Ezekiel 47
Angel continues to show Ezekiel future happenings verse 1- 2
Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house
and – BEHOLD waters issued out from under
the threshold of the house eastward
for the forefront of the house stood toward the east
and the waters came down from under from the
right side of the house – at the south side of the altar
THEN brought he me out of the way of the gate northward
and led me about the way without unto the outer gate
by the way that looks eastward – and – BEHOLD
there ran out waters on the right side
Angel shows a river flowing out of Jerusalem verse 3- 5
AND when the man that had the line in his hand
went forth eastward
he measured a thousand cubits
and he brought me through the waters
the waters were to the ankles
Again he measured a thousand – and brought me through the waters
the waters were to the knees
Again he measured a thousand – and brought me through
the waters were to the loins
Afterward he measured a thousand
and it was a river that I could not pass over
for the waters were risen – waters to swim in
a river that could not be passed over
River brings life giving power to Promised Land verse 6- 9
He said to me – Son of man
have you seen this?
THEN he brought me
and caused me to return to the brink of the river
NOW when I returned – BEHOLD
at the bank of the river were very many trees
on the one side and on the other
THEN said he to me
These waters issue out toward the east country
and go down into the desert – and go into the sea
which being brought forth into the sea
the waters shall be healed
And it shall come to pass -that every thing that lives
which moves whithersoever the rivers shall come
shall live
and there shall be a very great multitude of fish
BECAUSE these waters shall come thither
for they shall be healed
and every thing shall live whither the river comes
River gives fish to the Dead Sea and fruit to countryside verse 10- 12
And it shall come to pass
that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi
even unto En-eglaim
they shall be a place to spread forth nets
their fish shall be according to their kinds
as the fish of the great sea- exceeding many
BUT the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof
shall not be healed
they shall be given to salt
And by the river upon the bank thereof – on this side and on that side
shall grow all trees for meat – whose leaf shall not fade
neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed
it shall bring forth NEW FRUIT
according to his months
BECAUSE their waters they issued out of the sanctuary
and the fruit thereof shall be for meat
and the leaf thereof for medicine
New division of land to Israel started verse 13- 14
Thus say the Lord GOD
This shall be the border
whereby you shall inherit the land
according to the twelve tribes of Israel
Joseph shall have two portions
And you shall inherit it – one as well as another
concerning the which I lifted up MINE hand
to give it unto your fathers
and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance
Description of the northern part Promised Land verse 15- 17
This shall be the border of the land toward the NORTH side
from the great sea – the way of Hethlon
as men go to Zedad
Hamath – Berothah – Sibriaim
which is between the border of Damascus
and the border of Hamath
Hazar-hatticon – which is by the coast of Hauran
And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan
the border of Damascus
and the north northward
and the border of Hamath
And this is the north side
Description of the eastern part verse 18
The east side you shall measure from Hauran
and from Damascus
and from Gilead
and from the land of Israel by Jordan
from the border unto the east sea
And this is the east side
Description of the southern part verse 19
The south side southward
from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh
the river to the great sea
And this is the south side southward
Description of the western part verse 20
The west side also shall be the great sea from the border
till a man come over against Hamath
This is the west side
Israelites and people from other nations will live together verse 21- 23
So shall ye divide this land to you
according to the tribes of Israel
And it shall come to pass
that you shall divide it by lot
for an inheritance to you
and to the strangers that sojourn among you
which shall beget children among you
and they shall be unto you as born in the country
among the children of Israel
they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel
And it shall come to pass
that in what tribe the stranger sojourns
there shall you give him his inheritance
says the Lord GOD
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. (4325 “waters” [mayim] means watersprings, waterflood, refreshment, rain, flood, sea, river, tears, or pool.)
DEVOTION: As has been stated above we find that there are two meanings to this liquid. One meaning is physical and other is spiritual.
The place where the water comes from makes all the difference in the world. Here we have water coming from Jerusalem to the rest of the nation. It is a time period when the Messiah has come to reign in Jerusalem.
HIS presence causes the wilderness to turn into productive land. HIS presence causes the waters that were without life to come to life. HIS presence gives all those who are alive healing through the leaves of the trees that come to life during this time period.
There will be sickness but healing will be found close at hand. There will be refreshment in every house. There will be blessing in every house. Those who enter this time period could live to be a thousand years old. Someone dying at a hundred would be rare. Those who reject the message would also face death.
During that time period Israel would receive a new inheritance but they would also give strangers an inheritance because there would be room for all.
How deep is the living water today? There is enough for everyone to drink from the Spiritual drink that Jesus offered the woman at the well to fill everyone who will accept the message. We are to present the message of an offer of Living Water to all those we meet.
CHALLENGE: Our life should be full of the Living Water that Christ offered the woman at the well. We need to share this truth with others.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.(4058 “measured” [madad] means mete out, to determine the measurements of something or somebody, take measurements of)
DEVOTION: Here we have an example of words having two meanings in the Bible. There is a physical side to water and there is a spiritual side to water.
The physical side deals with the fact that Jerusalem had no rivers next to it. The people of Jerusalem received their water through springs that ran throughout the land. The springs gave enough water to be used in cisterns. So people had water most of the time.
The Spiritual side of water is used by Jesus in HIS meeting with her at the well in the Gospel of John chapter 4. HE offered her living water. This is talking about the idea that once someone becomes a believer they have access to HIM. HE will provide them with fresh understanding of the Word of God. HE will provide access to the Holy Spirit. HE will help them live a life longer that is pleasing to the LORD.
So in the future when Jesus is reigning in Jerusalem during the Millennial Kingdom the city of Jerusalem is going to change physically with the splitting of the Mount of Olives. When that happens there will be water flowing from the Temple all the way to the Dead Sea. When this happens the Dead Sea which at present can’t have any living thing in it will be able to support a multitude of fish and other water animals. The mineral count will be reduced to just the marches around the Sea.
Also in the future LIVING WATER which is Jesus Christ will be reigning in Jerusalem and everyone will understand the spiritual truths of the Word of God. Some will even reject it during the Millennium but they will spend their eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
CHALLENGE: So, there is a future river that is going to run through Jerusalem.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (8644 “medicine” [t@ruwphah] means healing, recovering health from a physically sick state, or remedy)
DEVOTION: This chapter is part of the description of the Millennial Reign of Christ. The Temple is the source of a river that runs out of the Temple through the Dead Sea and into the Sea. The Dead Sea is desalted.
People will be fishing in the Dead Sea that previously could not support life. There will be fruit trees growing along this river. They will produce fruit year around. It speaks of a time of abundance for Israel. The land of Israel will be blessed.
Is this river literal or figurative? Many think that it is figurative of the advancement of the church from the day of Pentecost until the end of the world. Others think that it is a literal river that will flow during the Millennial time period.
One of the reasons for a literal interpretation is that there will be fishing in the river. There will be salt left in the delta for the use of humans during that time period.
Salt is necessary. It is a preservative. It seems to be a literal river that shows a change during the Millennium. There will be blessings throughout the land.
Those who are fisherman will really enjoying knowing that a new river will open up for good fishing. The salt sea has no living fish in it. On another note there will be fresh fruit on the trees always.
At least one of the trees will have healing in their leaves. In the book of Revelation we find a verse in chapter 22 that talks about the tree of life that has healing in its leaves.
Also we find in the verse a reference to fruit coming on the tree every month. The tree mentioned in this verse is saying the same thing. There is going to be a tree in the future that will be meat for the people. This new fruit shall never be completely consumed. It will never run out. The trees leaves will never fade. Fruit lovers will be in their glory also during this time period.
Secondly, the leaves of the tree are going to be used for the healing of the people. There will still be sickness that needs healing in the Millennium. There will be spiritual needs that will be healed by the LORD Jesus Christ who is on the throne during this time period.
We realize that the LORD is in control. We realize that the LORD has the future planned. It was planned before the foundation of the world. God is working HIS plan in our lives.
HE is working HIS plan in our world. Sometimes we don’t understand what HE is doing but we know that the Bible says it is for our good. In the future Israel and her land is going to be healed.
Remember that Christ described HIMSELF as LIVING WATER. We need to encourage each member of family to drink from the LIVING WATER of Christ. The Samaritan woman drank. The Word of God promises eternal life to those who truly drink.
CHALLENGE: The Bible has all we need to heal our spiritually dead body. At present we need doctors to help us but God is always the ultimate healer both spiritually and physically. In the future the LORD will do all the healing through the leaves on the trees.
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:22 And it shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be to you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. (5159 “inheritance” [nachalah] means hereditary property, taking possession, heritage, share, occupation of anything, or a lot assigned by God)
DEVOTION: There will be a different lifestyle during the Millennium. When Christ reigns on the earth there will still be Jew and Gentile. The difference is that the Gentiles or strangers can live in the land and have an equal inheritance with whatever tribe they decide to live with, in the land. They will be able to give birth to children and they shall inherit the land as well.
The LORD told the disciples HE had another flock that would become followers of HIM. This other flock was the gentiles or those who were not Jews. They were going to be reached after the death of Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave instructions to the disciples while HE was alive to only go to the nation of Israel. They did their evangelism only with the Jews. They only went to Jewish villages. If the people of the village didn’t accept their message, they were to shake the dust of their feet to show that they had rejected the message of Jesus. Those villages that accepted the message would receive the blessing of the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Today we are part of that ministry. We are to reach both Jew and Gentile for the LORD. Those who accept will become followers of Jesus and will inherit all the promises of God given by Jesus Christ while HE was on the earth.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sanctuary verse 12
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Thus says the Lord GOD verse 13, 23
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 13, 23
GOD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 13, 23
Lord GOD verse 13, 23
I lifted up MY hand verse 14
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man = angel guiding Ezekiel verse 1- 23
guided him through waters
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Fishing from Engedi to Eneglam verse 10
Damascus verse 17, 18
North side -Hamath verse 17
East side – Hauran verse 18
Strangers verse 22, 23
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Son of man = Ezekiel verse 1- 23
Brought to the door of the house
Angel guided him
Healing waters seen
Went from En-gedi to En-eglaim
Saw fish – exceeding many
Fruit was meat
Leaf for medicine
Inherit the land verse 13, 14, 22
Twelve tribes of Israel verse 13, 21, 22
Joseph shall have two portions verse 13
Borders of land explained verse 15- 21
North side from the great sea
Way of Hethlon as men go
to Zedad
East sea
South side – from Tamar to great sea
West side – great sea to Hamath
Children of Israel verse 22
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Waters healed verse 8, 9
Trees will bring forth fruit every month verse 12
Leaves of trees will be used for healing verse 12
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QUOTES regarding passage
Ver. 1. Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house, &c.] The door of the temple, even of the holy of holies; hither the prophet is said to be brought again, or brought back; for he was last in the corners of the outward court, viewing the kitchens or boiling-places of the ministers; but now he was brought back into the inner court, and to the door that led into the holiest of all: and, behold! for it was matter of admiration, as well as of observation and attention: waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; this is a new thing, to which there was nothing like it, either in the first or second temple. Aristeas indeed relates what he himself saw, “a never-failing conflux of water, as of a large fountain, naturally flowing underneath, and wonderful receptacles under ground; to each of which were leaden pipes, through which the waters came in on every side, for five furlongs about the temple, and washed away the blood of the sacrifices;” and so the Talmudistsz say, there was an aqueduct from the fountain of Etam, and pipes laid from thence to supply the temple with water, for the washing and boiling of the sacrifices, and keeping the temple clean: but these waters are quite different; they are such as came out of the temple, and not what were carried by pipes into it; nor were they a common sewer to carry off the filth of it, but formed a delightful and useful river. The fountain of them is not declared, only where they were first seen to issue out, under the threshold of the house eastward; the threshold of the door of the most holy place; so that they seem to take their rise from the holy of holies, the seat of the divine Majesty, and throne of God, with which agrees Rev. 22:1 and so the Talmudists say, that this fountain came first from the house of the holy of holies, under the threshold of the door of it, which looked to the east: for the fore front of the house stood toward the east; the holy of holies was at the west end of the temple; but the front of it, and so the door into it, was to the east, and from hence these waters flowed: and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house; they are said to come down, because the temple was high built upon the top of a mountain; and from under, that is, the threshold of the door of it; or rather in subterraneous passages, till they appeared from under that; and this was on the right side of the house; that is, on the south side: for, suppose a man standing with his face to the east, as the prophet did, when he turned himself to see which way the waters flowed, having his face to the west when he first saw them come out; the south then must be on his right hand, and so it follows: at the south side of the altar; of the altar of burnt-offerings, which stood before the house. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, pp. 256–257). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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47:1, 2 water was flowing … east. A stream of water flows up from underneath the temple (cf. Joel 3:18), going E to the Jordan, then curving S through the Dead Sea area (vv. 7, 8). Zechariah 14:8 refers to this stream as flowing from Jerusalem to the W (Mediterranean Sea) as well as to the E (Dead Sea). Its origin coincides with Christ’s Second Advent arrival on the Mt. of Olives (cf. Zec 14:4; Ac 1:11), which will trigger a massive earthquake, thus creating a vast E-W valley running through Jerusalem and allowing for the water flow. See note on Zec 14:3, 4. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Eze 47:1). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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The vision of the Waters; or, the blessings which flow from this source to animate and refresh all the inhabitants of the earth. Cp. Isai. 44:8 &c.; Joel 3:18. Ezekiel’s description is adopted and modified by Zechariah and in Rev. (cp. marg. reff.) Hebrew tradition speaks of a spring of water, named Etham, said to be identical with the well-waters of Nephtoah (Josh. 18:15), on the West of the Temple, whose waters were conducted by pipes into the Temple-courts for the uses needed in the ministration of the priests. The waters of Shiloah (Ps. 46:4; Isai. 8:6) flowed from the rocks beneath the Temple-hill. It is quite in the manner of Ezekiel’s vision to start from an existing feature and thence proceed to an ideal picture whence to draw a spiritual lesson. The deepening of the waters in their course shows the continual deepening of spiritual life and multiplication of spiritual blessings in the growth of the kingdom of God. So long as the stream is confined to the Temple-courts, it is merely a small rill, for the most part unseen, but when it issues from the courts it begins at once to deepen and to widen. So on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the company of believers, little then but presently to develop into the infant Church in Jerusalem. (Barnes, A. (1879). Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel. (F. C. Cook & J. M. Fuller, Eds.) (pp. 417–418). London: John Murray.)
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Back of all our meditations upon these last chapters of Ezekiel, from 40 to 48, the question has been kept ever in mind, Are we to take this vision literally as indicating something which will be fulfilled to the letter in millennial days, or are we to understand it as symbolic of wondrous blessing which God has in store for His ancient people and for the world, but which He has presented in this form in order that the poor finite minds of His people may get some conception of the wondrous things reserved for them which are utterly beyond human imagination? We cannot help contrasting and comparing the closing chapters of the Apocalypse with what we have here. In considering this vision of the river our attention necessarily will be directed to that pure river of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, which John saw in vision as he found himself in spirit on a great and high mountain beholding the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. We are told definitely in the first verse of the Revelation that God sent and signified these things to His servant John; and we have observed that the word signified really means symbolized. There are very few indeed who would attempt to literalize the great visions of this remarkable book. No one expects to see a sevenfold-sealed roll in heaven broken by one who has the appearance of a lamb. The roll we know is the title-deed to this world, and the Lamb is the Man Christ Jesus seated on the throne of God. Neither do we expect an actual savage brute with seven heads and ten horns to come bodily up from the bottomless pit and dominate the world.
We see in this vision the symbol of human government in its last degenerate and atheistic condition; and so when it comes to the vision of the heavenly city we understand that God is using symbols of wondrous beauty and glory to set forth the magnificence and marvelous character of the eternal home of the saints. The river there is clearly the Holy Spirit’s testimony to the risen Christ, which brings refreshment and blessing everywhere it goes; and we see on either side of the river the tree of life with its marvelous fruits, speaking of the message of the gospel which brings spiritual healing to all who receive it.
Now as we consider Ezekiel’s vision it would seem to be but slavish adherence to literality which would deny the symbolic character of much that is here unfolded. For many, the river in this chapter is a literal stream which will break forth from underneath the temple in millennial days and will divide into two parts, according to Joel 3:18 and Zech. 14:8; thus linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Dead Sea and giving the city of Jerusalem itself a water-harbor. All this may indeed be true, but that this passage in Ezekiel refers to the same thing does not seem to the present writer either to be reasonable or in accordance with what we learn elsewhere in Scripture. What is the river that proceeds from under the threshold of the sanctuary of Jehovah? Can it be other than that same glorious stream which we have mentioned already, as brought before us in the twenty-second chapter of the Revelation? Of such a river Scripture speaks in many places. Wherever God rests we find a river flowing. There was one in Eden, a literal river flowing forth from the garden and dividing into four great streams; but elsewhere we find the river spoken of in a spiritual sense. In Ps. 36:8 we read, “Thou shall make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures”; and in Ps. 46:4 we are told, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.” Observe, this is not a prophecy of some literal river to break forth from the floor of the temple in the future, but at the time the Psalmist wrote, it was a blessed fact, and it is a fact still, that there is such a river of refreshment of which all may drink who are willing to stoop down in repentance and receive that which God so graciously offers. This accords with what we have in the New Testament, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). Our blessed Lord, using the same figure, said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37, 38). He has promised to bless and refresh the dry places like a river (Ps. 105:41); and Isaiah twice speaks of peace as a river (48:18; 66:12); while both the Psalmist and Jeremiah tell us of the righteous man who is like a tree planted by the rivers of water (Ps.1:3; Jer. 17:8). Speaking prophetically of our Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah says, “A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (32:2). “A man shall be … as rivers”—what a remarkable picture! But when we realize that this river speaks of life and refreshment we at once see that all this is centered in our Lord Jesus who gives life and rest of heart and conscience to all who come to Him and drink.
There are numerous passages to which we might turn, but these are sufficient to show how frequently the Holy Scriptures use the symbol of a river as referring to the grace of God in Christ ministered to the soul in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Whether, therefore, Ezekiel’s vision of a river will be fulfilled literally or not we do not know. Of this we may be sure: it does speak to us today of that same glorious river which is brought before us in so many other places in the Word of God.
The prophet was led by his guide to the door of the house, and he beheld water issuing from under the threshold of the house toward the east. He had seen nothing like this before; though in vision he had been led through that court. It is as though now all is seen as completed, and God has found His rest in the sanctuary; His glory has filled the house, and waters spread forth for the refreshment and blessing of His people.
These waters are pictured as running down from the court through the outer gate that looks toward the east and descending on the right side, going on down to the Jordan valley. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (pp. 323–326). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers)
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47:1 Refreshing water from the presence of God (see Ps. 46:4) prefigures the living water that Christ offers through the Spirit (John 4:10, 13–14; 6:35; 7:37–39; Rev. 22:1–2). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 1577). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
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The land will be refreshed by the healing waters of the river issuing from the altar of God. All of God’s blessings must begin with the altar. Ezekiel is describing the healing of the land, the blessing of God upon the land that He chose for Israel. Note that there will be a new border for the land (13–21). On the west will be the Mediterranean Sea; to the north, a line running from Tyre to Damascus; on the east, the Jordan River and the Dead Sea; and to the south, from below the Dead Sea to the River of Egypt. This means that the inheritance will all be inside the land, with no tribes across Jordan.
We can see in this life-giving river a beautiful picture of the Spirit of God. The source is the altar, the death of Christ (John 7:37–39). The river became deeper, so that the prophet could swim in it. Oh, that we might go deeper and deeper into the things of God and stay out of the shallow waters! The river brought healing and life; so the Spirit heals and gives life today. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Eze 47–48). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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FROM MY READING:
What does TITHING DO?
1) It makes the conscience tender.
2) It is a safeguard against stinginess.
3) It is a wonderful stimulant to faith.
4) It strengthens obedience in all other lines.
5) It makes us appreciate the other nine-tenths more.
6) It brings light to the mind on all other subjects.
7) It is regular, dependable, and not spasmodic.
8) It gives us sweet access to God in prayer devotions.
9) It makes benevolence a fixed affection in the soul.
10) It makes God’s special providence much more real to us.
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We can destroy people in smaller ways, but ways that are just as sure. We can be destroyers with our words, with our attitudes, and with our critical spirit. You need to be honest enough to face just how difficult you are to live with. (p. 53)
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A pastor had a clock in his office that was well-known for its inability to keep time; sometimes it was too fast, sometimes too slow. He put a sing under it: “This clock is not dependable, don’t blame the hands, they trouble is deeper.” Our trouble is deeper than we imagine it to be, but God can change us from the inside out. (p. 54)
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Unless you open yourself continually to the work of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to control your thoughts and motives, you too can play into the Devil’s hands. (p. 54)
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The blood of Jesus offers words of forgiveness and reconciliation to all who embrace the cross. At the foot of the cross both destroyer and victim can come together and find healing. (p. 55)
When You’ve Been WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer
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Love of Every Love the Best
“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)
The love of Jesus has been our theme these last two days, following the insightful hymn “O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.” And deep it is, as many Scriptures attest.
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!
The depth of His sacrificial love for us transcends knowledge. His love for us overwhelms any love we have for Him or for one another. His nature of true love drives His love for us, even though we are quite unlovely, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Our response? “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
Romans 8 lists many aspects of the loving work He has done and is still doing for us. We are fully covered by His love. It asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35), followed by a carefully worded list of the things that cannot sever our place in His favor, our secure position in Christ. The section closes with the affirmation “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
(JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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1 Kings 19
Elijah flees from Jezebel, and the Lord ministers to him after saving him.
INSIGHT
On the heels of the stupendous victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah falls into despair. He fears for his own life in the face of Jezebel’s threat and flees to a lonely mountain for safety—to lick his wounds and mourn his fate. How shameful that this great prophet would call down fire from heaven one day and flee for his life the next. We all have feet of clay. Notice though that God does not berate him. Rather, He ministers to him quietly, restoring his spirit and strength. Then God calls Elijah back into His service again. God cares when we are hurt and discouraged and gently calls us to Himself for new strength.
(Quiet Walk)
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THE FIRST STAGE IN REVIVAL
And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people…for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way. Exodus 33:1,3
God’s reply to Moses is in effect, “I have given this promise to these people, that they shall go to that land of promise, that land of Canaan, which is flowing with milk and honey. And, therefore, I tell you now, you lead them up. You take them to the land of promise. In view of what they have done, I am no longer coming up with you.”
That, then, is the position. And what is of such great interest to us is the reaction of Moses and the church to this. This is always the first stage in revival. You see the position they were in—their sin, God’s pronouncement, God’s judgment upon it. And the first stage, the first step, in revival is, as we see here, a realization of the position.
These people who had rebelled and turned their backs on God, who had blasphemed His name and had criticized His servant Moses, who had caused Aaron to make the calf and had worshiped it, and who had sinned, suddenly they were stopped short. They realized something, at any rate, of the situation they were in. Now obviously this is a matter of final importance. There is no hope of revival apart from this. It is an awakening to the situation. It is an awareness of the implications of what God has said: “He is going to withdraw His presence from us, and He has done so. The cloud has disappeared. The pillar of fire is no longer in evidence. God said He would withdraw, and God has withdrawn.”
There is a consciousness and a realization of His displeasure. I defy you to read the history of the revivals—you will find at once that without a single exception this always happens.
A Thought to Ponder: The first step in revival is a realization of sin.
(From Revival, pp. 152-153, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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