Psalm 1:1-6 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of
the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he
doeth shall prosper. (4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the
chaff which the wind driveth away. (5) Therefore the ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the
righteous. (6) For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the
way of the ungodly shall perish.
Ezekiel 47:1-7 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. (2) Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. (3) And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. (4) Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. (5) Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. (6) And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. (7) Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
In the past we've shown that Psalm 1 and Ezekiel 47 relate to one another and are instances of spiritual imagery that are associated with the Holy Spirit of God which Jesus called Rivers of Living Water.
Ezekiel is shown a vision of a river flowing from the temple of God.
Ezekiel 40:3 And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. The man had a measuring line made of flax.
This man is Jesus Christ.
The Holy Ghost is able to LEAD PEOPLE. Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. That is why Romans 8 speaks of walking after the SPIRIT.
Romans 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. You can only walk after the Spirit if you understand the LAW OF THE SPIRIT.
Something happens the more you FOLLOW the Spirit by LEARNING how the Spirit works. Just as Psalm 1 says we must not WALK in counsel of ungodly, STAND in way of sinners nor SIT in seat of scornful, but instead DELIGHT in the law of God (1:2), Ezekiel FOLLOWS THE LEADING of the man into the river until the level reaches his ANKLES, then KNEES and then LOINS.
Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. WALK IN THE RIVER, and you will not commit the sins that will cause this to happen: Psalm 1:4-6 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. (5) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. (6) For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. Do you want to remain forever, instead of perishing and being lost for the lake of fire?
Get your HEART involved.
Both in Psalm 1 and Ezekiel 47 we read about trees with LEAVES AND FRUIT. Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Ezekiel 47:7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Ezekiel 47:12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. You read the same thing in Revelation 22:2. Psalms says the one who stops walking, standing and sitting like sinners delights in the law of God, and THAT ONE is like a tree with leaves and fruit.
It is a natural fact that where there is an abundance of water, trees flourish.
Psalm 42:1 <To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.> As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. The Psalmist said his soul longed after God like a hart pants after the water brooks, because GOD IS A SPIRIT.
The river in Ezekiel 47 touches the very three parts of Ezekiel's body that relate with the very three things that we are not to do...
The MORE you walk in the Spirit, the more you will cease committing the works of the flesh.
Instead of the world influencing you, get serious about God and the truth and let GOD INFLUENCE YOU EVERYDAY! Isa 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Notice this is what Jesus opened with when He began his ministry.
Isa 61:4-11 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. (5) And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. (6) But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. (7) For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. (8) For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. (9) And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. (10) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (11) For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Someone said Jesus only fulfilled the first 3 verses as though the last 8 are for a future millennium.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. There is no millennium after the church age.
Ezekiel is shown the river, and is told that it flows to the Dead Sea which has the northern most city of Eneglaim of the Dead Sea and the southern most is Engedi. Ezekiel 47:10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. The DEAD SEA comes alive again, since presently NO LIFE CAN EXIST IN IT. Ezekiel 47:8-9 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. (9) And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. LIFE is given to all the region here. Ezekiel sees the SOURCE of the River, the INCREASING DEPTH of the river, and the EFFECTS upon himself in the river, as well as THE HEALING by it and places where it did not go and where it did go. Ezekiel 47:11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. ENGEDI means FOUNTAIN OF A KID, and Eneglaim means FOUNTAIN OF TWO CALVES. The River went to the east.
Romans 8 teaches us what it is to walk after the Spirit. Romans 8:1-23 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. (20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, (21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (23) And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. It takes us from walking in the Spirit, like walking in a river, to the understanding of WHAT IT WILL AFFECT.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. Requires you to MIND THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT - (Romans 8:5).
When Ezekiel walked into the river to the point of water level at his ankles, it represented mortifying the deeds of the body that cause one to walk after the counsel of the ungodly.
Romans 8 finally gets into the resurrection, when an adoption occurs with our bodies.
The ones who delight in the law of the Spirit, and fill their minds with the things of God, will be the only ones who will remain when the great white throne judgment occurs.
Ezekiel saw the river flow from the temple.
Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Rev 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Let us delight in the law of the Spirit of Life!
Romans 8 is the interpretation of Psalm 1, Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 21 through 22. |