Ezekiel 47 - Sermon (1-30-11)

This passage talks about a river flowing from the temple of the Lord during the millennial kingdom, which as we will see is far different from any river that we have today. It flows from the temple, it grows supernaturally, it gives life. And I think that it is a picture of the Holy Spirit. And I also think there are several pictures in this passage, of the the Holy Spirits work in the life of a believer.

Ezekiel 47:1-12 - "Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. Again he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

This is an actual river that is going to be in the millennial kingdom. It's spoken about in Joel 3:18 - "And a spring will go out from the house of the LORD"
And also in Zechariah 14:8 - "And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter." (the waters in Ezekiel aren't called living waters but they did give life(vs. 9))

-But what does this mean for us as Christians today?

- John 7:37-39 it says - "Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Here Jesus said that after the Spirit was given, the believer would flow rivers of living water (referring to the Holy Spirit). In this passage in Ezekiel living waters are flowing out of the temple. In first Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19-20, the believer is referred to as "the temple of the Holy Spirit." So I think this river pictures the Holy Spirit, and this passage also gives several pictures of the Spirits work in the life of a believer.

 ITS ORIGIN - vs. 1 - "From the south of the alter" The alter is significant because it speaks of a sacrifice. Notice in that passage in John 7 "the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." And before Jesus was glorified He voluntarily laid down His life as the sacrifice for sin. But we're not told that there was any sacrifice on the alter where the river was flowing from, because the sacrifice only needed to be made once. Because of Jesus' once for all sacrifice for sin, the Holy Spirit can be constantly poured out on those who believe.
And also in John 14 Jesus talks about not leaving us as orphans, but giving us the Helper, that is "the Spirit of truth."
John 16:7 -  "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you."

In Hebrews 9-10 it talks a lot about Jesus offering Himself once for all time. Hebrews 10:14-18 says - "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, "This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them," He then says, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin."

Jesus isn't still on the cross. He paid it all. And on top of that He has also given us the Holy Spirit.

vs. 3-5 - I just want to point out here the supernatural growth of the river. We're not told of any other streams flowing into it, and yet it continues to get deeper. Our growth in submission to God is not something we can do by trying harder. It's His working in us. Not a natural growth, but a supernatural growth.

Different aspects of living by the Spirit -
- Water to the ankles- covering the feet. - When we live by the Spirit, we walk by the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-25 contrasts living according to the flesh, with walking by the Spirit.
When we walk by the Spirit we won't carry out the desires of the flesh.

Ephesians 4:1-3 -  "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Colossians 1:10 - "that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

So when we walk by the Spirit we do away with the deeds of the flesh, and we bear the fruits of the Spirit.

Water to the knees- Prayer. When we live by the Spirit we become men and women of prayer.
Prayer is how we communicate with God. When we live by the Spirit we bring our requests to God, knowing that He knows our needs better than we do.

Romans 8:26-28 - "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
As we pray, the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. So we can pray confidently as Jesus taught us, "Thy will be done." knowing that God is working all things together for good.

-Water to the loins- Spiritual reproduction. When we live by the Spirit we are a witness for Him.
Both purposefully telling others about Christ, and a witness by our lifestyle. People will be able to tell that we are different.
Acts 1:8 - "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
The Spirit in us gives us a desire to reach out to the lost.
In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul talks about being compelled to preach the gospel, and becoming all things to all men in order that he might win some.

-Enough water to swim in- A river that could not be forded.
When we live by the Spirit we do it by His own empowerment. If we're in the flow of a river, we are carried by the river. When we live by the Spirit He carries us.
Philippians 2:13 - "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
And when we're carried by a river, we go where it takes us. When we're in submission to the Spirit, again, Thy will be done. But we don't just go where He takes us. His will actually becomes our will.

VS.6-12 From this point on the focus turns from the river, to things going on around, and effected by the river.

Vs. 8 - The sea talked about here the dead sea. which, because of it's extreme saltiness, makes it a place where animals cannot flourish. But these living waters flowing into it make it become fresh, and thus give it the ability to support life.
Ephesians 2:1-5 - "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved.)"

Not only were we made alive when we were dead, but He actually imparted His life to us. We're told in scripture that whoever believes in Him has, not just everlasting, but eternal life. And since God alone is eternal He actually imparts His life to us.

Vs. 9 - Here we again see the ability of this river to give life. Everything lives where the river goes. The Holy Spirit gives life.
John 6:63 - "It is the Spirit who gives life"
John 14:19 - "After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also."
1 Corinthians 15:45 - "So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul" The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

Because He lives, we can live.

Vs. 10 - This verse talks about fishermen. This makes me think of when Jesus first called His disciples.
Matthew 4:19 - "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men."

Vs. 11-12 - Compared with Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17

Psalm 1:1-4 - "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away."

Jeremiah 17:5-8 - "Thus says the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. For he will be like a bush in the desert and will not see when prosperity comes, but will live in stony wastes in the wilderness, a land of salt without inhabitant. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit."

This shows both the man who trusts the Lord, and the man who trusts in mankind.
The man who trusts the Lord has no need to fear because His life support comes from the sanctuary, from God Himself, and He will never run dry.
The man who trust the himself however has no reason to hope. Like the swamps and marshes, he has no life in himself because he has no life flowing in from outside of himself.

2 Timothy 4:2 - "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.