Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names [. . .]
(Philippians 2:9)
In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.
Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.
He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank. When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river. Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. [. . .]
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:1–9, 12 NLT)
Yesterday’s devotional centered on the personal ways God has saved us, but to stay focused on us as individuals is to miss the much larger picture. There’s no denying Jesus saved you and me, but his death and resurrection did so much more that provide us personal salvation. The cross and the tomb reverberate across history, impacting not just individuals but communities, people groups, and the world as a whole.
The truth is, those of us who read the Bible in English put ourselves at a deficit: so much of what comes across as addressed to the individual – “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” – is actually meant to be understood in the collective. In the original Greek that Paul wrote Philippians 2:5, “you” would be better translated as “you all;” this same flaw of the English language is repeated throughout Scripture.
Reread today’s passage of Ezekiel’s vision of a stream that flows from the Temple of the Lord, growing ever wider and deeper as it makes its way across the desert and brings life to all it touches. This time, look for the ways the stream would be seen through the eyes of the community that lives by the Dead Sea. For those who call this place home, the river flowing from the Temple has brought life where there was once only death. The waters flourish with creatures, the riverbanks thrive with trees that provide sustenance to the people and animals, and the leaves of the trees are a healing balm. A similar imagery of healing leaves is also mentioned in the description of Eden restored in Revelation 22:2 – “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.”
This vision from Ezekiel is not about how we as individuals are healed through Christ; it is about how the Messiah has changed – and continues to change – our world for the better. How much more then should we exalt the name of Jesus! Yes, he has saved us, and is still saving us daily, but he is also bringing life, restoration, and healing to the nations, to all peoples, and to creation itself.
Go back to the psalm of praise you wrote yesterday. Continue it by writing a new stanza, praising our good God for how he is at work in your community, your nation, and our world. Celebrate the ways he is bringing life, restoration, and healing to us collectively and to all creation.
Michael Benson is the communications director for the North American Baptist Conference.