The following is a follow-up to my thread entitled "The earth that was, and is, and is to come."

THE SEA AND THE RIVER
( A sermon by brother Tarran Dookie)

THE EARTH UNDER THE SEA

2 Pet.3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.
Gen.1:1-2, 9-10 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters...And God said , Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

The original earth was not created with imperfections by the perfect God. It was not originally without form and void. It became that way because of Lucifer's sin (Ezek.28:11-19). The earth was judgmentally submerged under the sea. From Gen.1:9-10 we know that God called forth the earth from the sea. He made the dry land to appear for prior to that it was covered by the waters of the sea. In the scriptures the sea usually connotes evil and judgment.

We too were once submerged in sin. Sin and defilement covered us. We were sunk in the miry clay. But God has called us forth to a new life. God has cast all our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER THROWN INTO THE SEA

Ex.15:1-6 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him. The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name. Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

The children of Israel were pursued by Pharaoh and his army and they despaired but Moses told them to stand still and they would see the salvation of the Lord. The children of Israel walked into the midst of the sea on dry ground but when Pharaoh and his army tried to do the same they were drowned. God will give us the victory if we look to Him and not to ourselves. He will do the fighting for us if we confide in Him. We will see the enemy defeated. Is he not under our feet?

THE LORD JESUS CONQUERS THE SEA

Mat.8:23-27 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

Mat.14:24-25,29-30 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea...And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Is there a storm in your life? The Lord is able to conquer the raging sea for the winds and the sea are subject to Him. He has fixed limits for the sea and its proud waves (Job 38:8-11). Let God be your refuge and shelter from the storms that come upon you. Do not be fearful but have faith in God.

Many are afraid of the sea. The sea can be treacherous. Tempests are brewed in the sea. But the Lord Jesus walked on the sea, demonstrating dominion over it. Satan is under His feet. The Lord has promised that we shall crush Satan under our feet. The victory is ours if we see Jesus. We will not walk on the waters of the sea unless our eyes are fixed upon Jesus.

THE EVIL IN THE SEA

Job 38:16-17 Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth? Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

Rev.20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Is.27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Rev.13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

The sea has the gates of death. There lies leviathan that crooked serpent, the dragon that is in the sea. But a day is coming when he shall be slain and cast into the lake of fire. Where does the antichrist come from? He rises up out of the sea. He is given power by Satan, the dragon, and the children of this world shall worship the dragon and the beast that emerges from the sea.

THE RIVER HEALS THE SEA

Ezek.47:6-12 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. Now when I returned, behold, at the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and on the other. Then he said 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. 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 every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; 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. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 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.

The Bible tells us that the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest (Is.57:20-21) but the righteous one is like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season (Ps.1:3). It is the river that heals the sea. We believers must live so as to bless others. There are sin-sicked souls drowning in the sea of death. Many do not have rest and peace. We have a duty and privilege in the Lord to minister the life-giving water that flows from the river of life, even the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus said, 'He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' May we live in the Spirit that we may be healers and deliverers out of Mount Zion.

NO MORE SEA

Rev.21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

The new earth, the perfect earth, will not be surrounded by the sea, for there will be no more sea. The sea bespeaks judgment and evil. We will be in the presence of God and in His presence there will be no evil. There will be no more of Satan and his angels, no unbeliever, no sickness or sorrow, no more death and no more sea. Today the earth is surrounded by waters of the sea and about seventy percent of planet earth is sea. But it will not be so in that eternal day for the God of restoration will restore the perfect earth and what is now lost to the sea will be recovered.

A PURE RIVER

Gen.2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

Rev.22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Before the fall of man a river went out of Eden to water the garden. In the new earth there will be a pure river of water of life. The river will again water the garden of God where there is the tree of life. We will always be refreshed by this living water. In God's presence there will be no more sea but proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb is a pure river. 'And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely' (Rev.22:17).

brother Tarran Dookie (strongmeat)