
kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not
wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit,
because the water from the sanctuary flows to them“.
I grew up on the water and did not understand people that feared it.
But I do understand those that fear the Spirit of God. The apostle
Paul asked a group of men “Did
you receive the Holy Spirit when
you believed?”
They explained they had not even heard of such a thing, they only
knew of John the Baptist. Paul taught them, “John’s
baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe
in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus“.
Repentance is a great first step, but abundant life comes when you
invite God’s Sprit in.
How important is God the Spirit? He is
first mentioned in Genesis 1:2 and last mentioned in Revelation
19:10. From the beginning to the end He is included. Jesus taught,
“Very truly I tell you, no one
can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the
Spirit” (John 3:5). And
invited the whole of Jerusalem to receive, “Let
anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink.
Whoever believes in Me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within
them” (John 7:38). Perhaps he
was referring to Ezekiel’s vision? The chapter closes with an
outline of the borders of Israel. They are much larger than those
recognized today. Perhaps this is because this future geography
includes us! This land is given “as
an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among
you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born
Israelites“. The apostle
Peter called those who received Christ by faith, “A
chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special
possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you
out of darkness into His wonderful light”
(1 Peter 2:9). Is your past paved with broken shells too? Maybe it
is time to allow the fresh water to bring back full life.