Nov 21 2024 47 mins
Bern Leckie and Owen Lynch share thoughts and feelings about chapters 40 to 48 of the book of Ezekiel and Psalms 107 to 119.
After some harsh and harrowing images, Ezekiel’s visions turn to glorious pictures of God’s designs for Israel’s future, including restoration and fulfilment of purposes God always had in mind for his people.
An amazing temple is described, bigger and better than people have ever known, and this serves as an image of God living and working with people, redeeming and transforming where needed.
This temple is also remarkable for what it produces - life-bringing fresh water that starts to look like a river, getting wider and deeper the further it gets from the temple. It’s a picture of transformational holiness, bringing life to the Dead Sea and to incredibly fruitful trees along its banks.
Bern and Owen discuss what these images meant to Israel then and to us now. Can we learn more about holiness and what it’s for, and could that release us from “holy huddles” into places where God wants to work through us? How important is spiritual fruit in our lives, and what is it for?
Linking the river imagery with the Psalms, is our worship sometimes too shallow? What would happen if we became more immersed in the depths of emotions expressed in Psalms, and where can we find places and times to soak in a really comprehensive piece like Psalm 119?
In the next part of our boxset, we get back to the story of Jesus as told through John’s gospel. Listen along at your own pace at severnvineyard.org/bible.
We’ve also produced a special audio version of John’s gospel with soundscapes, music and time for immersion and reflection built in. Search for “Time, Space, Jesus” on Spotify or find out more at severnvineyard.org/time-space-jesus