Those who cross the river (Jeremiah 2:18)
From the time God created the Garden of Eden, God created the River Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates from Eden. Therefore, the river began with the history of mankind, and since it served as the sword of life, man cannot live without the river. The Garden of Eden with a river flowing through was beautiful and abundant (Genesis 2: 10-13)
Considering the history of mankind, remarkable progress has been made with the river. Germany ruined by World War I and II achieved economic revival through the miracle of the Rhine, and Korea also achieved rapid economic growth unparalleled in world history through the miracle of the Han River.
But these miracles and material abundancy are sometimes prone to pride that hinders a faithful life before God. The Bible calls the symbolic name of Egypt “Rahab.” It refers to pride, forwardness, and wickedness (Ps 89:10; Job 9:13; Isaiah 30: 7). Behind the pride in Egypt was the Nile. Even though the rest of the world may be gone, Egyptians thought that, because of the Nile, they would prosper through the fertile ground with a plenty of grain.
The prophet Isaiah even said, “On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor; the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre, and she became the marketplace of the nations (Isaiah 23: 3).” The fertile soil brought about by the floods of the Nile enabled great prosperity to Egypt, so that the "market of the nations" was achieved through its rich products. But God said that He would tear “Rahab” and kill the dragon.
God further warned Israelites against relying on Egypt. "The help of Egypt is vanity and fruitless" (Isaiah 30: 7). "Why is it that you are on your way to Egypt to drink the water of the Shihor, and you are on your way to Assyria to drink the river? (Jeremiah 2:18).” Thisencourages you to not rely on a river that brings you physical prosperity and abundance, but to live a faithful life that depends on God's sovereignty across the river. Since all the myriad events in human history have begun along the river, mankind relied on the river and did not bow before God. But we must realize that true abundance and blessings will be given passing across the river and given only when we rely solely on God.
Excerpt from the sermon of Rev. Abraham Park
