Come to me, all you who are thirsty
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Have you ever thought about the question
“Where is God?”
It’s a question that makes it’s way into our minds. It’s a question our culture asks.
We ask it in different ways.
We ask it when we wonder about the physical location of God,
We ask it when we are facing a crisis, or some tragedy.
We also ask the question subconsciously as we seek to find meaning and purpose in our existence.
Human beings are little creators made by a creator, and we have built into us an innate sense that the Creator is someone with whom we have to do.
So we search for him.
The Bible is a story that is answering the question “Where is God”.
In fact for the people of Israel that we find in the Bible, their entire identity is wrapped up in being the keepers of the story of where God is.
I don’t think we can really grasp the weight of this for the Israelite people.
Their NATIONAL IDENTITY was wrapped up in whether or not YAHWEH was with them.
At the heart of Israel’s hope is the question “Is he with us?”
When we read the Bible we can look at themes, and trace those themes through the whole Bible.
John the apostle was especially adept at this.
He was a master of imagery but he also knew his scriptures like the back of his hand and could masterfully weave scriptural themes and references into his narrative.
This week...
When we find a theme in scripture, it can be like pulling on a string on a sweater.
As we try and chase it down, before we know it we’ve unraveled the whole thing.
Two themes that seem to go hand in hand are temple, and water.
Temple is entirely having to do with the question of “Where is God?”
Temple is where God dwells.
As we read the story, we keep seeing water connected with Temple as well, and we’ll dive into that.
But for now let’s just look at Temple.
And let’s do some quick Biblical Theology.
Progressive revelation.
TEMPLE THROUGH THE BIBLE
Garden
Cloud/Tabernacle
Temple
Jesus
Church
City
So let’s talk about Garden
“God walks with man.”
Let’s talk about Cloud
“God leads man.”
Let’s talk about Temple
“God dwells in the midst of man.”
Talk about history of Tabernacle to Temple.
18 But will God indeed live on earth with man? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. 19 Listen to Your servant’s prayer and his petition, Lord my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant prays before You, 20 so that Your eyes watch over this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name; and so that You may hear the prayer Your servant prays toward this place.
40 Now, my God, please let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer of this place. 41 Now therefore: Arise, Lord God, come to Your resting place, You and Your powerful ark. May Your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly people rejoice in goodness. 42 Lord God, do not reject Your anointed one; remember the loyalty of Your servant David. 1 When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord. 3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord: For He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.
This is a historical event that happened in real time before the eyes of thousands of people.
This became locked in to the Israelite mind and imagination.
Can you imagine walking around the city and looking at the Temple and knowing, God is in there?
Pusch Ridge Idea
For some, this had a very positive effect on their faith in God.
For most however, this turned into complacency.
Prophets are warning them over and over.
Ezekiel 11
God’s Glory leaves the temple.
Promise to make their hearts flesh.
Ezekiel 43
God’s Spirit Returns to a New Temple
And then out of that Temple flows a river of water that irrigates the land and heals the nations.
Ok NOW we can talk about the feast of Tabernacles.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles
History of the feast.
Addition over the years.
Let’s talk about Jesus
“God becomes man.”
Standing up and saying,
I AM the temple, and I can give you the heart of flesh.
Let’s talk about the church
“God’s Spirit is in man.”
We find out at Pentecost that the WAY God will give his people a heart of flesh is by His Spirit.
Story from this past week. “Electrodes”
Where God’s temple is, life giving water will be there as well.
We Jesus using this same language with the woman at the well.
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would ask Him, and He would give you living water.” 11 “Sir,” said the woman, “You don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do You get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are You? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” 13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again—ever! In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.”
The way this is possible is because God’s Spirit is now dwelling IN US.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Relationship between spiritual and physical.
Spirit’s presence in our own bodies is not just a spiritual reality, it has physical effects as well.
Trauma.
“When peace like a river attendeth my way, and sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou have taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.”
Let’s talk about the city
“God walks with man again.”
1 Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, 3 and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him. 4 They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.
17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Anyone who hears should say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift.
As the deer
WE are the keepers of the story that God is coming back.
Where God is, life is there as well.