RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

It was the feast of tabernacles, a feast of rejoicing, to which all classes of the people of Israel were called, Deut. 16. 13-15. To all the ceremonies of the feast as instituted by the Lord in the days of Moses, the Jews added a ceremonial drawing of water from the pool of Siloam, pouring it on the altar in the temple. This traditionally took place each and every day of the first seven days of the feast. On the eighth day, however, no drawing or pouring of water took place.

It was very significant therefore, that the Lord would make this public proclamation on that same day. It seems that the Sav­iour chose a prominent place to stand, and, using higher than usual tone of His voice, ‘stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink’, v. 37. He was certainly speaking in terms of spiritual rather than physical thirst. The occasion was fitting for such a declaration. Now that all the rejoicing of the feast was drawing to a close, no more occasions for rejoicing were scheduled for a few more months. People were starting to disperse, going back to their homes. The agricul­tural year was over; all ingathering of the harvest was done before the feast started. Their barns may have been full, their winepresses overflowing and their storehouses packed, but none of these material blessings could have relieved their soul- thirst or satisfy their desire eternally. Nor were all the ordinances of the law, though divinely given, able to satiate their thirst for God, Ps. 63. 1. Only coming to Christ by faith, believing on Him and drinking in His free offer of mercy, would assuage the thirst of the human soul. He is the fountain of life, who freely gives unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, Rev. 21. 6. Those who come to Him feeling their thirst, their burden of sin, will through faith receive mercy, grace, pardon, peace and strength.

Having thus received total satisfaction of his own needs, the believer in Christ would be able, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be a channel of blessing to others around him. For the promise of the scriptures is that ‘out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’, v. 38.