A0340_The Last Day of the Feast
Date: 3rd October 2007 (Wednesday PM) Ref: A0340
Place: Kambah P.S.
Title: The Last Day of the Feast
Text: & John 7:37-39
Illust: Mentioned last week that it was the start of the feast of Tabernacles. – Remembering the wandering in the wilderness – Interesting that a survival rule of thumb is: 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food. In our text this evening Jesus is standing in the temple on the last day of the feast the great day:
I. Shelter
A. Sukkah
i. Feast of Tabernacles when the Israelites were to dwell in temporary shelters
Leviticus 23:42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, (NKJV)
ii. A practice still observed to this day.
A sukkah must have at least three walls covered with a material that will not blow away in the wind. Canvas covering tied or nailed down is acceptable and quite common in the United States. A sukkah may be any size, so long as it is large enough for you to fulfill the commandment of dwelling in it. The roof of the sukkah must be made of material referred to as sekhakh (literally, covering). To fulfill the commandment, sekhakh must be something that grew from the ground and was cut off, such as tree branches, corn stalks, bamboo reeds, sticks, or two-by-fours. Sekhakh must be left loose, not tied together or tied down. Sekhakh must be placed sparsely enough that rain can get in, and preferably sparsely enough that the stars can be seen, but not so sparsely that more than ten inches is open at any point or that there is more light than shade. The sekhakh must be put on last.
iii. As I preached last week this gives us the picture of this world as not our home it is passing, we are not to treat it as our permanent abode. We are pilgrims, passing through
B. Need for Shelter
i. Also speaks of the need for shelter, - We need shelter, need to have a roof over our heads. Ever go hiking in the mountains; you know the weather can change, critical that you are dressed appropriately and if the weather turns nasty, your number 1 priority is shelter. Without shelter you can quickly succumb to the elements.
ii. We need a spiritual shelter / spiritual covering – Why church is so important – The “house” of God:
1 Timothy 3:15 I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (NKJV)
iii. A house provides shelter and refuge from the elements. – Place where we can be with other like minded believers. Encouraged, supported, hear a word from God.
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (NKJV)
iv. Why it’s so important we make church a priority the elements of the world, from the shopping mall, the workplace, the billboards, the TV/media, the trials of just living day to day; all can drain the spiritual life right out of you.
Isaiah 4:6 And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. (NKJV)
Psalm 61:3-4 3 For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (NKJV)
II. Food
A. Fasting
i. We can go without food for at least 3 weeks, more like 40 days. – But you are not going to be much use to anyone. If fasted longer than 3 days know that you feel weak as a kitten, wouldn’t want to come up against any opposition.
ii. Christians can get by without reading their bibles, but it is like fasting, at first you will feel week, then the body goes into a bit of an overdrive and everything appears to be great, (don’t try & do any strenuous exercise you will feel faint & dizzy) but sometime after the 20 day mark depending – hunger pains return, now you are actually starving, if you don’t eat now you will weaken & starve to death
iii. Not reading the word. You will seem to go ok, but any spiritual opposition / exertion is going to spin you out & eventually you will reach a point where you are starving to spiritual death.
Deuteronomy 8:3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (NKJV)
B. Balanced Diet
i. Why it is critical and God emphasises over & over that we are to be in the word, reading it studying it meditating on it
Deuteronomy 17:19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, (NKJV)
Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (NKJV)
ii. If you do this then you will have hope, be strong & healthy spiritually as one who has a good food diet
Psalm 1:1-3 1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. (NKJV)
iii. Need to recognise your hunger of soul & your lack & feed yourself on the Word.
1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, (NKJV)
III. Living Water
A. Essential Water
i. Finally the last element is probably the most critical – 3 days without water. – Major problem in major capital cities of Australia is our Water supply – Critical in many cities of the world.
We can live without food, you can improvise a shelter but after 3 days without clean fresh water, not going to be pretty and the longer you go the more dangerous it becomes.
Begin to do irreparable damage to organs such that you can never fully recover. Quickly die.
ii. Water is essential to life. - Why Jesus talks on a spiritual level about water - Spiritually “Living Water” the infilling, refreshing presence of the Holy Spirit. & John 4:10, 13-14 ~ without the Holy Spirit / Living Water, you simply can’t survive.
iii. This is the essence of our text. Water was gathered from the pool of Siloam & then poured out on the altar. – Jesus uses this occasion to stress the need for living water and to make clear that He is the source. & vs. 37-38
iv. Believing Him & receiving the Holy Spirit & vs. 39 – The Holy Spirit.
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (NKJV)
B. Thirst
i. The key criteria to receiving this living water is to thirst: - Recognise your need & cry out to Jesus.
Psalm 63:1 A Psalm of David When He Was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. (NKJV)
ii. How often can we be in the dry barren wilderness but we don’t thirst for the living water that will satisfy. – Need to thirst and to cry out to the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh.
Need to drink every day, often during the day – Need to be filled every day – the old adage when you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated.
iii. We have the promise of our text & vs. 37 and other passages of the Word of God that if you will thirst and come to Him, He will meet your need.
Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; (NKJV)
Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. (NKJV)
iv. Body