This blog comes to you in the middle of one of the highlights of God’s calendar year: the Feast of Tabernacles (also known as Sukkot).
It was at this same Feast that Jesus cried aloud one of his most powerful salvific statements. With the Feast already underway, Jesus came to Jerusalem in secret, because of persecution from the Jews and chief priests. But Jesus was about to go public once again. This time with teaching that illuminated the meaning of this most joyous of festivals.
As Jesus often did, he used the theatre and activities of the Temple and its traditions to amplify His message into the hearts and minds of the listeners. This is the setting of John 7. What is often lost here on a modern reader is the ceremony that was taking place on this last great day of the Feast. Called Simchat Beit Hashoavah; it included worshippers, water, and words of praise. The ceremony involved drawing water from the nearby Pool of Siloam, bringing it to the Temple, and pouring it over the altar as the people sang, “With joy we will draw water out of the well of salvation”, from Isaiah 12:3.
The scene was set: people’s minds and attention were on the Temple, the altar, the water, and the promise of salvation from God. Then Jesus stands. The gaze of many fixed on the Man that had taught words of comfort to some, but controversy to others.
“If anyone thirsts…”, Jesus shouted. More eyes turned; ears attuned. What would he say next? “…let him come to Me and drink”. With water already pouring down the altar with shouts of salvation from the crowd, Jesus was about to surf off the psychological symbolism already in the minds of the audience. Jesus continues:
“‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit,” (John 7:37-39).
The waters that the priests had poured on the altar in thanksgiving for the latter harvest rain giving life and growth to the crops which sustained the physical life of God’s people, were being used to symbolise the spiritual waters giving spiritual life and growth to the believer.
The real thirst that every human has is spiritual at its root. It’s a soul-thirst, created by a void of purpose and meaning that cannot be quenched by anything except an encounter and connection with the giver of meaning, God Himself. It is this God-shaped hole that we all feel when we’ve had what this world can give us, and we are left knowing there must be something else to life other than the physical. This hole is filled, this thirst quenched, by the receiving of the one thing we were all born without—the Spirit of God: His divine nature, love, and essence.
Let’s not stand still and stagnate, rather let’s be zealous and work. We have been called to be part of the Body of Christ, and empowered with His Spirit to put our energy, initiative and abilities to use.
This Spirit is like living waters, and living waters are not still and stagnant; they flow, they’re fresh, and they’re life-giving wherever they go. This is where Jesus’ powerful promise intersects with our lives. During this Feast of Tabernacles, can we ask ourselves whether we have these living waters flowing in and through us?
There’s probably no more illustrative picture of this type of water than that in the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 47, we are given a dynamic vision of living waters streaming out of the future Temple, giving life to the dry, arid wilderness of Judea, eventually reaching the deadest of waters—the Dead Sea. I’ve floated in it, and I can assure you it’s lifeless (and salty!). Yet the fresh, life-giving, and nourishing waters flowing from the very throne of God are not overcome by such deadness. Instead, the opposite happens—the Dead Sea is transformed into an oasis of fresh water where life once again can thrive.
These are types that can symbolise our spiritual state, a picture for our lives and our hearts. God’s Spirit is a transforming force; one that imbues us with the very mind of God. Of course, when we receive it, we don’t suddenly lose all our maladaptive patterns of behaviour and carnality. After all, “the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:17). But it does mean we now have something in us that can pull us from what we are, to what God wants us to be. No longer are we slaves to our past and the things that hold us back, but the fresh water of God’s Spirit infects our dead, stagnant nature and transforms it, bringing life, vitality, and zeal for the things of God.
So which water are we more like? Fresh waters run! Does the Spirit flow in and through us? Or are we stagnant, tired and wearied from years of perseverance with what might appear as little reward? Are we spiritually lifeless and asleep or are we alive and awake? When we interact with our faith communities, do we leave people drained and downtrodden or encouraged and uplifted? What are we doing to bring life to your faith community?
Only you will know the condition of your community—your congregation or fellowship group. They are all so different, with various strengths and weaknesses. Where does your group need your help? How can you serve and build up? Who needs your encouragement? Is there someone being left out at your meetings? Is there an elderly person who does not know how to electronically connect with the congregation? Where is God calling you to serve?
Let’s not stand still and stagnate, rather let’s be zealous and work. We have been called to be part of the Body of Christ, and empowered with His Spirit to put our energy, initiative and abilities to use. To work!
Just as they thanked God and prayed for rain during the Feast period, let us also pray for the latter spiritual rains like the farmer who “waits patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James 5:7-8). In doing so, we can be part of producing fruit now for God’s soon-coming Kingdom.
This Feast let’s recharge so when we return home we can reach out, lifting “tired arms and weak knees” in our faith communities. Let’s humbly and sincerely ask God that living waters flow into and out of us, stirring up God’s Spirit for the coming months.
By Richard Fowler