Like fresh water on a hot summer’s day
Series: EIFACH muetig – with Jesus as a role model | Bible text: Isaiah 12
Just as fresh water refreshes us on a hot day, God’s salvation revitalises our lives: In Jesus we find salvation, new life, deep joy and the power of the Holy Spirit – a source from which we can draw daily.
A hot summer’s day. The sun is blazing, the air is still and the thirst is getting more and more urgent. In moments like these, there is hardly anything more precious than a glass of cool, fresh water. It revitalises, refreshes and gives us new strength – and sometimes we feel reborn when this water breaks through our dryness. It is precisely this image that the Bible takes up when it speaks of salvation. In Isaiah 12 it says: «You will draw water with joy from the springs of his salvation!» (Isaiah 12:3 NLB). God’s salvation is like fresh water for thirsty souls: vital, soothing and energising. But what does this salvation really mean – and how can it refresh our lives?
Salvation
«And in that day you will say, «I praise you, O LORD, for you were angry with me, but your anger has turned and you have comforted me. Behold, God is my salvation (Hebrew El Jeschuati); I will trust and not be afraid, for the LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation (Hebrew Jeshua)!» (Isaiah 12:1f SLT).
Isaiah 12 forms the conclusion of a series of judgement announcements. The text was written at a time of national threat and spiritual decline: social injustice, religious hypocrisy and political uncertainty characterised the country. Isaiah proclaims both judgement on the nations and Judah as well as future hope and redemption. The focus is on the coming time of salvation.
The key word in these verses is «Yeshua» – salvation, salvation, redemption. After the death of Moses, God chose Joshua, a gifted general, to lead his people. In short, Joshua’s task was to lead the Israelites from a bleak, four-decade desert experience characterised by death and unrest to a new, abundant life in the land of Canaan – the land that «where milk and honey overflow» (Deuteronomy 6:3 NLB). As soon as they settled there, his people would experience peace and tranquillity. How fitting that Joshua’s name in Hebrew is «Yeshua», which means «Yahweh is salvation».
Around 1400 years later, a child was born in the same country with the same name – Yeshua, Jesus. The New Testament shows: Jesus is the new Joshua. The old Joshua led Israel into an earthly land, the new Joshua leads all who follow him into the eternal rest of God – a new life in His kingdom. The letter to the Hebrews explains: «For if Joshua had brought them to rest, there would have been no mention of another day afterwards. So there is still a rest for the people of God» (Hebrews 4:8–9 LUT).
This parallel is no coincidence. It shows: God’s salvation has a history. It is not a pious wish, but anchored in space and time. God intervenes in world history – first through Joshua, then through Jesus – to save his people. Unlike Joshua, who could only lead to an earthly land, Jesus brings eternal salvation. In Him, the full depth of «El Jeschuati» becomes visible. He saves not only from enemies, not only from hunger and thirst, but from eternal separation from God. He gives true reconciliation, new life, the Holy Spirit and the hope of a new creation. This means that when we «God is my salvation», we confess at the same time: Jesus is my Saviour. This is not a historical relic, but a current reality. Those who entrust themselves to Jesus can say: I am saved – not by my own strength, but by grace.
The salvation that has come into the world through Jesus does not only include the salvation of the soul. In Hebrew, the word «Yeshua» also encompasses physical, temporal and holistic liberation. God saves from sin, yes – but also from hardship, fear, loneliness, financial bottlenecks and broken relationships. He is a God who intervenes in all situations in life – not always in the way we expect, but always according to his great plan of salvation. Ultimately, this promise will be fulfilled in the new world: Those who can say «El Jeschuati» will receive a new body at the return of Jesus Christ that is compatible with the divine world.
Joy
Those who grasp salvation in its breadth, depth and length in their hearts cannot help but rejoice. Joy is the constant companion of salvation: «You will draw water with joy from the springs of his salvation (Hebrew: Yeshua)!» (Isaiah 12:3 NLB). What a refreshing thought on a hot summer’s day! This statement is reminiscent of the wilderness wanderings during which God provided for his people. Joy springs from the source of salvation and not from external circumstances. And these sources can be found everywhere along the way in our lives.
Some people take a good drink from the fountain of salvation at the beginning of their following of Jesus. They experience forgiveness of their sins and rejoice that they are now children of God. Over time, however, they fall into the temptation to earn God’s favour through their own efforts – a so-called double justification. First they receive the gift of belonging to Christ, then they think they have to earn the next steps themselves. However, «God is my salvation» means that God in Jesus Christ is everything for me: my salvation, my hope, my sanctification, my wisdom. My task is to constantly draw from the source of salvation.
Jesus says: «But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again. The water I give him will become in him a never-ending spring that flows unceasingly into eternal life.»(John 4:14 NLB). In another passage, Jesus explains that the Spirit of God is the living water (John 7:37–39). The image of the «water of salvation» stands for deep spiritual renewal. Drinking from the fountain of His salvation means being filled anew with the power of the Holy Spirit in fellowship with Jesus. We can draw on this grace every day.
Praise
The existential experience of God as my salvation leads not only to joy, but also to praise. It already says: «[…] for the LORD is my strength and my song […]» (Isaiah 12:2 SLT). This song, which is placed in our lives through salvation, has the following effect: «Then you will say: Give thanks to the Lord! Call on his name! Tell the whole world what he has done. Tell everyone how great his name is! Sing to the LORD, for he has done great things. Proclaim it to the whole world» (Isaiah 12:4f NLB).
The praise of God thus becomes the motor of evangelisation. The proclamation of the Good News is not a compulsory exercise, but a natural outflow of drinking from the fountain of salvation. God’s salvation is not just for Israel or the Christian West, but for all peoples. It can be said that faith in Jesus Christ is a personal, but not a private matter. The message of salvation through Jesus Christ should reach the whole world. When we tell of God’s deeds, his name becomes known among the nations. The starting point for passing on the Good News is not a theological doctrine, but personal experience: God is my salvation. We too are called to tell of God’s deeds.
«Rejoice and be glad, inhabitants of Jerusalem! For the Holy One of Israel, who lives among you, is great» (Isaiah 12:6 NLB). In conclusion, Isaiah rejoices in God’s closeness – Immanuel: God is with us. Yeshuati is Immanuel. This promise has been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 1:23) and will be completed in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:3). An almost incomprehensible truth: the God who created the stars of all the estimated 200 billion galaxies in one day lives among us through his Spirit. Comprehensive salvation is with us. Whoever can say «Yeshuati, God is my salvation», can also say «Immanuel, God is in me». This is much more important for our lives than a glass of cool water on a hot summer’s day!
Possible questions for the small groups
Bible text: Isaiah 12
- What does the personal name of God «God is my salvation» mean to you? Can you pronounce this name with deepest conviction?
- How does the connection between Joshua and Jesus encourage you in your journey of faith?
- What experiences have you already had with the «water of salvation» – i.e. being filled with the Holy Spirit in everyday life?
- Why do we sometimes tend to fall back into our own performance after conversion – and how can we live by grace instead?
- What specific story of God’s intervention in your life could you tell someone else to make Jesus great – and who would you like to tell it to?
