LIFE-STUDY OF EZEKIEL
Message 26
THE RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM THE HOUSE
WEEK 13 - MONDAY
Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:9, 10; Exo. 15:27, 17:6; Num. 20:11, 21:16-17; Judg. 15:19; Psa. 36:8; 46:4; Ezek. 43:10-11, 47:1-12; Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8; John 4:14, 7:37-38, 17:23; 1 Cor. 10:4
Read and pray: “Then when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.” (Ezekiel 47:7)
THE RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM THE HOUSE
The book of Ezekiel speaks of two rivers. The first river, in chapter one, is the river Chebar, which was in the place where the people of God had been kept in captivity. The second river, in chapter forty-seven, is the river of life in the holy land. The first river is for carrying out judgment; the second is a river for the supply of life.
To be near the river Chebar is to be in a place of discipline, but to be near the river of living water is to be in a place to receive life. In this message we will consider the river that flows from the house.
GOD IS FOOD AND WATER TO MAN
Genesis 2 speaks of the tree of life (v. 9) and of a river that went out of Eden to water the garden (v. 10). Both the tree and the river signify that God desires to impart Himself to man as life.
The tree of life indicates that God desires that we eat Him, and the river indicates that God desires that we drink Him. The tree and the river in Genesis 2 are the beginning of two lines—one concerning God as living food and the other concerning God as living water—which run through the entire Bible until they consummate as the tree of life and the river of the water of life in Revelation 22.
With regard to God as man’s food, the Bible speaks of the flesh of the lamb, the unleavened bread, the manna, the various offerings, and all the produce, both of animal and vegetable origin, of the good land of Canaan.
In John 6, the Lord Jesus spoke clearly concerning this: “I am the bread of life” (v. 48); “I am the living bread which came down out of heaven” (v. 51); “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink” (v. 55); “He who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me” (v. 57).
With regard to God as water for man to drink, the Bible speaks of the springs (Exo. 15:27), the water from the rock (17:6; Num. 20:11; 1 Cor. 10:4), the water of the well (Num. 21:16-17), and water that comes out of the ground (Judg. 15:19). Psalm 36:8b says, “And You cause them to drink of the river of Your pleasures.”
Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, the sanctuary of the tabernacles of the Most High.” Joel 3:18 says, “A fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 14:8 says, “In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem.” The Gospel of John speaks of the living water in 4:14 and 7:37-38.
These portions of the Word reveal that God as living water flows from eternity to us to quench our thirst. The portion of the Word that describes the flowing of God’s living water in the most detail is Ezekiel 47.
It is significant that the flowing of the river of life is not in chapter one. In that chapter, instead of the river of life, there was a consuming fire. In chapter thirty-seven there was a wind that became breath to us, but there was no water flowing. The flowing of the water did not begin until chapter forty-seven. The water could not come before chapter forty-seven because the house had not yet been built.
THE FACTORS THAT PRODUCE THE RIVER
Several crucial factors brought in the flowing of the river. The first was the building and completion of the house. After this, the people began to live according to the house, according to its plan, laws, and statutes. Their daily life and all their conduct became according to the plan, arrangement, pattern, statutes, and laws of the house (43:10-11).
Then those who serve, the priests, served the Lord in a proper way. Finally, there were all the offerings: one lamb out of every two hundred, one-sixth of the wheat and barley, and one-hundredth of the oil. There were yearly offerings, monthly offerings, daily offerings, and all the feasts.
We need to realize that the experience of all these matters brought in the flowing of the river. When the Lord saw all these things, He must have been very happy. He had a house—a place for His throne, a place for the soles of His feet, a place where He could dwell for His rest and satisfaction. He saw the house with its plan and statutes, and He saw the priests and the offerings. Therefore, He sent forth the flowing of the river, and the river began to flow from the house.
Now we can understand why there is no mention of the flowing of the river before chapter forty-seven. The flowing of the river depends on the building. When and where a group of believers is built up in oneness as described by Ezekiel, there will be a river flowing out of the building.
If there is the building in your locality, the flowing will come out of it. Suppose that, concerning the church in your locality, the Lord could say, “This is the place of My throne, this is the place where I can set the soles of My feet, and this is the place where I can dwell, rest, and be satisfied.” If the Lord is able to say this concerning your locality, the river will surely flow out of the building.
Today many zealous Christians pay attention to the preaching and the work of the gospel in the mission field, but their situation is quite poor. They go out to work for the Lord, but no flowing follows them, because they neglect the source—the building up of the church.
There can be no flowing apart from the genuine building. If there is a strong building in the local churches, there will be a river flowing from the building to other places. There will be the flowing, the gushing, and the impact. How much we need the building! We need the church to be built up as the temple, the house of God. As a result of such building, the flowing of God will gush forth. The outreach depends on the building. The preaching of the gospel depends on the building.
This is why in John 17:23 the Lord Jesus says that when we are perfected into one, the world will know that the Father has sent the Son. This means that when we are built up as one, the world will be convinced. The divisive situation of Christianity greatly limits the impact of the gospel.
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