João 7
Alexander Maclaren · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 7
Maclaren - “To the officers the saying is an exhibition of His triumphant confidence that their malice is impotent and their arms paralysed; that when He wills He will go, not be dragged by them or any man.” William
João 7
Maclaren writes, “What is it to come? Listen to His own explanation: ‘He that cometh unto Me shall never hunger,’ etc. Then ‘coming,’ and ‘taking,’ and ‘drinking,’ are all but various forms of representing the one act of believing in Him. We come to Him when we trust Him. To come to Christ is faith. Who is it that are asked to come? ‘He that thirsteth’ and ‘he that willeth.’ The one phrase expresses the universal condition, the other only the limitation necessary in the very nature of things. ‘He that thirsteth.’ Who does not? Your heart is parched for love; your mind, whether you know it or not, is restless and athirst for truth that you can cleave to in all circumstances. Your will longs for a loving authority that shall subdue and tame it. Your conscience is calling out for cleansing, for pacifying, for purity. Your whole being is one great want and emptiness. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God,’ it is only He that can slake the thirst, that can satisfy the hunger.”[19] Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). Three words “thirsts. . . come. . . drink” parallel three Latin words, notitia. . . fiducia (faith) . . . assensus (assent) representing the elements of saving faith, according to the early church fathers. III. Note the generous spiritual impartation of Jesus Christ. “Rivers of living water” (John 7:38) refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit, yet to be given at that time. Luke 11:13 reads, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” John 14:16, 17 reads, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” John 16:5-15 reads, “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” Acts 2:1-4, 16-18 reads, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. . . . But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.” Rev. J. R. Dummelow shares the following comments on John 7:37, “Here, as to the woman of Samaria, Christ declares Himself the giver of ‘the living water.’”[20] John 4:4-15 reads, “But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, ‘Give Me a drink.’ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?’ Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.’” Romans 8:9b, 16 reads, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. . . . The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Ephesians 5:15-21 reads, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” Dr. Samuel Chadwick (1860-1932) former principal of Cliff College, warns, “The Church that is man-managed instead of God-governed is doomed to failure. A ministry that is College-trained but not Spirit-filled works no miracles. The Church that multiplies committees and neglects prayer may be fussy, noisy, entertaining and enterprising, but it labours in vain and spends its strength for naught. It is possible to excel in mechanics and fail in dynamic. There is a superabundance of machinery; what is wanting is power. To run an organization needs no God. Man can supply the energy, enterprise and enthusiasm for things human. The real work of a Church depends upon the power of the Spirit.”[21] Dr. Stephen F. Olford (1918-2004) explains, “The exchanged life is one of abundance. The Savior promised ‘rivers of living water’ to flow from the Spirit-filled life (John 7:38). There is provision for life more abundant (John 10:10). And that life is indeed one of constant adventure, for it learns the wonderful reality of John 10:4: ‘And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.’ Who knows where He will lead and what He will say? Ear is tender to hear His voice, and heart is [set] on what the Altogether Lovely One will do. And that life can be yours and mine!” (QUOTED IN There Must Be More: God’s Prescription for Living the Abundant Life - 88 PAGE ARTICLE ON THE ABUNDANT LIFE!) [22] Conclusion Dr. Horatius Bonar (1808-1899) wrote these words: I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give The living water; thirsty one, Stoop down, and drink, and live.” I came to Jesus, and I drank Of that life-giving stream; My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, And now I live in Him.[23] (LISTEN TO THE GREAT VOCAL BY MICHAEL CARD) Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). Dr. John Phillips (1927-2010) explains, “With this text David Brainerd quenched the thirst of his own soul.”[24] David Brainerd’s biography demonstrates three responses to John 7:37. Does it irritate you, does it captivate you, or does it animate you? Brainerd thirsted; Brainerd came; Brainerd drank! Have you? John 7:37 provides God’s remedy for quenching the thirst of the soul. CLICK HERE FOR REFERENCES LISTED - SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE Fill my cup, Lord; Like the woman at the well, I was seeking For things that could not satisfy. And then I heard my Savior speaking— “Draw from My well that never shall run dry.” Fill my cup, Lord; I lift it up Lord; Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole. There are millions in this world who are seeking For pleasures earthly goods afford. But none can match the wondrous treasure That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord. So my brother if the things that this world gives you Leave hungers that won’t pass away, My blessed Lord will come and save you If you kneel to Him and humbly pray— John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" BGT John 7:38 ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. KJV John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. NET John 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, 'From within him will flow rivers of living water.'" CSB John 7:38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him." ESV John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" NIV John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." NLT John 7:38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' " NRS John 7:38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" NJB John 7:38 Let anyone who believes in me come and drink! As scripture says, "From his heart shall flow streams of living water." ' NAB John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as scripture says: 'Rivers of living water will flow from within him.'" YLT John 7:38 he who is believing in me, according as the Writing said, Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water;' GWN John 7:38 As Scripture says, 'Streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.'" BBE John 7:38 He who has faith in me, out of his body, as the Writings have said, will come rivers of living water. RSV John 7:38 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, `Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" NKJ John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." ASV John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. MIT John 7:38 Let one who believes in me drink. Just as the Scripture stated: Streams will flow with living water from its interior. He who: De 18:15 From: John 4:14 Job 32:18,19 Pr 10:11 18:4 Isa 12:3 44:3 58:11 59:21 Eze 47:1-12 Zec 14:8 Ga 5:22,23 Eph 5:9 Multiple comments by Oswald Chambers on Living Water John 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NOTE: CLICK FOR IN DEPTH COMMENTARY ON JOHN 7:38 John 7:37-39 Commentary - about 97 (8x11) pages on these passages Related Passages: John 4:10-14+ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 11 She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? 12“You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” 13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Revelation 22:1+ Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, Exodus 17:6+ “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. RIVERS NOT RIVULETS! He who believes (pisteuo) in Me, as the Scripture (graphe) said, 'From his innermost being (his belly - koilia) will flow rivers of living (zao) water (hudor) - Believes explains the come to Me and drink. Who is he who believes? It is the one who thirsty for true righteousness. As Jesus promised "“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Mt 5:6+) Dear seeker or skeptic, are you thirsty? Notice believes (pisteuo) is in the present tense, which describes believing as one's lifestyle. Don't misunderstand - We all have lapses (AKA sins. Believing as a lifestyle does not mean perfection, but describes the general direction of our life. And remember, believing is best seen in obeying! As the old hymn says "Trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey." Next, notice the Scripture refers to the Old Testament which is personified as a living word that speaks this truth, but does not identify the specific OT passages (cf Ps 78:15-16, Zech 14:8). Then note that will flow rivers is a prophecy, one that would initially be consummated at Pentecost when the Jews were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2:1-4+). Finally, don't miss that Jesus promises believers will experience "rivers" not rivulets! Rivers speaks of abundance (cf "water came forth abundantly" - Nu 20:11+) Living water (cf "He would have given you living water" = Jn 4:10+) in this context is related to the Holy Spirit and in John 4 to eternal life, which is apropos for as Jesus said "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing." (Jn 6:63+) C H Spurgeon He will not only drink enough to satisfy his own thirst, but he will himself become a fountain, streams of grace shall be communicated to his fellow-men through him. R V G Tasker adds "“Though no specific passage of Scripture is quoted, this would in fact be a fulfillment of such prophecies as that of Zechariah that one day a fountain would be open to the house of David, and living waters would go out from Jerusalem (Zechariah 13:1, 14:8); and of Isaiah that God would pour water upon the thirsty (Isaiah 44:3, 55:1).” (Borrow The Gospel according to St. John)
João 7:37
Maclaren commenting on Christ the substance fulfilling the OT shadows in John 7:37-39 - "So here is one more instance to add to those to which I have directed your attention on former occasions, in which, in this Gospel (of John), we find Christ claiming to be the fulfilment of incidents and events in that ancient covenant, Jacob’s ladder, the brazen serpent, the manna, and now the Rock that yielded the water." (John 7:37-38 The Rock and the Water) Paul taught that "(These) things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:17) John 7:37 Cup or Bucket - "Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup, uncertain but asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known You better I’d have come running with a bucket." (Nancy Spiegelberg, Decision, November, 1974) Quenching the Eternal Thirst - Many years ago, a crew of Peruvian sailors were heading up the Amazon River when they happened upon an unusual sight. A Spanish ship was anchored off the coast and all the sailors were stretched out weakly on the deck of the ship. As the Peruvians drew closer, they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition. They looked as if they were one step away from death, their lips parched and swollen. Here, in this ship, these Spanish sailors were literally dying of thirst. "Can we help you," shouted the Peruvians? The Spaniards cried out, "Water! Water! We need fresh water!" The Peruvian sailors, surprised at this request, told them to lower their buckets and help themselves. The Spaniards, fearing they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no we need FRESH water!" Again the Peruvians told the Spanish sailors to lower their buckets. Finally, the sailors did as the Peruvian sailors commanded and when their buckets were brought up to the surface, they discovered fresh water. Little did they know that they were at the mouth of the fresh-water Amazon River. All they had to do was take a drink and their thirst would be quenched. Jesus Christ offers Living Water to quench man's spiritual thirst. Man doesn't have to do anything but drink this Water. Sadly, many will die thirsty, because they do not know about Jesus Christ, the Living Water. It is our job to tell them. (James Scudder - Living Water) An Allusion to John 7:37 - The Christian Novelist - (excerpt from article on C S Lewis - Christian History - Volume 7) - Take an instance from the beginning of the Narnian adventure, The Silver Chair. Jill Pole has played the egotist and gotten her friend Eustace Scrubb into trouble. Shortly afterwards she comes upon a Lion (the capital is Lewis’s) which turns and moves slowly back into the forest. Jill then hears running water and finds herself very thirsty, whereupon she plucks up her courage and steals carefully from tree to tree in its direction. She comes upon an open glade from which the sight of the enticing water ahead mightily increases her thirst. Ready to rush forward, she suddenly checks herself because there, between her and the stream, is the Lion lying quietly with its head raised and its paws out in front. It is looking straight at Jill. The two face each other for a long time. Jill’s thirst is now so persistent that she must have water even if the Lion catches her. In a “heavy, golden voice” the Lion finally asks, “Are you thirsty?” “I’m dying of thirst,” Jill promptly responds. “Then drink,” said the Lion. Hesitantly Jill suggests that the Lion go away while she drinks, to which a low growl is the only response. Then she says, “I daren’t come and drink.” “Then you will die of thirst.” Taking a step nearer, Jill says, “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” “There is no other stream.” Now frantic with thirst, Jill proceeds to the sparkling stream and drinks “the coldest, most refreshing water she has ever tasted.” Apart from “no other stream,” this whole episode is simply good narrative. Yet we can imagine the many Scriptures which ran through Lewis’s mind as he wrote: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink … none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved … whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst … Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him … The wages of sin is death,” and more. We must not of course suppose that the manner in which Lewis presents this episode is the only possible way. What it does infer beyond question is that The Silver Chair is a story and therefore must above all keep literary faith. At the same time the record is abundantly clear that Lewis’s Narian stories have conveyed the Christian way to millions of children and adults. One of my friends wrote me at some length of how, over a period of some ten years, he had slowly lost total contact with God, and how one day while reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to his children he was suddenly overcome with remorse and tearfully recommitted himself to the Savior. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 7: C. S. Lewis: His Life, Thought & Theology) Salty Christians - Alan Carr - Salt creates a thirst for water in those who are exposed to it!) As salt, the Christian has the wonderful opportunity to promote a thirst for Jesus in the world. Remember what the Lord told us? He said that out of our bellies would flow rivers of living water - John 7:37-38. When we live as Christians should live. When we take the call of Jesus seriously and live right, look right, act right, talk right, worship right, dress right, etc. Then we have the ability to create a thirst for Jesus in the hearts of those around us. When that happens, we can point men to Jesus and share with them the water of life. Sadly, most Christians do not promote thirst, but ridicule instead. Too often, we live substandard immoral lives and the world sees it and says, “Why should I receive Jesus? I live just as good as that crowd down at the church!” The sad truth is, they are often right! Let's so live that we ever prove them wrong. Our lives must be above reproach if we are to create a thirst for God in the world around us! Swindoll - (Nice Summary) One ritual observed each day of the Feast of Tabernacles involved a solemn procession in which a priest carried a goblet of water from the Pool of Siloam (fed by the Gihon Spring), through the Water Gate, and into the inner temple court. As the congregation sang a hymn based on Isaiah 12:3-note, the priest poured the water on the altar, commemorating the Lord’s provision of water in the wilderness (Nu 20:8–11). The Feast of Tabernacles thus built toward a climactic convocation (Lev. 23:36). During this climax, Jesus stood to address temple throngs. Perhaps just before or even during the priest’s procession from the Pool of Siloam, Jesus called all people to receive from Him “living water,” not unlike his offer to the Samaritan woman (4:13–14). John’s editorial comment clarifies for the reader that the “living water” is indeed the Holy Spirit, who would not be given to believers until after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. (Insights on John) D L Moody devotional on John 7:37 - How this world is thirsting for something that will satisfy! What fills the places of amusement, the dance houses, the music halls, and the theatres, night after night? Men and women are thirsting for something they have not got. The moment a man turns his back upon God, he begins to thirst; and that thirst will never be quenched until he returns to “the fountain of living waters.” (Jer 2:13) As the prophet Jeremiah tells us, we have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewn out for ourselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. There is a thirst this world can never quench: the more we drink of its pleasures, the thirstier we become. We cry out for more and more (Ed: Or the latest and greatest hi tech gadget!), and we are all the while being dragged down lower and lower. But there is a fountain opened to the House of David for sin and for uncleanness (Zech 13:1). Let us press up to it, and drink and live. (The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody) Vine - The controversy died down till the last day, “the great day of the Feast,” the Hosanna Rabba. The eighth day was, like the first, observed as a Sabbath (Lev. 23:39); special sacrifices were offered (Num. 29:36-38). During the seven days preceding, pilgrims, leaving their booths, marched in procession seven times round the city, shouting “Hosanna.” Crowds followed the priests and Levites daily bearing the golden vessels to the brook of Siloam to carry the water thereof up to the temple, where it would be poured into a silver vessel on the eastern side of the altar of burnt offering, and all to the chanting of Isaiah’s words, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” and “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” This ritual was apparently not observed on the eighth day, for whereas the preceding ritual symbolized the water from the rock in the wilderness, the eighth day commemorated their entrance into the “land of springs of water.” “Rivers of Living Water” - This day therefore provided the occasion for the giver of the water of life to interpose His invitation to the spiritually needy. Standing before the crowds with a solemn and authoritative dignity, and with a kindly summons that rang out over the whole scene, He cried, “If any man thirst, let Him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow the rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38).
João 7:37-39
Maclaren commenting on Christ the substance fulfilling the OT shadows in John 7:37-39 - "So here is one more instance to add to those to which I have directed your attention on former occasions, in which, in this Gospel (of John), we find Christ claiming to be the fulfilment of incidents and events in that ancient covenant, Jacob’s ladder, the brazen serpent, the manna, and now the Rock that yielded the water." (John 7:37-38 The Rock and the Water) Paul taught that "(These) things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." (Col 2:17) John 7:37 Cup or Bucket - "Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to You with my empty cup, uncertain but asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known You better I’d have come running with a bucket." (Nancy Spiegelberg, Decision, November, 1974) Quenching the Eternal Thirst - Many years ago, a crew of Peruvian sailors were heading up the Amazon River when they happened upon an unusual sight. A Spanish ship was anchored off the coast and all the sailors were stretched out weakly on the deck of the ship. As the Peruvians drew closer, they saw that the Spaniards were in terrible physical condition. They looked as if they were one step away from death, their lips parched and swollen. Here, in this ship, these Spanish sailors were literally dying of thirst. "Can we help you," shouted the Peruvians? The Spaniards cried out, "Water! Water! We need fresh water!" The Peruvian sailors, surprised at this request, told them to lower their buckets and help themselves. The Spaniards, fearing they'd been misunderstood cried back, "No, no we need FRESH water!" Again the Peruvians told the Spanish sailors to lower their buckets. Finally, the sailors did as the Peruvian sailors commanded and when their buckets were brought up to the surface, they discovered fresh water. Little did they know that they were at the mouth of the fresh-water Amazon River. All they had to do was take a drink and their thirst would be quenched. Jesus Christ offers Living Water to quench man's spiritual thirst. Man doesn't have to do anything but drink this Water. Sadly, many will die thirsty, because they do not know about Jesus Christ, the Living Water. It is our job to tell them. (James Scudder - Living Water) An Allusion to John 7:37 - The Christian Novelist - (excerpt from article on C S Lewis - Christian History - Volume 7) - Take an instance from the beginning of the Narnian adventure, The Silver Chair. Jill Pole has played the egotist and gotten her friend Eustace Scrubb into trouble. Shortly afterwards she comes upon a Lion (the capital is Lewis’s) which turns and moves slowly back into the forest. Jill then hears running water and finds herself very thirsty, whereupon she plucks up her courage and steals carefully from tree to tree in its direction. She comes upon an open glade from which the sight of the enticing water ahead mightily increases her thirst. Ready to rush forward, she suddenly checks herself because there, between her and the stream, is the Lion lying quietly with its head raised and its paws out in front. It is looking straight at Jill. The two face each other for a long time. Jill’s thirst is now so persistent that she must have water even if the Lion catches her. In a “heavy, golden voice” the Lion finally asks, “Are you thirsty?” “I’m dying of thirst,” Jill promptly responds. “Then drink,” said the Lion. Hesitantly Jill suggests that the Lion go away while she drinks, to which a low growl is the only response. Then she says, “I daren’t come and drink.” “Then you will die of thirst.” Taking a step nearer, Jill says, “I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” “There is no other stream.” Now frantic with thirst, Jill proceeds to the sparkling stream and drinks “the coldest, most refreshing water she has ever tasted.” Apart from “no other stream,” this whole episode is simply good narrative. Yet we can imagine the many Scriptures which ran through Lewis’s mind as he wrote: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink … none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved … whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst … Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him … The wages of sin is death,” and more. We must not of course suppose that the manner in which Lewis presents this episode is the only possible way. What it does infer beyond question is that The Silver Chair is a story and therefore must above all keep literary faith. At the same time the record is abundantly clear that Lewis’s Narian stories have conveyed the Christian way to millions of children and adults. One of my friends wrote me at some length of how, over a period of some ten years, he had slowly lost total contact with God, and how one day while reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to his children he was suddenly overcome with remorse and tearfully recommitted himself to the Savior. (Christian History Magazine-Issue 7: C. S. Lewis: His Life, Thought & Theology) Salty Christians - Alan Carr - Salt creates a thirst for water in those who are exposed to it!) As salt, the Christian has the wonderful opportunity to promote a thirst for Jesus in the world. Remember what the Lord told us? He said that out of our bellies would flow rivers of living water - John 7:37-38. When we live as Christians should live. When we take the call of Jesus seriously and live right, look right, act right, talk right, worship right, dress right, etc. Then we have the ability to create a thirst for Jesus in the hearts of those around us. When that happens, we can point men to Jesus and share with them the water of life. Sadly, most Christians do not promote thirst, but ridicule instead. Too often, we live substandard immoral lives and the world sees it and says, “Why should I receive Jesus? I live just as good as that crowd down at the church!” The sad truth is, they are often right! Let's so live that we ever prove them wrong. Our lives must be above reproach if we are to create a thirst for God in the world around us! Swindoll - (Nice Summary) One ritual observed each day of the Feast of Tabernacles involved a solemn procession in which a priest carried a goblet of water from the Pool of Siloam (fed by the Gihon Spring), through the Water Gate, and into the inner temple court. As the congregation sang a hymn based on Isaiah 12:3-note, the priest poured the water on the altar, commemorating the Lord’s provision of water in the wilderness (Nu 20:8–11). The Feast of Tabernacles thus built toward a climactic convocation (Lev. 23:36). During this climax, Jesus stood to address temple throngs. Perhaps just before or even during the priest’s procession from the Pool of Siloam, Jesus called all people to receive from Him “living water,” not unlike his offer to the Samaritan woman (4:13–14). John’s editorial comment clarifies for the reader that the “living water” is indeed the Holy Spirit, who would not be given to believers until after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. (Insights on John) D L Moody devotional on John 7:37 - How this world is thirsting for something that will satisfy! What fills the places of amusement, the dance houses, the music halls, and the theatres, night after night? Men and women are thirsting for something they have not got. The moment a man turns his back upon God, he begins to thirst; and that thirst will never be quenched until he returns to “the fountain of living waters.” (Jer 2:13) As the prophet Jeremiah tells us, we have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewn out for ourselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. There is a thirst this world can never quench: the more we drink of its pleasures, the thirstier we become. We cry out for more and more (Ed: Or the latest and greatest hi tech gadget!), and we are all the while being dragged down lower and lower. But there is a fountain opened to the House of David for sin and for uncleanness (Zech 13:1). Let us press up to it, and drink and live. (The D. L. Moody Year Book: A Living Daily Message from the Words of D. L. Moody) Vine - The controversy died down till the last day, “the great day of the Feast,” the Hosanna Rabba. The eighth day was, like the first, observed as a Sabbath (Lev. 23:39); special sacrifices were offered (Num. 29:36-38). During the seven days preceding, pilgrims, leaving their booths, marched in procession seven times round the city, shouting “Hosanna.” Crowds followed the priests and Levites daily bearing the golden vessels to the brook of Siloam to carry the water thereof up to the temple, where it would be poured into a silver vessel on the eastern side of the altar of burnt offering, and all to the chanting of Isaiah’s words, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” and “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” This ritual was apparently not observed on the eighth day, for whereas the preceding ritual symbolized the water from the rock in the wilderness, the eighth day commemorated their entrance into the “land of springs of water.” “Rivers of Living Water” - This day therefore provided the occasion for the giver of the water of life to interpose His invitation to the spiritually needy. Standing before the crowds with a solemn and authoritative dignity, and with a kindly summons that rang out over the whole scene, He cried, “If any man thirst, let Him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow the rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38).