His name meant, “God is strong,” and Ezekiel’s ministry as a prophet to
God’s people as they lived in exile in the land of Babylon, would drive him
time and time again to the God who is strong.
Ezekiel knew that the God who is strong was on the move. Something was in the works. God was going to move among His people
in such a way that it would take a vision to explain it to Ezekiel. So, a vision was given
At the altar of worship in the Tabernacle a tiny trickle of water began
to flow. The further from the
altar the stronger the flow of water became. It became ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, and then so
deep Ezekiel said, “It was a river that I could not ford, for the water had
risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded” (Ez. 47:5).
The River became strong, too, strong enough that it pushed back the
waters of the Dead Sea so powerfully that fishermen would fish for fresh water
fish in the Dead Sea. The
unimaginable would be realized. It
was nothing short of a miracle or at least an act of God’s amazing grace. Along the river fruit trees would grow
and every month of every year the trees would bear the fruit of God, fruit for
food and healing.
The river of God was going to push through the parched desert into
lifeless waters and, the vision tells us, “everything will live where the river
goes” (9).
“Let the
river flow. Holy Spirit come. Move in power. Let the river flow.”
