Wednesday, July 20, 2016

The Day of the Lord - Day 2b, Streams of Living Water

The Minor Prophets Speak To Today


Humber Bridge

____________________________________________________________

On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously in both summer and winter.

____________________________________________________________

What Is This Living Water?



Zechariah 14:8 NLT

____________________________________________________________

Too Many Interpretations


When there are many interpretations, it is time to not accept any of them as authoritative. One may be what God means. Several may be what God means for different times and different circumstances.

We know that streams of living water flowing from Jerusalem or the temple are spoken of in reference to this world but also in reference to heaven, but that does not weed out the crowd. We know that Jesus speaks of streams of living waters and the Gospel writers say at that time and in that speech Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit which had not yet come. But other passages do not lend themselves uniformly to that meaning.

Here are some of the interpretations of Zechariah 14:8.

  • the quickening, saving truths of the gospel, with all its ordinances in purity
  • the church of Christ
  • exceeding great and large shall be that outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the saints
  • the progress of the gospel, beginning from Jerusalem
  • perennial streams flowing from Jerusalem both to the East and to the West shall irrigate and fertilise the land
  • a figure of the spiritual blessings and graces bestowed by God upon his Church
Undoubtedly other interpretations can be found. Likewise each interpretation on the list comes in many different forms.

We clearly do not know what these rivers of life are nor even how they impart life. But, then again, we do not need to choose between them. Some prophecy, says scripture, is given so that when the event it refers begins to come to pass we will recall the scripture and recognize the fulfillment.

As much as I love the image of streams of living water, as much as I have experienced God when meditating on the living water, I must choose to wait till God reveals the truth. The Spirit does not let me be fully content with any of the interpretations to date.

But This We Do Know


And this brings us comfort.

These streams will water and refresh, enlighten, renew, and cheer. They will flow perpetually, without intermission. These waters shall never dry up, be obstructed in their course, or lose their healing, fructifying, and refreshing virtue.

Oh, Heavenly Father, bring them on. Hasten that day of fulfillment. I long to experience these waters fresh, pure, and perennial.

And thank you, Father, that neither shall the gospel and means of grace, nor the graces of the Spirit wrought in the hearts of believers by those means, ever fail, by reason either of the heat of persecution, or storms of temptation, or the blasts of any other affliction.


AMEN!



____________________________________________________________

Photo Credits:
Humber Bridge by John O'Sullivan, some rights reserved @ flickr.com


No comments:

Post a Comment

Privacy Policy