Come and Drink

October 8-10, 2013 - Come and Drink – Manna by Dorothy Callies

John 7:37 “In the last day, that great day of feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

I was curious what happened “in the last day, that great day of feast”? NLT quoted, “On that day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, ‘If you are thirsty, come to Me!’” NIRV quoted, “It was the last and most important day of the Feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, ‘Let any one who is thirsty come to Me and drink.’”

What was the most important day of the Feast? What was so special that Jesus used that day to shout to the crowd? I did some research and it would be good for me to share this so we could visualize exactly what happened during the feast which was actually called, “Feast of Tabernacles.”

The Feast of Tabernacles was the most popular feast among the Jews. For that reason it was simply known as “The Feast.” The Feast was celebrated for seven days. Each Jewish family built a tent-like structure in their yard or upon some other property. Then they moved out of their home into the tent for seven day period. The purpose of moving into the tent was to remember the history of Israel’s wilderness wanderings of their forefathers (Lev.23:40-44).

The Feast celebrated two special events. First, it celebrated the day when Israel wandered about in the wilderness as strangers without a homeland. Secondly, the Feast was to be a time of thanksgiving at the end of harvest season. The people were to give thanks for all that God had given them and all the fruit of the land that enriched their life.

On each of the seven days, the people came to the temple and brought some fruit as an offering and a few palm branches. The branches were used to form a roof over the altar. Then the priest took a golden pitcher and led the people in an orderly ceremonial way down to the pool of Siloam where he filled the pitcher with water. During this march the people played the flute and sang from Psalms 113-118. It was on the return march that the special drama took place.

Two things happened: As the pitcher of water passed through the Water Gate, people repeated in musical pitch: “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3). Secondly, when the pitcher reached the altar, the water was poured out over the altar as an offering to God. While this was being done, the people waved the palm branches and recited (to repeat from memory) words “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech (beg) thee, send now prosperity” (Psalm 118:25).

It was on “the last day, the great day of the feast,” when the people marched in the ceremonial seven times, and the people finished saying, “Send now prosperity” (Ps. 118:25). Then Jesus stood and cried out in a thundering cry: “If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly flows rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). [Manna shared some notes from Preacher’s outline]

This blew my mind because that “Feast represented Christ!” He announced it! Think about that! It is the first time I understood what the Feast was about! More to come!