John 7 – The Listening Plan

Devotional

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. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

– John 7:37-38

The feast described here in John 7 is the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. During Tabernacles Jewish pilgrims and residents Jerusalem would live outside of their homes in booths, or tabernacles. This was a celebration and memorial of the wilderness wanderings of Israel, after the exodus.

Each morning, during the week-long festival, there was a procession of priests from the temple down to the Pool of Siloam. At the pool, the priests would take up water in a golden pitcher, and carry it back up to the temple, where it would be poured out to signify the way in which God miraculously provided water for Israel in their pilgrimage from Egypt to the Promised Land.

“On the last day, the great day of the feast” this procession was a solemn assembly. It was a quiet procession to the temple mount. In this last procession, there was great anticipation. The priest would speak forth the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). The word “salvation” in Isaiah 12:3 is the Hebrew word Yeshuah. At this assembly, the people would sing Psalm 118…

The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.
The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.
…
I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.

It was no doubt during this solemn assembly that Jesus (Yeshuah) cried out with a loud voice, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”