Skip to main content

339. The Promised Spring

Isaiah 44:1-5; Galatians 3:15-29
Key Verse: "For I will pour out on the thirsty land, streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants."
Isaiah 44:3

        There is an old gospel song that goes:
"There's a river of life flowing out through me.
It makes the lame to walk and the blind to see,
It opens prison doors and sets the captives free.
There's a river of life flowing out through me!
Spring up oh well within my soul.
Spring up oh well and make me whole!
Spring up oh well and give to me
That life so abundantly.

In truth, the song refers to an incident during the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert when the Lord led them to a well near Beer.  (Numbers 21:16-18).  The desert, however, serves as a useful picture to describe all of us in our wanderings through the ravages of sin.

The people of Jesus’ day were, in a sense, no better off than their ancestors who wandered outside the Promised Land.  They were all suffering in sin in one way or another.  Galatians 3:22 says, "The scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe."  The Jews were oppressed by the Romans.  The Romans were oppressed by their government. There was corruption and religious oppression everywhere. Immorality was rampant.  It was a desert of hopelessness.  Yes, Jesus had come, but He had also left and now the festival of Pentecost was coming.  The religious calendar, same old, same old, marched on. The disciples were praying, but for what?

Yet, the stage was being set.  The poor and the alien alike were invited to this festival.  The oppressed of the world were invited to come and bring their offering and to give thanks for what the Lord had done for them despite their oppression.

"I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your off spring, and My blessing on your descendants.  They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.  One will say, "I belong to the Lord," another will call himself by the name of Jacob; another will write on his hand, "The Lord's," and will take the name Israel."  (Isaiah 44:3-5)  "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."  (Gal. 3:28-29)

The feast of Pentecost invited the world to come.  Come from the desert.  Come out of your struggle and receive the Lord's blessing.  He will restore what the locust of sin has eaten.  (Joel 2:26)  He will bless with His water from which you will never thirst again.  (John 4:14)  Yes, the world was poised to receive a new thing and they couldn't have even imagined just how wonderful it could be!


Hymn: "Holy Spirit Rain Down"  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

211. The Sons of Thunder's Request

Matthew 20:20-28 , Mark 10:35-45 , Key verse: "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43B-44 In our readings for yesterday, in which Jesus outlined what was about to happen to Him, for His disciples, the passage in Luke ends: "The disciples did not understand any of this. It's meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what He was talking about." ( Luke 18:34 ) Now, we see just how truly clueless they were. Jesus had laid out a plan before them of pain and suffering and death and now James and John are focused on a promotion. The disconnect is so obvious. It's really not important to know whether James and john came up with this request on their own or if their mother put them up to it. The request was made and James and John thought that they could handle the responsibility that would come with it. What is that saying, "Fools rush in where angels fe...
Post a Comment
Read more

These Boots are Made for Walking

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-15 These Boots are Made for Walking. Of course, I picked that title because it has a reference to popular culture, and it connects with our text today about “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” I was tempted to play the video of that song, but it’s really not amenable to worship. If you remember that old song, it was quite confrontational. The singer had a righteous complaint against a boyfriend or spouse who was cheating on her. She’s not going to put up with that, and the song goes on to say, “One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you!” And that “take a stand” bravado made her a hero! It was a #1 hit in 1966. I mention it because it has one interesting parallel and one major contrast with the message of grace and forgiveness. That parallel is this. God has a righteous complaint against the entire human race for cheating Him out of the loving relationship He desires with us. As the God who created us, he h...
Post a Comment
Read more

186. Ten Healed, Or One?

Luke 17:11-19 Key Verse: Then He said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:19 At last, Jesus has left the crowd behind and again is continuing His journey toward Jerusalem. His path takes Him and His disciples along the border of Judea and Samaria, between the pure Jews, and the hated half breeds of the day. On His way, Jesus encounters an interesting group of people. We only learn the nationality of one of them and, though we don't know the nationality of the others, because Jesus sends them to the priests in Jerusalem we can probably assume that at least some of them are Jews. Isn't it interesting that through leprosy, a disease that causes much suffering, the dividing wall of hatred has come down for the sake of companionship? We encountered one leper earlier on our Journey. Lepers were the dreaded untouchables of the day. Their disease cut them off from all they loved. It was a very lonely life. No wonder these people had ...
Post a Comment
Read more