“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (Zechariah 13:1)

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates." (Revelation 22:14)

August 17, 2026

Dear friends,

One of our sons, when he was younger, was always attracted to fountains and bubbling pools. He'd want to dip his hands into the pool of water, and -- if we weren't watching closely -- he'd try to get in. His interest in heaven really grew when we told him there was a river of the water of life flowing through the city there.

I too have always been attracted to fountains, and waterfalls, and mountain streams. There's something about a mountain stream that beckons you to put your feet in. When working on a farm in my younger years, it was a wonderful and refreshing moment, after getting up hay in the blistering heat of summer, to rush to the nearby pond or a neighbor's pool afterwards for a cool swim. It felt so good to wash off the dirt, the sweat, and the grime!

God created a world filled with waterfalls and pools and mountain streams. He himself is the fountain of living waters (Jer 2:13). Fresh water, not just for drinking and growing things, but for cleansing and bathing, is a vital part of life and a gift from God.

In ancient Israel the Tabernacle included a large basin of water, called the laver, for ceremonial cleansing before worship. Each item in the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, foreshadowed something we needed, and which God himself provided, for our relationship with him. Each feature of the Tabernacle prefigured something fulfilled by Christ himself.

In the Bible we read of Naaman dipping himself in the Jordan seven times and his leprosy disappearing (2 Kings 5:14). Jesus told a man blind from birth to wash his eyes (which Jesus had anointed) in the pool of Siloam, and the man's sight was recovered (John 9:9-11). The Prophet Zechariah foretold of the day when the people of Judah and Jerusalem would realize their guilt in crucifying Messiah but would then see God's mercy displayed in "a fountain opened... to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness." (Zech 13:1)

This image is carried forth in water baptism, which not only portrays our death and resurrection with Christ, but also of the washing away of our sins (Heb 10:22). We need cleansing! There is the once-for-all cleansing which is our salvation (1 Cor 6:11; Titus 3:5). But there is also the day-to-day cleansing we need as followers of Christ as we live in this defiling world (1 John 1:9). Jesus washed his disciples' feet, and though Peter was offended by that, Jesus wasn't. In fact, he said, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” (John 13:8) Cleansing through confession would be a natural and ongoing part of our life here.

The Lord does not begrudge us this cleansing. He came to make us clean and new. He came to endow us with beauty and splendor, which necessitates cleanness:

"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (Eph 5:25-27)

This newness, this cleanness, this washing is a total thing, like getting ready for a wedding: "...and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure...” (Rev 19:7-8)

Sometimes I'm satisfied with being pretty clean, or just-OK-clean. I'll put on some jeans or a shirt that I've worn only, maybe, once or a few times before, and someone close to me (maybe my wife) will say, "You're not planning on wearing that out, are you?" And slowly, I will realize that's not a real question.

We are preparing for a bright, clean, wholly new, crystal-clear world. “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev 21:5) "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb..." (Rev 22:1) And, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates." (Rev 22:14) That's all crystal clean and beautiful. Like a mountain stream.

So, clean is good. Wholly clean is wholly good. God has opened a fountain for us. He provides and he calls. Not just to pretty clean or just-OK-clean, but to a holy and beautiful clean. The time to make use of the cleansing water of life is now. So, dive in and be rid of the dirt and sweat and grime! Ponder these words from Horatius Bonar...

"It is to a new life that God is calling us; not to some new steps in life, some new habits or ways or motives or prospects, but to a new life." (Horatius Bonar)

LINKS.

-- For those of you in the Roanoke area: there's a new class beginning this fall, an introduction to the formation of the New Testament, covering the basics of documents, manuscripts, backgrounds and claims of the New Testament. It will be held on Monday evenings at Grace Church and taught by Neil Damgaard, Th.M., D.Min., beginning Sept. 14, and weekly for 24 weeks. Open to anyone, at no cost. Register here.

-- Both J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis believed that imagination and myths played a role in bringing people to faith. Read Tolkien and the Great Eucatastrophe.

-- We were recently encouraged to hear of God's work among the unreached peoples of Nepal. Pray for the Skylands.

-- Burkina Faso is a place of increasing persecution in west Africa, just north of Ghana.

-- An encouraging story of liberation from bondage in Pakistan's brick kilns.

-- My wife and I had a bit of fun with puns about garden gnomes.

That's it for this week!

Sandy


Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me (Sandy Young) since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.