3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ANKLES.4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the KNEES. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the LOINS.5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, WATERS TO SWIM IN, a river that could not be passed over. (Ezekiel 47:3-5 ONM)
When I was in school in Washington State, the curriculum requirements to graduate included swimming. I guess they figured due to the large body of waters in the state it was a necessary course. There are a lot of undercurrents in the Puget Sound. I lost one of my Sunday school students several years ago from drowning due to his getting caught in an undercurrent while swimming.
Ezekiel wrote about an experience he had with water. It was about swimming in waters where drowning was welcomed. In the natural we learn how to swim from a swimming instructor. I remember when I was younger my dad was going to teach me how to swim. We were at the beach in Italy. He kept beckoning me to come out to him in the deep waters. I didn’t want to go. He told me no one learn to swim in shallow waters. Ezekiel’s experience with the waters flowing from the Sanctuary of God was the same thing; he went from shallow to deep. The waters that flowed from the threshold was the Torah (Word). The waters started at his ankles, then begin to rise to his knees, and then up to his waist. Finally the waters rose to a level where he said his only option was to swim. Ezekiel went on to explain what happens when we get totally immersed in the Word of God. Those that don’t know the Word are like the dead sea. They will be healed and brought back to life and become pure water as it flows from those of us that have been totally immersed in the river. We will see a multitude of fish (souls). This is also an allegory of revival for those who take the Word (waters). Those that do not receive the Word will remain salty and unhealed without life just like the dead sea. As we immerse in the Waters flowing from the sanctuary, we become like the trees planted by the river. “But his delight is in the Torah (Teaching) of the Lord and he meditates on His Torah (Teaching) both day and night. And he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth it’s fruit in its season; it’s leaf will not wither and everything that he does will succeed” (Psalms 1:2-3 ONM). David saw the outcome just as Ezekiel did about what happens if we totally immerged ourselves in the Word. “And beside the river, on its bank, on this side and on that side, will grow all trees for food, whose leaf will not fade, neither will it fail to produce fruit. It will bring forth new fruit according to its months, every month, because their waters issued out of the Sanctuary, and its fruit will be for food and its leaf for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12 ONM).
Just as we learn how to swim by listening to a swimming instructor so it is the same way with our swimming lessons in the Word of God. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). So, if we don’t take swimming lessons by studying the word of God we will drown and cause others to drown right along with us. Let’s not get caught in the undercurrents of this world!
