John 4:13-14 – Yeshua said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. “But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”
When Yeshua met with the woman at Jacob’s well in Samaria, he was revealing to this woman more than she understood. When offered living water, she instead thought of natural water that would not require her to come to the well every day to draw it out. However, Yeshua was not speaking to her of water to physically drink, but of a type of water that would bring spiritual life to those who partook of it.
Since the Samaritans did not accept the prophetic writings as Scripture but just the five books of Moses, it is likely she did not recognize that the reference Yeshua makes is to a passage in Ezekiel. This is where the spiritual temple that Ezekiel describes in great detail concludes with a description of a river which flows from the temple.
Ezekiel 47:1, 9 – Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the temple faced east. The water was coming down from under the south side of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. … “Every kind of living creature that swarms will live wherever the river flows, and there will be a huge number of fish because this water goes there. Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes.
The life-giving water in the prophecy of Ezekiel is described as growing in depth, from ankle-deep, to waist-deep, to a river that cannot be crossed as it flows. While this river may have at one point been confined to the temple and to the nation of Israel, the picture Ezekiel paints is one where the holiness or set-apartness of the life-giving water would be spread far beyond its banks.
Throughout the Bible, life is said to flow from the fear and respect of Yahweh, and from wisdom and understanding that come from him.
Psalm 111:10 – The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions have good insight. His praise endures forever.
Proverbs 14:27 – The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, turning people away from the snares of death.
Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 3:13, 18 – Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, … She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.
2 Peter 1:3 – His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Ezekiel’s picture of the river of life concludes with trees along the banks of the river that bear continual fruit and the leaves of the trees being used for medicine.
Ezekiel 47:12 – “All kinds of trees providing food will grow along both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fresh fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for medicine.”
This is a direct correlation with the consummation of the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 22:1-2 – Then he showed me the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the city’s main street. The tree of life was on each side of the river, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations…
The good news is that this water that was once set-apart and holy as only for one people is now flowing freely everywhere and is available to all who are thirsty. This is not a physical thirst, but a thirst for spiritual wisdom and understanding that only God can provide. This is the knowledge of him who fills all things and makes all things new. This is the medicine that is now for the healing of the nations.
Revelation 21:6 – Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17 – Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come! ” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come! ” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.
If you enjoy these daily blog posts, be sure to visit the growing archive of the Core of the Bible podcast. Each week we take a more in-depth look at one of the various topics presented in the daily blog. You can view the podcast archive on our Podcast Page, at Core of the Bible on Simplecast, or your favorite podcast streaming service.
Now also on YouTube, find us at: Core of the Bible on YouTube.
Questions or comments? Feel free to email me directly at coreofthebible@gmail.com.
The Core of the Bible 