In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.
Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.
He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank. When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean. But the marshes and swamps will not be purified; they will still be salty. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:1-12
Note on verses 1-12
This river is similar to the river mentioned in Revelation 22:1, 2. Both are associated with the river in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:10). The river symbolizes life from God and the blessings that flow from his throne. It is a gentle, safe, deep river, expanding as it flows.
I don’t have much to say today, but I do have a few thoughts. I’d like to expand upon the last sentence in the above note. The more we grow in faith in Christ, the more pervasive that faith becomes not only in our lives, but also in the lives of others. They will take note, of that you can be sure!
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9
Note on verses 8, 9
The Jordan Valley is the geological depression in which the Dead Sea lies. The Dead Sea is a body of water so salty that nothing can live in it. The river will freshen the Dead Sea’s water so it can support life. This is another picture of the life-giving nature of the water that flows from God’s Temple. God’s power can transform us no matter how lifeless or corrupt we may be. Even when we feel messed up and beyond hope, his power can heal us.
With this note, I want to speak briefly on the thought of hopelessness. This is a direct contradiction to feelings of hopelessness. God is the Creator of everything, so there is nothing that He cannot master. When you encounter people or even yourself feeling as if you have been so bad, so evil, that even God is incapable of saving you, you are dead wrong! Literally! God can save you, you simply have to be willing to turn to Him, give up your old way of life and start living for Him. Sure, you might still make mistakes, in fact you can count on that, but you will have a new goal in life, a goal of living for Christ instead of living for yourself.
By taking this scripture’s concept of God’s healing powers to the natural elements, I can easily infuze that concept into my marriage. My marriage has been dead. Nothing could grow, love couldn’t, respect couldn’t, affection couldn’t. It was a dead and lifeless thing. But, believing in the life saving powers of God, there is a small spark of life blossoming right before my very eyes. For the first time, yes, I rechecked this sentiment, for the first time, I am desiring to ‘be near’ my husband. Finally, after all this turmoil and time, frustrations, bitterness, anger and resentment, in this time of healing, I can finally feel lonely because he isn’t here and we don’t have much interaction.
I can praise God for the work He is doing in our hearts individually and in our marriage. I haven’t had that razor edge anger, bitterness and resentment for several weeks now and I am confident that the Lord has helped me to forgive my husband for his past abuses. I now must cling to the hope that it isn’t too late. God can turn my husband back to me. I believe it, and I know that He will in His time. Invariably, it will be as the waters of healing continue to wash gently over our hearts and we learn that we love each other.
God is the master healer, physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally. I can look upon my husband with favor, something I haven’t been able to do for years. I can think about my husband without second guessing his motives. (This one isn’t perfected yet, but I am learning ever so excruciatingly slow.)
Finally, lets jump trains here and head in the opposite direction. Another thought about the Dead Sea. Can a Christian be too salty, salty enough to be dead? I think so. What does it mean to be too salty as a Christian? Ah, this is where I would love to hear from you, my readers, about your thoughts on this.
In one way, I think that trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ spiritually is a way to be too salty. It is then all show and the spirituality is dead. Or that proverbial ‘holier than thou’ attitude that we as Christians will display if we aren’t careful to live in love towards God and towards our neighbor. What are some other ways that you can think of? What are some ways that you are nothing more than the Dead Sea?
One way for me is perception. I think about my infancy in Christ. I was determined to never impose my beliefs onto anyone, especially my immediate family. We had all been burned by a religious family member who never missed a beat when telling us we were going to hell for something or another. But, essentially, I wanted to avoid being the Dead Sea to them.
Same with my husband. He believes that he has a greater and deeper understanding of the bible than I do. However, the fruits he displays on a daily basis outright contradict his beliefs. As true believers, God has given us His Spirit and because He lives within us, we are able to discern His Spirit in others. Because I have stood against my husband in the past, the wealth of understanding that the Lord has granted me is as the Dead Sea to my husband. He will not listen to me on anything scriptural. He has effectively stonewalled me regarding the bible. And therefore I am as dead as the Dead Sea according to him. That is his perception of me. He knows that I desire to love the Lord and follow His ways, but he doesn’t believe I’m anywhere near the mark.
So there are two ways that I can think of off the top of my head that a believer, in particular – me, can be as the Dead Sea, or too salty.
Like I said, I didn’t have much to say today, unlike yesterday. I think this is about half as long so I hope you enjoy this short musing. Have a blessed day!
Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalm 139:23-24 I give my body to You because of all You have done for me. Let my body be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind You will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship You. I won’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but I will let You transform me into a new person by changing the way I think. Then I will learn to know Your will for me, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 Amen.
May God provide the increase.
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