God’s Spirit and Presence as the focus

INTRO

Good morning, if you have a Bible this morning you can turn to Ezekiel 47, if you don’t have a Bible you can use one around you or you can just follow along on the screens.

Well my friends, this is it for us for the book of Ezekiel believe it or not. As I said when we started this series, I went into it with great fear and anxiety not really knowing how this was going to go. If you have time or think of it, I would love to hear from you sometime how the book of Ezekiel spoke to you, ministered to you, or surprised you sometime after the service or just write it down and let me know.

I know for myself, it brought a greater understand of the Bible as a whole, meaning, there were lots of things in Ezekiel that helped me understand the Gospels better, Genesis better, and ever Revelation. It also brought a greater desire for honoring God. I don’t know how else to communicate it, but a deeper reverence that was not there before.

So we will finish up our temple tour this morning by looking at two final and very important scenes in this text that will really wrap up this whole book in a helpful way I believe.

But before we jump into that, I want to give a little review for remembrance and also if you have not been with us so we are not lost.

REVIEW

-Ezekiel has a vision of a new temple, new city, new land, and new leadership that is perfect. This is in contrast with chapters 8-11 where he has the nightmare vision of the temple that was imperfect and defiled by the terrible leadership that was bowing down to idols.

-In this new temple, God’s glory returns and then Ezekiel is left with the question of will they be able to worship him again? Or was their sin too much that this tempe is just for the Lord to be in and mankind has screwed up too much to actually be welcomed back into his presence? Last week we see that God installed Ezekiel as high priest and levites as ministers to God and they accepted him again after sacrifices were made. So, yes, God wants man to dwell with him! It is incredible, after all the disobedience, God’s heart did not change and he wants people to dwell with and to be worshiped by.

But there is another thing that God has not changed his mind about that we will look at in today’s text.

Let’s pray and then dive into today’s text.

BODY

English Standard Version Chapter 47

1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

3 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

So usually when you see water pouring out of a building it is a bad thing, right? But here in this vision, God shows Ezekiel a powerful picture of what the restored temple and the restored worship will do. But before we get to that, I need to point out some very important connections this river is speaking to Ezekiel. Because, as you know, this may be the last time I ever say this, Ezekiel was training to be a priest! Which means, his mindset and world view were immersed in the first 5 books of the Bible. His understanding of rivers, fish and trees would be pointing his mind to another time there were rivers, fish and trees. Anyone have a guess to where that is?

The vision of the river, fish, and trees would point Ezekiel to The Creation account and Eden.

You don’t have to turn there but in Genesis 2 there is a part of the creation story that I would say some of us find not so interesting. Possibly boring. Yet it is incredibly important for us to understand the rest of the Bible.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

These rivers were there to provide life and sustenance to all plants and animals in the garden and the world. God , from one river then creates 4 other rivers. But it is interesting in Genesis, just like Ezekiel, the river just comes out of nowhere. It’s just there and it keeps growing bigger and bigger to give life to all of the creation around it. In Eden there were four rivers, in Ezekiel’s vision, the man gives 4 different measurements that give a greater depth of the river until he can’t go in it.

After Ezekiel sees the river, he then realizes that there are a ton of trees that are on the shores of this river. Where do we know about trees being in abundance in the Bible? Eden, yes, good job. Let’s read about what is important about these trees again in verse 12.

English Standard Version Chapter 47

12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”

Endless fruit, every month, and healing in their leaves. Sounds like a tree of life to me. This is hopeful for Ezekiel who has been told that the land that he once lived in, the promised land that was promised to Abraham, inherited by Joshua, was now dead and desolate because of Babylon’s siege. But here God gives him pictures of a new temple, a new city and a new land that is similar in many ways to Eden. Paradise restored. And yet, there is more, because there is the river, there is trees, and then where is this river flow to?

English Standard Version Chapter 47

8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

So, just a reminder, about directions, Ezekiel and God’s presence went East to west to show a returning to the temple and out of exile. Here the water flows from west to the east into the Arabah. Anyone aware of what sea is east of Jerusalem? The dead sea. The saltiest sea with no fish or animals that want to be around it. God’s river brings to life the dead things, even the lowest (in sea level) and lowest of all situations. And what happens when the river of God flows into the dead sea? Fish!

More fish than the great sea, meaning the Mediterranean sea that is to the west of Jerusalem, and everyone can fish there. Everyone is welcome to come and eat the fish of God’s new sea.

The river of God brings about a New Creation!

This is something I expand more on in the study guide if you want, but the restoration of land is very important theologically for Ezekiel and the exiles and should be for us. We don’t have enough time today to discuss it all, but this is incredibly hopeful for Ezekiel that God is restoring the land to be a new creation. It was a desert and a wilderness and now it is filled with trees of life and a river and fish! Now we are going to talk a little more about this river in a little bit, but I want to summarize the rest of the vision because it is important.

The vision continues on to talk about the division of the land that I showed you last week, how each tribe gets a equal amount and how the land has a focus place of reserve for the prince, levites and God’s temple. Then he describes the gate of the city and says something very interesting that will tie all of Ezekiel in a nice little bow to finish the book this morning. Let’s read starting at verse 33.

English Standard Version Chapter 48

33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.”

Now, there is two ways that you could read this last line “The LORD is there” meaning he is in the city. Which is fine, nothing wrong or unbiblical about it. Or you could read it as the cities name is (pointing to the temple) “The LORD is there!” The city was a place of corruption which then corrupted the temple in Ezekiel’s day. So in this new temple, new city, new land vision the city’s main goal is to point to the purified temple with God’s glory and God’s river pouring out over it.

PICTURE THIS WHOLE SERIES

In the beginning of Ezekiel we met Ezekiel by a river, the Chebar canal, with God’s presence showing up in a powerful way. Here at the end, we have Ezekiel by a river, with God’s presence and the only thing that matters is not, the king, the levites, the ark of the covenant, it is all about the LORD. HIs presence. With His people. Transforming dead things to life.

Isn’t that what it is all about for us today? Or at least it should be. It is the Lord. His presence, transforming us every day from glory to glory. Taking our dead, salty parts of hearts and minds and having his river rush into them so there can be life again!

But how?? Turn with me to John 7 where we will see Ezekiel’s river rushing through the Lord and how it affects us today.

Just a little background so you know what is happening is Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the feast of booths. What is the feast of booths you ask? It is a seven-day Jewish holiday celebrating the autumn harvest and commemorating the Israelites' time wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. It's a time for gratitude and reflection.

Of course Jesus makes the religious leaders mad with his teaching, people are talking about is Jesus the Christ, and it is chaotic. Then Jesus, on the last day stands up and says something. Now before we read it, remember this is a feast that they are celebrating when God protected them and sustained them in the wilderness. Does anyone remember when they were in the desert, how did they get water? It was water from a rock that Moses struck. So keep that in mind and Ezekiel’s river vision as we read this.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified

If you have a study Bible, you know the secret about how where Jesus is quoting from scripture. There is no specific scripture that says this, it is a summary. Where the Jews would have known about the rock that provided water, they would have known about Ezekiel’s river that flowed with living water. It is a summary of Isaiah, Joel, Zechariah’s visions of a river that would one day flow and bring living water and Jesus says, come and drink! Come and Believe! And then a river will flow out of you and that river is, the HOLY SPIRIT.

THE RIVER OF GOD FOR THE BELIEVER

THE RIVER OF GOD FOR THE BELIEVER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Are you thirsty today? Are you a little parched? Are you drinking from a salty sea? Come and find living water in Jesus who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit. And when that Holy Spirit fills you, living waters will flow out of you.

THE RIVER OF GOD FOR THE BELIEVER SHOULD FLOW TO OTHERS

Ezekiel’s river flowed into the dead sea and then it blessed those fisherman with a ton of fish. Moses’ rock flowed to provide water to others in the desert. The Holy Spirit in our life should flow to others. The fruit of the Spirit is not for you to just eat, it is for others to eat. The gifts of the Spirit are for you to share with others, not just for you to keep on your own. We have the unity of the Spirit so that we can grow and mature in Christ.

THE RIVER OF GOD FOR THE BELIEVER ALWAYS POINTS TO THE LORD

The city in Ezekiel’s vision took on the name of a pointing to the Lord. So should we. The river of God flows through us to bless others, to point them to the Lord. He is the one that refreshes, heals, renews, restores and makes people whole. Not us. It’s him. It’s the Lord. The Spirit’s main job is to point us to Jesus. It’s always about Jesus, it’s the desire of my heart, for this church and I hope it is for you too.