Let the River Flow!
Mat 6:33 AMP “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”
As a ministry, we have been in a time of prayer and fasting to start the year off right. We had the above verse as our theme of “Seeking His Kingdom First”. We wanted to be Kingdom people and put Him first in all we do and in the midst of the world‐wide economic crisis, we wanted our focus to be HIM and not on what we would eat, etc. We are experiencing fresh revelation and increasing awareness of His presence and power in our midst.
During this time, I have been thinking and studying the Word for Kingdom ideas. Jesus’ first recorded message was: “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17) Throughout His ministry here on earth that was His theme. The Gospel of Matthew especially highlights Kingdom principles.
As I studied, I went back to Gen. 1‐2 and looked at God’s original plan and purpose for the earth. You are familiar with the creation story but sometimes we forget that what God established here on earth was a colony of what He had in Heaven. He created humans in His image and He created Eden to be a representation of His Kingdom. For us in the Western world, it is hard to understand the relationship of colony to Kingdom. But for many around the world, they understand very well what it means to be a colony of another country and for the Mother country’s government, culture, education, philosophy, language, etc to be adopted by the colony. The one unique difference is that in most cases the colony’s weather and climate/geography was different than the Mother country. We see this concept expressed in Gen. 1‐2 as God created the Garden of Eden and established man and woman in it to have dominion and to be fruitful and multiply. We know that sin interrupted the original purpose and thrust mankind out of the colony of Heaven and into an earth cursed by sin. Jesus came not only to redeem mankind but to establish the Kingdom once again on earth.
In the Kingdom of God, everything necessary to fulfill God’s purpose has been provided. As we seek Him and His Kingdom, we put ourselves in a position to appropriate “all” things. I would like for us to look at an example of what God provided in the Garden that I believe is a picture of what He is releasing for us today.
Gen. 2: 10‐14 AMP “Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [river] heads.
The first is named Pishon; it is the one flowing around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is of high quality; bdellium (pearl?) and onyx stone are there. The second river is named Gihon; it is the one flowing around the whole land of Cush.
The third river is named Hiddekel [the Tigris]; it is the one flowing east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”
As we read these verses, we realize that the Garden was not a tiny little place, but instead it covered a large amount of land. These four rivers and the land around which they flowed was quite extensive and provides us with a picture of the care and provision God has made available for each of us. To help us grasp and understand the importance of this, I would like to look at each of the rivers by name and also the land over which they flowed. Then I will attempt to summarize what I believe Holy Spirit is saying to us today.
One river flowed out of Eden and divided into four heads. A river brings refreshing, revelation, growth, life and is sometimes a picture of Holy Spirit’s movement. (Some Scriptures for study: Rev. 22:1‐2; Ezekial 47; and John 7.)
1.
The first river is named Pishon – (verb) means to spring about, strong, increase, spread – originates from a spring and forms a delta, freely flowing – I get the picture of a never ending supply that brings life and continues to increase and brings fruitfulness. Pishon flowed around the land of Havilah – sand dunes – where there was gold. Sand is not always easy to walk in and it is not good for growing things. BUT in Havilah – if you were willing to dig – you could find gold.
2.
The second river is named Gihon – (verb) to burst forth, great breaking forth – the Gihon flowed around the land of Cush – which means: as if he were weak.
3.
The third river is named Hiddekel (also know as the Tigris) – (verb) to prick, to sting, to split, to separate, or even sharp rapids – this river flowed around the land of Assyria – meaning: to be level.
4.
The fourth river is the Euphrates – the most dominate river of the Bible and means good, well, noble.
Let’s look at them in this chart:
River
Meaning
Land
Meaning
Scriptures for further study:
Pishon
To spring about,
Strong, increase,
Spread, originates
From a spring and
Forms a delta
Havilah
Sand dunes,
Exhausted,
no revelation
Isaiah 43:19
Gihon
To burst forth,
Great breaking forth
Cush
As if he were weak
2Sam. 5:19‐20
Tigris/
Hiddekel
To prick, to sting, to
Split, to separate,
sharp rapids
Assyria
To be level
1Thessalonians 5:23
John 17:17
Euphrates
Good, well, noble
Rev. 9:14; Rev. 16:12
Now let’s see if I can pull it all together in what I hear Holy Spirit saying. We have been born again, we are redeemed and we are part of the Kingdom of God. As Kingdom representatives here on this unredeemed earth, we have Kingdom resources available to us to sustain and cause us to prosper even in the midst of bad circumstances. God gives us many clues to the resources available for us in these verses about the rivers in the Garden.
When we are in a place of little or no revelation, in a place that is hard to walk – like walking on sand – then He says that a spring, a river has been given us to cause us to increase and to find the gold that is hidden in the midst of the hard place.
When we are weak (Cush) and have no strength to go forward on our own, then a river (Gihon) has been given that will cause us to break forth through the obstacles that confront us and we will know that it was the Lord!
Then when we are in a level place (Assyria) and life seems good to us – there is a river to separate us, to sanctify us from the world and remind us of His truth. And even when faced with sharp rapids, the river will carry us safely over.
No matter what shaking comes in this natural world we know that “THERE IS A RIVER.”
Ps 46:1‐5 AMP “GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well‐proved help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas,
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].”
And surrounding us on every side is the truth of God’s Word: “And God saw everything He had made and behold, it was very good.” We also know that He has good plans for us, plans to prosper and for a future. As we seek first His Kingdom ALL these things shall be added unto us!