October 5, 2012

• The Living Water

  As you ought to know by now, Sukkot is a week-long celebration – we stay in the sukkah (booth/tent) as much as possible during that time, we shake the lulav in joyous celebration of Yehovah’s grace, and we start out the whole sha-bang with a big feast-ish meal in our temporary dwelling, kicked off with the breaking of bread and sharing of wine (aka ‘communion’).  You also know that Sukkot is the culmination of all the feasts – it’s the LAST of the seven, and Jews were commanded to go up to the temple, if at all possible, this week.

  Did you know, though, that it’s also called the ‘Festival of Living Water’, because this was a time when the people would pray to Yehovah for rains, to prepare the ground for the planting of next years’ crop?  Prayers for water are a BIG part of Sukkot… and there was also a pouring out of water in a very poignant ceremony at the temple.

  It was at that water-pouring ceremony that Yeshua stood up before the people and declared himself to be the promised Messiah – the answer to their prayers.  He told them that He was their Living Water, not just for one season’s planting, but for eternity.  Take a look at this:

  http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/6_7/sukkot
  

  On the first morning of Sukkot a procession of priests went down to the pool of Siloam to bring up to the Temple a golden container of water sufficient to last throughout the seven days of the feast. The water was brought up with great ceremony. The shofar was blown and the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast waved their lulavs as the priests carried the water around the altar. The great Hallel (Psalms 113-118) were recited. Then the priest on duty poured out the contents of two silver bowls: one held water and the other held wine. This was an act of prayer and an expression of dependence upon God to pour out his blessing of rain upon the earth.

  On the last or “great” day of the feast, the water libation rite reached its climax. The priests circled the altar seven times and then poured out the water with great pomp and ceremony. This was Hoshana Rabbah, the great “HOSHIANA,” (which translated is “save now”). 

  We find a significant mention of Hoshana Rabbah in the New Covenant book of John chapter seven verses 37-52. It was on this day, the last and greatest day of the feast (possibly just as the water was being poured out), that Y’shua stood up and boldly proclaimed to the celebrants, “If a man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38)

  Imagine the uproar His statement must have caused! The priest had just poured out the water libation as an appeal to the Creator God to provide water for the people, and Y’shua, as if to answer the prayer, tells the people to come to Him for water. What a radical statement and shocker to the crowd.

  Y’shua was claiming to be none other than the Creator Himself! Some recognized His authority and plainly said, “He is the Messiah.” (v. 41) Others were absolutely incensed. Some wanted to seize Him and have Him stoned for blasphemy, that is, claiming to be God. Yet we read that the Temple guards were unable to lay a hand on Him. When the Pharisees and chief priests questioned the guards as to why they could not arrest Him, they simply responded, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.” (v. 46) The Temple guards were transfixed by His word. They were unable to act against Y’shua when faced with His obvious authority.

  …It is no coincidence that Y’shua chose Hoshana Rabbah, the last and greatest day of Sukkot to make the declaration that “If a man is thirsty let him come to Me to drink.” (John 7:38) Y’shua proclaimed Himself to be the Great Provider, the Redeemer of Israel who led the people through the wilderness. He is the great light shining in the darkness, and His body is the great Temple which was raised up after being destroyed as the final sin offering. He provided the final and greatest atonement for His people Israel and for all nations.

  …Messiah promised “living water” for all who believe. What is living water? It is cool, fresh spring water. In the land of Israel water is especially precious, and in Jesus’ time there were three main ways of obtaining it. You could build a cistern to collect the rain, but if there was not enough rain, as was often the case, you couldn’t fill it and the water soon became stale. Or you could dig a well, which was more reliable. However, the most prized source of water was a spring. Spring water was the sweetest and best water of all. It bubbled up from the recesses of the earth and continued to flow even when other streams were dried up.  This is the water He promised, the best water, real spiritual satisfaction. This is the Shekinah promise to those who believe.

  You want to know the sad thing?  While those who don’t believe in Yeshua as Messiah celebrate this and praise the Lord, keeping His commands (and therefore keeping this special day Holy), those idiot chrischuns who claim to believe in Messiah DON’T!  They don’t even know what’s special about the day, about the feast… they don’t recognize Truth!  It absolutely drives me crazy!  The Jews are praying for their water to come, and the Christians have it and completely ignore the significance of the day Yehovah set aside and commanded them to remember for ALL generations… and this is WHY it’s still valid and needful and beneficial to the New Testament (and present day!) believer!!!  What a sad statement for the church, who are stocking up for Trunk’R'Treat and oblivious to the things Yeshua told them… for it was He Himself who said, “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.”  There’s a feast celebrating our Living Water in less than THREE DAYS, and the silence about it in christian circles is just horrifically deafening.

  We are getting closer and closer to the last day of this feast, and as we do, I must admit, my excitement is building, again.  Mostly due to my good friend V, who believes the rapture occurs on Hoshana Rabbah, when those who are avidly seeking the Living Water will follow Him to safety.  I was reading the article above, about how on the seventh day the priest march seven times around the altar and then cry out unto the Lord for salvation – and doesn’t that JUST sound like Joshua outside of Jericho?  And what happened then?  If Ha’Shem could do that then to a walled city, just IMAGINE what He will do when we cry for salvation on Hoshana Rabbah, after seven days of tabernacling in obedience to Him!!

  As I said, I’m not terribly picky about which day/feast it is, just so long as it’s soon!  But here we are – Friday.  Tonight begins Shabbos, Saturday night begins Hoshana Rabbah, and Sunday Night begins Shemini Atzeret (the Eighth Day Feast… I’m pretty geeked.  It’s an amazing time – an exciting time.  Nevermind the ignorance of others, I have three very poignant days ahead, and I’m going to focus on that – focus on Him.

  So as for me and my house? 

  We’re celebrating the One who is our Living Water this weekend!

  Sukkot – Day 5!!

  • 7:51 am
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