Friday 17 July 2026

Psalm 75

Background
Every morning in the Feast of the Tabernacles priests in Jerusalem filled a golden pitcher with water from the Pool of Siloam and then processed to the Temple Mount. The surrounding crowds would blow horns and chant Isaiah 12:3: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." The water and some wine were poured over the Temple altar both as a symbolic reminder of the miraculous water that was given to the Israelites in the desert and as a prayer request for future rain for crops.

On the seventh and final day the procession marched around the altar seven times – the climax of the celebrations – and Jesus chose that moment to shout out how he alone offered the water that would meet the spiritual needs of those who thirsted for righteousness.

This disruptive act led the religious authorities to order his arrest, but the Temple guards failed to do that because they were captivated by what he had to say (v. 46). The angry response of the religious leaders to hearing Jesus’ teaching praised was to declare that the ordinary people were uneducated in the law and accursed.

The injustice of not giving Jesus’ teaching a fair hearing was pointed out by Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council). He had secretly visited Jesus by night and heard him speak on the need to be born again through the power of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:1-21). The other leaders mock Nicodemus. Calling him a Galilean was a cultural slur intended to question his intelligence and status because the religious elite in Jerusalem deeply looked down on Galileans as uneducated and unsophisticated. Their claim in verse 52 that no prophet had come from Galilee was historically inaccurate because several, such as Jonah and Nahum, had originated from this northern region.

To Ponder:

• The guards were mesmerised by how Jesus spoke. When I read or hear his words, do they still have the power to stop me in my tracks and change my actions?
• Nicodemus risked his reputation and position to advocate for fairness and truth. When others around me are gossiping, acting unfairly, or dismissing the truth, do I have the courage to speak up?
• Jesus promised that living water would flow from within the believer. Ask yourself: am I looking to Jesus first and foremost? Is my faith just a private sponge soaking up information, or is it actively overflowing into love, peace and service to the people around me?
• The Pharisees let their geographical prejudice against Galilee blind them to the truth right in front of them. What personal biases, cultural traditions or preconceived notions might be blinding me to what God is doing today?

Prayer
Lord, when my soul feels parched, let me come to you to drink. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit welling up inside me. Help me to stand firm in your truth, like Nicodemus, and allow your living water to overflow from my heart to bless others. Amen.

Bible notes author: Gary Best
Gary was headmaster of Kingswood School from 1987 to 2008 and volunteer warden of the New Room in Bristol from 2009 to 2019. He has published over 20 books, including The Christian Alphabet, a study book for home groups.