At The Well

The Isaac record in Genesis 26 is very interesting. Isaac dug a lot of wells. Wells were and still are extremely important in that area for livestock, farming and life in general. Abraham's wells had been filled in with earth by the Philistines. Isaac re-dug them and renamed them by the names his father had used. His servants dug a well in the valley of Gerar. Herdsmen needed water for their flocks and the herdsmen of Gerar contended with Isaac for the well so he called this well Esek ('strife'or 'contention'). When they dug the next well the same thing happened, so Isaac called the well Sitnah (opposition, hostility and accusation). Finally he dug Rehoboth.

Genesis 26:22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.

This record brought to mind a section in the New Testament referring to Isaac's son Jacob's well: 

John 4:12-14 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I always get goosebumps when I read those verses. Jesus Christ was making a beautiful illustration about who he was and he meant for her life. She lived in Samaria. Samaria was a  city in the northern part of Israel. In the Old Testament, Assyria conquered the inhabitants of that region and had taken them captive to Assyria, replacing them in the region of Samaria with five foreign tribes (II Kings:17:23-24) each having their own gods to worship. When the captives came home they intermixed with these tribes. They became a group of people who were looked down upon by the Judeans who thought they themselves were the true descendants of Judaism. The Samaritans were shunned and considered a half-breed to those who lived in Judea.

Ever since I can remember, sitting in church as a child, I have wondered so many things about God. It wasn't until I focused on the Word of God that I felt that I had any solid answers. I found out about Jesus Christ and his implications to the spiritual life. He is the way, the truth and the reality of the fountain of living waters. We receive the very nature of God in the gift of holy spirit through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ to the right hand of God.

I spent time looking into many different types of churches: small groups, large groups, organic churches, traditional churches, non-denominational, and mainline churches. I went from well to well to test the waters. Sometimes I found wells that were filled with earthy things. Sadly, I also found wells that involved strife, hostility and accusation. Religion can be cruel and confusing at times. Finally, I found Rehoboth in truly understanding the Lordship of Jesus Christ! It was the beginning of sonship and the end of feeling shunned or being labeled as a half-breed.

True discipleship is not about sheep lapping the muddied waters of religious rituals. True discipleship comes from digging one's own well in the Word and expecting crystal clear bubbling water from the fountain. Sometimes we get help from other fellow-seekers. Sometimes we feel very much on our own. Regardless, God always provides what we need!

Isaiah 12:2-3 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.