PROTECTING THE FLOW OF HEAVENLY MINISTRY

G. D. Pfingst

Isaiah 7: 3, 4; 8: 5–7; 2 Chronicles 32: 30; Nehemiah 3: 15

I think there may be a connection in these scriptures as to the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, that we may be able to protect that which would come to us in that way. These waters do not force themselves, but would refer to the Spirit’s gracious influence.

What a word that was to Ahaz—“Take heed and be quiet; fear not, and let not thy heart faint”. Sometimes it is hard for us to be quiet when things are adverse and difficult as they were here. There was the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and of the son of Remaliah, and they had taken counsel against Ahaz. Such things would take on tremendous proportions at the present time in the world through all that is going on, but the thing is to “be quiet; fear not, and let not thy heart faint”.

In the presence of difficult conditions there is the aqueduct of the upper pool, and the thought would be to protect that and keep it from the enemy. That is just what is on my heart, to keep these waters that flow down from the upper pool from falling into the hands of the enemy. We know, of course, that the ministry is for the whole church and we want it to be that way, “that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified”,

2 Thessalonians 3: 1; but we do not want these things to be cut off by the enemy. That is just my simple thought, dear brethren. The aqueduct would have a bearing on that, I believe; it would bring the flow of refreshment and cleansing down to the right place, giving direction to the ministry. It would keep the water flowing in a right way so that it would not be diverted by things which tend to bring trouble and distress which would intimidate the saints.

The Galatians were coming under law again and it may be that this tendency is with us, or there may be things that would bring in fleshly activity, excitement or agitation; but the aqueduct would keep things flowing in a quiet, even way in the right direction. How wonderful to be able to keep things flowing in spite of some turning aside or not supporting assembly gatherings, so that there will still be this flow which is for every one who wants to derive help from what is in the upper pool. It is wonderful to be in the current of things on the highway at the aqueduct.

It is a sad thing to note that in chapter 8 the people refused the waters of Shiloah which flow softly and rejoiced in other things, things that bring in fear, that would disturb the saints, that would trouble them, but it says “the Lord will bring up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many”. Such waters gather up strength, so to speak, suggesting what is unsettled, constantly changing, affected by every wind of doctrine, being made angry by the wind— angry waters, things that would agitate, in contrast to the waters of Shiloah which flow softly. There is wonderful comfort and power in that which flows softly. Elijah had to learn that God was not in the great wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the soft gentle voice (1 Kings 19: 11–13).

It is a wonderful thing to be able to continue the influence of that soft gentleness that breaks down many a stony heart. How wonderful the word of God is in its constancy and in its evenness of flow. The enemy would seek to interrupt it. There are people such as Rezin and Remaliah and they want to disturb it and interfere with it. So the thing is to protect it, and the way to protect it is to do what Hezekiah did: it says, “And he, Hezekiah, stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the city of David”. When it says “straight down” the footnote says, ‘brought it under the ground’. If you have the water coming under the ground the enemy cannot get at it. I think that was Hezekiah’s point; he did not want the enemy to get at these waters. The enemy would like to poison the waters and bring in death and confusion. When the enemy gets his way it brings in death, but if the waters are underground the enemy cannot interfere with them; they will continue to flow softly; the wind cannot disturb and there is no agitation. The way I am applying it is that this wonderful “upper outlet” is like the “upper pool” of which we read. It is like the truth made available to us in Ephesians—what belongs to heavenly places according to God’s purposes; what He has in view for His people; what He purposed before the foundation of the world.

We may say that these waters from the upper outlet are being brought down to us—“straight down to the west side of the city of David”. It is wonderful that direction can be given that the waters come into an area where the saints can get refreshment, where they can get what these waters supply. So, may they continue to flow.

Hezekiah saw to it that the flow was not stopped, but was directed to the place where it was needed, where the saints would get the benefit of it. The enemy would not be able to stop the flow into the city of David, that wonderful sphere where Christ dwells in the midst of His own—waters which make glad the city of God.

I thought that we might also connect the passage in Nehemiah with our subject. It was a time of recovery in which mention is made of the pool of Shelah. I suppose the pool would be where the waters are restful, and its location is by the king’s garden. It is a wonderful thing when the saints can be restful, and specially in the vicinity of “the king’s garden”, where, as in the Song of Songs, the king comes into his garden and tastes of the fruits. What a wonderful area this pool is in, where restfulness is enjoyed! Then there is the fountain-gate nearby, and it is repaired, and reference also to Mizpah, which means ‘watchtower’. So the people are marked by vigilance—they do not forget to cover the fountain-gate—they built it and covered it. We do not hear of other gates being covered, as far as I am aware, but it seemed necessary to prevent the enemy from getting at the water. So we would just seek, in humility, to maintain the truth in all its freshness, unadulterated or interfered with by the enemy—protected by the covering.

This pool of Shelah is later called Siloam (John 9: 7). It refers to being sent. What a wonderful thing to have a sense of being sent. The blind man was sent to Siloam to wash and came seeing. He would not go along with what the Pharisees were saying about the Lord— that He was a sinful man. He said, “God does not hear sinners”. He would protect the truth against

the false teaching of those learned men. He would cover the fountain-gate.

There is that which we can do to protect the Lord’s interests at the present time and to see that things are covered in a right way so that the refreshing water may continue to flow for the encouragement and refreshment of the saints.

Word in meeting for ministry, Brooklyn, New York
8 January 1974