Photo Credit: Donna Pool on Lake Robinson
This glorious scene graced my presence many months ago. As the sun rose around the clouds it cast a fire like glow on the waters as if it separated or parted them. It was mesmerizing. I still get that feeling of awe and wonder when I look at the photo recalling just how great our Creator is in the universe and on earth.
While God used festivals and feasts to gather the people together and teach them about His character, Jesus used the elements and symbols from the feasts to help the people understand Who He Is and What He Offers. These feasts served to allow people to gather together to remember, recall, reminisce, and learn. While attending the Feast of the Tabernacles celebration at the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus used the two elements of Water and Light to teach. So, what can we remember and learn from this for the world we live in today as we head toward Holy Spirit Fire of Pentecost on Sunday?
- Water was scare in those days. No rain meant no water in the cisterns
- Prophets saw rain as the symbol for Salvation: Saved from thirst & starving
- During the Feast of the Tabernacles the Water Drawing Ceremony celebrated the gift of water, rain, thanksgiving, prayer, and joyous jubilation with a parade, singing, musical instruments, feasting,etc. : 1. Moses used this opportunity to teach the people about God’s provisions. 2. As well, hundreds of years later during this same temple feast celebration, Jesus used water to teach the people about God’s provision of Him as our Savior and the coming Holy Spirit within.
“If anyone is thirsty, let her/him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within Her/Him.” John 7:37-38 (NIV)
- No Electricity meant Light at night was handmade (other than the moon and stars) and a precious commodity
- Festivities of the temple courts would come ablaze at night with candles on huge candelabras, oil lanterns, and fires to provide an illumination of Light in the darkness. From the hill above the city, Jerusalem glowed
- Light was used to remind the people God’s glory once filled the temple
- Prophets told that God promised a great Light that would shine out of Galilee.
“…He will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; of those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2 (NIV)
- Jesus seized an opportunity to teach the Women and any others who had gathered there in the court at dawn about Light and Life
- But first He had to deal with an altercation put upon Him by the religious leaders as a trap to discredit His teaching and use it as justification for His arrest.
- It Did Not Work! (John 8)
- Distractions are still plentiful in our current day modern world as darkness tries to prevent Truth from becoming known
“When Jesus (of Galilee) spoke again to the people, He said, “I Am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life”. John 8:12 (NIV)
Quench Your Thirst. The Fire and Light of the Holy Spirit of God is still Available to Live Within us Today! Ask Him