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.”
There is a natural and understandable temptation for pastors and church leaders to think of how they can get people to come to church. The motives – if we are honest – may be mixed at best. On the good side, we want people to come to church to join us in worship of God, hear his word, receive his gifts. On the less noble side, we want people to come to church to make us successful, to validate our ministries, and to help with the work that needs accomplished.
This passage from Ezekiel 47 points us in a new and better direction. The river of God’s favor and blessings flows from the church into the world. The Temple in the Old Testament was the unique place of God’s holy presence. The church today – the gathering of God’s people around the word and sacraments – is similarly the place of God’s holy presence. Just as God was omnipresent in the days of the Old Testament, he is also present everywhere today. But he is uniquely and specifically present where two or three are gathered in Jesus’ name. And it is from the places of Jesus’ presence that Jesus’ blessings flow.
The image here is of blessings flowing from God into the world. It is not (in this particular case) an image of people coming to God or the church. We need to focus on how we people of God can convey God’s grace and blessings to the world, not how we can get more of the world into the church. The latter, taken literally, would be harmful! We want to get the church (gospel message of Jesus) into the world, not the world (and all its values) into the church.
I love how this image highlights God’s grace flowing into the world and getting deeper and wider, broader and higher. It doesn’t split into factions, or divide into smaller streams. It gathers strength as it flows and becomes an ever more powerful influence for good, blessing, healing, and enrichment wherever it flows.
God’s source of grace and blessing is inexhaustible. It never runs out. We won’t use it up by passing it on. We won’t siphon the wellspring of his love dry. Jesus offered the woman at the well, living water, “a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” We who have been blessed by the riches of God’s grace are to invite others to take the water of life without price. They won’t hear that invitation unless we take that invitation with us into the world.
Imagine being part of a movement of God that blesses and transforms people, and brings healing to the nations!
Click on this link to my photos from our teaching time in Tanzania.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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