During his sojourn in the land of Canaan, Abraham sent his servant to his kindred in Mesopotamia, from whom to select a wife for his son Isaac. On coming to his journey’s end, he sat on a well in the land occupied by Nahor, Abraham’s brother; and he prayed thus, -O Lord God of my master, Abraham, I pray thee send me good speed this day and show kindness unto my master, Abraham. Behold I stand here by the well of water and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. And let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink and she shall say drink and I will give thy camels drink also, let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac”. After a little time had lapsed, Eliezar knew his request had been granted, for a fair damsel came to the well with a pitcher on her shoulder and not only gave him to drink, but also drew water for his camels.
Many centuries had come and gone and much had happened since the memorable day that Rebekah left her home to become the wife of Isaac and this incident occurred between Jesus and the Samaritan woman (John 4. 1-44).
During the days of Hoshea, king of Israel, about the year 720 B.C., the Assyrians had invaded the land and removed the entire Population beyond the Euphrates and re-peopled it with families of their own nation. Having taken the name Samaritans, these people settled down in the country of their adoption and accepted the conditions in which they found themselves. In the process of time they absorbed the history and conditions of Israel, even to calling Jacob their father. Apparently they moved freely among the Jews, but intense animosity existed between them and, as the Woman of Samaria said, “The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans”. Because they had dispossessed the ten tribes, comprising the greater part of their nation, the Jews regarded them as interlopers, despite the fact that it was through God and because of Israel’s continual disregard of His Law and Statutes that they had been rooted out. And now, after 18 centuries, one of these despised Samaritans talked with Jesus at a well of water and, probably for the first time, heard the lesson of the Well of Salvation.
In the proclamation of the Gospel, Jesus employed well known things for the purpose of illustrating the profound depth of his teaching. The analogies were simple and yet underlying them was a teaching so practical and exalted as to earn the admiration of his friends and the envy of his foes. At the same time certain of his sayings constitute no small difficulty if viewed from the wrong angle. Appreciating the right perspective, getting a clear view of all the facts and a sound conception of the principles involved is all important in the understanding of Holy Writ, as indeed it is also in the understanding of one another. Generally speaking, Jesus was not understood and often—only too often have the words “not understood” been written across the tragedies of human experience.
I put it to you, dear reader, that the times and living conditions now are so chaotic as to render it imperative that, for the sake of our common good, there should be a revival of our spiritual ideals so that we may be sure of our understanding of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This a’one will stand to us in the days of adversity and in the Great Day of Judgment.
Will you read the words of John chapter 4, verses 5- 1 1 ?
Reference is made to water in the 1st chapter of Genesis: “And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”; also in the last chapter of the Revelation, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb”. Here we have a comparison between the natural and the spiritual. These are brought together in the record of the meeting of Jesus with the Woman of Samaria at the well.
My thoughts centre on three points: water, a well of water and a deep well of water. Water, indeed, is vital to human existence and, in order that the greatest benefit may be obtained, it must be conserved. The old manner of conservation was the well and that form is still used in many parts of this country. Such water is cool, sweet and satisfying. Such a well was this one in Samaria on which Jesus sat on that memorable day. It was a deep well, perhaps fed by a spring, and constantly used from the days of Jacob. Here was a rustic setting — a simple natural circumstance which Jesus used to illustrate a sanctifying and eternal truth. Jesus said, “Give me to drink”, to which the woman asked in astonishment, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh drink of one who am a woman of Samaria?” So much more to the woman’s amazement Jesus replied, “If thou knewest the Gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee, ‘give me to drink’, thou would’st have asked of him and he would have given thee living water”. This brought the retort from the woman, “Thou bast nothing to draw with and the well is deep”. Nevertheless, she was to learn that “the mouth of a righteous man is as a well of life”.
In those far off days, when man was not as far advanced in the knowledge of water conservation and distribution as he is today, wells were vital to the life of the community. It was almost as equally vital to have the necessary equipment with which to draw the water. On a journey one could quite easily die of thirst beside a well of water. if one were unable to reach the precious liquid. Thus it is that, in the spiritual world, water is used as a figure of the teaching of the Lord Jesus, apart from which none will partake of the glories of the Age to come.
Solomon said, “Understanding is a well spring of Life . . . and the fear of the Lord, that is understanding”. Visualising this, Solomon referred to the Well Spring of Wisdom as a flowing brook. One has only to sit beside a rippling stream in some shady mountain glen to readily appreciate the truth and loveliness of the words of Jesus, a deep crystal clear water; perfect tranquility ; ever – flowing until it is enveloped in the sea. All these figures find their counterpart in the Gospel of the Grace of God. The water of a well is crystal clear and refreshing, particularly if the well be deep. It is with a well, rather than with a flowing brook, that we are concerned—a well of living water—a deep well. Yes! Living Water—living because it can generate and maintain a life within, that will lead to endless days in “the rest that remaineth to the people of God”.
Spiritual Stimulant
The Gospel is not just a belief—it can and it must be a living faith—a deep well of inspiring motives to one who is prepared to be guided by the Spirit of Grace. To another it may be just a form of words. The apostle Peter said, such are wells without water. We must not presume upon the Grace of God or to rest upon our knowledge and our interpretation of scripture to suit our circumstances. The Wells of Salvation hold water that is as clear as crystal—inexhaustible in their supply—satisfying and refreshing to the thirsty soul. They can quench the thirst for wisdom, they can cool the brow of the weary pilgrim, suffering the heat of the scoffer and the heartaches wrought by life’s Judas’s. They can stimulate the spirits of those who suffer for righteousness sake, they can bring courage and strength to those who follow in the Way of the Christ of God; in the true follower of the Lord they will be a Well of Living Water springing up to everlasting life.
The obligation that is ours is to be a Well of Living Water, so that we may supply others and yet withal not diminish our supply. We are not to be merely containers, holding the water confined, but rather running streams, taking the Word along with joy into the great sea of life. Have we the means of reaching such water, for the well is deep. Can we get past the superficial, the letter of the law, the form of words, down, down, into the depths of the hidden mystery of Godliness? Have we learned to imbibe the spirit of the Word, to rise above the mean and petty things of life, to grasp the substance instead of hugging the shad, ow? Have we?
The words of the Woman, of Samaria, “Thou bast nothing to draw with and the well is deep” was a challenge to Jesus, and in ordinary circumstances, would have been unanswerable. But in his presentation our Lord took them out of the natural and elevated them to the realm of the spiritual. Each one has his life to live and the liberty to choose the Well of Life’ that satisfies his needs. So it is that some develop a planned life, while others appear to be just aimlessly following their daily inclinations. Many think only in terms of the natural, while only a comparative few give their attention also to the things pertaining to the spiritual world.
Evidently Isaiah was impressed by the simile of the Well of Water in spiritual matters, for he wrote, “I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Well of Salvation”. And the Well is deep. The simple truth may be on the surface, but to really know the love of God one must reach deeply into the Well. There will we find the profound teaching of the Spirit and the sublime wonders of the divine purpose which have come down the ages of time and flowed into the well of Salvation; there also will we find the strength to continue in the way of life undisturbed by the problems and perplexities with which we are surrounded; and there, too, will we find that peace which the world can neither give nor take away from us. Indeed, the well is deep, and to us comes the challenge, “Thou bast nothing to draw with”. How say you? It becomes a direct challenge to those who are ill-equipped to reach the water of life. I suppose none of us thinks he is not equipped and that he is just as well equipped as any other, yet the fact remains that, whatever our knowledge, it is only too apparent that not all are drawing out of the well of salvation sufficient of the Water of Life to be able to say, “For me to live is Christ—Christ in me—the Hope of Glory”.
The woman of Samaria was very quick to challenge Jesus and she sought to give the impression that she was well-informed regarding the history and beliefs of her people, but her thoughts were on the surface material. When Jesus said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I give shall never thirst”, she did not perceive any spiritual significance therein. Her request showed that she was concerned more with the temporal things of life, for she replied, -Sir, give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw”. She was told, among other things, “They that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth”.
Thus we may conclude that only such, giving a full life of service and devotion to the Lord, are able to reach deep into the Well of Living Water. The challenge of the woman of Samaria, and so long ago, is the challenge to Christadelphia today: “Thou past nothing to draw with and the well is deep!”
Are you able to accept that challenge?
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay