THE RIVER OF GOD
[p. 323] THE RIVER OF GOD
Matthew 18: 19,20; Ezekiel 47: 1 - 12
My object in reading these passages is that we may see what the effect of the presence of the Spirit is here. Broadly speaking the effect of christianity, rightly apprehended, is to produce living conditions. It was the divine thought that what God would present in the way of teaching and preaching should be accompanied by living conditions — the evidence of life, for only thus is the doctrine of christianity verified. We have the principle in our Lord, of whom it is said, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” John 1: 4. What He said was life, because He was altogether that which He said. There was the truth expressed in a living way in the Lord here; what He said, He was.
Now I wish to show from these scriptures that the presence of the Spirit here, sent down by the Lord as exalted in heaven, was to be marked by the same principle; there was involved in His presence the administration of all the wealth of heaven. It was an administration. We have to distinguish between administration and government. The coming down of the Spirit was an administration; it involved the wealth of heaven being brought here. So there was a dispensation; what is called the dispensation of God, that in which things are dispensed according to God, and that in His house. For while God dispenses His bounty through Christ, it is mediately by the Spirit in His house. It is said further that the dispensation of God is in faith (1 Timothy 1: 4, New Trans.).
I have read the verses in Matthew 18 because they indicate how this is worked out in a day such as ours, when that which had boasted of being the divine system has become corrupt. The Lord, having spoken of the assembly in the earlier verses, uses the word “again” in verse 19, meaning it was a new subject,
[p. 324] or the same subject in another development. The assembly in the previous verses is regarded as intact, as that which was to be heard, and woe to him who refuses to hearken to it. But in the verse I have read (verse 19) the Lord says, “Again I say to you” Matthew 18: 19, as if to introduce a new development, and make provision for it; for there are no afterthoughts with God. Provision is made at the outset for every contingency; the breakdown of the assembly as a public body is provided for in these two verses, so that saints should not be hampered, but that the divine thought at the outset should be still operative. Hence the Lord brings the thing down to “two of you” Matthew 18: 19, that is to say, not any two believers, but two of the assembly. Now Matthew, as some of you may have observed, deals in twos; where the other evangelists in parallel passages speak of one, he usually speaks of two. He had in view the breakdown of the world-system that was opposed to God, that had its centre in Jerusalem. It was a combination; the strength of the world lies in combination. Organised opposition is the most effective opposition to God, and so at Babel from the very earliest times, the world became organised, and from Babel onwards organised opposition was most damaging, and it is so still. But God met it by an organisation of His own, and Matthew introduces that. You find Matthew dealing with two demoniacs, with two blind men, and instead of one ass, he presents to us an ass and a colt; and so he deals with two of the assembly. Two of the assembly are the most important that can be found in the whole of the universe outside of divine Persons — “two of you”.
I desire that we may rightly estimate the value, potentially at least, of two of the assembly. Matthew brings forward the Lord’s words in regard to them; He says that if there be unity, if there be agreement, two of the assembly shall receive from heaven anything they ask. There is no limit according to this passage to what may be received and obtained from heaven by [p. 325] two of the assembly who are agreed. Our resources as of the assembly, as agreed, and as praying are limitless. Our way can never be shut up locally, or generally, while there is agreement on the part, even of two, of those who are of the assembly; and this explains how the reign of grace, the operations of grace, can he effective in these last days.
Now I say that before I proceed to Ezekiel, because it is of no real use to bring before you such a passage as I read in Ezekiel 47 save as in some sense it has a present application. We are entitled to speak of things, of which the application is entirely future, but one prefers to bring in what is of present application, and so the administration of the things in heaven being set up in Matthew, I can proceed to Ezekiel to show how that can be effective in two of the assembly as agreed, for things are given to them of the “Father which is in heaven” Matthew 18: 19; whatever they ask shall come to them. God makes it evident that it is in regard to them; and then again, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” Matthew 18: 20. Notice the emphasis on the pronouns as calling attention to those who are of the assembly, those who seek to walk in the light of it, and are making operative what marked the assembly at the outset; so He says, “there am I in the midst of them”.
In Ezekiel, as you will observe, the house is in view. Much is said about it in the chapters immediately preceding. You will remember that the prophet was brought into “the land of Israel” Ezekiel 40: 2, and set upon a very high mountain, and he sees the frame of a city towards the south; all very auspicious, portending blessing in the way of rule and light from God; but as he arrives at the place, it is not the city that is enlarged upon but the house; for it is house-wise, that the blessing comes. The city will have its place by-and-by; we recognise it, but God is dealing at the present time house-wise, and [p. 326] so the prophet is engaged with the house, and that not an empty one.
The God of Israel comes in from the east, and enters the house; His glory fills it. But now, having that in view, the prophet is shown it, he is taken to it, and its aspect is eastward, We have to learn to take account of the points of the compass spiritually; the aspect of the house is eastward. The existence of the house of God here at the present time is provisional; for us it continues unto the coming of the Lord. We do not read of the house of God in heaven, it has a provisional existence here, it continues unto the coming of the Lord. It looks eastward. It is set up here according to wisdom, for “Wisdom hath builded her house” Proverbs 9: 1; it is in every way fitted to be the vessel of divine administration, and it points on and looks for the coming of the Lord; therefore the aspect is towards the east. It is “until he come”, and what we find is that the waters flow out. There is nothing barren, nor dried up about the house of God. It is to be the source of everything of God in a provisional way, all coming down from heaven in the gift of the Spirit; for the Spirit of God came down once, and He has remained here. There were not two outpourings of the Spirit, it was one event; what occurred at Pentecost was not repeated. The Holy Spirit involves the presence of God Himself here, and thus everything operates house-wise, so the waters flow out from the right side of the house.
In order that we might be duly affected by what it cost Christ in order that the waters should flow, the Spirit of God tells us that they flow from the south side of the altar; that is to say, the death of Christ in its results is favourable to man; and then lest we should forget the sufferings of Christ that the altar involves — sufferings untold — the prophet is led round by the way of the gate towards the north, as if to be reminded of the awful blast of divine wrath that was directed against the Lord, our sacrifice, as on that altar. As we [p. 327] enjoy the results of it, it is well to be reminded of the cost. The north — the bitter, cold wind from the north — refers to the judgment of God. We are to be reminded that what we enjoy, cost Christ the bearing of divine wrath; that sobers us. And so from that Ezekiel is led round towards the front of the house, which looketh towards the east, and the waters issue from the right side. We have had the south side, now it is the right side of the house. It is one thing for God to be favourable to us, but it is another thing for Him to use all His power for our help and blessing; and so it is that Pentecost was not only the indication of the favourable attitude of the administration, which it was, but God said virtually: ‘In all my power I am for man’. It was the right side of the house. And so the river is flowing.
And then the Spirit of God occupies us with its increasing depth. There is no allusion to tributaries in these symbols; nor is it a question of draining the land; it is the pure, holy source that is specially in view, and then the increasing depth. The Holy Spirit came down from heaven; there was nothing here to add to Him. He brought everything with Him. What comes to light in the river is its increasing depth. Take any other system in the world professing to be religious, and examine it, you will find nothing like this. Instead of drying up and becoming evaporated by the eastern sun, this river increases as it flows, until it becomes waters to swim in, a river that cannot be passed over. How we christians understand it! What a sense of victory we have in confronting present opposition; we know we are in that which is beyond the opposers; we know they are dealing with surface methods. We have to do with what is impossible to nature; it is waters to swim in, a river that cannot be passed over. I wonder if the young believers here understand the depth of it, what there is in it; there is more in it than you can ever take in. You may question and criticise,
[p. 328] but you go in for it, and you will see it has a depth beyond you. It is more than enough for you; deliverance is in it. Those who have learnt to swim in it are delivered, and they discover that it deepens as it goes.
Having thus referred to the features of christianity as indicated at Pentecost, I want to show you a little of its results, because we want results, and Matthew 18 shows these are possible even in a day like ours — a day of small things; and what you find is that the river has banks. The prophet is taken to the banks of the river, and on the banks are trees. Banks allude to limitations; not that the Holy Spirit is to be limited, but they indicate where the river flows. I have no doubt they allude to the doctrines of christianity; we must not he defective in doctrine, while dealing with the positive thing, that which produces life, we must be regulated. Paul says, “thou hast ... known my doctrine” 2 Timothy 3: 10. In his doctrine we have indicated what the things are, where the Holy Spirit is, where divine things are; and in connection with the banks you have trees, which are, as I apprehend it, men developed; they have grown there. We need men. The Corinthians had not arrived at that; the banks were hardly visible at Corinth, they were well-nigh obliterated. The apostle had to write in order to establish them, that it might be known where the river flows; it has its own way. So he says, “Brethren, be not children in your minds, but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men” 1 Corinthians 14: 20. I fear they were more developed in malice, in the fruits of the flesh, than they were in the graces of Christ; and so he urges upon them to be men in their minds. Ephesians goes further; ministry is to the end that we should arrive “at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ” Ephesians 4: 13.
Now one finds gatherings where banks are hardly discernible, and there are no men, no “trees”. What is needed are the trees; not indeed out of proportion, as with the blind man according to Mark who saw men “as trees, walking” Mark 8: 24; they were out of proportion in his mind. Trees are used to symbolise men as in growth; and I believe local growth is of the greatest importance — that there should he those who are developed into manhood, who can be seen, who have distinctness.
The Spirit of God comes back to the thought of trees — men; having mentioned them in verse 7, we have them again in verse 12, so as to develop more fully what he has in his mind with regard to them — that they should bear fruit, that there should be variety, that they should he evergreen. These ideas of fruitfulness, of freshness, of the energy of life are to be seen in men — in the trees. How lovely is the picture! Scripture enlarges on it elsewhere. I only dwell on it here as the outcome, typically, of the operations of grace connected with the Spirit of God, within certain doctrinal limitations. I believe that what is needed in the gatherings of the Lord’s people is just this growth; a growth from the babe-state into the state of manhood; and not simply that we are men in our minds, having the right thought of everything, but that there should be that holy state, that fruitfulness, that ever-greenness, which is delightful to God, and refreshing to man.
You will all remember the first evidences of life in the creation according to Genesis 1, where the earth was to bring forth grass, then fruit-trees yielding fruit after their kind, the seed of which is in them, on the earth. The grass symbolises greenness and freshness, whereas the trees refer to personal distinctness; then “the seed of which is in them” Genesis 1: 11, means the power for continuance, power for propagation with no admixture. That which is propagated is of the same order as that from which it has sprung. It is typically an outgrowth from Christ. The believer is to be here thus; whatever propagation there is, it must be according to Christ. The seed is in itself, to be of its own kind. These trees on the banks of the river, I believe, allude to this growth;
[p. 330] nourishment from Christ in the power of the Spirit produces men who are fruitful according to God.
Ezekiel is not occupied with officialism; with him here it is a question of the river, a question of life, a question of the power of God; indeed his name signifies that — the ‘strength of God’. This is brought about by the nourishment of the Spirit known within these bounds; it produces those who in their minds are grown men; they have doctrine, that is verse 7 and in verse 12 they are spiritual, fruitful. The fruit of the Spirit is there, and with the life there is freshness.
Wherever the river came there was life, that is the test of what is of God. It says in verse 9, “And it shall come to pass that every living thing which moveth, whithersoever the double river shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters shall come thither, and the waters of the sea shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh” Ezekiel 47: 9. One might speak much about this river in its prophetic character. I have no doubt the river of God, coming out from God, from Jerusalem, will affect the east. Christianity is flowing towards the west, but the east is in the mind of God; He has not forgotten it. More than a third of the population of the world is in the east; God has not forgotten that, He will take account of the east in due course. We may thank Him that the river of christianity has come westward.
Prophetically this chapter in Ezekiel alludes to God’s gracious dealings in the east. Wonderful times await that quarter of the earth, but I am speaking of the chapter as part of the “all scripture” which is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” 2 Timothy 3: 16. So this scripture is most useful, as showing that professors are unresponsive to the Spirit unless there is life. Wherever the waters come, anything that has life lives, it does not die. Whatever is of God in the world, as [p. 331] coming into contact with them is made to live. So we may easily determine whether God is working in us, and through us. Are things in our readings living? Is our ministry producing life? Is our service producing life? Otherwise we are not supported by God. The energy of the Spirit of God in us leads to life. Wherever anything living comes into contact with the river, it lives; so that the outlook and concern of the christian is to see what God is doing within his radius, so that through him these blessed waters should flow, and that what they come into contact with should be made to live. The word to the prophet is, “Shall these bones live?” Ezekiel 37: 3. That is Ezekiel, and they do live. God works with us; the waters flow out house-wise, and wherever they flow we may reckon upon it there is life, and thus instead of the things of God dying out, they are made to live and to continue.
One is exercised about these things in view of living conditions; first, that there should be men who are men in their minds, who have right doctrine, who have the mind of God, and who correspondingly are living, are spiritual, have spiritual affections, and are fruitful; and then, too, as to the general result, and wherever the waters come, there is life, and thus the things of God do not perish. It is not that anything of God ever dies, but there is a danger of those who have life becoming like the world around them. Bring the water to them. Let us be exercised that the water through us should come to them, so that instead of dying they should live. It is the time of life-giving. This dispensation is not yet finished. God remains what He was; Christ remains what He was; the church remains what it was in principle; so we still have the dispensation. Let us see to it that christianity is operative, that the presence of the Holy Spirit is operative, and this will eventuate in life.