Isaiah 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
John 7:38 He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.">
Recently, Israel announced it was expanding the Pool of Siloam, which they estimated was about an acre and a half in size. The Pool of Siloam is where Jesus sent the blind man to wash [John 9:6-7] and where he regained his sight. Some scholars believe this was where the first 3,000 souls were baptized upon hearing the gospel in Acts 2. [Acts 2:41]
The Pool of Siloam was also the water source for a significant ceremony during the feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in the first century. On the last day of the feast, the High Priest went there to draw water, leading a processional of trumpeters, pilgrims, and worshippers to the Temple. Thanks to recent archaeological discoveries, tourists and pilgrims can now follow this 2000-year-old "Pilgrim's Road" path of the High Priest's processional, which ended in the Temple courtyard, where the High Priest would quote from Isaiah 12:3, "With joy, you shall draw water from the wells of Yeshua"; (salvation). At this location during the feast, Jesus shouted, "He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Israel's archaeological team is removing tons of dirt and debris from this ancient site, clearing the way for clean fresh waters in the Pool of Siloam. We also so desire the rivers of living water Yeshua promised to flow from our inmost being. But is there dirt and debris clogging our spiritual channel? Don't leave it there.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]Sukkot is a festival about rejoicing in the blessings that God has provided, but let’s be sure our focus is on the Lord of blessing – instead of the blessings!
During the Feast of Sukkot, the Jewish people took part in a water drawing ceremony on the last day of the feast. They would go down to the Pool of Siloam, draw water and bring it to the Temple Mount. Then they would pour out the water and recite Isaiah 12, "and with joy you shall draw water out of the wells (springs) of salvation." In Hebrew, the word salvation and Yeshua (Jesus, in Hebrew), are the same.
Though the new cycle of Israel's feasts has concluded, I'd like to share one more observation about last week's high holy day, Yom Kippur. It is a day on which adults are afflicting themselves by fasting, abstaining from all pleasures, and repenting. But for the children, Yom Kippur is a very different holiday. This day is my son Obi's favorite holiday! Why? Because the kids are not fasting or recalling their sins or suffering at all – they are celebrating freedom!
“Don’t be anxious”…even though it's a perfectly natural response to mounting threats; sickness, finances, employment, uncertainty, emotional stress, family crises...Nevertheless, it says, "Don't be anxious about anything". Instead, pray!
A major earthquake struck Taiwan over the weekend, which triggered a tsunami warning as far away as Japan.
This reminded me of when we first moved to Israel, in 2003.
The word "verily", in this verse, is the Hebrew word “emunah” (em-oo-nah). It also means "faith" or "faithfully". When we trust in the Lord, and our trust is demonstrated by doing good, He declares that He will faithfully feed us. How will we be fed?
In the early 1800's a preacher gave a message to call men to join him on the mission field in Africa. In the audience were only a few women along with a boy. The pastor knew that few women were expected to volunteer to face harsh African jungle conditions. However, he gave the message; and no one responded. What he didn't realize was that he had touched the heart of a little boy whose name was David Livingstone. This boy would grow up to spend the rest of his life ministering to Africa's unreached tribes.