BONUS POST – I wrote this a year ago and just noticed it still sitting in my “draft” folder – so here it it…
John 7:38 says The one who believes in me, as the scripture says, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.
It’s a great conditional message here. They were in the “feast of shelters” where they remembered the wilderness wandering. They came together for a camping party basically. They had daily fires, times of remembrance for what God had done leading them out of bondage into the Land of Promise.
So if you go back to v37, “on the last and most important day of the festival… Leviticus 23:34-35 instructs that they didn’t work for a week. They had a sacred assembly to start, presented daily food offerings – which was food presented to the Lord but eaten “in his presence”. Then on the 8th day they had another sacred assembly and greatest food offering. Deuteronomy 16:13-14 says,Rejoice during your festival – son and daughter – male and female – slave and Levite, resident alien, fatherless, and the widow – i.e. EVERYONE
So they ate and celebrated for 8 days, then on the 8th day, Jesus says, if anyone is thisty let him Come and Drink…
James Freeman / Harold Chadwick’s book New Manners and Customs of the Bible says that traditionally every day a priest would go to the pool of Siloam and draw water in a Gold Pitcher – Singers and Musicians, the People, would be with him. They would come to the Temple and with 3 Horn Blasts, he would pour water into a bowl that was on the western side of the Altar.
That bowl had 3 holes and so the singular water source would run out in 3 Streams on the Altar. What was the symbolism?
- the water provided in the desert
- the promised “latter rain” – blessing to come
- the Holy Spirit would come with the Messiah
Well, that was nice – but did it quench their thirst? – NO – Of course, though they had been feasting, drink included for 7 days.
Jesus then offers a conditional promise here on Day 7.
- if anyone… COME to me
- Believes in me
- Then Streams of living water flow from deep within
And in vv40-52 people have different thoughts about Jesus here – Some said, this is a prophet. Others said, this is the Messiah. Others said, the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee. It then says the crowd was divided and some wanted to seize him.
But very interestingly v53 says, then each one went to his own home. and 8:1 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives
Wow – Thirsty, Festive, Worshipers, but no one came to Jesus.
- we must Leave to Come
- we must Believe in Him – Who He is, What He has
- Then we can LIVE – Streams of living water deep within
I just was in El Salvador, my 12th trip over 17 years. I’ve been preaching for 46 years… why? Because Living water deep within comes to those who BELIEVE.
It’s a stream so it’s alive, it’s flowing. Sometimes stagnant water can get contaminated, but this has life within. it is life-giving, life-changing.
I know a friend who was oppressed by the enemy, by alcohol’s attempt to quench his thirst, his life was falling apart. He came to me many years ago and said, “I want to be free”. We Came to Jesus. He confessed his belief in the Lord, received God’s forgiveness in Christ. We rejected the evil that was attacking him, and Life Came.
Oh yes, there were struggles, just like Paul in Romans 7, and there will always be those on this earth. But Streams of Living Water Flow.
Today he is sober, he is full of Jesus, he has a wife, children, and serves the Kingdom – Why? Because Streams of Living Water Follow, and they are deep within him.
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!
Pastor Goforth 