Get Off the River Bank

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In my last post, we left the prophet Ezekiel in his vision, standing outside the Temple. An angel had been giving Ezekiel a detailed tour of the Temple and everything in it prior to this point. 
 
Ezekiel stood watching water pouring out from the Temple. It was the start of a river.  

He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through. 

(Ezekiel 47:3-5)

I’ve read a few commentaries on this passage, and I know that some interpret this passage to refer to God’s increasingly powerful work through the ages. I am sure that is correct. When I read the passage, though, I see another application that, I believe, is consistent with Scripture as a whole.

The angel takes out a great big measuring tape and measures out a distance of fifteen hundred feet. For my friends in parts of the world that don’t use feet and inches, that would be a bit short half a kilometer. The water is ankle deep there. The angel leads Ezekiel into that ankle-deep water.

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• In ankle-deep water, it isn’t too hard to keep your balance. You can splash and play a bit. The current isn’t so strong there that a person might be swept away. The ankle-wader is still fairly much in control over where he or she is going.
• The angel didn’t stop there, though. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet and led the prophet through water that was knee deep.
• In knee deep water, the current can be felt a bit more strongly. It takes a bit more strength and balance to keep walking. But basically, a person can still walk in knee-deep water.
• Then the angel measured off another fifteen hundred feet into water that was waist deep. Ezekiel followed him.
• In waist deep water, a person’s body is half underwater. The current pulls strongly. At this depth, the river-walker may intend to go one way, but the force of the current pushes in a different direction. If the walker insists on his own direction, he probably won’t accomplish that entirely. Depending on the strength of the current, he probably won’t be able to accomplish it at all.
• The angel then measured off another fifteen hundred feet. Ezekiel found himself in water that was over his head. It was deep enough to swim in.

River-Swimming Story
Have you ever tried to swim in a river? Back in 1989-1990, I spent a school year in Papua New Guinea teaching at a school for the children of missionaries. During the Easter holidays, I visited the village where the parents of one of my students served. This village was located on the banks of a river in a jungle lowland area. It was the next-to-the last village along this river.

A large tree had fallen into the swiftly-moving river. The local children, the MK’s…and this visiting teacher…had a great time swimming in this river. We were all glad for the long sturdy rope tied at one end to the tree. The other end floated off downstream.
We took turns jumping off the tree into the river, then swam with all our might toward the rope. We grabbed the rope and hand-over-hand pulled ourselves back to the tree. Without that rope, the current would have swept us downstream.

Invitation to Go Deeper
As I look at this passage in Ezekiel, I see an invitation to us to go deeper into God’s river of life. Let’s move beyond the shallow water. The shallows are good, and can be enjoyable, but the deeper water, takes us places where God works mightily.

When swimming in that river in Papua New Guinea, you didn’t want to just let yourself be carried away by the current. If a person got carried away there, it could result in disaster. We can entrust ourselves to God’s life-giving current, and expect amazing things to happen.

Next time, we’ll look at some of the things that happen in places where the river of live flows.

Time for Reflection

• Consider your own life and relationship with God. How deep are you? Ankle-deep? Knee-deep? Waist-deep? Swimming in the current?
• If you are wading in “shallow water”, what is holding you back from following God deeper into His river?

Ezekiel's "Hopeless" Assignment

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Before we launch into Ezekiel chapter forty-seven, it might be worthwhile to take a quick look at the prophet himself. Ezekiel was called to serve as God’s prophet to the people of Israel, although he had occasion to prophesy to Judah and other nations as well. This was most certainly NOT an easy job. In fact, God told Ezekiel right from the start that Israel would not heed anything Ezekiel had to say.

A Quick Backward Look

If you remember anything about Old Testament history, you will probably recall that there were twelve tribes that descended from Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. After the death of King Solomon, these twelve tribes split apart. Ten tribes in the north were called Israel. Two tribes in the south were referred to as Judah, after the biggest tribe.

When I took an Old Testament Survey course a number of years ago, I learned something that I found very interesting. Over the years, Judah had a rollercoaster-like relationship with God. They had a series of evil kings who led Judah away from God and into idolatry. Then there would be a king or two who led the people back to God.

But Israel? Israel never had a king who led his people back to God. Not even one. Israel was idolatrous. Israel was stubborn. Israel was rebellious.

It was to this bull-headed, rebellious, hard-hearted nation that God sent Ezekiel. Seems like a hopeless mission, doesn’t it? I wonder if Ezekiel had the thought cross his mind, “You want me to do WHAT?!?” No matter what the prophet may have thought, he did accept the call God placed on him.

Ezekiel - A VERY Quick Glance

I just scanned through the headings in book of Ezekiel, just to get a quick overview of the kind of things Ezekiel talked about. He carried messages of doom and destruction for the rebellious nation. He also carried messages of hope that God would eventually restore His people.

Ezekiel was told to do things that would have been considered “weird” to the people who saw him, but each “weird” action carried an important message from God. They ignored every one of them.

This prophet also had many visions. We won’t go into all of them, but one particularly long and detailed vision had to do with the Temple. (Ezekiel 40-47)

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Now…To The River’s Source

Let’s start with a look at the first two verses on Ezekiel 47, as the prophet looks to the future hope that God promised to His people.

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. (Ezekiel 47:1-2 NASB)

If you are like me, you may have found your eyes crossing a bit as you read those verses. Why in the world is it so important to know from which direction the water flowed? Why did Ezekiel so careful to point out that the house (Temple) faced east?

You know what? I am not even going to try to answer those particular questions. For the purposes of this post, I am content to accept that Ezekiel was always very detailed in his descriptions and leave it at that.

The point that I think is important is the part that says the water flowed “from south of the altar”. This description of what might be referred to as the River of Life begins at the source.

The river begins at the altar in the Temple. In Ezekiel’s time, temple was thought of as the place where God lived. Even though people who truly loved God knew that He was far bigger than any building people could make, the Temple was still considered to be God’s dwelling place.

So when Ezekiel so carefully described the water flowing out from the altar in the Temple, he was pointing out to the people of His day…and to us…that the source of life is God Himself. Life flows out from His presence. The presence of God is the source of life.

In the next several posts, we will look further into this passage.

• We will see an invitation to go deeper.
• We will see the life-giving river at work.
• We will take a look at a sentence that must have left old Ezekiel scratching his head.
• Most importantly, I hope we will all be challenged to allow God’s River of Life to flow freely through us as we touch our world with His Life.

Time for Reflection

From where do you draw life? From family? From friends? From excitement? From approval? From God’s active presence in your life? From something else? I’m sure we all know what the truly “spiritual” answer should be, but is the “right” answer really the true answer for you right now? As we explore Ezekiel 47:1-12, let’s allow God’s river of life to flow through us in ways we never knew before.