“You divided the earth with rivers.”
(Hab. 3:9, NKJV)
One of the greatest mysteries of the last reformation is that Jesus returned as the Holy Spirit, and that with Pentecost we experienced how He poured Himself out on the earth and on its people. In Acts 2:33 we read that Jesus poured Himself out as Spirit. It is from this water from within the believer that living water also spreads to the earth.
Obviously, the cosmos is filled with all manifestations and forms of water, but a river is an active conduit of concentrated water flow. Although the entire cosmos is filled with the different wonders of God’s water-nature, His presence, light, love, life and goodness, amongst others, is a concentrated fullness that powerfully flows to its destination. There is no greater power than that of water – it carries away everything in its path. Indeed: “You broke open the fountain and the flood …” (Ps. 74:15). From Zech. 13:1 we know that this opened fountain is a fountain AGAINST sin and unrighteousness. Natural man does not understand these miraculous waters, as it contains, in its essence, the Godly and unspoilt life – it is a “pure river” (Rev. 22:1). Mortality is consumed by life (2Cor. 5:4). The water of life contains the impetus of “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:2), WITHIN ME.
In contrast to these living waters that flow from inside the believer baptised in the Spirit, there are also other rivers that flow from within us. James (3:11) for instance warns that a fountain cannot bring about both fresh and bitter water.
Hab. 3:9 poetically suggests: “You divided the earth with rivers.” These “rivers of the earth” (Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge) bring about the following: “You split Earth with rivers.” (MSG). The CJB-translation of Job 28:11 presents it as: “and cuts out galleries in the rock, all the while watching for something of value”. The DRB makes it clear in no uncertain terms: “In the rocks he hath cut out rivers, and his eye hath seen every precious thing.” But it is especially the LITV that accurately translates it: “He restrains the floods from overflowing; and He brings the hidden thing to light.”
This “thing” would most likely be your rimmah-identity that is revealed. Just as the Holy Spirit and the living Word brings about and allows the lovely river of life to flow from the kingdom of God WITHIN you, the spirit of the world and the words of the flesh can become carnal rivers and fountains from the fleshly heart and mind of believers. And obviously this flows to the sea of humanity.
There are many, many rivers of Babylon (Ps. 137), and we know that it places the nature of our callings under siege: “also we wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our lyres on the willows in its midst.” (verses 1-2, LITV).
What then exactly is the “great star [that] fell from heaven, burning like a torch” and what does it mean that it “fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water”?
- Selah: What could this star be?
- Read: 10-12
- Memorise: 10:4 (why is this Scripture important?)
