At one feast time the Lord Jesus did not go to Jerusalem with others from Galilee. But afterward He went and taught the people in the temple.
Each year they were to meet for that feast, after their grain and fruit were gathered, to thank God for all His care, and to especially remember when He led their nation out of Egypt. Then they had no houses, only the shelter of trees or booths of the branches, and later only tents made of skins or cloth. Yet God kept them safe from wild animals or enemies and from the hot sun.
The Feast of “Tabernacles”
During that feast time the people were to live under booths made of leafy branches instead of in their homes. This was called the “feast of tabernacles.” The word “tabernacle” means a shelter, tent, or booth.
While the people were met together, God’s laws and the story of His care were to be read to them, so all the people and the children would know. One thing they would hear would be the wonder that God caused water to flow out of a great rock in desert land, so there was plenty for the thirsty people and for their flocks, (Ex. 17:66Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:6); Num. 20:1111And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. (Numbers 20:11); Psa. 114:88Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters. (Psalm 114:8)).
The last or eighth day, of the feast was to be a most solemn time. The people who believed God’s words would know they were not worthy of His care, but would wish for His blessings as a thirsty person wishes for water. On that day Jesus stood in a place where all could hear and called, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.”
The big rock in the desert gave the people water for a time, but the holy Person, Jesus, the Son of God, could bless and satisfy forever. To “come to Him and drink“, meant to believe Him and take His words into the heart as earnestly as a thirsty person drinks water.
That was so wonderful an offer of blessing that some of the people remembered the promise that a great Prophet would come to tell God’s own words, and they said, “Of a truth this is the33 Prophet,” (Deut. 18:1818I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. (Deuteronomy 18:18)). Others said, “This is the Christ, (Messiah),” the one chosen by God.
Evil Responds to Good
If the chief priests and other leaders had believed the words of Jesus, that would have been the most wonderful feast time. But most of them hated Him, and they sent officers to take Him to put Him to death. When they heard Him speak to the people they would not take Him; they said, “Never man spake like this man.”
There was one leader who tried to have the others do right toward Jesus; the rest ridiculed Him and told him to look in the Scriptures and he would find that no prophet came from Galilee. If those men had wanted to learn of Jesus, they would have found that He was not from Galilee, but was born in Bethlehem of Judea, just as written in the scriptures (Micah 5:22But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)).
Further Meditation:
1. What is meant by the “tabernacles” mentioned in this passage of Scripture?
2. What had the Messiah been expected to do when he came?
3. You’ll find more on the story of the water flowing from the rock in From Egypt to Canaan by W. T. P. Wolston.