Water for Life - Pt 1

And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 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. 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. 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. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 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.” (Ezekiel 47:6-12 ESV). Water abounds all around us and within us. The earth is about 70 percent water; the adult human body is about 60 percent water. We could survive for several weeks without food, but left without water our bodies would fail within a few days. Despite the prevalence of water in our lives and its importance for our physical health, we often neglect to reflect on the significance of water for our spiritual health. The story of the Gospel is full of references to water. The Bible begins with the Spirit of God “hovering over the face of the waters” (cf. Genesis 1:2) and ends at the “river of the water of life” (cf. Revelation 22:1). In between, water flows and floods. Sometimes water destroys, as in Noah’s day, but more often it refreshes and renews. You may remember that Jesus’ first recorded miracle involved water. While attending the wedding feat at Cana, the host had run out of wine and Jesus transformed water into the best wine (cf. John 2:1-12). Our reading today uses water. In Ezekiel’s vision of God’s sanctuary, the abundant waters of life are the overflow of God’s blessings upon his world and people. The waters will cause all plants to flourish so that they will “bear fresh fruit every month.” This fruit “will be for food, and their leaves for healing” (v. 12). As with many of the prophetic passages in the Bible, this too deals with the nation of Israel. Ezekiel is speaking of the time when the Lord returns to this earth and establishes His kingdom, ruling and reigning for 1,000 years. It is during the Millennial Reign that God will bring healing and restoration to Israel. A river of grace and blessing will flow from the throne of God throughout the land promised of the Lord to His people. It is an incredible picture of God’s final outpouring of grace. Over the next few days, we will explore several intersections of water, word, and life. When we are attentive to the significance of water in our daily lives, we recover a sense of wonder for our amazing God and for the miracle of life each day. Today, revisit the great gift of God in your life. He has given us real water for life!