WORD TREASURES 5/21/23
"On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whosoever believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (Jn. 7:37-39)
Ever go camping? Many families make it a reoccurring event. It can be a blast! The Jews had a celebration (Feast of Tabernacles) that was a little like our camping but on steroids. It was one of 3 yearly feasts (celebrations) emphasizing various aspects of their faith in God! Required by God when Moses received God's Law in antiquity, they had practiced this feast down through the centuries. The Feast of Tabernacles was held in October every year and lasted for 7 days. By the time of Jesus, they added an 8th day. It was symbolic--celebrating the fact that God had delivered their nation from the slavery in Egypt (Exodus) and provided for them as God led them across a great desert and into the land He had promised to give them! The Hebrews were to spend the week in booths (camping) (temporary dwellings like tents made of tree branches). This symbolized their living in tents as they crossed the desert--they had no certain living place. During the trip across the desert, they had to "rough it" as God provided for their every need! It also symbolized the blessing God gave on their crops and was also called the Feast of Ingathering, celebrating God's blessing on their harvest. This feast was the favorite of the 3 required yearly feasts and was marked with great joy. All Jews were expected to attend, and most loved this time of year and wouldn't dream of missing it. That's the background of Jesus' outcry on the last and great day of The Feast--that day that was the culmination of the whole week.
They had a ritual they practiced yearly on this last and great day of The Feast. A large crowd of people would take a pitcher of water they had filled from the pool of Siloam (at the edge of the temple) and bring the pitcher to the High Priest at the great altar in the temple grounds. The priest would pour out the water (some scholars believe he would break the pitcher and let the water spill out) and all would sing the hymn in Isa. 12:1-6, emphasizing, "With joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation." They would also sing Ps. 113 - 118. It was a picture of how Moses hit the rock in the desert on 2 occasions; both times (Ex. 17:6 & Num. 20:11) God miraculously caused a spring of water to come from the rock, thus providing for the Israelites' needs in the desert.
Why is this info important? Why the need for this context? Because that last and great day of The Feast was when the Lord's proclamation occurred. That is when He stood and cried aloud. The imagery was undeniable and amazing. Jesus was that river of water--that desperately needed supply for God's people. The yearly event portrayed God's miracle of providing life-giving water, a spiritual reality that was finally fulfilled in Christ! Jesus had now come to be the living waters of salvation that the event pictured and that Isa. 12:3 had prophesied.
Now I know that there is a great controversy existing among many American church leaders, churches, and Christians about the Holy Spirit--when He comes, how He comes, what are the signs, what is the timing, how He enters the believer's life, etc. I am asking--pleading--with the reader: Please, please set aside the controversy, the arguments, the clamoring positions for a while and just consider Jesus's claim! Remember, when He cried out, the controversies of our present day that have divided Christians for decades did NOT EXIST. Instead, try to look at this magnificent promise with clear eyes and ears. Believe (beyond all controversy) that Jesus has planned from eternity to live in Christians, sending His Holy Spirit within to be the great provision of life we believers desperately need.
Next week, we begin to carefully examine what Jesus said--apart from the present controversies that plague our experience and understanding of this essential action Almighty God takes on our behalf!
Pastor Mike
