"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”John:7:37-38
Water Ceremony
Each day during the Feast of Tabernacles , the Priest would go to the Pool of Siloam, which means Sent, and they would draw a vessel full of water then bring this filled vessel into the Temple courts and pour it out before those assembled there for worship.This Water Ceremony was to reflect back to and remind the people of Israel of the Water which sprang from the Rock in the days of Moses to quench the thirst of the people.
The Last Day
When the last day of the Feast was come , the Last Great day, the High Priest himself would go to the Pool of Siloam and fill a golden vessel with water, The High Priest would enter the Temple Courts stand next to the Great Alter of God and there pour forth the water before the people as he poured the words of Isaiah the prophet would be read aloud regarding the Righteous One Who was to be sent which the people understood to be the Messiah.
“But now listen, Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.
This is what the Lord says—he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you: Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun ,(the Righteous One)
whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel." Isaiah:44:1-5
After the Reading of this Righteous One Whom would be sent , the High Priest would shout the benediction and invitation for prayer, "let us now pray for the coming of the Messiah"
The crowds would then enter prayer that God would send them the awaited Messiah, this is the moment that we see in the Gospel of John.
As the water has been poured out at the Alter and High Priest has cried out for prayer, Jesus , as the Righteous One of the Lord stands among them and invites any and all ,who thirst as the dry ground of Issiah dose for refreshing streams to come to Him and the Holy Spirit will flow to and through them.
As the ceremonial waters were drawn from the Pool of Siloam , the Sent, Jesus the Sent One from which the thirst assuaging waters would flow to any and all who will but freely receive it. This Water is for any who are thirsty, that is, they see the need in their lives and need it quenched. From Jesus comes that this water will flow to and through any who receive it.
Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”John:7:37-38 ......Amen.
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The crowds would then enter prayer that God would send them the awaited Messiah, this is the moment that we see in the Gospel of John.
As the water has been poured out at the Alter and High Priest has cried out for prayer, Jesus , as the Righteous One of the Lord stands among them and invites any and all ,who thirst as the dry ground of Issiah dose for refreshing streams to come to Him and the Holy Spirit will flow to and through them.
"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”By
this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to
receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had
not yet been glorified." John:7:37-39
Some who hear begin to make the connection and suspect that this one among them is the very Messiah that they seek
"On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
Others said, “He is the Messiah.” (40-41)
The Sent One
Living Water
Jesus offers us , when we come to Him, the living water of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In the culture of the day the Jewish people believed that living water, that is flowing water, transformed a person made them all new. The Holy Spirit come into our lives and transformed us that He might work in us and through us to transform the lives of many.
The Flowing Water
In the Prophet Ezekiel, the Prophet has a vision of what some call the Millennial Temple, where flowing water issues out and flows for the healing of the Earth, this vision in found in Ezekiel 47.
"The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water
coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for
the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south
side of the temple, south of the altar.
He
then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the
outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from
the south side" Ezekiel:47:1-2
In this vision, the water increases in depth as the Prophet wades into it. At first it is at his ankles (3) this speaks to us that as the Holt Spirit moves into our lives we begin to stand on what God has promised to us through Jesus then we take our first stepts.
The water reached Ezekiel's knees, (4) that is we begin to pray and the Holy Spirit leads us, it reached his loins, that is now there is fruitfulness, spiritual reproduction, also our passions are now governed by the Spirit of the living God.
The prophet then is immersed as the water reaches his head, (5) now the whole life is lived in the Spirit we are now fully in Christ.
This reflects not just a future event, for the People of Israel, but for us now as from our Lord Jesus who is the true restored Temple of God, Who after His death we see the glory retuning to Him at the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit flowing out to us and the progressive growth of the Christian life.
Water From the Rock
As the Children of Israel transverses the wilderness, their thirst grew and they called out for water. God instructed Moses to speak to Rock and water would flow forth.
"Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them.
The Lord said to Moses,
“Take
the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together.
Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.
You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their
livestock can drink.” Numbers:20:6-8
But in his anger Moses strikes the Rock twice , rather than speaks to it.Yet, God in His Mercy allows the water to flow to the people.
"So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He
and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses
said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this
rock?”
Then
Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water
gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank." (9-11)
Christ the Rock
Looking back to this account Paul tells Christians that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Rock that followed Israel.
"And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." 1Corinthians:10:4
Christ is that Rock Who was struck for us , that this life giving water flows forth from, just as the High Priest stood by the Alter of God reflecting the death of Jesus, so the Holy Spirit can flow to us, now all we need do is speak to the Rock, as Moses should have done, and the Spirit will flow to us.
The Well of Worship
God moves the people after giving them victory , to go to a place called Beer, which means the Well so they might have water, and there as Israel worships the water flows to them.
"From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the Lord said to Moses, “Gather the people together and I will give them water.”
Then Israel sang this song:
“Spring up, O well!
Sing about it,
about the well that the princes dug,
that the nobles of the people sank—
the nobles with scepters and staffs.” Numbers:21:16-18
As they worship the Lord water flows to them. How much more for us Christians, when we gather to worship the Lord Jesus? The Holy Spirit will flow to us assuaging our thirst and transforming our lives. Jesus calls any and all who are thirsty to come to Him and receive the life giving water of the Holy Spirit.
Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor
The
Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion http://www.youtube.com/user/IfItIsNotAboutJesus
Washington,
Pennsylvania.
www.gcfountainoflife.org
The
Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in
Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM in the Arden Fair Grounds area
of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela,
Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com
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