Bone Dry and Empty

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This is a sermon based on Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones (Ez. 37:1-14) and Paul's warning to Timothy that in the "last days" people would have a form of godliness but no power. The message emphasizes the need for the Holy Spirit's presence and how to obtain it.

Written Excerpts:
Ezekiel 37:1-2 ^(NKJV) The hand of the LORD came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. ²Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 

2 Timothy 3:5 ^(NKJV) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Introduction:

I heard about the little girl who was to quote a Scripture verse for a children’s program in front of a large congregation. The verse she was to recite was, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” She was overtaken with stage fright when it came time for her to say her verse and she blurted out, “Many are cold and a few are frozen.”

Sometimes I wonder if that is what the Lord thinks when He looks in on some of our churches today?

There is a NT verse that goes along well with the theme of this story from Ezekiel and it is found in the Apostle Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He said to the young pastor, Timothy, that in the last days perilous times would come. Men would become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. He said people would have a form of godliness but deny the power of it.

The title I’ve chosen for the message today is, “Bone dry and empty.” I think that pretty well sums up the condition of the two passages of scripture in Ezekiel and 2 Timothy. God has shown Ezekiel a vision of dead, dry skeletons, and Paul has reminded Timothy of people who have the “form” but there’s nothing in it. They have the “package” but it’s empty!

I want to talk to you today about a common problem that exists among churches and Christians and what the solution is.

I.    Contextual Settings

In order to grasp the full impact or meaning of these references we need to understand the contextual settings. 

Ezekiel

 (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) [In Ezekiel], Chapter 37 vividly illustrates the promise of chapter 36. God had just announced that Israel will be restored to her land in blessing under the leadership of David her king. However, this seemed remote in light of Israel's present condition. She was "dead" as a nation—deprived of her land, her king, and her temple. She had been divided and dispersed for so long that unification and restoration seemed impossible. 

So God causes Ezekiel to witness this unusual vision. It’s as if God is saying, “You think your people are in bad shape? You think it isn’t really possible for the nation to flourish once again? Then, what do you think about this huge valley of skeletons? Do you think they can live again?” Ezekiel knows God well enough to not give a hasty human response, but he replies, “You know Lord!” So God causes him to witness the miraculous revival of life into what must have been hundreds of skeletons – dry bones.

“This is an example of what God can do!”

Timothy

Timothy was a younger man than the Apostle Paul, whom Paul considered to be his “son in the faith.” He was pastor of the church in Ephesus and Paul is writing to give him solid counsel and advice concerning his ministry among the people of Ephesus.

In chapter 3 Paul is describing the conditions that would exist in the last days. (Last Days – the entire period between Christ’s ascension and His second coming.) Even though he had instructed Timothy earlier to be tender and kind to all, now he warns Timothy to avoid close association with those who fit these descriptions. 

Among all of the descriptions Paul provides, he adds the phrase we mentioned earlier, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” He implies these people have the ceremony and ritual down pat; they have learned the vocabulary; and they know the rules; but they do not have the power of God within them that really makes the difference.

(sermonillustrations.com) Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: "Glasgow, Ky.--Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor." 

This is a sad illustration of the exact problem Paul was expressing to Timothy. There are many people in the church today just like Mr. Puckett’s car. It looks like a car and it feels like a car, but it is only a shell of a car because its source of power is missing. Some people may “look” like Christians and sound like Christians, but there’s no spiritual life or power of God displayed in their lives.

There are many churches that look like a church, feel like a church, and it sound like a church, but the source of power is missing. In some cases, it has been years since anything miraculous has taken place to demonstrate the presence of God in the church.

What is missing? 

In Ezekiel’s vision the skeletons still couldn’t function, even after muscles, tendons, flesh and skin were added. Why? Because there was no breath (wind, spirit) in them.

Why do professing Christians have a form of godliness but no power? They’re missing the breath of God in them. The “breath of God” is the power of the Holy Spirit.

When God breathed the breath of God into Adam, he became a living soul. When God sent the breath of wind into the corpses they came alive into a might army. When the disciples were gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost there was a sound as a rushing might wind and the Holy Spirit fell on them and filled them.

It is only the Holy Spirit that give us the power to go along with the form of godliness.

II.  How can we have this wind of the Holy Spirit or the power that goes with the form?

Now that we have discussed the passages in Ezekiel and 2^nd Timothy, I want to discuss how we can possess this power of the Spirit that is referred to in each of these passages.

1. We must be genuinely born again. 

We receive the Spirit of Christ when Christ comes into our hearts and lives. 

Romans 8:9 ^(NKJV) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

There definitely needs to be new spiritual life in us that is more than simply reforming our ways and turning over a new leaf (I’m not doing as many bad things as I used to).

2 Cor. 5:17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature…

2. We must surrender self-will and let His Spirit fill us.

Romans 12:1 – Present yourselves a living sacrifice.

1 Thes. 5:23 – …sanctify you entirely (through & through)

Lk. 24:49 – Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

There is a greater work that God’s Spirit can do in our hearts after we are born again. All of these references mentioned were written or stated to Christians. 

(sermonillustrations.com) D.L. Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, "Why do we need this 'Mr. Moody'? He's uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody."

3. We must practice ongoing obedience.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 ^(NKJV) Do not quench the Spirit.

“quench” – put out, extinguish; as in a fire.

Ephesians 4:30 ^(NKJV) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

“grieve” – make sorry, cause distress

What is the main cause of sorrow for the Holy Spirit? or what causes His fire to be extinguished? I believe it is disobedience. 

If we truly want to see what God the Holy Spirit can do through us as individuals and through us as a church, we must refrain from “putting out fire” and we must refrain from grieving the Holy Spirit.

4. We must engage in earnest prayer.

Over and over the Bible exhorts God’s people to pray and to fast and pray. Earnest prayer is the key to the Spirit’s power.

The Apostle James said, “We have not because we ask not.” Jesus said, “Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” He also said, “…How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask.”

(W. Duewel, Touch the World Through Prayer)  [After describing the power of God’s Spirit he felt in his ministry, Charles Finney went on to say,] Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer...after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life." (sermonillustrations.com)

James 5:16-18 ^(NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. ¹⁷Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

“prayed earnestly” – lit. prayed in his praying. He prayed with passion. I believe it is similar to the earnest prayer of Jacob when he wrestled with the angel. “I’ll not let you go unless you bless me.”

Passionate Prayer is the source of the power. 

I love Christian music and I love to attend a good gospel music concert. Music stirs the soul and raises the spirit. There’s no question about that. But concerts do not bring the power of the Holy Spirit upon a church. Prayer does. Yet, you can get many times more people to come out for a concert than you can for a prayer meeting.

Getting together for times of fellowship and enjoying a good meal is important and certainly valuable, but I don’t believe fellowship meals bring the Holy Spirit’s power upon the church. Prayer does.

Conclusion:

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came, He would not glorify himself, but He would glorify Christ. So, I believe that is exactly what will happen when the church gets full of the Holy Spirit – we will glorify Christ like never before. Churches and individuals that are filled with the Spirit of God will radiate the presence of Christ. 

When people were in the presence of Christ, they were keenly aware of their own unworthiness and sinfulness, but they were “mysteriously” drawn to Him because of His love and compassion. They instantly knew they weren’t like Him, but they wanted to be like Him and felt compelled to come to Him for all they needed.

This is the way it ought to be with us. When people come into a church there ought to be an overwhelming sense that God is in this place. There ought to be conviction of the Holy Spirit, but in addition to that, there ought to be a love and compassion that draws them to Christ. 

There have been numerous times in my life that I have been privileged to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in an unusual way. I don’t know about you but my heart is hungry for a greater fullness and a greater presence of the Holy Spirit of God!

As we close the service let’s stand and sing the closing song as a genuine prayer from our hearts: Come, Holy Spirit

In the Image of God

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This sermon was given on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and it emphasizes the biblical truth that all humans are created in the image of God and therefore sacred. An attempt is made to define what the image of God is and the reason why it is so important for a Christian view of life.

Written Excerpts:

Genesis 1:27 ^(NKJV) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Introduction:

As noted at the beginning of today’s service, we are celebrating the Sanctity of Human Life today. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, in 1973 which legalized abortion nationwide. Since then, the lives of approximately 60 million unborn children have been tragically terminated. 

One of the arguments used in favor of abortion has been to make sure that every child born is a “wanted child.” I clearly remember opinions expressed that if every child is a wanted child then it will hasten the end of child abuse. First of all, abortion is the ultimate form of child abuse! Secondly, Roe v. Wade hasn’t solved the problem of child abuse at all. In fact, by all appearance, it has been on the rise ever since.

Why? I’m convinced it is because you can’t devalue the life of human beings in the earliest stages of life without also impacting the value of all human lives.

Child abuse statistics are not the only indication that human life has been extremely devalued. We also notice the evidence of it in elder abuse, euthanasia and human trafficking. We notice it in the harsh realities of violence and even starvation that is forced upon citizens around the world by oppressive and totalitarian regimes.

I am not here today to pretend that there are simple and easy answers to the problems that people face in their lives. But I’m convinced that abortion has been promoted far too many times as the “easy fix” or easy answer to a large problem, but it hasn’t fulfilled its promise. Sadly, scores of those who followed the advice of their doctor or the clamor of society, have discovered too late that the “easy fix” only led to greater problems compounded by guilt and shame.

I’m thankful to the Lord for all of the individuals and organizations who have stepped up and have worked tirelessly to provide solutions and alternatives to the brutality that Satan has led our society to gradually accept. Right here in our surrounding community we have the privilege to support and assist the Alpha Omega Center in Slippery Rock and New Castle and Willow Women’s Center just north of Hermitage. We have the privilege to support and join efforts with Project Restore in Greenville – a safe haven for women rescued from human trafficking. We support the efforts of New Castle City Rescue Mission and New Destiny Treatment Center who are actively rescuing people from addiction, homelessness, and other devastating conditions.

I pray that God will help our eyes and ears to be open and our hearts willing to offer every bit of help we can to those who are being destroyed by the evil philosophies and practices of our culture. Where did we go wrong? How did we get in the position we’re in? I propose to you that it all began long before Roe v. Wade when God’s eternal Word came under attack and so-called “enlightened scholars” coaxed our religious and political leaders away from the idea that there was such a thing as absolute truth.

One of the casualties of this departure from God’s truth was the concept of “imago Dei” (Latin, image of God). For decades we have been indoctrinated to believe that we humans are nothing but animals (and I must say, sometimes we certainly act like it). Many of our children have been programmed to blindly accept the idea we evolved from apes because “Science proves it.” The problem is, when we accept these false propositions, then human life loses its inherent value at all levels. 

What is the “Image of God” and what is its significance for a Christian?

imago Dei (image of God). (Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms) A term describing the uniqueness of humans as God's creatures. In the Genesis creation account Adam and Eve are said to be created in God's image and likeness (Gen 1:26–27). Theologians differ on what the image of God actually refers to, but most agree that the image is not primarily physical. Instead the imago Dei may include the presence of will, emotions and reason; the ability to think and act creatively; or the ability to interact socially with others. Scripture attributes the imago Dei solely to humans, and it indicates that the image is in some sense still present even after the Fall (see Jas 3:9). Above all, however, Christ—and by extension those who are in Christ—is the image of God. 

Since the creation account in Genesis says man was created in God’s image but does not say that about animals, then the “image” must include those aspects that make humans distinct from animals.

The Teacher's Bible Commentary: What then, is the image of God? The simplest explanation is to notice how God is described in the first chapter of Genesis. Man is like that. God is pictured as freely creating. The Hebrew word bara ("create") is never used of man, but the fact that God summoned man to assume supervision over creation reveals that he gave him the ability to respond freely to the challenge. Animals can only adjust to their environment; man can create his own. To combat the cold, he has built furnaces. To alleviate the heat he has devised air-conditioners. When man adjusts meekly to an uncomfortable environment, he assumes the level of lower animals. Man was made for higher things.

Even though the “image” was marred when sin entered the world and affected every part of our being, yet every human being still bears the “telltale characteristics” of the image of God. So, why is this important? If we are all created in the image of God, then every life is worthy of respect and “redemption.”

·     If all human beings are created in the image of God, and in some sense still bear the image of God, then we must treat everyone with respect.

James 3:8-9 (NKJV) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God.

James is reminding us that we should not even talk disrespectfully / abusively toward others because they are made in the image of God.

·     Redemption in the sense of rescue and restoration from all that is working destructively.

Jeremiah 22:3 (NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver [rescue] the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Abuse; Addictions; etc. etc. Satan convinces people all the time that they are worthless and the world would be better off without them – leading to total despair. 

·     Redemption in the sense of eternal salvation.

God didn’t throw humanity away and start over. No, He already had planned a means of redemption.

Forgiveness is available for every kind of sin because God believes in redemption and restoration.

We are told in Scripture that Jesus Christ is the “image of the invisible God.” He is the ultimate example of the image.

It is only as we are redeemed by His blood and created anew in the image of Christ that we are able to fully experience and express the image of God as He intended us to express in this world.

Conclusion:

As we leave this service today I hope that we go away with a fresh realization of how much value each human being has simply because we are all bearing the image of our Creator in our lives. I hope we will continue to pray for all those who are victims of abuse and destruction. I hope we will seek ways to be involved in relieving the suffering of others who need a voice and a helping hand.

Let us close by singing a challenging hymn: I Then Shall Live

A Long Journey of Faith

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This sermon focuses on the theme of New Years and discusses the deliverance of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt then it makes applications to living our lives in faith each day as we face an uncertain future.

Written Excerpts:

Hebrews 11:29 ^(NKJV) By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. 

Introduction:

Today I want to continue speaking to you on the general theme of facing a brand new year and the journey of life that will continue. It seems as though the start of a new year always inspires more serious thought about the future and what it may hold. Or, we may be thinking about the goals and aspirations we have for the future and how we are going to accomplish them.

Depending on your individual personality style, you may be anticipating the future with fear or with great hope and excitement. In either case, we must all realize that the journey of life is a journey of faith. I think we can all agree also on the fact that this journey of life / faith is not a “sprint,” but it is a “marathon.” For most people the journey is very long – extending for decades before they come to the “finish line” and cross over into eternity.

For the message today I felt led to look at the journey the Israelites took from Egypt to Canaan and see if we can make some applications to our spiritual journey of faith through time to eternity.

I.     Journey is precipitated by misery.

Exodus 1:8-11a, 14 ^(NKJV) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; ¹⁰come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." ¹¹Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens…. ¹⁴And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage--in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

It is implied that the Israelites were not forced into slave labor until this “Pharaoh who did not know Joseph.” Life must have gotten pretty comfortable for them.

Exodus 5:4-9 ^(NKJV) Then the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor." ⁵And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!" ⁶So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, ⁷"You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' ⁹Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words."

There is a large amount of detail related to this story that we don’t have the time to cover, but simply summarize by saying, The Hebrew people had been languishing under bondage for at least 40+ years (while Moses was hiding out in the wilderness). Then the bondage got even worse right when they began to hear about the possibility of deliverance, liberty and freedom.

There are undoubtedly a number of reasons why God hadn’t decided to deliver them from bondage much earlier. I believe that one possible reason is that the people needed to get “really sick of Egypt.”

When we start our journey of faith, most of us have to reach the point when we are “really sick of ourselves, sick of sin, and sick of all the world has to offer.” (Even if life is going well, we feel that emptiness “is this all there is? What is the meaning of it all anyway?”)

It’s not enough to just simply decide one day, “I’m going to be a better person. I’m going to start going to church. I’m going to quit all the bad habits I have. Etc. etc.” You can certainly do all those things, but you won’t accomplish anything except what Jesus said about the Pharisees – they were “white-washed tombs.” (Cleaned up on the outside, but still spiritually dead and lifeless on the inside.)

Before we begin the journey of faith, we need to get dissatisfied with the way things have been, and sometimes God does that through circumstances, and other times He does it by causing heavy conviction to settle on our hearts. Conviction settles in when we begin to fully realize how lost we really are without Christ. We realize that we’re headed for hell. We realize that our conduct, our conversations and even our thoughts and attitudes have directly violated God’s law.

You’ve heard me say many times, “You have to know the bad news before the good news really seems like good news to you.” I repeat, we need to get so sick of ourselves and sick of the world that we are anxious to turn our lives over to God and let Him lead us on the journey of faith and righteousness that He desires to do.

II.    Journey begins with miraculous deliverance.

Exodus 12:51 ^(NKJV) And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

Exodus 14:30-31 ^(NKJV) So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. ³¹Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

Spiritual journey begins with the “new birth” which can be compared to the miracle of deliverance through the Red Sea.

·     Burden of sin lifted; guilt and condemnation gone;

·     Joy and happiness over new-found forgiveness;

·     Excitement over giving life to Christ.

Look what God did! It’s a miracle! God really took care of us!

Exodus 15:1 ^(NKJV) Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: "I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! 

 (Song by Moses and the Israelites ills. joy and exhilaration.)

III.  Journey continues with human-divine cooperation.

After that great deliverance at the beginning, it might be tempting to think God is going to just remove every obstacle, and provide every need/want, and life’s going to be grand! Then we begin to realize that it isn’t all just as easy as waiting for God to show up and answer all my prayers just as I wish. Sometimes God says, “No” to our prayers.

We begin to realize that there is a journey to take; there are mountains to climb; there are deserts to cross; battles to fight; etc. etc. God doesn’t just automatically whisk us over the desert just like He did through the Red Sea. As soon as some people begin to see that this spiritual journey is going to require some commitment and effort and intentional obedience to God’s will, then they begin to lose courage, and lose faith.

(Ills. – parable of the sower: seed that fell on stony ground; or among thorns.)

Now, thankfully, we don’t have to do it all. We need to cooperate with God’s working in our lives.

Look at all the things God did do for the Israelites:

·     Provided manna

·     Provided meat (quail)

·     Provided water

·     Provided miraculous military victories.

IV.  Journey ends as it began – in faith.

Hebrews 3:12-19 ^(NKJV) Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, ¹⁵while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." ¹⁶For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? ¹⁷Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? ¹⁹So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 

The title of the message today is “A Long Journey of Faith.” Our spiritual journey begins with faith, it continues by faith and it ends by faith. In the Scripture I just read, the writer of Hebrews is using the story of the Exodus to illustrate the importance of faith in the Christian life. He explains that the lack of faith kept the initial group of Israelites from entering the Promised Land. He then uses that as an illustration to explain how a lack of faith will keep Christians from experiencing what God has for them.

“Entering that rest” – Some argue that the analogy is referring to heaven, while others argue that it is referring to the grace of sanctification. In either view, the offer is denied or missed out on because of a lack of faith. (According to the illustration used, it is not just a lack of “believing something” but it is a lack of faith demonstrated by obedience.) 

We can trust God and follow Him all through our lives, but it is also important to trust and obey at the end. When I come to the end of my life, I hope someone will keep reminding me that: “Nothing can wash away my sin but the blood of Jesus.” “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”

If so, my faith in the blood of Jesus illustrated by obedience to His will, will carry me right through the river of death into the presence of Jesus.

Conclusion:

The journey of faith is a lifetime journey. It has a definite beginning when we surrender our will to God’s and let Him forgive us and take control of our lives. It continues throughout all of life as we face each new situation and obstacle with trust in Him and obedience to His will. Then, it will lead us to the “finish line” when we leave this world and enter into eternity. 

I want us to stand and sing the hymn:

Trust and Obey     # 571

What about your life today? Have you gotten started on the journey of faith by being Born Again and letting Christ come into your heart? 

Have you continued cooperating with the Holy Spirit as God leads you through the various ups and downs of life? Or, have you just given up and said it’s no use; I can’t live up to expectations…

Are you committed to trusting and obeying God right down to the very last step of the journey? Or do you fear you’ll be one of those who “did not enter because of their unbelief?”

As you take inventory of your life right now, do you need to pray about it?

The Cleansing Fountain

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This message was given for a worship service that included the sacrament of communion. It is based on the prophecy of Zech. 13:1 and it relates the wording of the prophet to the sacrifice of redemption provided by Jesus Christ.

Written Excerpts:
Zechariah 13:1 ^(NKJV) In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 

Introduction:

The hymn writer, Robert Lowry, asks, 

What can wash away my sin? 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus; 

What can make me whole again? 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 

For my pardon this I see, 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus; 

for my cleansing, this my plea, 

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Ever since Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, men have sought for adequate covering or cleansing for the sins that separate them from God. Long ago God defined a system of sacrifices that He communicated to Moses for the people of Israel so they could begin to comprehend the cost for covering of their sins. The animals that were required for all the various sacrifices were precious. They were valuable portions of their herds; their family’s livelihood. In addition to the sacrificial death of lambs, goats, and heifers, God also required the priests to wash in the laver that stood outside of the tabernacle or temple. The required washing with water from the laver was a symbol for the necessary cleansing we all need from God. 

Many centuries after Moses, God was communicating again through His prophets and providing special messages of warning as well as encouragement for His people. Zechariah was one such prophet and in his prophecy we find the words we’re using for our text today.

Zechariah 13:1 ^(NKJV) In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. 

Let us take a look at this passage to see what God wants to communicate to us today.

I.    The Prophet and His time.

The people of Judah had been in captivity for many years in Babylon, which was conquered during that time by the Medes and Persians. Following a decree by Cyrus, king of Persia, some of the exiles had been returning to the homeland in relatively small numbers compared to the number who were taken captive.

You might remember references in Ezra and Nehemiah about rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and getting started on the rebuilding of the temple. The people had been discouraged and the work on rebuilding the temple had stalled. God raised up two different prophets about that time, some twenty years after the temple was started, to stimulate the people into finishing the temple and to kindle a revival of righteous living among the people of God. One of those prophets was Haggai, and the other one was Zechariah.

Zechariah – (Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) – “He whom God remembers.” …was of priestly descent, — a son of Berechiah, and grandson of Iddo (Zechariah 1:1, 7), the chief of one of the priestly families, that returned from exile along with Zerubbabel and Joshua (Nehemiah 12:4). He followed his grandfather in that office under the high priest Jehoiakim (Nehemiah 12:16), from which it has been justly concluded that he returned from Babylon while still a youth, and that his father died young. …He commenced his prophetic labours in the second year of Darius Hystaspes, only two months later than his contemporary Haggai, in common with whom he sought to stimulate the building of the temple… 

(Andrew Hill, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) – Haggai and Zechariah were also complementary prophets, in that Haggai exhorted the people to rebuild the Jerusalem temple and… Zechariah’s … message extends beyond the material reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple to the moral and spiritual rebuilding of the Hebrew people, so that they might be holy unto the Lord and offer appropriate worship in the Second Temple (7:8-10; 8:14-17, 19; cf. 8:3). 

This same author writes that Zechariah is often referred to as “little Isaiah” because this prophecy has more to say about the messianic shepherd-king than any other book except Isaiah. In the chapter immediately before our text (chap. 12) there are statements provided that were applied to Jesus by the NT writers.

II.  The Promised Fountain

A.  It is living and flowing.

(Tyndale OT Commentaries) – The word fountain refers to a spring or flowing water source that is tapped or unleashed. The metaphor signifies an ‘artesian well’ that gushes forth pure water to provide cleansing and purification.

The use of the word “fountain” provides a different image altogether than the word “pond” or “lake” etc. It would be similar to the image of a river or stream in the sense that it is moving, living, fresh, and vibrant.

Jesus claimed to be the source of a “fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (Jn. 4:14)

B.  It is accessible.

(Tyndale OT Commentaries) – The verb “be opened” suggests that the “fountain” or spring is readily available; it only needs to be tapped. The participial form of the verb ‘implies that the fountain is to be opened continuously’…

This prophecy was originally given specifically to the house of David (Jews) because of God’s word of encouragement He offered to a people beaten down by bondage and the judgment of God for the sins of their fathers. But we may apply it to any of us today by the fact that this fountain is “opened” and it has been “tapped into” so “whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17)

C.  It provides cleansing.

The specific purpose of this fountain, the prophet said, is “for sin and uncleanness.”

It is a cleansing fountain. The imagery is of a fountain of water, but Jesus and the NT writers applied the message to the fountain of His blood. Going back to the question I began the message with that was posed by the hymn-writer – “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”

You may have heard me tell the story of another hymn-writer (William Cowper) who struggled for years with bouts of depression and along with that, he struggled of the assurance of salvation and knowing he was forgiven. In faith and trust in the Word of God, he penned these words:

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins

And sinners plunged beneath that flood 

Lose all their guilty stains.

I’m eternally grateful this morning for the fountain that has been opened for sin and uncleanness! By faith I can truly say with another hymn-writer (Rev. F. L. Snyder):

Hallelujah! ‘tis His blood that cleanseth me,

‘Tis His grace that makes me free,

And, my brother, ‘tis for thee.

Oh, hallelujah! ‘tis salvation full and free; 

And it cleanseth, yes, it cleanseth me.

Let’s sing together the hymn listed in your bulletin:

There Is a Fountain (vv. 1-3)       # 336