John 7:38

“Whoever believes in me as the Scriptures declare, will gush out with living water from the depths of their soul!” John 7:38 EFP 

I was left wondering what text Jesus was referring to when he declared that those who 
believe in Him “as the Scriptures say” will become springs of living water. Where does the Old Testament (as we refer to the Scriptures of Jesus’ time) say we would believe in Jesus? 

The text jumped into my memory. Moses, in his farewell speech to the Israelites prior to his death, makes an astounding pronouncement. It is a prophetic statement that points to this moment. Deuteronomy 18:15 reads, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” The word “listen” has a very specific meaning to Moses.  Read the Moses story in Exodus 4, particularly verses 1 and 9. For him “listen” was linked to “believe.” 

The people may have made the connection or not at first, but then he makes a very powerful Mosaic reference when he draws from the mental images the people had of Moses and the rock gushing with water in the barren desert (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:10, 11). At that point it would have been difficult for them not to understand the significance of the statement. He was the fulfillment of the Moses prophecy of another prophet who would come. He commanded them to listen and believe! And so it is for me today (Romans 10:17). Listening and believing are still tied together.