Siloam vs Bethesda

The idea of a pool today evokes thoughts of peace, healing, comfort, luxury.  However, in Jesus' time, pools were about physical healing or cleansing - either physically or spiritually.  A week or so ago, posted this link to the stories in John 8 & 9.  Today though, I want to go a little deeper into this question:

Why the Pool of Siloam and not the Pool of Bethesda?

Definitely gonna to a wordsearch on 'Siloam' and 'Bethesda'.  Also - will do a map check:  which was closer to the temple?  Then - some sanctified imagination time:  let's ask the Holy Spirit to help our minds imagine we were really there when it all happened!

Dear Jesus - Please open our eyes as you did the blind man, to bring honor and glory to God...

Word Search:
Bethesda - House of kindness, or Pool of Mercy, a little deeper search on the roots of the word reveals: 
favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

A bit of history (NASB): 

John 5 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. ³ In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; ⁴ for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]

What kind of God is it that decides randomly to heal, and then only the first wretch who gets to the water?  This is like our lotteries of today.  Clearly - the picture of God presented at the pool of Bethesda is not a picture consistent with the rest of the Gospels or the Old Testament.  Here's a subject ripe for additional study!

Here's a picture (artist rendering) of the Pool of Bethesda. Note, view the entire structure as a square (4 walls) + the wall dividing it in half (1 wall). That gives you the 5 porticoes spoken of in John 5:2.

Now - about the Pool of Siloam.  The Bible actually gives the definition I believe it wants us to use in John 9:7
⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent).

A little history:  It is likely the pool had multiple purposes, however a chief purpose would have been for ritual purification.  Another purpose is likely to have been as a source of water for the city.  Another subject ripe for additional study!

Here's a picture of the Pool of Siloam relative to the Temple Mount.

OK - now we have our data points. Close your eyes and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through the experience of the man born blind.  Ask yourself the following question:  Why the Pool of Siloam and not the Pool of Bethesda?

Consider the relative distance from the pool to the Temple.  Consider all the data points above.

My view goes a little like this:  It was to glorify God through the demonstration in Jesus.  Jesus was the promised Seed, Deliverer, Sacrifice, Living Water who had been sent to the people.  It was only through faith in Jesus who God sent that their spiritual blindness could be healed.  Jesus, sent of God, was still Creator.  He who formed man from the dust of the ground could recreate whole sight in His creation.  What a sharp contrast to the God perceived active in the Pool of Bethesda!

Beautiful, beautiful story...  Thank You Jesus!