Shall We Gather At The River
The preacher in full fervor suggests that all the booze of the world be poured into the river.
The song leader gets up and leads the congregation in this song.

Introduction
There are many rivers mentioned in the Bible.
Some are literal, and some are symbolic.
Our concept of a river may not be the same as someone who lives in another part of the world.
But let us notice a few of them.

The Garden Of Eden
Genesis 2:10-14
One river becomes four.
Pishon----land of Havilah
Gihon ---land of Cush
Tigris (Hiddekel)---East of Assyria
Euphrates---through Chaldea
Don’t rightly know where it was.
Perhaps modern day Turkey or Northern Iran.
But also remember that the topography could be different after the flood.

River Turned To Blood
Nile river of Egypt (the book of Exodus).
Pharaoh commanded all male children of the Israelites be cast into the river.
Moses was spared on the water.
Eighty years later, Moses took his staff and turned the river into blood. 1st plague
Frogs came from the river. 2nd plague

The Promised Land
Between Two great rivers. Genesis 15:18
The great river of Egypt (Nile)
And the great river Euphrates.
Joseph intrepreted Pharoah’s dream about a river and the cows that came up from it.

Crossing The River
Spies sent to cross the river to view all the land.
Their report was good but lead to unbelief.
Finally the ark of the covenant came to the River. Joshua 3:8
Stand still in the water and see that God is with you. Joshua 3:10
A memorial was set up in the middle of river.

Rivers
Were used as:
Boundaries
Markers,
Reference points.
Until we get to 2 Kings 5.
2 Kings 5
Namaan the leper came to be healed.
Was told to go dip in the Jordan river seven times.
Thought other rivers would be better.
After obedience, was healed.
River was a separation
The people wanted to be in Jerusalem
But there was a river in the way.
The great river Euphrates is most likely the river mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Symbolic Of God’s Provisions
Psalm 36:8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
Psalm 46:4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
Psalm 65:9 You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it.

The River In Heaven
Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Revelation 22:2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Throughout The Bible
Water has been key for survival of man.
God provided this life giving water many times.
And He withheld it to teach them a lesson.
Sometimes rain is given as a blessing.
Showers of blessings.

The Fountain of God
Sometimes the blessings from God are described as a fountain.
Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns-broken cisterns that can hold no water.

The Fountain of Life
Psalm 36:9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.
Proverbs 5:18 Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.

The Water Of Salvation
Baptism is to be done in water.
Examples in the Bible.
Symbolic of a cleansing
Symbolic of a washing of regeneration.
Symbolic of becoming pure by the symbolic blood of Christ
Have you come to the fountain of life?

Conclusion
Water and the source of water has been essential to human life.
We must also look at God’s provisions through water.
Have you cleansed yourself and are you keeping yourself clean?
Then come to the life giving fountain that is free for all.

By Carey Scott

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