The city of Chicago is located where the Chicago River flows into Lake Michigan. After its beginning around the year of 1840, the little frontier town grew rapidly and became a center for transportation and manufacturing for the entire region. Lake Michigan, one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world, seemed like an inexhaustible source of clean, healthful drinking water for the young city. But — as the city grew, raw sewage and other pollutants were dumped into the Chicago River, which in turn ran into the lake.
So much garbage was dumped into the Chicago River that it became known as the “Stinking River.” This caused a serious problem, because the drinking water for the city became contaminated. From 1840 to the turn of the century, it is estimated that nearly 100,000 people died from diseases related to drinking unclean water.
What was to be done to address the problem of contaminated water?
The city hired an engineer named Rudolph Hering. Under his direction, locks or huge water-gates were built at the mouth of the river. These locks made it possible to completely reverse the flow of the river. Instead of flowing east into Lake Michigan, the river now flowed west towards the Mississippi River basin. Because the flow of the river was reversed, the water pumped from the lake once again became safe to drink.
The Chicago River flowing into Lake Michigan was bringing dysentery and death to thousands. When the flow was reversed, the drinking water again was safe to drink. One hundred thousand lives was a terrible toll to pay, a toll the city could not afford. But do you know the entire human race has been infected with sin, which will cause the pain of eternal death? “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Not one — not many — but all have sinned and are headed toward a lost eternity because of it.
Drinking from water infected with idolatry, godlessness, deceit, hate and covetousness, each one of us has the dreadful disease of sin. Without the proper remedy, it will cause our eternal death. God was not willing to let men and women perish in their sins, so He sent His Son into the world. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
When the Lord Jesus gave His life for sinners, He made a way that the flow of death might be completely reversed, and instead life might flow out to sinners. He who was without sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Just think of it! Sinners who have no claim to any righteousness can be called perfectly righteous when they believe in Christ. That is how the Lord Jesus can reverse the flow of death and make life flow out to you instead.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). Sin always leads astray. It leads us down paths which lead to death. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” We have all walked down those paths. That is why it is so important to come to Jesus Christ. On the cross He took the punishment for sins He had never committed so that all those who believe on Him might go free.
Rudolph Hering designed a plan to reverse the flow of the Chicago River and make the water of Lake Michigan safe to drink. God Himself made a plan for the salvation of sinners. In this plan, the Lord Jesus Christ would become a man and die for His creature’s sin. The plan is God’s alone. It is how He reversed the flow of death. Will you own yourself a sinner and come to the Saviour to receive His great gift? “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).