Word of Salvation – Vol.12 No.41 – October 1966

 

Everything Will Live Where The River Goes

 

Sermon by Rev. W. F. Van Brussel on Ezekiel 47: 9b

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 47:1 – 12; Revel. 22:1-5

Psalter Hymnal: 336 (Tune 444); 417:1,3; 156: 4,5; 149; 389; 467

 

Beloved Congregation,

The story of God and of His Son is a story of wonders.  We must never forget that.  It is a captivating story of great surprises.  We ought to remember that always, and especially since the story of God’s Church in this world is fully linked up with it.

We may have our seasons of doubt and frustration, but we shall never feel extremely downhearted as long as we keep on turning to the sacred pages of Holy Scripture which are an inexhaustible source of inspiration and comfort for all who believe.

I invite you today to come along with me and join me in looking at the great vision which we find recorded in our Chapter.  It was seen by the prophet at a time when not much courage was left in the hearts of God’s people who lived as exiles far away from their beloved home country.  It was a time when the remainder of God’s people could only expect to die-out entirely, far from home.

But that was not, and will never be what is going to happen.  God has different plans.  It may look like this at times – that God’s work of grace will end up in mere failure, but…  Well, let us have a look!  Let us go and see how everything comes to life once the river has come past.

The temple always had at least one small stream which is called by Isaiah (8:6) “the waters of Shiloah that flow gently”.  These waters were regarded as a symbol of the silent and gentle influence of the Divine presence in Israel.  The waters of this stream flowed eastward, but they were too scanty to have any appreciable effect on the fertility of the region through which they passed.

Further, to the southeast of Jerusalem, between it and the Dead Sea, stretched the great wilderness of Judah, the most desolate and inhospitable area in the whole country.

To reclaim those barren slopes and render them fit for human industry, the temple waters are sent eastward making the desert to blossom as the rose.

Lastly there was the Dead Sea itself, in whose bitter waters no living thing can exist, the natural emblem of resistance to the purposes of Him Who is the God of life.

These various elements of the physical reality were familiar to both Ezekiel and his fellow-exiles, and they came back to mind as the prophet follows the course of the new temple-river and observes the wonderful transformation which it is destined to effect.

He first sees it breaking forth from the wall of the temple at the right-hand side of the entrance, and flowing eastward through the courts by the south side of the altar.  Then at the outer wall he meets it coming from the south side of the eastern gate, and still pursuing its easterly course.  At a thousand cubits from the sanctuary it is only ankle-deep, but at successive distances of one thousand cubits it reaches to the knees, to the loins, and becomes, finally, an impassable river.

The river obviously is miraculous from source to mouth.  Earthly rivers do not thus broaden and deepen as they flow, except by the accession of tributaries (zijarmen).  But tributaries are out of the question here.

Thus it flows on with its swelling volume of water “toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah”, and reaching the sea it sweetens its waters so that they teem with fish of all kinds like those of the Mediterranean Sea.  It’s uninviting shores become the scene of a busy and thriving industry, and the food supply of the country is materially increased.

On his way back the prophet noticed that many trees had grown on either side of the stream.  And he was told that their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail.  Their fruits will be for food and their leaves for healing.  “Everything will live where the river goes”.  It is like a regained Paradise.

But what does it all mean, for us?

Amidst all dispersion and bewilderment which His people were experiencing the prophet had to draw their attention to the great wonder of God’s sanctuary on earth.

One of the outstanding features of the kingdom of Israel had always been that instead of a palace the temple had been right in the centre of all its life and activities.  The sanctuary where in a symbolical fashion atonement was made continually for God’s people.

And again in a symbolical way it is shown here that a renewal of the nation’s life can only be expected to originate from this very centre.  The beautiful temple of Jerusalem rises before the eyes of our imagination as an Ark of Redemption amidst many judgments of the Lord.

And at this juncture we remember how Christ has come to bring to its fulfilment all that had been indicated by and around the temple for centuries and centuries.  And as a result of the atonement which He alone has made for His people and for the whole world, the Holy Spirit has come Whose streams we can see issuing from below the threshold of the temple.

Thus the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh.  From the holy city the salvation of Christ has been carried throughout the world, and the Holy Spirit has been bringing life into all sorts of places where death had prevailed for an extremely long time.

This vision presents a wonderful rendering of the history of the Church up from the day of Pentecost throughout the centuries of the New Dispensation.  The glad tidings have been carried out into all the world and numerous dead people have come to true life, though they used to be as dead as the Dead Sea.

This process has not come to an end as yet, although we may wonder sometimes how long it will continue.  For in our day it seems that, proportionally speaking, more losses are being suffered than victories won.

There is no reason whatever to question the word of God going on in our day.  It is an entirely different question, however, whether we shall have to ponder the Church’s failure today, or rather the Church’s guilt.

For this powerful stream of the Spirit can only manifest itself in the life and the activities of the Church; spiritual activities that is.  In any church one can find people who are mission-minded, but is that the outlook of, for example, our own church as a whole?  Is our own church really so mission-minded that people who look on are reminded of this vision of Ezekiel 47?

This is a serious question to consider for each one of us as we sit here today.

God’s plan, no doubt, will come to its full realization, but are we all eager to do our share in this great enterprise to such an extent that we experience personally the refreshing effects of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our very midst, and in our own hearts?

There is a living and life-giving stream issuing from the sanctuary, or rather: flowing from the hill of Calvary, and everything will live where the river goes.  Does that river go here?  Do we live?  Where are the evidences?

The water, we are told, is rising while it is flowing.  The further it goes the deeper it becomes.  The further it flows our way the less we shall be able to remain standing on our feet.  One out of two things must occur: we shall either be drowned, or we shall be carried by the waters of the Spirit, and reach out to all sides the glad message of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us remember right now that wherever the river comes the curse is being taken away, the curse of deadness; and Paradise is in the process of being restored.  Everything is blossoming and flourishing wherever the river goes; healing mercies are being experienced and purification takes place, wherever the Holy Spirit comes and is able to work.  Even the Dead Sea becomes a lively scene and a life-giving place.

This certainly is a Pentecost-vision; but it is not only to be remembered on Pentecost day or in the Pentecost season.  This is lasting reality in the life of the Church of Jesus Christ.  Christ Himself predicted this when He spoke the words which we find recorded by John in Ch.7:38,39 of his Gospel: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water’, Now this He said about the Spirit Whom those who believe in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

“So everything will live where the river goes.”  This is a glorious message full of great comfort and inspiring power.  This preaching of both the prophet Ezekiel and our Lord Jesus rouses much expectancy, and rightly so.

In spite of the sad conditions of their day Ezekiel and his believing fellow-exiles have felt strongly encouraged by this vision.  It has enabled them to continue standing firm in days of deep despair for the people of Israel.

Amidst all confusion and horror of our day, in which so many things seem to wither and die, we also may direct our faith towards this holy One Who has risen in our world and from Whose inner parts issues the purifying and life-giving stream,

This vision is not merely a lovely dream.  Let us be aware that this vision, even today, is in the process of being realised.  The waters of the Dead Sea seem unwilling to the purified, sometimes.  In many cases, however, it is the lack of enthusiasm in the Church which causes the failures.  We do not see the use of approaching certain people, since they do not at all seem to be interested in the Gospel or the Church.  We seem to be afraid that they are dead to such an extent that even the Holy Spirit will not be able to revive them.  For that reason we concentrate frequently on the people who, although dead are more likely to lend an ear to what we have to say in our evangelistic approach.

Our main worry should definitely not be the condition of the Dead Sea, i.e. the degree of deadness of the people to be approached.  This should be our main worry rather: How is the condition of the river at this stage?

When the river started issuing from Calvary from the day of Pentecost and onward, many who were touched by its waters were roused to a new life.  They gave up entirely their old ways and they put on the new man created after God in true righteousness and holiness.  The waters of the Gospel evidently were healing streams.  New life was found among these Christians.

Of course, it is only too true that in this life our Christian work, even our best works, are all imperfect and defiled with sin, but this does not mean that there is not the slightest improvement in the life of the believers.  There ought to be a difference between the practices of a believer and those of an unbeliever; and this difference is supposed to increase more and more, over the years.

A Christian is an entirely different sort of a person.  There is a change which is noticeable just as much as that of the Dead Sea in the vision, as soon as the waters of the river had reached it.

Once we have been touched by the Holy Spirit we cannot possibly remain the same sort of persons, who are as indifferent, and proud, and self-conceited, and selfish, and malicious, and hostile as we are merely by nature.  In other words: Have you and I at all been touched by the Holy Spirit?  And do we rejoice in it, really and truly?

For how shall we ever influence our surroundings in a positive measure, and in a way that conditions improve so that there can be talk of healing and cleansing, if we have not become new men and women and young people, ourselves?

Mind you, these waters of Ezekiel’s vision are not merely the waters of the Spirit.  They are also the waters of the Church in which the Spirit is pleased to dwell.  The Church is the instrument, the channel of the Holy Spirit in the world.  You and I, we are the means of God the Holy Spirit to use us to effectuate His healing powers and to perform His miracles of renovation.

Our Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Do we really influence the world around us?  In our office, in the factory, on the job, in the army, at school, amidst swearing mates and cynical colleagues?  I do not mean to say that you must preach in the boss’s time.  No, we are meant to influence our fellowmen by our different ways of going about things, which are in accordance with the holy will of God as expressed in His Word, in His law.  “So, everything will live where the river comes”.  Yes, there will always remain swamps and marshes which refuse to receive and to take in the river’s healing streams.  That is also stated in Ezekiel’s record, vs.11.  But it is not up to us to decide where these swamps are, not anyway until we have tried, and experienced that our endeavours were useless.  We must always leave the outcome to Him Who alone can give new life by working it in a person’s heart by the miracle of regeneration.

And when we feel frustrated and disappointed with regard to our vain efforts we can always return to this vision which represents God’s reality.

And let us never forget that what was seen and said in the distant past, Ezekiel 47, “has again been said with a view to the future which is ahead, still,” Rev.22.

For the Church which has fought the good fight of faith John has been privileged to speak words that spell even greater rapture concerning the river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, which will be surrounded by trees, yielding their fruits each month, and with leaves that heal the nations.

Let us never cease to believe the reality of God’s presence in His Sanctuary; to believe also that this river is there as a stream of blessing, even here, and today!

Amen.