Bro Kenneth Yoder
John 7:37 in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, Let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
The subject of this article is Spiritual Satisfaction. This lesson is about the abundance of spiritual power that is available.
Jesus chose the occasion of the Feast of the Tabernacles to make the above announcement. The word, feast, is misleading. The word, festival, would be better. This "feast" was a week long religious holiday appointed by God for worship and praise. The word, tabernacle, also can be misleading. It's common connotation is a cathedral or church building. In the Scriptures the word, tabernacle, normally meant a tent or a place of dwelling.
The Feast of the Tabernacle was a week long righteous festival during which the people lived in booths constructed of branches thick with leaves. The Israelites moved out of their homes and lived in these makeshift booths for a week in memory of their forefathers dwelling in booths after their exodus from Egypt. This festival was for the purpose of reminding the Israelites of what God had done for them in the exodus.
This festival continued for seven days and the eighth day (called the great day of the feast) was a special Sabbath. This last day was spent in joyfully dismantling their booths. They sang certain Psalms that celebrated God's deliverance as they disassembled the booths. It was a wonderful day filled with joyful singing and praising God.
Jesus selected this joyful occasion to give the following invitation. Verse 37538 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, 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 rivers of living water.
Jesus raised His voice and shouted ANYONE THIRSTY? COME UNTO ME AND DRINK! This invitation harmonized with the ceremonies of the Feast of the Tabernacles. Each day during this festival, a golden vessel was filled with water from the pool of Siloam. It was then carried, in a procession led by the High Priest, to the temple. When the procession arrived at the temple they waited until all the people were assembled in the court. Then three loud blasts of the trumpet were sounded and the people would shout, GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, after each blast. The High Priest would then take the vessel that had been filled with water from the pool of Siloam and pour it out as an offering unto the Lord at the altar.
In Jewish thought this pouring out of the water indicated two things. First, it looked back to the past. For 40 years the Israelites were in a desolate place, (a place of no rivers or wells). They were miraculously sustained by God. This water ceremony looked back to God's provisions during the forty years of wandering in the desert.
It also looked forward to the pouring out of God's Spirit in the last days. Rain and water are used in the Word of God as metaphors of God's spiritual blessings. God's blessings would pour down like rain upon His people. God promised that the dry ground would receive rain in abundance. This idea is put forth by the Old Testament prophets again and again as we will discover in this study.
I repeat, this water ceremony was related to these two things. It looked backward to God's provision in the wilderness and forward to the pouring out of God's Spirit in the last days.
Jesus by choosing this time to give his invitation was in effect saying, "I am the fulfillment of God's promises." All that this feast symbolized was fulfilled in what Jesus came to do for us and to give to us.
Isaiah invited the thirsty to drink and be satisfied. The language of Isaiah's invitation is similar to Jesus. Isaiah 55:1,2 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
The invitation to the thirsty to come and drink is an offer to find satisfaction. There is an abundant supply. Everything that you need to be completely satisfied is promised. The expression, let your soul delight itself in fatness, adds up to a promise of satisfaction.
In John's Gospel Jesus is announcing that He is the one that provides this water in abundance. He promised satisfaction to the woman at the well, (See John 4:13,14). He told her that the water from Jacob's well is all right, but he had water to offer that if she would drink of it, she would never thirst again. Jesus is declaring that He is the one who provides the water promised by the prophets.
This water is the gift of the Holy Spirit. John 7:38,39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
Clearly, what Jesus was announcing by stating He is the source of the Spiritual Water is that He is the giver of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the one who gives God's gift of the Spirit in abundant proportion.
Jesus said, "if any man thirst." First, no one can appreciate the gift of the Spirit that is not aware of his own spiritual needs. One must be thirsty. The offer of a drink of water to one who is not thirsty will be declined. The case is different for someone who has worked in the hot sun for several hours without having anything to drink. They would become very thirsty. Then if offered a drink of cool water they would appreciate it and gladly receive it. The idea behind the metaphor "thirst” is that of a person who is aware of his spiritual need. If a man is not aware of his need, he will not be spiritually thirsty.
The old saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink, is true. I have tried it. One time as a teenager I wanted to go somewhere. Dad said, "Kenny, make sure you water the mule before you go." I led him to the creek. He stood and wouldn't drink. Since I was in a hurry, I pulled his head down but he still didn't want any water. Finally, I stood on the reins and put his nose in the water, but he still wouldn't drink. I learned a lesson from that experience. Only those who are thirsty appreciate water.
Jesus said, "if any man thirst (someone who is aware of his spiritual need) let him come unto me and drink." Are you thirsty? There is one from whom you can get water. There is an abundant supply.
Notice the phrase, he that believeth on me. The only reason I am calling your attention to that phrase is to point out that all true believers are included in this promise. Those who are Christians today are included among those who believe on Jesus.
Jesus said, "out of his (believer's) belly shall flow rivers of living water." The word, belly, as used then referred to what we mean by the term, heart. The words, belly and heart, alluded to the same thing. The expression, out of his belly, means out of his innermost being or out of the deepest center of his personality. It is referring to the inner person or one's own spirit.
The expression, shall flow rivers of living water, is an expression of abundance. The idea is one of satisfaction that is experienced when all of our spiritual needs are supplied. It is not a glass full of water that is offered to the thirsty but a river. A river indicates an abundant supply.
Let me illustrate the idea of abundance. There is a spring that flows out of the hill on which I live. It flows 365 days of the year. It never freezes in winter. It never dries up in summer. It just keeps flowing out of the hill. You could never drink it dry and it is just a small spring. But God has given us a river to satisfy our thirst! Isn't a river large enough to satisfy your thirst?
The word, living, means running as opposed to a stagnant pool. The Holy Spirit that dwells in us is not a stagnant pool. His activities within the heart of a believer, (His empowering and His anointing) are not stagnant. We have a river to satisfy our spiritual thirst. The Spirit of God is an abundant supply to satisfy our spiritual needs.
Let us read from the fourth chapter of John that I alluded to above. John 4:13-15 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
The emphasis of this passage is satisfaction. Jesus was drawing a contrast between the literal water of Jacob's well and the water that he offers. Jesus said, "whoever drinks of this water is going to thirst again." We may drink a glass of water but in a few hours we will need another glass full because our body is in constant need of water. That need can never be completely satisfied.
Jesus promised spiritual water in such rich abundance that our spiritual thirst can be satisfied. Notice what Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again but if you drink of the water I give you will never thirst again. Jesus gift will be a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The idea is one of a constant flowing spring, like the spring that flows out of the hill where I live. It is a self-replenishing stream that never ceases. It never runs dry. It is a well of water springing up that lasts forever. Our thirst is not satisfied by removing it, but by quenching it. God doesn't take away our thirst but he satisfies it. We are still aware of our spiritual needs. We still experience a sense of want or spiritual thirst. God completely satisfies our longing desires by quenching them.
Psalms 42:1,2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? A hart was similar to our deer. The idea is that of a very thirsty hart that comes to a water brook and drinks until it is completely satisfied. Our thirst for the Living God may be quenched.
I repeat, God doesn't remove our thirst but He quenches it. The longing desires we have for God are completely satisfied. God supplies all of our spiritual needs to the fullest. We need to be forgiven of our sins. We need to be cleansed from the pollution of sin. We need power to overcome temptation and etcetera. The point is that we have many spiritual needs. The existence of these spiritual needs is indicated by the longings of our spirit. These longings of a man's spirit may be satisfied to the point that he doesn't thirst anymore. All his spiritual needs are filled to overflowing.
Brother D. S. Warner asked, could a bird drink up the ocean and yet be thirsty? Would our needs bankrupt heaven? Is God's abundant supply depleted by our spiritual need? The outpouring of God's Spirit is not in meager portions, nor at a starvation rate.
Isaiah 44:3, For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, (God promised to pour His Spirit upon him that is thirsty) floods upon the dry ground: (floods, a picture of abundance) / will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. The expressions, pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground, are explained as the pouring out of God's Spirit and His blessings upon those who are thirsty.
The spiritually dry, dead forms of religion can never satisfy the soul. One of the qualities that distinguish God's people from dry dead forms of religion is the satisfaction that radiates from their life.
God can adequately supply the various spiritual need of any age group from His abundant store. God can satisfy the spiritual needs of a teenager. Likewise, the special spiritual needs of the middle-aged or older people are also supplied. There is a variety of needs because our spiritual needs change as we progress through life. God satisfies the needs from beginning to the end of life.
Let me illustrate spiritual satisfaction by a personal testimony. As a teenage boy of eighteen years old I voted in the presidential election of 1956. I awoke early that morning and began walking to the polling place about twelve miles away. It was a bright crisp morning in early November. As I walked along the road I began singing my own song of praise; a song that I made up both the tune and words as I walked along. I was so blessed and happy that I started running and singing at the top of my voice. There I was singing, running, leaping and shouting, just a teenager, but full of the presence of God. Oh, what satisfaction!
My point is that God can satisfy the heart of a teenager. My heart was so flooded with God and His blessings that I was completely satisfied. I was so happy that I was overflowing.
Later in life after I was married, six of us Christian young men decided to have an all-night prayer meeting, Saturday night before Easter. We drove up into the hills to get away from everyone. We spread out blankets on the ground to sit on and had a kerosene lantern to give us light.
In that group of six Christian young men were four preachers. We each took our turn at preaching to the others during the night. We had several seasons of prayer through out the night. We read and talked about the things of God all night long.
Very early on Easter morning as the sun arose we engaged in a final season of prayer before dissolving our prayer meeting. After having spent all night praying, studying and preaching, I was so full of the Spirit of God that this final season of prayer that morning was one of the richest times of prayer I ever experienced.
I got into my car to drive home with my heart overwhelmed by God's presence. I had a river in my soul. My spiritual thirst was more than satisfied. My thirst was completely quenched and I was overflowing. When I pulled into the drive at home around 4:30 A.M., I was enjoying God's presence so much that I didn't want it to end. About 200 yards behind the house was a grove of pine trees under which was a soft bed of pine needles. I had gone there to pray many times. It was such a pleasant place to commune with God, My heart was so full that morning that I couldn't go into the house without praying again.
I knelt down and continued to pour out my heart to God until I had to quit to get ready for the Sunrise Service at six o'clock. Following the Sunrise Service I participated in an Ordinance Service. Following the ordinance service was Sunday School and Morning Worship Service in which I preached. Then in the afternoon at two o'clock I fulfilled an appointment to preach at another church in Sharkey, Kentucky. Finally, that Sunday evening I went to still another church in Petersville, Kentucky and preached. By the time I ended that day I was so full of the Spirit of God I was overflowing and overwhelmed.
As a Christian, I have discovered that God can satisfy our spiritual needs. All of my spiritual needs as a teenager, as a young father, and as a middle-aged man have been abundantly satisfied. I will not go any further in my experience but God can satisfy your spiritual longings to overflowing. You won't be thirsty anymore. Your thirst will be completely quenched.
When Jesus spoke at the Feast of the Tabernacles the blessing was something yet future. Jesus promised the gift of the Spirit to those that believe on Him. The Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. That is now history because Jesus has been glorified and the Spirit has been given.
Verse 39 is John's additional comment on what Jesus had said. John's purpose was so we could understand what Jesus meant. What the Old Testament Scriptures had anticipated was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that this gift of God shall be given to you in abundance.
Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. The Holy Spirit is an inner source of constant satisfaction. With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. This is a well that doesn't dry up. A believer can draw from the spiritual resources that God has given to him. We can draw from the inspiration of the Spirit of God. There are often times in my life when I need something from God. Thank God there is a well from which I can draw. I have drawn water out of that well to the satisfaction of my spiritual needs again and again.
Thirst denotes an awareness of one's spiritual needs. It is an intense craving for spiritual satisfaction. Did you ever come to where nothing in this world could satisfy you? Where neither money, new cars, fine homes nor a good family could satisfy your inward craving? I mean an intense spiritual craving for satisfaction that only God could satisfy. These intense cravings of our spirit can be completely quenched by the abundant supply in the Holy Spirit.
What a rich abundance is available to satisfy one's thirst completely. Why then are there so many discontented people in the church? Many of our people live on a starvation diet. They don't need to, but on the whole, many are not satisfied with things of God. They seemly can't find satisfaction. Their restless spirit drives them to seek one thing then another. They have to go place or they have to do this thing.
Many times my soul craves for spiritual reality and for something satisfying, in times of spiritual thirst nothing but a genuine fresh filling of the Spirit can satisfy my soul. None of the dry, dead substitutes offered by the churches of our time will do. I thirst for the Living God! That thirst has been satisfied again and again with an outpouring of the Spirit of God. Brethren, I have been to the river and I have had a fresh drink. It is still as sweet and satisfying as ever. Hallelujah! Allow me to invite you to come and drink until you are satisfied. "END"