Guest Contributor Seth Postel
"When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing."
John provides a few details that highlight the symbolic nature of this passage. Why does Yeshua smear this man's eyes with clay? Why does John provide a translation for "Siloam" (sent)? John's quotations of and allusions to Isaiah point us in the right direction. Spiritual blindness is a key theme in Isaiah. It is as if the eyes of Israel have been smeared over so they cannot see the truth (see Isaiah 6:9-10; 44:18; see John 12:37–41). Because of Ahaz's spiritual blindness he refuses to ask God for a sign in Isaiah 7 (Isaiah 7:11–12), which the prophet describes in the next chapter as a rejection of the "gently flowing waters of Siloam" (Isaiah 8:6). But hope would come for the people of Israel when the "Light of the Messiah" appears and scatters the darkness (Isaiah 8:22–9:2). The Divine-Messiah alone will open Israel's blinded eyes (Isaiah 29:18; 35:5; 42:7; 60:1). This blind man represents the people of Israel. The pool of Siloam (sent) represents Yeshua, the one who is rejected by the spiritual leaders, but who is in fact the One whom the Father has SENT (John 3:17; 5:36; 6:29 ; 7:29; 8:42). Israel's blindness is not forever (Romans 11:25). One day, our people will see the truth when they wash their blinded eyes in the living waters of the Messiah (Zechariah 14:8). And for those of us who may be feeling a bit in the dark right now, we must turn our eyes to Yeshua, the source of all spiritual light!
