Neh 8:18 | KingComments | STEP | The fact that they read from God’s Word every day, is further proof that the interest in God’s Word was not a whim. Every day of the feast the people came to listen to the reading from the book of God’s Law. You only have a real feast when everything happens in accordance with God’s Word. The whole of life becomes a feast when every day begins with listening to what the Lord has to say. It is important to persevere in this. On the final day of the feast, the eighth day, a solemn assembly is held. In a way, this eighth day is no longer part of the feast, because the feast lasts seven days. It ends on the seventh day. Yet this day is directly connected to it. This is already apparent from the ongoing count. There is talk of “the eighth day” and not of a “first day” as the beginning of a new period of seven days. The eighth day certainly heralds a new period, a new beginning, but then a new beginning without end. In this eighth day we can see a picture of eternity. Remarkably enough, the Old Testament says nothing else about this eighth day. There is no particular content given to it. Nevertheless, we have a clue about the meaning of this day in the New Testament, in John 7. We read there that the Lord Jesus does not go up to the Feast of Booths at first, but later does ( ). We also read about “the last day, the great [day] of the feast” ( ), which means the eighth day. For this feast many have come to Jerusalem to meet the living God. But what do they find? The Feast of Booths has become a “feast of the Jews” ( ), where there is no place for God anymore. It is all for appearances, where the heart of the searching soul remains empty and hungry. As the crowds are about to go home disappointed, all of a sudden someone cries out and says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” ( ). The calling One continues His invitation with the promise of streams of living water that will flow from within every believer. An explanation of this is also given. By this the Lord Jesus means the Holy Spirit ( ). The thirst He quenches connects the thirsty with the water of eternal life ( ), in which the Spirit works. In this way a person is connected with its source: that is the glorified Lord in heaven. Whoever is connected with Him and lives out of Him will be able to be a refreshment for others.

‏ Nehemiah 8:18

Reading, Celebrating and Assembling

The fact that they read from God’s Word every day, is further proof that the interest in God’s Word was not a whim. Every day of the feast the people came to listen to the reading from the book of God’s Law. You only have a real feast when everything happens in accordance with God’s Word. The whole of life becomes a feast when every day begins with listening to what the Lord has to say. It is important to persevere in this.

On the final day of the feast, the eighth day, a solemn assembly is held. In a way, this eighth day is no longer part of the feast, because the feast lasts seven days. It ends on the seventh day. Yet this day is directly connected to it. This is already apparent from the ongoing count. There is talk of “the eighth day” and not of a “first day” as the beginning of a new period of seven days. The eighth day certainly heralds a new period, a new beginning, but then a new beginning without end. In this eighth day we can see a picture of eternity.

Remarkably enough, the Old Testament says nothing else about this eighth day. There is no particular content given to it. Nevertheless, we have a clue about the meaning of this day in the New Testament, in John 7. We read there that the Lord Jesus does not go up to the Feast of Booths at first, but later does (Jn 7:2-10). We also read about “the last day, the great [day] of the feast” (Jn 7:37a), which means the eighth day. For this feast many have come to Jerusalem to meet the living God. But what do they find? The Feast of Booths has become a “feast of the Jews” (Jn 7:2), where there is no place for God anymore. It is all for appearances, where the heart of the searching soul remains empty and hungry.

As the crowds are about to go home disappointed, all of a sudden someone cries out and says: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (Jn 7:37b). The calling One continues His invitation with the promise of streams of living water that will flow from within every believer. An explanation of this is also given. By this the Lord Jesus means the Holy Spirit (Jn 7:38-39).

The thirst He quenches connects the thirsty with the water of eternal life (Jn 4:14), in which the Spirit works. In this way a person is connected with its source: that is the glorified Lord in heaven. Whoever is connected with Him and lives out of Him will be able to be a refreshment for others.