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MAYIM CHAYIM - LIVING WATER
- Petra Hadžidaova
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
John 7: 37-38 (NIV)
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INTRODUCTION
Liam and John had been hiking for quite a while. They were trying to reach the next marking. They should have reached it an hour or so ago. They wondered if they were lost. They had calmly been walking down the faint track, hoping they would see some type of marking soon. But panic had been setting in, for they had run out of water 2 hours ago. A living stream was supposed to be right next to the marking they had been searching for. They had been relying on renewing their supplies at this stream, and John was getting quite thirsty and tired. The sun was beating down, and the air was suffocating. He was getting agitated with each new step and burst out in frustration. Liam, in his quick thinking, was about to suggest they take a short break when he heard a faint voice of running water. "Do you hear that?" he asked John. When John managed to calm down, he heard it too. Quickly, they followed the path as it reared left, and behind the corner saw a stream. As they drank and refilled their water bottles, they managed to see the marking on a nearby rock.
Living waters flow from the heart of the mountain. As they flow down to the valleys, they are filtered and cleaned of debris and impurities. In Hebrew, living water is mayim chayim. It represents the Holy Spirit Himself, the source of all life, and His transformative power.
MAYIM CHAYIM - LIVING WATER
The Hebrew word for living water is mayim chayim (מַיִם חַיִּים). The word mayim means water; the word chayim, on the other hand, means living. Together they represent flowing, fresh, life-giving water. (2)
FROM THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN
Water is a precious commodity. It was even more so in the past. People used to get their water in three different ways:
through streams
through wells
through cisterns. (3)
Streams were the best option. As they ran from the heart of the mountain down into the valleys, they were filtered and cleaned out. This water was pure and called living water. Wells, though not as good as streams, also provided access to living water from the heart of the mountain. Cisterns, on the other hand, were constructions that collected water from rain. This water was relatively clean at the beginning of the dry season, as the debris and other impurities fell to the bottom, but became less pure as the level of water was steadily dropping. This water was stale. (3)
THE SOURCE OF LIFE
Water was always seen as the source of life and blessing. Without water, it was impossible to survive. With it, people were able to thrive. Egypt, for instance, was a well-irrigated land. Rivers ran through it and allowed for easy farming. The land promised to the Israelites was anything but. It was the land of milk and honey. Milk comes from sheep or goats; hence it points to shepherding. Shepherding land was very harsh and dry. Honey, whether talking about honey from bees or syrup from dates, came from farming. It has benefits and dangers in both shepherding and farming areas. It is, though, a land that God watches over. This indicated that the land itself relies on God sustaining it, as did the people. (3)
THE HOLY SPIRIT - THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER
Living water symbolizes the spiritual life and sustenance that comes from God. It represents the Holy Spirit and eternal life. As John 7: 38 indicates, the living water shall flow forth from within the believers. This speaks of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Source of all life and the transformative power that brings about a change. Only through the Holy Spirit can things be done. (4)
CONCLUSION
Water is a precious commodity. It has always been considered the source of life. In the past, people got water either through streams, wells, or cisterns. Streams and wells were the best options since they provided clean water, also called living water. The Hebrew term for living water is mayim chayim. The word mayim means water; the word chayim, on the other hand, means living. Together they represent flowing, fresh, life-giving water. Living water symbolizes the spiritual life and sustenance that comes from God. It represents the Holy Spirit and eternal life, and His transformative power.
Application
Aba, let the Holy Spirit finish the work it had begun, so that the living waters flowing from within us will be pure and full of truth.
SOURCES
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Pastor Israel Pochtar. Hebrew Word of the Week — Mayim Chayim (מַיִם חַיִּים) — Living Water. Available at https://www.beithallel-israel.org/hebrew-word-of-the-week_mayim-chayim_living-water/
Dr. Cyndi Parker. Listening to the Land of the Bible I. Available at https://israelbiblecenter.com/
Bible Hub. Living Water. Available at https://biblehub.com/topical/l/living_water.htm
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