Ezekiel 47:21

Ezekiel 47:21 says, So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.  God again stated that the land would be divided according to the tribes of Israel which had been done before according to God’s direction.  We will never take what God has given to someone else spiritually, and they will never take what He has given to us spiritually.  Therefore, we should be content with what He gives us and not covet what He has given someone else.  

Verse twenty-two adds, And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.  God also made allowance for the strangers who came into the land of Israel to live and have children there.  These people were to have an inheritance as well, though I believe that they would need to acknowledge God as their God.  As Gentiles, we would have been these strangers in Israel, but once we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we have an equal inheritance of everlasting life with all who believe in Him. 

Verse twenty-three continues, And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God.  God said that whichever tribe the stranger came to live in that the people of that tribe were to give Him and inheritance.  As Christians, we should always be willing to welcome others into God’s kingdom and should be willing to share with them under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Ezekiel 47:13

Ezekiel 47:13 says, Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.  Next, God began to give the total size of all the land of the tribes of Israel, with the children of Joseph having two portions.   We today are not to be concerned with trying to give out spiritual blessings but are to ask God to reveal how and where He wants us to serve Him and to see ourselves as a unified kingdom of which God will set the borders.. 

Verse fourteen adds, And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.  God said that the people of Israel were to inherit the land in accordance with how He had given it to their fathers.  Just because the people hadn’t possessed the land for a while didn’t change the way God had distributed it.  God had given the land, and even though there were differing numbers of the tribes who returned, they were all to be given their portion according to God’s promise and not according to their numbers.  We are all given an equal inheritance from God as followers of Christ, and that is everlasting life with God.  Just because there are greater numbers of Christians in one local fellowship doesn’t mean that they receive a greater blessing from God.  

Verse fifteen continues, And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;  The next several verses just give the borders of the land of Israel.  

Verse sixteen states, Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.  

Verse seventeen adds, And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.  

Verse eighteen continues, And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.  

Verse nineteen says,  And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.  

Verse twenty adds, The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.   God will always set the boundaries of His kingdom.  

Ezekiel 47:7

Ezekiel 47:7 says, Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Ezekiel said that when he returned to the bank, I believe, that he saw very many trees on both sides of the river.  The Living Water should bring good spiritual growth around those who have been washed clean by it.  

Verse eight adds, Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.  God said that these waters went toward the east and would join with the sea and the sea would be healed.   The Living Water can heal even the most corrupt person if they allow it to.  

Verse nine continues, And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh.  God said that these waters would be full of life, and when we are filled with the Living Water, our life should be spiritually full.  

Verse ten states, And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.  I believe this refers to all people, wherever they are from, being made alive by the Living Water.  We as Christians are to lead the lost to this Living Water so that they might become spiritually alive.

Verse eleven adds, But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.  God also said that the miry and marshy places would not be healed but would be full of salt.  Matthew Henry says this refers to lost people who do not accept the Living Water when it flows but remain mired in their sins.  We cannot be saved by simply being near the Living Water but must spiritually live in the midst of it.  

Verse thirteen continues, And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.   God said that since this water flowed from the sanctuary it would be fruitful to help meet the needs of the people.  God’s gift of salvation brings us to the Living Water and there all our spiritual needs will be met if we drink of it.

Ezekiel 47:1

Ezekiel 47:1 says, Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.  When Ezekiel was brought out again, he began to see water flowing from the threshold of the house toward the east.  The Living Water first flowed from the temple as God sent it to His chosen people first, just as the disciples of Jesus reached out to the Jewish people with the gospel message first. Matthew Henry says these verses referencing the water were likely mystical, or spiritual, since there has never been a time when this happened in Israel, so all he had seen was likely mystical.  I know that we as followers of Christ are called to spiritually drink of the Living Water.  

Verse two adds, 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.  Ezekiel was then brought to the gate of the north side, and water was flowing from there as well.  Living Water was plentiful for the people then and the Living Water is plentiful for Christians today.  It will be available wherever we are.  

Verse three continues, 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. Ezekiel said as the man with the line in his hand went forth eastward that he measured a thousand cubits and then when Ezekiel was led through water was up to his ankles.  Though we are never limited to how deep we can get into the Living Water, when we first accept Jesus Christ, we may not immediately submerge ourselves in it. 

Verse four states, 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.  The man measured another thousand cubits, and the water was up to his knees, and then he measured another thousand and it was up to his loins.  Though the Living Water has but one source, it is more than ample for all who would accept it.  

Verse five adds, 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 said the man then measured another thousand cubits, and the water was like a river that a person could not walk through but would have to swim through.  Once more, applying this to the Living Water, there will always be enough for us to submerge ourselves in, if we only will.  

Verse six continues, And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.   The man then asked Ezekiel if he had seen this and then brought him back to the brink of the river after he asked him if he had seen it.  We can be on the brink of salvation, but until we see the reality of it, it will do us no good.