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Scripture Reading: Psa. 36:8; 46:4; Joel 3:18; Zech. 14:8; Ezek. 47:1, 2, 12; Isa. 55:1-3
In the last chapter we saw five occasions related to the water for drinking recorded in the Old Testament. In Exodus 15 is the tree put into the bitter waters to make them sweet. In Exodus 17 is the smitten, cleft rock flowing out the water of life for the people to drink. Numbers 20 shows us that now that the rock has been cleft, we need to speak to the rock to enjoy its living water. In Numbers 21 is the well within us, requiring that we dig away all the dirt in our being so that the well has a free way to flow out. In Judges 15 Samson called on Jehovah (v. 18) because he was dying of thirst, so God provided him with water to drink, and he was revived. Calling on the name of the Lord is the way to drink the living water and be revived. These five cases show us that the living water quenches our thirst and solves our problems. These instances constitute the first part of the children of Israel’s drinking before the building up of the house of God and the city. In this chapter we want to see the second part of the children of Israel’s drinking after the building of the house and the city.
The verses cited in the Scripture reading show us that the water for drinking is always related to either God’s house or God’s city. Psalm 36:8 says, “They are saturated with the fatness of Your house, / And You cause them to drink of the river of Your pleasures.” In this verse God’s house is mentioned. Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God.” In this verse the river is in the city. The river that makes the city glad has streams like the river in the garden of Eden that was one river parted into four branches (Gen. 2:10). These two verses in the Psalms show us that the river is in the house within the city. Because the house is in the city, the river in the house is also in the city.
Joel 3:18 tells us that a fountain will go forth from the house of Jehovah. Zechariah 14:8 tells us that living waters will go forth from Jerusalem, “half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea.” The river flows, on the one hand, toward the Dead Sea to the east and, on the other hand, toward the Mediterranean Sea to the west. In Joel and Zechariah we see again that the river is related to the house and the city. Ezekiel 47 tells us that water flows out from under the threshold of the house (v. 1). Finally, Isaiah 55:1 shows us that there is a call in the preaching of the gospel for everyone who thirsts to come to the waters.
We have to be impressed that the house of God comes out of the flow of life. Genesis 2 shows us that the materials for the building up of the bride come out of the flow of the water of life. The issue, the produce, of the flow of life is precious materials for the building of God’s house. After the house is built, the water comes out of the house. The one hundred twenty disciples in Acts 1 were individuals who had drunk of the Lord Jesus (v. 15). The living water flowed into them, and by the flow of this living water, they were transformed into precious materials for God’s building. The church was built up with them as the materials. From that time, the sweet living water was in the church.
The Lord Jesus as the fountain, the source, the spring, of living water is in the church, the house of God. Before the building up of the house, the source, the fountain, was Christ. After the building up of the house, the source, the fountain, is still Christ. The only difference is that now Christ as the fountain, the source, of living water is within the building. The water is flowing from within the house because the fountain is in the house. The water now flows within and out of the house of God.
At the beginning of our salvation we had the sense that something within us was flowing, but after a certain period of time we had the sense that this flow stopped. It stopped because we had not entered into the practical church life, the house of God. At the beginning of our salvation, for a certain period of time the Lord may grant us the flow of the living water, but this flow cannot be maintained unless we enter into the church life. Once we get into the local church, the house, we have the deep sense that the flow within us, which had been lost, is now recovered. The inner flow of the divine life is recovered in the local church.
At the beginning of our salvation there was a flow, and that flow was for the church. But we may not have realized this. We may have thought that Christ alone was sufficient. We had the wonderful Christ flowing within us, and we thought the flow within us would not stop. But the flow did stop because we did not enter into the church, the house. One day, however, the Lord in His mercy brought us into the practical church life, the house. Those of us who are in the practical church life can testify that we have the sense of a deeper, wider, and richer flow. Just as there are two parts to the history of the children of Israel’s drinking in the Old Testament, there are also two parts with those of us who are in the practical church life. Part of our history of drinking was before the church life, and another part is after the church life. The part before the church life was initial and temporary.
When we get into God’s house, the flow is constant. In the New Jerusalem, the holy city and the tabernacle of God (Rev. 21:2-3), the river of water of life flows constantly (22:1). If the flow within us is occasional and not constant, this means that we are not in the house but in the wilderness. With the five occasions of drinking before the building of the house of God, problems were solved by the drinking of the living water, but that water did not flow constantly. Once the house was built and the city was established, the water began to flow constantly. Our problems come back again because we have only the instant flow and not the constant flow. We need to get into the house to enjoy the constant flow of life.
All of us who are in the practical church life can testify of the difference regarding the inner flow of life before and after we came into the church life. After I received the Lord, I experienced the flow. But shortly after that initial experience, the flow was cut off. This flow would come back occasionally and instantly, but then it would stop again. However, since I came into the church life, I have enjoyed the constant flow.
We need to pay our full attention to these two sections in the history of the Lord’s children — the section of the water flowing for drinking before the building of the house with the city and the other section afterwards. In the section before the building, the water flows occasionally and instantly, but in the section after the building, the water flows constantly and eternally. Today we should not be in the wilderness but in the house and in the city. We need to be in the house and in the city to have a constant flow of the living water. We should not be satisfied with the occasional flow in the wilderness, but we all need to experience the constant flow in the house of God and in the city of God.
The water to drink before the building, basically speaking, quenches the thirst. But after the house was built, the water not only quenches the thirst but also waters the dry land, produces life, and heals the death. The water at Marah, Massah, Beer, and Lehi is basically for quenching. But in the city within the house is the flowing river, not only to quench but also to water the dry land, produce life, and heal the death.
Psalm 46:4 tells us that the river gladdens the city. If we do not have the water of life, we will be sad. Joel and Zechariah tell us that the river flows from the house within the city to water the desert and to heal the two seas, the Dead Sea on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the west. The water flowed out of the house through and out of the city to heal the death.
In Ezekiel 47 the Lord gives us an exceedingly clear picture of the flowing of the living water out of the house of God. Ezekiel tells us that “He brought me back to the entrance of the house” (v. 1) and that “the man went out to the east with the line in His hand” (v. 3) and measured a thousand cubits. The man referred to here is Christ. This man in chapter 47 is the One mentioned in 40:3: “He brought me there, and there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in His hand, standing in the gate.”
Daniel 10:5-6 says, “I lifted up my eyes and I looked, and there was a certain man, clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with the fine gold of Uphaz. His body also was like beryl, His face like the appearance of lightning, His eyes like torches of fire, His arms and His feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of His words like the sound of a multitude.” In Daniel the Lord was girded at the loins, whereas in Revelation 1 He is girded at the breasts. He was girded at the loins in Daniel because He was still working, but by the time of Revelation 1, the work is accomplished. His being girded at the breasts there signifies His care for the churches in love. Daniel tells us that His arms and His feet were like the gleam of polished bronze, whereas Revelation 1:15 tells us that “His feet were like shining bronze, as having been fired in a furnace.” This shows us that the man in Ezekiel 40 with the appearance of bronze, who is seen again in chapter 47, is Christ.
Christ is not only a man of gold but also a man of bronze. His being a gold man indicates that He is full of divinity, while His being a bronze man indicates that He is the judging One. Bronze in typology signifies divine judgment (Exo. 27:1-6). Shining or polished bronze means that He has first been judged, tested, and proved to be perfect. He is the polished bronze. He is the One who has been judged and tested and is now qualified to judge and test others. In the book of Ezekiel the Lord Jesus is the judging One, the testing One, so He has the measuring line, the measuring reed.
Ezekiel 47:1 says, “Then He brought me back to the entrance of the house, and there was water flowing out from under the threshold of the house to the east (for the house faced east); and the water flowed down below the south side of the house, on the south of the altar.” The entrance of the house is also the exit of the house. The word threshold may be translated into “passage.” The threshold in this verse is the passage of the house. The entrance of the temple is toward the east, toward the rising of the sun, which means that it is toward the glory (Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2). The flowing of the water is toward the glory. Everything concerning the flowing must be for God’s glory.
Also, the water comes from the south, or right side of the house. In the Bible the right side is the highest position, the first place. Thus, the flow of life must have the preeminence, the first place. This tells us that we should never forget, neglect, or miss the flow of living water, the flow of life. We have to check with ourselves all the time: “Do we have the flow within us? Are we in the flow?” If we are in the flow, everything is all right regardless of the situation that we are in. As long as we are in the flow, we are one with the Lord. We have to pay our full attention to the flow and pay the price to get ourselves into the flow. This flow must be on the right side; it must be in the first place; it must have the preeminence.
The flowing is at the south side of the altar. Everything must be put on the altar for the flow of the living water. We do need a full consecration to enjoy the flow of life. We need to consecrate all that we have and all that we are to the Lord.
Ezekiel 47:3 says, “When the man went out to the east with the line in His hand, He measured a thousand cubits; and He led me through the water, water that was to the ankles.” Measuring means to judge or to test. Anything that is measured by God is judged by Him and is tested by Him. To measure something means to test it, to determine whether it is according to a certain standard. Measuring tells us whether the size or weight is right.
To measure also means to possess. In Revelation 21:15 the holy city is measured by God, which means that God is going to possess it. Whatever God measures is what belongs to Him. When one is going to buy a portion of land, the portion that he measures is the portion that he possesses. How much one measures is how much belongs to him. Thus, to measure means to test, to judge, and eventually to possess.
To measure also means to examine. When ladies go to the drapery store in the Far East to buy drapes, they measure the material. While they are measuring, they examine the material to check for holes or imperfections. Even when people buy a plot of land, they measure it, and this measuring includes their examining it. In conclusion, to measure means to judge, to test, to possess, and to examine.
In the house the water is flowing constantly, but the depth of the water depends upon the measuring. Before the man began to measure in verse 3, verse 2 tells us that the water was running out on the south, or right side. The American Standard Version tells us in the margin that was running out can also be translated into “trickled forth.” Thus, after the man began to measure, the flow of water began to increase. After the first measuring, the trickle became a flow to the ankles. At this point the flow is still not so deep because there has not been the adequate measuring. Likewise, the flow may not be so deep within because you have not been adequately measured by the Lord. You have only been measured a little. You may be able to declare, “Hallelujah, I am in the church. I am in the house of God, and I have the flow.” You may have the flow, but what kind of flow do you have? What kind of flow are you in? Is your flow a trickle or to the ankles?
All of us need to be measured by the man of bronze. The Lord Jesus as the measuring One, the testing One, the possessing One, needs to come in to measure us. We must allow Him to judge us, to test us, in order to possess us. We may say that we have consecrated everything on the altar, but the Lord wants to measure us. He desires to test and examine us. After His measuring, the water increases.
The man of bronze again measured a thousand cubits, and the water came to the knees (v. 4). The more you are measured, tested, judged, and examined, the more you are possessed by the Lord, and the deeper the flow becomes. The third time of measuring by the man of bronze in Ezekiel 47 brings the level of water to the loins (v. 4), a much deeper flow. We may be in the church and in the flow, but how much have we been tested by the Lord? How much have we been judged by the Lord? How much have we allowed the Lord to take possession of us? The Lord examines us by measuring us. The Lord is going to test us, to possess us, and to examine us. He desires to measure everything concerning us, even the small things. He wants to measure our attitude, the way we spend our money, the way we spend our time, and our conduct.
You may declare, “Hallelujah, I am in the local church!” But you have to pass the test. The test we all have to pass is not man’s test but the Lord’s test. He is the man of bronze holding the measuring reed. You may feel that you are in the local church and that you have put everything on the altar. In His wisdom the Lord would not measure a full four thousand cubits immediately. He measures gradually in units of one thousand cubits. If He would measure us in a complete way at one time, measuring four thousand cubits, we would not be able to take it. In the same way that a mother feeds her little child a little at a time, the Lord measures us little by little. Each time the Lord measures us, He measures one thousand cubits. One thousand is a complete unit in the Bible. The Lord Jesus would not measure you four thousand cubits immediately, but He has to measure you for a complete unit.
The number four refers to the creation and specifically to man as the head of creation. The fact that the measurement by the man of bronze is in four times of one thousand cubits means that our entire being has to be possessed by the Lord. The Lord does not want to possess merely a part of our being but our entire being. Our consecration must be absolute. Absolute means four thousand cubits of being measured by the Lord so that our entire being is taken over by Him. After the fourth time of measurement, Ezekiel tells us that the water became a river that could not be passed through: “For the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed” (47:5). Before the first time of measuring, the water trickled forth. After the first time, it came up to the ankles. After the second time, it came to the knees. After the third time, it came to the loins. Finally, after the fourth time, no one could tell how deep the water was. It had become a river that could not be passed through, enough water to swim in.
Before getting into the flow, a person can walk easily on the dry land. It is very convenient to walk on dry land, but to walk in a place where water is trickling forth is inconvenient. After a downpour, the water that trickles on the thoroughfares makes it somewhat inconvenient to walk. When the water comes up to a person’s ankles, it is even more bothersome to walk. When it comes up to the knees, it is even more difficult to walk. When the water comes to the loins, a person can still move but with difficulty. The deeper the flow of the water is and the more we are in this flow, the more inconvenient it becomes. After being measured by the Lord, you will have the feeling that it is harder to move. The more grace you receive, the more you will be limited and bothered.
When the flow of grace rises to the loins, it is very difficult to move. This is the hardest test. At this time you may wish that you were not in the local church, and you may want to get away. However, you cannot get away because you are encompassed with and surrounded by water. When the water is to the loins, your consecration is seventy-five percent; when it is to the knees, your consecration is fifty percent; and when it is to the ankles, your consecration is twenty-five percent. The time when you are seventy-five percent consecrated is the hardest time. At this time you may have sufficient grace so that it is not easy to lose your temper, and yet you do not have sufficient grace to overcome your temper. This is a real dilemma. The grace is there, yet it is not deep enough. You need to be measured again one thousand cubits. Then the consecration will be one hundred percent. When that time comes, no one knows the depth of the water. When there is enough water to swim in, there is no need for you to move. This is the time for you to rest because the flow of life is sustaining you, supporting you, and even carrying you away. At that time, you will be able to say Hallelujah all day long. At that time there is no longer any human strength, human effort, or human struggle. The flow of life carries you along.
Human beings after the fall always like to move about in complete freedom. They do not like to be restricted in any way. When we were on the dry land, it was easy to move. As the water of life began to increase in our being, it became more restricting and bothersome. We may feel that we have much strength and energy, but something within is binding and limiting us. We may have told the Lord, “Lord, I surrender myself to You.” But it is not until the fourth time of measuring that we will be fully surrendered. At that time, there is no possibility of exercising our own effort. The only thing we can do in the water is to swim. We cannot cross over it. After we have been completely measured by the Lord, there is no need of our strength, our effort, or our struggle. At that time we will say, “Lord, I surrender myself to the flow. I commit myself to the flow. I stop all my effort and cease all my struggle. I am resting in the flow and will let the flow carry me along.” We all need to ask ourselves how many steps of measuring we have passed. The picture in Ezekiel 47 is better than one thousand words. We need to praise the Lord that we are in His house, yet we need to be measured thoroughly by Him.
