JEWS IN DARKNESS
Friday – March 1, 2019, Adar A 24, 5779
Well dear friends and partners here we are back for another feed of the Bread of life, the Word of God. Greetings and welcome back to this fascinating, and powerful Bible Study of the Book of John. We are such a privileged people to know and walk with our God, now in the Spirit, soon face to face. Now, that we are entering March I probably need to move away from a Christmas shot of me in San Antonio over Christmas 2018. Now, let’s turn our attention fully to the Bible Study of the Book of John by reading our primary Bible text aloud.
John 7:34-39 (KJV)
34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
35 Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36 What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
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.)
I suppose you noticed as you read the preceding text that the Jews are in quite the uproar. They have not understood a thing He has said having basically zero spiritual insight. Sometimes it does not seem like much has changed in the modern Church. These Jews are thinking He is going among the Gentiles which is a place they would not and could not come. Gentiles are as dogs to the Jew. It was forbidden in that day for a Jew to even enter the home of a Gentile. The feast referred to is the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (see John 7:2) so we see that just a few days have gone by, this Feast of the Lord is a seven-day feast. They have been wanting to lay hands on Him and slay Him all this time but He just walks among them teaching and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom. Again, in this text we find Jesus speaking, pleading in a loud voice to the people, His people. He tells them and He is telling us, if you are thirsty come to me and drink. Generally speaking in Scripture water is a metaphor for the cleansing Word of God. In places it is interpreted as speaking of Holy Spirit and this is one of those places and the narrator has given us guidance in verse thirty-nine.
Let’s think about this term “rivers of living water”. If we say that the water is the Word of God, the rivers meaning a flowing or gushing forth, then what about the living part. It seems to me that this is the Holy Spirit part. Remember, it is Grace, the Holy Spirit, that quickens our spirit man at salvation in response to the Word of God, the quickening or life-giving Spirit. In order for the work of God to be done effectively the Word of God must be alive in our mouths, meaning to flow with the Anointing. Saying what the Father says, doing what the Father does, and leaving the work, the heavy lifting, to the Father just like Jesus. Many of the people to whom Jesus was speaking particularly of the religious ruling class had very hardened hearts from the consistent rejection of Truth over time. Therefore they (by their own choices) could not hear Him and rejected Him as being of the devil. As I have pointed out before the Glory of God had left the Temple centuries before and they did not even know it. The Glory has left many Churches today and they don’t know it. Churches are full of people with hardened hearts due to receiving the traditions of men and the doctrines of devils while simultaneously rejecting the Truth.
The belly is generally taken to mean our spirit man not the literal physical belly. What we have in our belly in abundance is what will flow out. Jesus is talking about the return of the Holy Spirit after He has taken care of the sin problem and returned to Heaven. This return of the Holy Spirit will quicken those who receive Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. In those who ask for the Baptism of the Holy Spirt they will be filled with Him to overflowing with the evidence of speaking in other tongues and will be endued with Power. When they speak the Word of God the Holy Spirit, the Anointing, causes the Word to be active and alive bringing about the will of God. He, the Holy Spirit, causes us to be just like Jesus if we choose to be just like Jesus. Yes, we can be just like Jesus in His earthly ministry, He said so Himself. In the Old Testament the Priest, the King, and the Prophet were the only ones Anointed of God, so a very small number compared with the whole which served God. That was part of why it was so easy for them to slip into sin, however, we are without excuse. With the repeated rejection of the Truth the Anointing was no longer in the Temple nor on the priests or kings. Only the prophets remained Anointed and became as ones crying in the wilderness.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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