Turn back to Genesis 2, and I
want to remind you to remember the Sharon family. Claire's brother
passed away this week, and he had a brother pass away a couple
of years ago, and I'm thinking about his parents, how difficult
that must be. Remember them. I've entitled the message for
this morning, The River of Eden. The River of Eden. Now, I've
never heard a message on this before, but let me remind you
that this book is inspired by God. Every word. If we don't have that, all we
have is my opinion and your opinion, and there's not a whole lot of
good in that. But this is inspired by the living God. And God inspired
Moses to give the names of this one river that parted into four
heads. Now, God named these rivers and
God had a specific purpose in naming these rivers. And in these
rivers, we learned something about the grace of God. Now, this happened before the
fall, and this river watered the Garden of Eden, a real place. And after leaving the garden,
it was divided into four heads, all of which have a name that
means something. Pison, Gishon, Hedelic, and the
Euphrates. Rivers that are with us to this
day. You've heard of the Tigris and
Euphrates. They say civilization began there. I remember learning that in grade
school. Now this river watered the Garden
of Eden. It kept the life of the plants
in the Garden of Eden living. They were all dependent. upon
God to live. And God supplied this river for
them to live. Now remember this, only God is
independent. He has life in himself. Me and you, the next breath you
take is totally dependent upon him. He can take it, or we can
take it, or he can take it from us, or withhold it. Only God
is independent. He has no needs. I love to think
about that. I'm so needy. You're so needy. He has no needs. He has life in himself. Now, this river is given to teach
us something about God's salvation. It's given to teach us something
about the grace of God. Now, before I get into the meanings
of these four names for these four different rivers that come
from this one river, I would like us to look at a scripture
in the Old Testament and the New Testament that support this
thinking of what the river represents. Now, would you turn first of
all to Psalm 46. Psalm 46, verse one. The psalmist says, God is our
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will
not we fear though the earth be removed, And though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof
roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof, there is a river. In all this trouble, there is
a river. The streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the
Most High. There is a river. I love the song we sing, come
thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy praise,
streams, rivers of mercy, never ceasing. Call for songs of loudest
praise. Now, there's a river, streams of eternal
grace. And don't miss that word eternal.
Everything God does is eternal because he is eternal. Streams
of electing mercy, of justifying mercy, of redeeming mercy. Streams of mercy never ceasing. Aren't you glad they never cease?
They make glad the city of God. They make glad the church of
God. This is the river of grace and
God is in the midst of her. Christ is that fountain opened. for sin and for uncleanness. Thank God for this river. So we see this concept of this
river of grace in the Old Testament now turned to Revelation chapter
22. Here's a New Testament scripture. John says in verse one, and he
showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as a crystal. proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb. Now, notice this river proceeds
from the throne of God. God's absolute sovereignty, this
river of grace comes from the Lamb in His redemptive character
as the Lamb of God. And it flows a pure river, pure
grace, pure grace, clear. No additives, nothing but grace. Now there is a river in this
city he's speaking of, verse two, in the midst of the street
of it and on either side of the river, there is the tree of life. which bear 12 manner of fruits
and yielded her fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were
for the healings of the nation." Now this is the new Jerusalem
being spoken of. Now, so we see both in the Old
Testament and New Testament, this thing of a river. Now let's
go back to our text in Genesis chapter two. and a, verse 10, and a river
went out of Eden. And the source of this river
was God himself. And I want you to think of how
abundantly this river watered the Garden of Eden. I would like
to see the plants and so on, the richness of this garden. Now, we read of the river becoming
four heads. After it left the garden, verse
11, the name of the first is Pishon. That is it which compasseth
the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold of
that land is good. There is Bedellium and the Onyx
Stone. Now that's not given to give
us a lesson in geology, nor is it given to give us a lesson
in geography. There's a purpose behind everything
that is said. Verse 13, the name of the second
river is Gishom, the same is it that compasses the whole land
of Ethiopia. And my marginal reading says
Cush. Cush is the son that was cursed
by Noah, a place where there was a curse. This is what this
city encompassed. Verse 14, in the name of the
third river is Hiddekel, that is it which goeth toward the
east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. Now the first is Pishon, Pishon. And that word means increase. increase. God's grace is never
diminished. It always increases. It never runs dry. It always works like this. He
giveth more grace. Increase. never diminishes. That means there's nothing that
you and I can do to diminish or extinguish His grace. Is that good news? There's nothing
that you and I can do to diminish or extinguish His grace. Now look in Genesis chapter six. This is the first time the word
grace is mentioned. Verse eight, but Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. Now look in verse five, and God
saw, and this is what God sees when he sees me, this is what
God sees when he sees you. And God saw, and I want to remind
you once again, the way God sees things is how they really are. And God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now that's God's description
of me. That's God's description of you.
Every imagination, he's not even talking about the works yet,
just the thoughts that go through the mind and in the heart. Every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil nonstop. Would that describe you? Well,
if you think it doesn't, it's because you've never had any
revelation from God. You've been left to yourself.
Pray that God will reveal himself to you, because here is the accurate
description of you and I. Every imagination of the thoughts
of his heart, only evil continually. Was Noah included in that group? Would this describe Noah? Question,
can that stop God's grace toward Noah? Can that prevent God's
grace toward Noah? Verse eight of the same chapter,
but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. God's saving favor
cannot be diminished. Even if you're one of these people
described in this fifth verse, who all there is about you is
evil. That's it, nonstop, all the time. Every thought that
comes through your mind and heart, that's God's testimony. Will
that stop God's grace? No. But Noah found grace. in the eyes of the Lord. Now,
look back in our text. Verse 11, the name of the first
is Pishon, increase, never diminished, can't be extinguished. Always
on the increase, God giveth more grace. The name of the first
is Pishon. That is that which compasseth
the whole land of Havilah. Now, you know what that word
Havilah means? Circle. What is a circle? Something with no beginning and
no ending. No starting point, no ending
point. Now God is giving us this for
our instruction. This speaks of the eternality
of his grace. His grace never had a beginning. Now let me tell you what that
means. That means if you are saved, your salvation was purposed
in eternity. Ephesians 1.4 says, according
as he hath chosen us in him. This is talking about God's elect.
This is not talking about everybody. Somebody says, well, he chose
everybody. No, he didn't. No, he didn't. This is talking about
the elect, those he chose before the foundation of the world to
be saved. If you're saved, it's because he chose you to be saved. If you're not saved yet, but
you will be saved in your experience. It's because he chose you to
be saved. According, Ephesians 1.4, according
as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Purpose grace, eternal grace. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 1.
2 Timothy 1. Verse nine. Who, speaking of God, hath saved
us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus, when? Before the world began. This is purposed grace. Grace from the foundation of
the world. Now, why this detail about gold? Where there is gold, now remember
Moses is the one writing this, and he also wrote the book of
Exodus. And what does gold represent in the book of Exodus? When you
have the construction of the tabernacle, you had wood overlaid
with gold. Wood representing humanity, the
humanity of Christ. Gold representing what? The deity
of Christ. This gold is divine grace. It's purpose grace, it's divine
grace. It's the grace of God. It's the
grace that comes from him. The gold, the gold is good. Here, the Lord inspires Moses
to write of this gold. He's going to be writing of gold
again when he writes the book of Exodus. The gold in that land
is good. Now, I've already said this,
let me repeat. This is not a lesson in geology
about that land. This is to teach us the gospel. The gold in that land is good. There is Bedellium and the onyx
stone. Now there's only one other time
Bedellium is mentioned in the scripture. And he points this
out. There's only one other time it's mentioned in the scripture.
You know when? The manna was of the color of the bdellium
stone. It's associated with manna, that
heavenly food. The only thing that gives this
sinner food is that divine heavenly grace. That's the manna that
came down from heaven. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the bdellium, manna was the color of the bdellium stone,
the only other time it's mentioned. And that's to let us know that
the only thing that we can live off of, if we're believers, is
the grace of God, the eternal saving grace of God. And the
next thing he mentions is the onyx stone. Now, what was the
onyx stone for? Well, if you know anything about
Exodus, it's what the names of the children of Israel graven
on in the high priest. This is letting us know that
the grace of God comes for this one reason. It doesn't come to
you because of anything in you. It comes to you because of Christ,
the great high priest. God doesn't have to have a reason
in you to give you grace. Somebody says, well, I don't
deserve grace. Well, whoever said you did? Grace is given
for Christ's sake. And God doesn't need another
reason. Grace is given for Christ's sake. sake, the great high priest. So none should despair of having
this grace because it's given for Christ's sake. You'd despair
of it if you had to find a reason and you'd have it. Somebody says,
well, I'm sinful. Well, you're a lot more sinful
than you realize you are, and so am I. Well, I see my sin. Well, it's not given because
of anything you say, it's given for Christ's sake. Give them
for Christ's sake. That's the name of that first
river of the grace of God, of the streams that never cease,
Pishon. Always increasing, never diminished. The grace of God. Now look in verse 13. And the name of the second is
Gishon. The same is it that encompass
the whole land of Ethiopia. And my marginal reading says
Cush. Now who was Cush? He was the
son that was cursed by Noah. He was cursed by Noah. What did
he do? Well, he tried to expose Noah. He tried to uncover him. He went
in to tell his brothers about that. He was cursed. You know, if you ever try to
uncover other sins, that's bad. You got enough sins of your own
for you to want to uncover somebody else's. Got some real problems
there. But Cush demonstrated his attitude, and he had went
in to uncover his father's nakedness, and you remember his brothers
wouldn't do it. The point is, This river flows around that
which is cursed. Would that be you? Oh, I know
that would be me. This river flows around that
which is cursed. And you know what the word means? Bursting forth, abounding. Now, what do you think of when
you think of this, the meaning of this word? Where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. Where sin abounded, that's Romans
chapter five, verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded. Now, what
is meant by this thing of abounding sin? Now, if you have an abounding
sin, I mean, it just overflows, it's in everything you do, it's
in everything you think, it's in everything, it's you, that
means all you do is sin. Is that an accurate description
of you? You cannot not sin. Can't do it. And you're sin. is all your fault. You can't
blame the sovereignty of God. You can't blame your circumstances.
You can't blame your parents or your environment. All your
sin is 100% all your fault. And because of that, you can't
look down your nose in judgment on anybody for anything. You have no claims on God. You
can't say, God, you need to save me because I did this. No, you
have no claims on God. If he cuts you off and sends
you to hell, just and holy is his name. Where sin abounded,
overflowed, the law entered that sin might abound. All the law
does is show me and you how sinful we are, nothing else. You use
the law for anything else, you've missed the meaning of the law.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Everywhere where sin abounds.
Somebody says, well, I'm not like how you just described,
but there's no grace for you then. The only place grace abounds
is where sin abounds. Turn with me there for a moment
to that scripture in Romans chapter five. I pray that the Lord teaches
us something about grace, his grace, the grace of God, the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes,
he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich. Now
look in Romans chapter five, verse 20. Moreover, the law entered. that the offense might abound,
not that it might be restrained or checked and wherever the law
enters, if it enters into your heart and conscience, all it
does is show you that the offense abounds and overflows. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded
in that very place, grace did much more abound than has sin
hath, what's that next word? reigned unto death. How much power do you have to
prevent death? Absolutely none. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so, in the precise same manner, might grace reign. You know what that means? Just
as you don't have any power to prevent death, you don't have
any power to prevent grace if God gives you his grace. It can't
be defeated. His grace is gonna have you.
There's nothing you can do to mess this thing up. Grace reigns. Oh, I love the way that sound.
Grace reigns through righteousness. This is a righteous grace. Now,
understand this with regard to the grace of God. It's a righteous
grace. The grace of God reigns through
righteousness. You know what that makes you
if you're a recipient of the grace of God? That means by what
Christ did on Calvary's tree, you're righteous. Your sin is
put away. His righteousness becomes your
personal righteousness before God, and it's a righteous grace. You deserve to be saved because
of this grace. It reigns through righteousness
until eternal life. Drinking of that water of eternal
life, which is by, I love this. This is by Jesus Christ, our
Lord. This isn't of man. This is that which is by Jesus
Christ, our Lord. This grace is abounding grace. It's irresistible grace. It's
invincible grace. It's sovereign grace. God is sovereign and his grace
is sovereign. Let me show you that in scripture.
You're there in Romans, turn to Romans nine, verse 11. For the children, talking about
Jacob and Esau. Now, if you read the history
of Jacob, he wasn't a good dude. He was a deceitful man. Everything
he did was deceitful. Look at the way he ripped off
Esau's brother. He ripped off his birthright.
He ripped off his blessing. He deceived his father, came
into his father's presence pretending to be Esau, having Esau's clothes,
having skin like Esau from the lamb that made him seem hairy,
and he deceived his father. He was a deceptive. evil man
seeking out his own good. Now remember who Jacob was. Verse 11, for the children, being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, they had
no good works to recommend them, they had no evil works to disqualify
them. that the purpose of God, according
to election, might stand not of works, but of him that calleth
it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it's
written, Jacob have I loved. Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. And somebody says, well, how
could God hate Esau? I got no problem with that. I
got no problem with that at all. because I can see why God would
hate me. Can you see why God would hate you? I can see why
God would hate me. Somebody said, well, doesn't
God love everybody? No, he said he saw him, I hated. Here's what
I'm amazed by. Jacob have I loved. God loved Jacob. Verse 14. What shall we say then? Paul
anticipates the objection of the natural man. Is there unrighteousness
with God? Is God unfair in loving Jacob
and hating Esau? Is there unrighteousness with
God? God forbid. Boy, for someone to stand in
judgment on God and say, God's not fair. Watch out. If he gives
you what's fair, he'll cut you off right now. Me too. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy. On whom I will have mercy. Thank
God he says, I will have mercy. And he says, I will have mercy
on whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, It's not because of a man's will
or because of a man's efforts, but of God that showeth mercy. Thank God for abounding grace. Now back to our text, let's look
at the third river. And the name of the third river
is Hiddekel, that is, which goeth toward the east of Assyria. Hiddekel,
and everybody says, and I believe it's true, that that is the Tigris
River of today. Hiddekel, the Tigris River. And that word Hiddekel means
rapid, rapid. God's grace is rapid. It can't be decreased. It's always
on the increase. I'm thankful for that. It abounds
and it is rapid because it's not God's response to anything. God doesn't wait for you to do
something before he gives grace. Just like that. God's grace is
rapid. It's His action. There's nothing
that can be done to slow it down or hinder it or impede it. It's rapid because it acts at
precisely the time God wills for it to take place. God's grace
is rapid. You can be sitting here in your
own inability and unbelief and mourning over who you are. God,
grace. There it is. It's rapid. It's
not waiting for you to do something to make you worthy. God's grace
is rapid because it is the grace of God. Once again, you can't
mess this thing up. Now I tried to think, where's
a scriptural illustration of that? And I thought of Genesis
45. Would you turn with me there? Genesis 45. Now, remember what
had taken place. Joseph's brethren had sold him
into Egypt. They were jealous of him. They
wanted to get rid of him. They sold him into Egypt. They
didn't want him to be a part of the family. They lied to their
father, told him that an evil beast had devoured him, and they
had him off their hands. Wicked, wicked, evil. Doing your brother that way?
Now, chapter 45, verse one. You know the story about how
they've come to Egypt to get food and Joseph knows who they
are. They don't know who he is, but
he knows exactly who they are. Then Joseph could not refrain
himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, cause
every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him
while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept
aloud, he was so moved at seeing his brethren, so filled with
love to them who had done him so evilly. And the Egyptians
in the house of Pharaoh heard, and Joseph said unto his brethren,
I am Joseph, doth my father yet live? And his brethren couldn't
answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. They thought,
Joseph, we are in trouble. He's gonna get us back and we're
going to get what we deserve. That's all they could see with
regard to Joseph. We're in trouble. Verse four,
and Joseph said unto his brethren, come near to me. Nothing to impede
you, nothing to keep you from me. Right now, come near to me. And that's the call of Christ,
come near, come near. I pray you, and they came near. There was nothing to impede them.
They came right then, and he said, I am Joseph, your brethren,
whom you sold into Egypt. He doesn't take away from what
they did. They did it. He didn't gloss this over. I'm the one whom you sold into
Egypt. That's the reality of your sin.
Now, therefore, Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that
you sold me hither. For God did send me before you
to preserve life. Yes, you did it. God brings good
out of evil. God did send me before you to
preserve life. For these two years hath the
famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which
there shall be neither earing nor harvest. And God sent me
before you to preserve your posterity in the earth and to save your
lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent
me hither, but God. And he hath made me a father
to Pharaoh, and the Lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout
all the land of Egypt. I'm in control. Hasty. Rapid. Don't wait. Haste ye,
and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son
Joseph, God hath made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down unto
me, tarry not. This is rapid. Tarry not. Don't
wait for something to happen. Don't wait to get better. Let
not conscience make you linger, nor fitness fondly dream. The
only fitness he requireth is to have a need of him. Don't wait. Don't tarry, verse
10. Thou shalt dwell in the land
of the ghosts, in the best land, and thou shalt be near unto me,
thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy
flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. And there will
I nourish thee, for yet there are five years of famine, lest
thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to part,
and behold, your eyes see in the eyes of my brother and Benjamin,
but it's my mouth that speaketh to you. You should tell my father
of all my glory in Egypt. This is the preaching of the
gospel. And of all that you've seen, and you shall haste and
bring down my father hither. And he fell upon his brother
Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
Mowry kissed all his brethren, went upon them, and after that,
his brethren talked with him." Now, this Third River is rapid. It's rapid. You don't have to
experience anything. It's rapid. Now the fourth river is Euphrates. Turn back to Genesis chapter
two. Last sentence of verse 14, and
the fourth river is Euphrates. You've heard of the Euphrates
River. You know what that word means? It means fruitful. Fruitful. What's the point? God's grace always bears the
fruit of salvation. Always. Now understand this,
listen to this very carefully. Grace is not something God offers
to you up for your acceptance or rejection. Don't flatter yourself. God's grace is not an offer. God's grace saves. By grace, ye are saved. It always bears the fruit of
salvation. There's never a time when it
doesn't save. God doesn't give somebody grace
and that person ends up not being saved because they rejected it.
No, if you don't have grace, it's because God never gave it
to you. If you have grace, God gave it to you. And God's grace
always saves. You see his grace. I love to think of his grace. It's always increasing. It can't be diminished. It bursts
forth. It's super abounds. It's always
rapid and it's always fruitful. You see, if it can be diminished,
it's not grace, is it? If it's not abounding, it's not
grace. If it's not rapid, it's not grace. And if it's not saving, it's
not grace. Now understand this about God's
grace, it's saving grace. Let me tell you what that means.
That means it's electing grace. God chose you to be saved before
time began. It's justifying grace. It makes
you to be without guilt before God, having never sinned. It's redeeming grace. It makes
payment for all your sin. It's life-giving grace. It gives
you the grace to believe, to live. from being dead in sins. It's preserving grace. It keeps
you saved. It's glorifying grace. It makes
you just like the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the grace of
God. It's fruitful. It always abounds. Now in conclusion, I'd like you
to turn back to Revelation 22. Verse one. And he showed me a pure river. I hope this means a little bit
more to us now when we read this. He showed me a pure river of
water of life, clear as a crystal, proceeding out of the throne
of God, the absolute will of God of his control, and it proceeds
from the land. The Lamb of God, this is the
river of life. Now look in verse 17 of this
same chapter. And the Spirit, God the Holy
Spirit, and the bride, the church, what do they say? Come. Come right now. Come to the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's the message of the spirit
and the message of the bride. Somebody says, well, what do
you mean come to Christ? Well, the Lord said, he that
believeth on me shall never thirst and he that cometh to me shall
never hunger. To come is to believe on him. It's to believe that who he is
and what he did is all that's needed to make you perfect before
God. Now, come. Somebody says, was
he speaking to me? Do you hear? Come. Come. And let him that heareth
say, come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will. Now a lot
of people aren't willing. The Lord said, you will not come
to me that you might have life. You have no will to come to me
to have life. He said that to those who do
not believe. Are you willing to be saved by his grace? That's
a simple question. Are you willing to be saved by
his grace? Whosoever will, let him take
The water of life, this water that comes from this river, that
comes from the throne and the lamb. And there's only one condition
that you have to meet. You know what that is? That you
can't meet any conditions. That's the one condition. Take
this water of life freely. If you got anything to pay, if
you got anything to recommend yourself, you've excluded yourself.
The only ones who are allowed to take this water are the ones
who can meet no conditions and must have it for absolutely free. Let him take the water of life
freely and drink up of this increasing, superabounding, rapid saving
grace, the river of Eden. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
increasing, never diminishing, abounding and bursting forth
rapid saving grace. And Lord, we ask in Christ's
name that each person in this room for the glory of thy son
might know, might experience, Thy saving grace, the grace that's
in Christ Jesus. Lord, deliver us from looking
for something in ourselves, but give us the grace to look wholly
to thy son. Bless this word for his sake.
In his name we pray, amen. Drew, could you leave some closing
here?