Daily Devotionals

Voice of the Lord

Devotional: 21st of Tishrei

You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation (Isaiah 12:3).

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) is the preeminent festival of joy. In Temple times, a special ceremony depicted a prophetic promise in the festival. The event was called simchah beyt hasho'evah (rejoicing in the place of water-drawing). During the celebration, a priest would take a golden pitcher down to the pool of Shiloach (Siloam) in Jerusalem. After dipping it into the water, he would lead a procession of praise back to the Temple, including dance, music and chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118).

The highlight of the ceremony came when the priest dramatically poured the water onto the altar. Why all this joy? Based upon the above verse from Isaiah, the rabbis taught that this ceremony foreshadowed the time when God would pour out the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in the days of the messianic redemption (Sukkot 55).

An amazing thing happened during a first-century Sukkot celebration in Jerusalem: "Now on the last day of the festival, Hosha'na Rabbah [the Great Hosanna] Yeshua stood and cried out, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking! Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!'" (John 7:37-38) What a statement! By this proclamation, Yeshua was openly saying that he was the Messiah, the fulfillment of this ceremony. What great joy Messianic believers have on Sukkot as we remember that we have found the one who quenches our spiritual thirst.

...drink from the living waters of Yeshua by allowing the Ruach HaKodesh to take control of my life.

BK