Open The Flood Gates

“But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.” (Am 5:24 AV)

This is a great stand-alone verse.  Context does matter.  But there are certain verses that work inside and outside of the context in which you find them.  The book of Proverbs is a great example.  The context here is a warning for Israel that God is going to judge them for their blatant disobedience.  He is warning them that unless they change rather quickly, they will be conquered and carried away.  The immediate context of this verse above compares presumptuous sacrifice with willing righteousness.  Israel had strayed so far from the word of God that they knowingly offered sacrifice with filthy hands of sin.  They planned to do this deliberately as opposed to ignorance or neglect.  So, the LORD is saying He would rather have abundance of righteousness than abundance of sacrifice.  The verse above can be used regardless of the circumstances.  For Israel, it was holiness over religion.  For our nation, it is getting back to our Judeo/Christian roots over political and economic influence.  After all, living free is not a noble pursuit unless we also live right.  On a personal note, holiness should overflow the life.  Judgment is our decision-making process.  Righteousness is the things we choose to do.

I have in mind the times of adolescence spent playing at a creek or sewer spillway.  Yes, my friend and I used to play in the storm drains.  Near where I lived, there was a storm drain with grated barriers on both sides when it went under a road.  We would often try to dam it up.  That is, until the police showed up and asked us not to do that.  There were other times when friends or siblings would join me, and we would build a dam across a small stream.  The object was to build a dam to see how large a body of water we could construct behind it.  However, after a small body of water had gathered, it was fun to dismantle the dam to see what would happen to the ‘lake’.  Sometimes we would remove part of it so see the power of the water do the rest.  Or, more times than not, we would use a very large rock as a projectile to blow a hole through the dam.  Then we could watch the water rush downstream and take the dam with it.  Hey, what do you want with an 8-year-old boy with no electronic entertainment?  We had to make our own fun.  There is a unique feeling watching a rush of water head downstream.  It is hard to explain.

The thing about the analogy above is that waters and a mighty stream are hard things to stop.  As anyone familiar with dam building knows, there has to be some sort of pressure release.  As great as the stream was before the dam, it must remain the same afterward.  One cannot build a dam without releasing water after the dam.  The water will find a way.  It will either destroy the dam, or find a way around it, under it, or through it.  The holiness of Jesus Christ, which lives in us must find a way out.  There must be a release valve.  There must be a vent.  Any believer who is trying to live in the world cannot withstand the pressure of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It has to come out.  God uses the word ‘let’.  A great word!  If we are not living through the Holy Spirit, it is because we are not letting Him do His work through us.  The pressure is going to build.  Just let it go!  Just yield to the power of the water that is building in your heart.  Just let it flow!