May 2, 2004 am
MF Blume
Psalm 1:1-6
(1) 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 47:1-12
(1) 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.
(8) 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.
(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.
(11) But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not
be healed; they shall be given to salt.
(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.
So many sermons have offered interpretations of what the ankles, knees,
loins and swimming levels of water in Ezekiel's vision represents.
- And here is yet another
thought I wish to offer.
- I believe that the
Bible interprets itself.
- The bible should tell
us what these things mean.
- And the bible does
it by other references with the similar message and elements listed, as Psalm
1 lists stages, and also mentions the river and trees specifically noted
with fruit and leaves.
I want to preach to you today about God's will for you to be saturated
and blessed by the river of Life, which is the Holy Spirit of God!
If this statement does not relay to you the thought of ABSOLUTE satisfaction
in life, then please understand that this is my intention in speaking in
this manner.
- Jesus came to give
us Life and that more abundantly.
John 10:10
(10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly.
And Psalm 1 relates very much to Ezekiel 47.
- I wish to explain what
Ezekiel's urges to walk into water to his ankles, knees, loins and finally
to swim in the river of life actually means.
- May the Lord guide
us today to understand the message in this vision.
- It speaks about absolute
satisfaction in life.
The two passages we read
are very much closely knit together in essence of thought.
- We read of rivers of
water in both and trees whose fruit and leaves are stressed specifically.
Psalm 1.. bringeth forth
his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither
Ezekiel 47 ...whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof
be consumed
Ezekiel says that the River causes everything it comes into contact with
to live.
- But it says it in a
very unique manner.
- And notice the details.
- God wants to show us
something in this when we read it.
Ezekiel 47:(9)
And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever
the rivers shall come, shall live:
All that lives shall live.
- How can we say all
that lives shall live?
- It's already living!
- The truth is that natural
living souls require a greater Life of God!
- ANOTHER LIFE!
- This is speaking about
giving living souls a GREATER LIFE.
This is exactly what the
New Testament teaches about God's Spirit.
John 4:13-14
(13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this
water shall thirst again:
(14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well
of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:37-39
(37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
(38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(39) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on
him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus
was not yet glorified.)
The RIVERS OF LIVING WATER represent the Holy Spirit of God that He dispenses
to souls and gives them another life!
- Eternal Life!
- THAT is what you feel
when a minister of God preaches in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
- It's ALIVE, so you
can actually FEEL it in your soul.
- You do not need to
hang around any religion that does not dispense this LIFE!
So we see that the Holy
Spirit of God is likened to a River of Life.
- Jesus told us to COME
to it.
Look where else we read
Jesus telling us to come to the River.
Rev 22:16-17
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star.
(17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely.
Come and take of the water of life freely.
Look at the first of this chapter.
Rev 22:1-2
(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.
(2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river,
was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded
her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations.
Same picture as Ezekiel 47 and Psalm 1.
What is important for us to notice is that Psalm 1 speaks of trees specifically
with fruit and leaves, as in rev 22 and Ezekiel 47, in referring to GOD'S
PEOPLE.
Psalm 1:(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.
People are called trees!
- And Revelation said
this tree planted by the River of Life, that Jesus said is the Holy Ghost
to which we must come and drink, IS THE TREE OF LIFE!
- Revelation 22 has one
tree on both sides of the River.
- But Ezekiel 47 has
MANY TREES on both sides of the river.
It's ONE KIND OF TREE,
but many of them.
Back in Psalm 1 we read three distinct elements that David said cause a
man to be like one of these trees planted by the waters with it's fruit and
leaves.
Psalm 1(1) 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.
Watch how this compares with Ezekiel 47.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
(1) 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.
Ezekiel is in a vision.
- He is guided to the
door of the house, which is the temple.
- Waters are flowing
from the temple's right side at the south of the altar.
- By the way, 1 Kings
7:39 says that in Solomon's temple a huge "sea" of 3000 baths of water was
situated at the right side of the Temple towards the south.
- And the PRIESTS were
to wash themselves in it, while ten other lavers of water were to wash the
sacrifices they offered.
- Ezekiel saw this RIVER
flowing from where this huge basin stood in Solomon's temple.
And a man with a measuring
line measures forth towards the east, in the direction the water is flowing,
1000 cubits (half a mile).
- He GUIDES Ezekiel that
distance.
- And Ezekiel is then
up to his ANKLES in this river.
- Another 1000 has
the man guide Ezekiel to his knees.
- Another 1000 has the
man guide Ezekiel to his loins.
- Finally, another 1000
is measured, bringing us to 4000 cubits from the temple, and the man does
not lead Ezekiel there, but Ezekiel finds that the waters are a veritable
RIVER at this point.
- And Ezekiel SWIMS in
the River!
Notice the sequence.
- Ankles.
- Knees.
- Loins.
- Swim.
And when Ezekiel swims,
he returns to the place where he started.
(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.
After he returned, and NOT BEFORE, he sees many trees on the river's edge.
(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.
The trees have the fruit and the leaves to HELP THE WORLD.
Psalm 1 shows the SAME SEQUENCE OF THOUGHTS.
The first thing Psalm 1 said is
(1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly
This corresponds to Ezekiel's experience of following the GUIDE who MEASURES
the river the first 1000 cubits and the water is up to his ankles.
THE ANKLES are associated with WALKING.
(2) nor standeth in the way of sinners
THE KNEES are associated with STANDING.
(3) nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
THE LOINS are associated with SITTING.
Psalm 1 gives three elements that show HOW BLESSED such a man is!
- Ezekiel was being BLESSED
as he used his ankles for something other than walking in the counsel of
the ungodly!
- Ezekiel was WALKING
IN RIVER OF LIFE called the HOLY GHOST!
- He used his knees for
something other than standing in the pathway that sinners take!
- He Stood in the power
of the Spirit!
- His loins did not seat
him in the seat of the scornful!
- He was in the river
of life!
The spirit of Ezekiel's
vision in chapter 47 is not saying it is Not good enough to got to the ankles
and stop!
- It is simply saying
that Ezekiel experienced a touch of God upon the very things that Psalm
1 spoke about!
- And Psalm 1 lists these
three elements and then says that a person who does not give his ankles,
knees and loins to the walk, standing and sitting of unsaved humanity is
blessed to BE LIKE A TREE PLANTED BY THE WATERS.
And lo and behold, after
Ezekiel touches these three areas of his life, he then enters waters to
SWIM IN!
- If this is the Holy
Spirit of God that we are reading about, and we know that it is, then we
are reading of having God's Spirit simply carry us away in such wonderful
blessings.
- And when Ezekiel returns
to the starting place, he sees many trees by the waters with the leaves
and fruit to touch this old world!
- Psalm 1 said these
trees were planted by the waters.
- That means they did
not simply GROW there.
- THEY WERE GROWN ELSEWHERE
AND TRANSPLANTED THERE.
When you do not walk, stand
and sit where the world walks, stands and sits, but are directed away from
that into the things of the SPIRIT OF GOD, YOU ARE TRANSPLANTED by these
waters of His Spirit.
- Your entire life is
different now!
- You've been uprooted
from where you were.
Watch what else Psalm 1
said.
(4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind
driveth away.
The ungodly are not transplanted, but remain where they were.
- And their lives DRY
UP AND BLOW AWAY!
- Contrast that with
plump fruit and leaves that do not whither!
- Death versus LIFE!
In order to not walk stand
or sit where the world does, means to ABSORB THE SPIRIT OF GOD INTO YOUR
LIFE!
- Like a tree planted
by the waters of life!
Now Jesus said to COME
TO THE WATERS.
- After noticing that
Ezekiel allowed Himself to be GUIDED and LED and BROUGHT to the waters at
the leading of the man with the measuring line, and realizing that each
of the three elements speak about GETTING AWAY FROM THE WORLD'S WAYS and
GETTING INTO GOD'S SPIRIT INSTEAD, then following the leading into the waters
represents HOLINESS.
- Do we know what holiness
really means?
- It means WE BELONG
TO SOMEONE.
- In this case, it is
God.
- God is saying that
in order to be blessed like this, we must LIVE LIVES THAT ARE DIFFERENT than
the world's common way of living.
- You cannot do what
the rest of the world does.
- You cannot be ungodly,
sinful and scornful.
- Locking into God's
Spirit is synonymous with leaving ungodliness, sin and scornfulness.
- You are HIS.
- You are HOLY.
Notice that two of the
sort of people we read about in verse 1 are said to not experience some
things.
- You do not do what
they do, and they will not experience these things that you will experience.
(5) Therefore the
ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation
of the righteous.
The ungodly cannot stand in the judgment as you will!
- They will not make
it!
- They will fall when
judgment comes.
- When judgment comes
for us all at the end, the only way you will SURVIVE it and STAND when it's
all said and done is to have locked into the Spirit of God.
- Depend upon His Spirit
like a tree depends upon the river it stands beside.
- And a tree with a river
beside it is a STRONGLY ROOTED TREE that WILL NOT WILT NOR LEAN AND FALL.
Sinners cannot stand in
the congregation of the righteous.
But do not think for a
minute you are better than anyone else, because it is not YOU that rendered
yourself to become like this!
- You just left the ungodly
lifestyle.
- And notice what Ezekiel
learned about why the trees of life have so much fruit, whereas Psalm says
the ungodly blow away like chaff in the wind.
Ezekiel 47:12
(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.
The fruit is there because of the waters that come from the temple.
- We only become strong
and flourish bountifully by God's Spirit, and not our own efforts and natural
life!
When Ezekiel saw the man
with a measuring line and following his guidance as the man measured 1000
cubits, we see a picture telling us a message.
- Psalm 1 gives the answer.
- The bible interprets
itself, and it's such an adventure to learn these things and find these
associations out.
Psalm 1(2) But his
delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and
night.
The LAW OF GOD is something we must MEASURE UP TO.
- We align our lives
with the Law of God.
- In other words, LEARN
from GOD.
- Did you know that you
need a person who is genuinely inspired by God to TEACH you things you simply
cannot naturally know?
- God will show you things
Himself as well.
- But there is also need
for ministers of God whom God uses.
- It all works together!
The man measures 1000 cubits
and brings Ezekiel that far and Ezekiel finds that his ankles -- his walk
-- is not a walk in the counsel of the ungodly.
- When you learn from
God, you live as the ungodly's counsel dictates them to purposely do mischief
and evil.
- The counsel of the
ungodly is not being influenced by God and doing everything one would do
on one's own.
- He counsels others
to care nothing for true religion.
- Don't pray.
- Do your own thing.
- No need for God.
- Just be honest and
good in yourself
You are walking, but things
regress, and you are soon STANDING.
- Standing in the way
of sinners is worsening the previous state.
- Going for no influence
from god which is ungodliness, to ADDING TO IT AND SINNING.
- That brings you to
a standstill.
- Sinners have different
WAYS of living.
Then you worsen and SIT.
- Worse then simply not
having godly influence, and worse than sinning, the SCORNFUL MOCK GOD!
- From walking, to standing
and finally sitting, to be SO DIVESTED OF LIFE THAT YOU BLOW AWAY IN THE
WIND LIKE CHAFF!
- Talk about inability
to stand in the day of judgment!
- The ungodly blow away
with the WIND let alone God's mighty judgment!
- But the righteous who
love God's ways will stand strong.
- And nothing stands
stronger than a tree planted by surging and full Rivers of Life!
(4) The ungodly are
not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
If you walk as the ungodly, you will soon stop walking and merely stand
and commit sin after sin, until you finally SIT and actually SCORN ALL THAT
IS OF GOD.
But instead, you PROGRESS and move greater than you ever have before when
you get in the Holy Spirit!
In SIN YOU SLOW DOWN AND
FINALLY SIT AND GO NOWHERE.
IN THE SPIRIT YOU GET DEEPER!
The three regressions in sin are walk, stand and finally sit
and then dry up and blow away.
But the three progressions
in the Spirit are Ankle deep, then knee deep, then waste deep, and finally
SWIMMING!
- That’s forwards!
- Wet, wetter,
saturated and rooted forever!
And your life becomes so
fulfilled with meaning and purpose!
- YOU FEED OTHERS.
- AND YOU BLESS OTHERS.
- Fruit from your life
is so LIFE-GIVING to those who come to you!
- And you bring HEALING
to the nations of peoples who are so wounded and hurt and beaten.
Remember that PEOPLE who
love God's LAW are like these trees.
- Therefore, it's fruit
and leaves that feed and heal speak about God using our lives to minister
to the world.
There's no greater blessing
than knowing God is using you to minister to the world around you!
Psalm 1:(2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his
law doth he meditate day and night.
Wherever this RIVER flowed, IT GAVE LIFE!
Rom 8:1-2
(1) 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.
Walk after the Spirit!
- Follow the MEASURING
LINE of God's LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE!
- The measuring line
on the river of life speaks of the law of the Spirit of life.
- A life that follows
God's Spirit is represented by following a measuring line in the river of
life!
- When you follow the
MEASURE to leave ungodliness, sinfulness and haughty scornfulness and mockery
of all that is spiritual and good, YOU WILL BE BLESSED!
God's MEASURE requires
you to BE influenced by God and not simply a life that is without God --
ungodly.
- When Ezekiel followed
the man with the measuring line, it represents a life that obeys God's law
of life and SEEKS INFLUENCE FROM GOD.
- It's a life that Ceases
from sin.
- It ceases the negligence
of things sacred and spiritual.
Once you are GUIDED in
these three areas of your life, you are ready to ENJOY HIS SPIRIT FULLY!
- The fourth time the
man measured the water 1000 more cubits, we do not read he guided Ezekiel.
- Ezekiel enjoyed the
fullness.
- But he required all
three former steps!
- You cannot choose to
leave the way of the ungodly but continue to stand in the pathway of sinners
and expect to enjoy blessed living.
- You cannot do follow
or two of the measurements, and refuse one or two of the other parts.
- After Ezekiel went
all the way, he SWAM!
He went back and found
many trees by the river's edge!
- His life became RIGHTEOUS
and so full of ministry to others.
WALK AFTER THE SPIRIT!
- Be blessed of God!
- Feel FULL-FILLED!
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