The book of Zechariah chapter
14, and I'm going to read verses 8, 9, and 10 tonight. And then we're going to spend
most of our time on verse 8. Now in the last two lessons,
the previous one, we looked at earthquakes. I believe more firmly
than I've ever believed that all of the verses in chapter
14 in particular and in the book of Zechariah generally are quite
related to each other. and we're not going to insert
a great deal of time between verses when the next verse uses
almost identical words to share with us in that day now here
we have read verses one through down through verses one through
seven and there are some things that there are like many places
in the bible are somewhat hard to understand I don't have my
head around it all yet, but there's many other places I don't have
my head around. You know, I heard of a man many
years ago that said something about, it's not the passages
of scripture that I don't understand that bothers me, it's the passages
of scripture that I do understand that bothers me. And that may
be where we are, but as we look at it and we understand passages
of scripture, we're thankful for the revelation that the Lord
has given us, at least in part, about the verses of scripture.
And anything that we have with regard to God's Word, any passage
that has given us any understanding, we have to put there again. He
has given us the understanding. We don't come by it on our own.
We're not going to sift it out on our own. Well, here, in the
book of Zechariah, chapter 14, and I'm going to begin reading with
verse 8. shall be in that day, now we've
mentioned this we've seen this in the previous verses of scripture
and also in previous verses in this book of Zechariah, in that
day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem half of
them toward the former sea and half of them toward the Hinder
Sea. Now, one translation put one half went towards the Dead
Sea and one half went towards the Mediterranean Sea. Well,
it doesn't matter what direction they're going. They are going,
and it tells us here, in summer and in winter shall it be. that lets me understand a little
bit about this river of living water. It's not going to cease
because it's been dried up in the summer and it's not going
to cease because it's been frozen in the winter. It's going to
be a continuous flow of this living water. Now let's read
verse nine. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth. In that day there shall be one
Lord and his name one. All the land shall be turned
as a plain from Gibeah to Ramon south of Jerusalem, and it shall
be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's gate
unto the place of the first gate at the corner gate, and from
the tower of Hananiel unto the king's wine presses. Now, there's
some places in that verse of scripture we're gonna seek for
some understanding about. But let's go back here and pay
particular attention tonight to this verse eight. It has to
do with living waters. Now, I like that because living
water is much different than water that has just been sitting. Stagnant water. It is interesting
that the Apostle Peter, when he was asked who the Lord Jesus
was, he said, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. Now there are many dead gods,
but the Apostle Peter understood by revelation that there is this
living God. And Jesus said, flesh and blood
did not reveal this unto you, but my father, which is in heaven.
Now tonight we'd like to look at the subject of this living
water. The Bible has much to say about
water, and living water in particular. Now, would you go back, or go
ahead, to three books, the book of Matthew. The book of Matthew
chapter five. The book of Matthew chapter five,
and I want to look here at verse six. The book of Matthew chapter
five and verse six. Now, I have had a lot of preachers
tell me that they've met a lot of thirsty people. And you no
doubt, preachers meet that kind of folk all the time. And you
probably do too. But the Lord Jesus qualified
this greatly when he said, blessed are they which do hunger and
thirst. And he doesn't stop there. What
are they? hungering and thirsting after
righteousness. Now we don't have that hunger
and we don't have that thirst by nature. We're not looking
for someone else's righteousness. We are quite satisfied with our
own righteousness. So this is a blessed thing that
the Lord would give us a hunger and a thirst after righteousness. And then he goes on to say, if
this should happen, or I should say when this happens, They shall
be filled. So this is not a chance. This
is not a shot in the dark. When God gives someone this kind
of hunger and this kind of thirst after righteousness, they shall
be given it. God is going to supply that.
So as we look at this subject of living water in the scriptures,
We want to keep that in mind, that God blesses his people with
a hunger and thirst after righteousness. Why is it incumbent upon us to
be in the gospel continuously? Because that's the only thing
that will take care of our hunger for righteousness, is to see
the righteousness of Christ, and to see it portrayed and declared.
And that righteousness is our righteousness. It's not some
that we will never attain to, it's the righteousness that is
given to us. That's what we're clothed with, is His righteousness.
That's what's imputed to us, is His righteousness. So we're
given a hunger and a thirst after His righteousness. And so if
we have someone say, is that all you're going to preach? And
we can say, yes, honestly, that's all we're going to preach, is
a hunger and a thirst for His righteousness. All right. If
you will look with me in the book of the Song of Solomon,
the Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon chapter four, going back
into the Old Testament, we're going to look at some passages
of scripture that share with us about water and living water. This is what's so valuable in
the scriptures. Now there are times that we're
going to read about, they do not go after me, the living water. That's not, they're not going
after that, but they're going after their own water. They're
putting it in their own cisterns and they will hold nothing. Well,
here in the Song of Solomon, chapter four, Song of Solomon,
chapter four and verse 15. the scriptures that is a fountain
of gardens a well of living waters the streams from lebanon now
that's what is here in the garden of the lord a well of living
waters a spring of living waters and we're gonna find that this
team is carried throughout the old testament and the new testament
Jesus is going to stand up one day just prior to his crucifixion
and make a declaration if there's anybody that thirsts I will give
you bellies full of Living water and we'll read that passage of
scripture in just a moment. Well here in Jeremiah Moving
ahead a little bit to the book of Jeremiah Jeremiah chapter
2 verse 13 Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse 13 we have Jeremiah led
by the Holy Spirit to say this about natural man and water Jeremiah
chapter 2 and verse 13 Jeremiah is an instrument in God's hand.
He is a mouthpiece for God. He has been moved upon to speak
for the Lord And Here he has this recorded
For my people, God saying through Jeremiah's pen, God speaking
through Jeremiah's mouth, for my people have committed two
evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain
of living waters." Now this living water does not cease as we found
there in the book of Zechariah chapter 8 and verse 8 or chapter
14 verse 8. This is going to flow. It's flowing
out. It's going to flow out. It's flowing to east and west
or north and south and it's not dead water. It's living water
and it's not hindered by summer. It's not hindered by winter.
It's going to continuously flow, and here we have the identification
of who that living water is. For my people have committed
two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain
of living waters, and hewn them out cisterns, broken
cisterns that can hold no water. So at their rate, they're trying
to supply their own water, but they don't have anything that
will contain it. It just continues to flow out.
And that's just the way natural man is. We're looking for satisfaction,
and yet there is never any true satisfaction. We're always constantly
moving. That's why it's just, well, you
can just about mark it down on the calendar how many times people
are going to move from this church to that church to that church
to that church, trying to find the satisfaction, and it's not
there. Christ is the only one that's satisfied, and he's the
only one that blesses with hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They shall be filled. So they don't wander anymore. They have become planetary, stationary. And then the same subject is
brought up in Jeremiah chapter 17. So if you travel over there
with me to Jeremiah chapter 17, And there in verse 13, Jeremiah
chapter 17 and verse 13, O Lord, the hope of Israel. Isn't that
true about the church? The hope of Israel, the hope
of the church. He's all our hope. He's all our
salvation. David summed it up in his last
words. I like repeating last words. I hope they're my last
words. Here he says, oh Lord, the hope of Israel, all that
forsake thee shall be ashamed. And they that depart from me
shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the
Lord, the fountain of living waters. You know, if it was left
up to us, we have had that word forsaken in front of our name
all our life. But blessed are they who hunger
and thirst after righteousness that I've created a hunger and
a thirst after righteousness." Now, when do we find out that
there is a righteousness in Christ? And when do we begin to hunger
and thirst after that? That's only after the new birth.
It's the only time we can. Before that, we have no interest
in that. So he's saying, everyone I give the new birth to are going
to hunger and thirst after righteousness, and they shall be filled. And
this filling is on a daily basis. He continues, even in the night
seasons, even in the daytime, He is still the food for our
soul. Now, the book of Isaiah, back
up one book if you would, the book of Isaiah has a number of
passages that we wish to look at that have to do with this
living water, this rivers of living water. Did you know the
last book, the last chapter of the book of Revelation brings
this same subject up? It's just so traveling through
the scriptures as he reveals to us. Now he does that with
light. He does that with every characteristic and attribute.
He begins with it and he closes out the Bible with the same thing. He never changes. He never changes
his message. He never changes his attributes.
Never changes his character. He never changes. He is always
the same. And that's something you can
take to the bank. He's always going to be the same
in every generation. And he caused our brother Abel
to hunger and thirst after righteousness." And you know what? He did the
same for Adam and Eve, and He did that for everybody that is
ever saved. Wherever they are, He's caused
them to hunger and thirst after righteousness, the living water. So here in the book of Isaiah
chapter 12, if you'd turn there with me, Isaiah chapter 12. beginning
with verse one this is a short chapter and we're just going
to read all six verses of this chapter it says and in that day
thou shalt say oh lord I will praise thee." Here again we have
that comment about in that day. Now is this a different day than
the book of Zechariah? I don't think so. I think it's
that gospel day. I think it's that day when the
gospel is shown us, declared to us, revealed to us. That's
a good day, in that day. Though thou wast angry with me,
thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me." Did you
know we find out, when God saves us, that He had never exercised
wrath towards us? There's nothing about wrath towards
his children. There's wrath against those who
are not his children, but he has always had them. What does
it mean, then, in Jeremiah? He says, I have loved you with
an everlasting love. And I have had people tell me,
well, he has wrath for them. No, never. He's going to take
their wrath from eternity. So this is his place. It says he was angry with us.
Do you think he was a little upset with Adam? I believe he
was. Knowing full well what Adam was
going to do anyway. He's been upset with people.
He was upset with Moses. He's upset with David. He's been
upset with me. But it hasn't removed my position. And that's a glorious thing.
All right, goes on, behold God is my salvation. I will trust
and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah. You know what that is? That's Jehovah Jehovah. That's
capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, and then we have
Jehovah right there. Jehovah Jehovah is my strength
and my song. He has also become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. with joy we shall draw living
water out of the wells of salvation and in that day shall ye say
praise the lord call upon his name declare his doings among
the people make mention that his name is exalted when we say
salvations of the lord we're essentially just saying his name
is exalted He's the one that does the work. Sing unto the
Lord, for he hath done excellent things. This is known in all
the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant
of Zion, thou inhabitant of the church, for great is the Holy
One of Israel in the midst of thee. It tells us there in verse
three, and we're going to see this Water going through the
book of Isaiah this water There's a passage we may not get to so
I'm going to mention right now over the book of Exodus It's
the third day after the all those host of Egypt are drowned in
the Red Sea They come to Mara and the water is bitter and they
complain And the Lord told Moses cut that
tree and throw it into that water and it was sweet. I think that's
a beautiful picture of the benefits of the cross on behalf of the
children of God. The cross becomes glorious. The
cross becomes tasteful. The cross takes away the bitterness.
Anyway, all right. Let's go here into the book of
Isaiah chapter 41. Isaiah chapter 41. as we look at the subject
of this living water that's flowing out, this living water that's
flowing out, and nothing can stop it. It is going to go. Now, we read in the book of Exodus
twice, I believe it is, that under strong persecution, people
left Jerusalem, and when they got to where they were going,
they preached Christ. The flow kept going. Even though
it was pushed out there, the flow kept going. Under Saul of
Tarsus, many people left and they took the word of God. In
1 Peter chapter 1, there it says, unto the strangers scattered
abroad in Cappadocia and Bithynia. They were scattered because of
persecution, but he is encouraging them, elect according to the
foreknowledge of God. Here in the book of Jeremiah
chapter 41, And there in verse 17, we have these words left
for our benefit, for our good, for us to think greatly about. And here it is, it says in Isaiah
chapter 41 verse 17, when the poor and needy seek water, and
there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord,
will hear them. I, the God of Israel, will not
forsake them. I will open rivers in high places
and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the
wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water. Who does this? God Almighty. He will open up the living water
to His people. And then I will plant in the
wilderness the cedar and the chital tree and the myrtle and
oil tree, and I'll set them in the desert, the fir tree and
the pine tree and the box tree together. Who are those? That's
the saints. We've been planted, planted by
the living water, planted by the water of life. So I will,
verse 18, I'll open the rivers in high places and fountains
in the midst of the valleys. You know, it is just surprising
where we find where the gospel has been, and where the gospel
is, and where it shall be. It is a miracle of God's free
and sovereign grace that the gospel is anywhere, but to find
it. And I say, here is living water. Here it is. Well, in the same
book, chapter 44, the book of Isaiah, chapter 44, if you'll
turn there with me, in Isaiah, chapter 44, verses one through
three, we have again this wonderful statement that runs through the
scriptures about water, living water, the water of life. I'll
give the water of life freely. Yet now here, O Jacob, my servant
in Israel, whom I have chosen. Now, Isaiah 44 and verse 1 shares
us a great deal about ourselves. It's God that chose us. We did not choose Him. He told
His disciples, I chose you, you didn't choose me. He tells His
disciples today that if there's any choice made, it was He that
made the choice. And then we say, after He's made
the choice, after we hear the call, after we've been brought
to Him, I'm so thankful, and now I choose Him. God gives us
that grace. All right. Thus saith the Lord
that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, and which will
help thee. Fear not, O Jacob, my servant,
and Al-Jasharun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. And
I'll pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings upon thine
offspring. I will pour water upon the thirsty,
and floods upon the dry ground, wherever we go. Once the Lord
saves us, wherever we go, there is going to be water. It's His
Word. It's His Word that's given to
us. And I've said many times, if all we had was the book of
Obadiah, one chapter long, or the book of Jude, one chapter,
we could be refreshed as if it was a whole boatload of water. We would be refreshed, be thankful. Now, I don't know whether it's
true, it made a good story, I understand at one time there was many, hundreds
of thousands of Bibles sent to China, and they took them and
turned them into toilet paper. And the people that got those,
the words had not been taken off the pages. And so they had
rolls of scripture. Now, it makes a good story, if
that really happened. how blessed those people were
to have the Gospel. Those who want the Gospel and
have the Gospel in their hands. Again, again, okay, Isaiah 48. In Isaiah 48, would you turn
there with me? Isaiah 48, verse 21. And they,
Isaiah 48, verse 21, and they thirsted not when he led them through the
deserts. He caused the waters to flow
out of the rock for them. He claimed the rock also and
the waters gushed out. Now I've been down to St. Vinny's
and found a almost brand new living water Bible for $1.89. Large print. And even in the deserts, He gives us His Word. And then,
when we start to read it and He reveals it to us, we truly
are thankful that He has given us some understanding. Salvation
is of the Lord. Alright, another passage that
we want to look at is just the next chapter in Isaiah 49. In
Isaiah 49, and there in verse 10, Isaiah 49 and verse 10, They shall not hunger nor thirst. Neither shall the heat nor sun
smite them. For he that hath mercy on them
shall lead them. Even by springs of water shall
he guide them. Where is it that I can go? Where
can I hear something? Where can I hear the gospel?
Where? Guiding us. Guiding us. Taking us. Now, there's been
a lot of places we thought. I've told the story about after
the Lord saved me and I was looking for a place to go after I got
fired, there was that church named Grace Memorial Baptist
Church. And I said, I've got to call
them up because they have a wonderful name. So I called them up and
asked for the pastor and I only got the secretary. And I said,
maybe you could answer my question. You have the word grace in your
name. Can you explain to me what you
mean by that? Yes, I can. And I says, what
do you mean by that? And she said, well, we had a
lady in our church by the name of Grace, and she left a lot
of money to the church. So we called it Grace Memorial
Baptist Church. And I says, thank you very much.
Thank you. She was honest about it. There
was nothing there. Well, there's nothing in a name
anymore. There can only be what is being
taught and preached. We have to hear it. Alright?
And then, in Isaiah 55, this is that one we so often think
of when we think about water. Isaiah 55 and verse 1. Ho, every
one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. And he that hath
no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and milk without
money and without price. There's no trading for this.
It's a gift. We're not going to trade our
righteousness for this. Wherefore do you spend money for that which
is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not?
Verse 2. Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. What a glorious statement that
the prophet Isaiah was used to write here about the glories
of the church. Now in Ezekiel, Ezekiel is a
lot like Zachariah in many ways. Because if we look at it from
a very physical standpoint, we're going to end up in a ditch. If we look at it spiritually,
we can walk away and say, hallelujah. What a statement about the church.
What a statement about how God's word works. Well, here in the
book of Ezekiel chapter 47, Ezekiel chapter 47, there is a passage
of scripture that shares with us about a river of water. Ezekiel
chapter 47. This river of water. Ezekiel
47 verse one. Now he's been looking at the
temple. He's been measuring the temple. Well, we know some things
about that from a spiritual standpoint. Ye are the temple of God. All right. Afterward, he brought me again
unto the door of the house, and behold, what in the world would
be coming out from under the door of the house. Waters issued
out from under the threshold of the house eastward. And for
the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters
came out from under the right side of the house at the south
side of the altar." Being very explicit, I may not understand
all I hear about that or read about that, but I know this.
There's waters coming over the threshold. And then brought he
me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the
way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward.
And behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the
man that had the line in his hand went forward eastward, he
measured a thousand cubits, and brought me through the waters,
and the waters was to my ankles. And when the man had that line
in his hand and went forward eastward, he measured excuse
me verse four again he measured a thousand and brought me through
the waters and the waters were to the knees again he measured
a thousand he brought me through the waters and the water were
to my loins 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 now if we
just think about this living water, this flowing river of
water, from the standpoint of how we've looked at it in the
past here tonight and in the past in messages, we find out
there is no end to the wealth that we find in this water. There's
no end of the wealth of our Savior, which is called the living water,
and there's no end to the wealth of the gospel. We never come
to the end of it. We never have it all ferreted
out. We have never come to the complete
understanding about it. I showed Brother Mike tonight,
I think it's a verse that's got six words in it. It's in the
Book of Numbers. Now, Sunday, the Lord willing,
we're going to be looking at the 16th chapter of the Book
of Numbers. And I've made a mistake there in the past, because in
the 26th chapter of the Book of Numbers, it tells me in one
short verse, the children of Korah did not die." And I said,
well that's interesting. Now I can correct myself. Everybody
else in the family died. We never come to the end of God's
grace, God's glory, God's person, the gospel, We never have it
all. It's always worth going through
one more time. You know, when we're first saved,
that water may just be to our ankles. But thank God for that. We have this much understanding.
And then as time goes on and you reveal, oh, it's up to my
knees. I'm getting somewhere. And then up to my loins. But
after that, it's a river you cannot swim. How glorious is
the living water from aspect of being the gospel or aspect
of being the gospel. Capital G. Alright. Turn with me if you would to
the book of John. John chapter 4. We're going to
jump to the New Testament. John chapter 4 and verse 10 and
11. John chapter 4 and verse 10 and
11. We have Jesus at the well. Now, I thought about reading
over there in the book of Genesis. This is Jacob's well. And over
in the book of Genesis it talks about it. And you know those
guys that were digging that well? They ran to Jacob and says, we
have found water. And that's Jacob's well, right
here. This lady's at Jacob's well. And Jesus said to her,
Verse 10, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that
saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him,
and he would have given thee living water. And the woman saith
unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is
deep, from whence then hast thou that living water? Is there any
question that she could have asked that would have been more
natural? He's talking about spiritual. She can only see physical. Now,
it's not going to be long. The Lord's going to give her
sight. And she's going to go into town and says, I want to
tell you about a man who told me everything about me. Every
sin about me. All right. Jesus, in verse 13,
Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this
water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him as a well springing up into
everlasting life." What a glorious statement about this living water,
springing up into everlasting life. And follow me just a little
bit further in the book of John, John chapter 7, John chapter
7, and verses 37 and 38. John chapter seven, verse 37
and 38. It says here, in the last day,
in the last day, that great feast, Jesus stood and cried saying,
now he's down at the temple. He's in Jerusalem. And he stands
up, he stood up and cried, just like Isaiah was told to do. Cry
from the housetop. How long? Till all the cities
are gone. All right, the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, if any
man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. Now, there's some people there
that don't understand it and they didn't appreciate it very
much. But he makes this wonderful statement that is still open
today. If any man thirsts, now that's
why we started with Matthew chapter five. Blessed is he that hungers
and thirsts after righteousness. Now let's just jump ahead to
a couple of verses in the book of Revelation and with this we'll
close. Revelation chapter seven. The
Bible is filled with this subject of water, living water, Christ,
from beginning to end. In the book of Revelation chapter
7 and verse 17, chapter 7 verse 17, what a glorious statement
is made here in the last book of the Bible, and it's sometimes
A hard to understand book. We still have this thread going
through here that means so much. For the lamb, which is in the
midst of the throne, shall feed them and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. He shall lead them to living
fountains of water. There's just no end to this. This is an artesian well. It
comes. And in the same book of Revelation,
chapter 21, Revelation chapter 21, we read these words in verse
6, Revelation chapter 21 and verse 6. Revelation chapter 21 and verse
6, and he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give him that is a thirst
of the fountain of water of life freely. Wow. I will give, I will give it freely. It will be to the ankle, and
then the knee, and then the loin, And then the river will be so
immense, no end, and it's always good. Sweet, clean, pure water. That's the thing about this living
water is there's no impurities in it. It is pure. The gospel
is pure. All right, one more time before
we read that passage in the book of Zechariah, one more time,
and that's in chapter 22 of the book of Revelation. verses 1,
2, and 3. And he showed me a pure river
of water of life. You know, I'm so thankful that
35 or 6 years ago, that man came and he said, preach the pure
river of water of life. And I was so upset with him because
I wanted him to preach about church truth, or church history,
or something else. Anyway, it says, he showed me
a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, no impurities,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. And in
the midst of the street, on either side of the river, there were
the tree of life, which bear twelve manner of fruits, and
yielded her fruit every month, and her leaves of the tree was
for the healing of the nations, and there was no more curse,
but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and
His servants shall serve Him." Now drop down, if you would,
to verse 17. This is that invitation. And
the Spirit and the Bride say, Come, and let Him that heareth
say, Come, and let Him that is athirst come, And whosoever will,
let him take of the water of life freely." No charge, except
the blood of Christ. Now let's just very quickly go
back to the book of Zechariah chapter 14, and we want to read
that in verse 8 again. Chapter 14, verse 8. Now there's
no doubt, much more in this verse of scripture. But I just saw
that water, that living water, flowing living water, summer
and winter, living water, living water. It's the declaration that's
been going on since the very beginning. And it shall be in
that day that living water shall go out from Jerusalem. That's
what the church preaches. That's what Christ preaches.
Half of them towards the former sea, they're going to go out
to all areas, wherever there's lost sheep. and half of them
toward the Hindersee, in summer and in winter shall it be." And
the church says, Hallelujah! It shall be. And the Lord shall
be king over all the earth. In that day shall there be one
Lord, and His name one. And Lord willing, we'll look
at verse 9 next time.