September 27, 2023 – Wednesday
John 7:37-38 NKJV
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:37-38 NIV
37 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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 7:37-38 RGT
37 Now, on the last day (the great day) of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! 38 “The one who believes in Me, as says the Scripture, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’!”
Comments
It helps to know some background to have a better understanding of these verses. For instance, the great feast being referenced in verse 37 is the Feast of Tabernacles which lasted eight days from beginning to end. However, it was only during the first seven days that water was carried from the Pool of Siloam in a golden pitcher to be poured out at the alter with the purpose of reminding everyone of how God provided water in a miracle for the very thirsty people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness in Exodus 17:1-7. No water was provided from the Pool of Siloam on the eighth day. Instead, there were only prayers for water to remind them of the source of the water.
It was on that last day, that verse 37 identifies as the great day of the feast NKJV or the greatest day of the feast NIV when Jesus cried out in a loud voice, NKJV If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water or NIV Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them or RGT If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! 38 “The one who believes in Me, as says the Scripture, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’!
My first thought upon reading this was remembering Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well when He told her John 4:13-14, Everyone who drinks this water [from the well] will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Perhaps a verse for tomorrow.
Returning to our verse for today, what was Jesus referring to when He said, The one who believes in Me, as says the Scripture, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’! Henry Alford’s commentary p.533 tells us that to find the scripture referred to “we must look for its place by consulting the passages where the flowing out of water from the temple is spoken of.” Then he gives two examples. The first is Ezekiel 47:1-12 where “There a river of water of life flows from under the threshold of the temple.” Then in Zecheriah 14:8, “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem.”
And Alford further states, the temple was symbolic of the Body of the Lord from John 2:21.
Let’s look again at how our two verses begin, NKJV 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, there is much discussion in the commentaries on why it was called that great day of the feast, the Pulpit Commentary says, in the very absence of the ceremonial of drawing water from the Pool of Siloam, the occasion which provoked the reference of our Lord to his own power to meet the spiritual thirst of mankind. When we read Jesus stood and cried out, Guzik writes, What Jesus was about to say was of great importance. Important because of where He said it (standing in the temple courts, right outside the temple itself). Important because of when He said it (at the last day of Tabernacles, after water had been poured out on the previous days).
What He said was, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink! 38 “The one who believes in Me, as says the Scripture, ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water’! Anyone no limits! But is there a thirst? Then the limit, The one who believes in Me. Just as important, Jesus spoke of something flowing out of the believers from the blessing received. They were to be a blessing to others as well!
Bottom Line: Jesus is the source of our salvation and our access to eternal life with Him and the Father. .
Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, Thank You for providing the source – Your Son – to satisfy our spiritual thirst leading us to a life of eternity with You and Him. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor