I take my jog along the river that runs near our house. Some days it is crystal clear as it flows, other days after rain it is like a raging torrent. I run upriver until I get to a bridge that crosses over onto a dirt track and there are no more houses that you can see from the road. Once there take some time out to stretch, while I contemplate the flow of the river. It’s a good way to gain perspective.
I often think about the part in Ezekiel 47 where Ezekiel is shown the river that emanates from the temple and flows out, getting deeper and deeper such that no one could cross. The water from the river is the source of life, where the river flows everything will live, fruit trees bear fruit every month because the water from the temple flows to them. As I head back home listening to this particular river running through Loja I am reminded that God is in control of everything. His word continues to go out and call people into his family, his kingdom continues to grow, his power sustains all life and he is merciful to us. There is nothing that can stop the flow of God’s river of life.
When I feel weak and unsure about our ‘effectiveness’ here in trying to encourage people in their faith, in our desire to build up Christian leadership, in wanting to see people fully submitted to Christ, the sound of this river reminds me that God’s will shall be accomplished, and I ask again for his mercy and wisdom for us to be part of that work here in Loja, for the sake of his holy name.
The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." Ezekiel 47:1-12
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