STIR UP THE WORD
Friday – November 9, 2018, Kislev 1, 5779
Greetings and welcome back to this wonderful Bible Study on the Book of John. The featured picture is near a wonderful rental I stayed at in 2014 in Mount Vernon Maine. Today our study will be moving into the fifth chapter of John so let’s read our primary text aloud.
John 5:1-5 (KJV)
1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
My guess is that as you have read down through this text you have read this before and perhaps heard more than one sermon or teaching from this text. Notice in verse one that there is “a feast of the Jews”. Now in the second chapter Jesus went to Passover at Jerusalem and when we get to chapter six there is another Passover so one year has passed in chapter six. This feast is described as a feast of the Jews not a feast of the Lord or an appointed time of the Lord so it is likely not a Feast of the Lord but a feast appointed by the Jews. The two most likely possibilities would be the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) or the Feast of Lots (Purim). My guess would be Purim since in the very next chapter of John we are back to Passover. Both of these Feasts are spring feasts whereas Chanukah comes around or about our Christmas time.
Near the Sheep Gate of Jerusalem was a pool called Bethesda. This is a compound word with ‘Beth’ indicating house and the remainder of the word having a variety of possible translations. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament the ‘esda’ portion can mean kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, love, acts of kindness. The best translation may be lovingkindness from this same source. So, this pool would be called the house of lovingkindness, and that is certainly a wonderful partial description of the God we serve. Also, around about this pool of Bethesda were five porches. Five is the number of Grace or God’s Goodness. Grace or God’s Goodness are all Holy Spirit just a different expression of the Anointing, facet or function of the third person of the Trinity. A great crowd of ill people lay about the pool waiting for a “moving of the water”. An angel of God would from time to time trouble or stir the water. It seems that it was more than once a year but none of the translations I checked gave a clear picture of the frequency. When the water was stirred the first person into the water would be made whole. So, we see the water which represents the Word of God, and we see the five porches representing the Anointing. There is no establishment of this process in Scripture but is a provision of God in His loving kindness to His people awaiting the Messiah.
Perhaps it would help to think of this along the same lines as when the Lord told Moses to hold up a bronze or brass snake on a stick and those who would look upon it would be healed and not die of the snake bites (curse). This prophetic event and provision symbolized when Jesus would be made sin and take all of the curse upon Himself bringing healing to all who would accept His sacrifice. In our text for today we see with prophetic spiritual eyes the presence of Holy Spirit (five porches) and we see the Word (the water). When the Word is stirred becomes real and we believe and step into that Word the Holy Spirit, the Anointing, will cause that Word to bring to pass any promise. Nothing is impossible to the one who will but believe. Now in our time, not only that day at the Sheep Gate and the pool of Bethesda but this day the Word of God Himself is present. Jesus, the Word, is asking the same question of you and me; “wilt thou be made whole?” He asked that question of a man present that day who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. The man had reasons for still having his infirmity. What are our reasons (excuses)? The following was Jesus’ response to the man with an infirmity thirty-eight years.
John 5:8-9 (KJV)
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
This man did not know who Jesus was but He had faith in God, after all, that is why he is at the pool. They all knew the healing was not directly of the angel but of God. The man had excuses but the short answer to Jesus’s question in his heart was “yes” he would be made whole. This man had faith in the Word of healing that God is our healer, his healer so when Jesus gave him a command to get up, take up his bed, and walk he did exactly that. He took the necessary corresponding action and was healed, made whole of his infirmity. Oh, the loving kindness of our great God.
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
PRAYERS AND QUESTIONS – please, anytime you have an issue that you want me, this ministry to pray for you, a person you love or a situation contact me. Accordingly, if you should have a question about the Bible, please do not hesitate to ask it.
PARTNERSHIP AND GIVING – Those of you who are not Partners of this Ministry and you find this ministry to be of value to you and perhaps others with whom you share it, we ask you to consider becoming Partners. A Partner is one who prays for the Ministry on a regular basis and contributes to the Ministry on a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, annually). Thank you and may the Lord be pleased with your decision.
CONTACT E-MAIL: pastordavidwood@gmail.com
BLOG: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/awakearisetriumphministries
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/PastorDavidWood
MAILING ADDRESS: 10 Village Green Circle, Oakland, Maine 04963
MY BOOKS: https://awakeariseandtriumphministries.org/shop/
