Submitted by Dr. GP

Theme:  Jesus the well.

Text:  Our text is taken from John 4:5.— “Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey sat thus on the well .”

And “Now Jacob’s well was there” ( John 4:6).

We will proceed using the TYPOLOGICAL method of Bible study

The “well” of the Old Testament Scriptures definitely foreshadowed Christ and what is to be found in Him.

Let us observe how some of the Old Testament passages where the “well” is mentioned, and discover how they foreshadowed Jesus the “Well”,   the One who gave the water of life to the woman of Samaria, at Sychar’s well as recorded in John 4. May our eyes be enabled to behold “wondrous things” out of God’s word..

Not only is each typical picture perfect, but the order in which they are found demonstrates  Divine design.

 1 Jesus the “Well”  is the place of meeting between the Savior and the sinner.

The first time the word “well” is mentioned in Scripture, is in Genesis 16:6,7,13,14.

6But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

13And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

First, note that the “fountain of water” of verse 7 is termed the “well” in verse 14.

It was the place where the angel of the Lord found the poor outcast Hagar.

Similarly, Christ, the “well” of salvation, is where God meets the sinner, for “no man cometh unto the Father” but by Him. (John 6:44; John 14:6)

Second, this well was located in the wilderness.

The “wilderness” well is a good and fit symbol of this world, which perfectly. depicts the state of heart we were in when we first met Christ!

Third , the “well” was the place where God was revealed to Hagar, who called it, “the well of him that liveth and seeth me.” This reminds us that  Christ is the Revealer of God — “He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

 

2. Jesus the “Well”  is the place of spiritual discernment or understanding

In Genesis 21:14-19 we read, ¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵ And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

¹⁶ And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bow shot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

¹⁹ And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

Notice that again, we have before us Hagar, an outcast, whose water was spent, for she had only “a bottle”, and who like the prodigal son, “began to be in want.” As she sat weeping having cast away her child to die, she was a picture of the poor, desolate, despairing sinner! But the Lord “opened her eyes,” so that she might see the “well” that had been there all the time! And so it was with us. We would not have discovered the One of whom the “well” here speaks, unless, the Holy Spirit of God, had  opened our eyes to see Jesus as the One who alone could meet our desperate and deep need for salvation.  We read in Proverbs 20:12-— “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.”

Also in John 5:20 we are told, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding , that (in order that) we may know Him that is true.”

 

3. Jesus  the “Well”  is the place of the “covenant” and “the oath”

In Genesis 21:27-31 the “well” is presented as the place of the “covenant” (verse 27), which was ratified by an “oath” (verse 31), as is corroborated by Hebrews 7:20-22.

 “And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well. Wherefore he called that place the well of the oath ; because there they sware both of them” .

We read in Hebrews 7:20-22? — “And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament [covenant ].”

The covenant and the oath speak of that which tells of the sure ground upon which our eternal preservation rests. From hereon, every reference to the “well” has that connected with it which is appropriate of believers only.

4. Jesus the “Well”   is the place of prayer, where the believer approaches the Father in the name of Christ, of whom the “well” speaks.

In Genesis 24:10-12 we read, “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day.”

5. Jesus the “Well”   is the place of rest in Christ in the “green pastures” into which the good Shepherd leads His own c.f Psalm 23.

 In Genesis 29:1-3 we read, “Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. And he looked, and beheld a well in the field, and, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks.”

This is very beautiful and striking contrast between this typical scene and the first that we looked at in Genesis 16. There, where the sinner first meets Christ, the “well” is located in the wilderness — a picture of the barrenness and desolation of the sinner. But here, the “well” is found in the field with three flocks lying and resting by this “well.” This  suggests the “green pastures” into which the good Shepherd leads His own, and their position of  lying and resting by this “well,”denoting the rest which Christ gives His own. It is only in Christ that the believer finds rest.

6.  Jesus the “Well” is the place of refuge

In Exodus 2:5-17 we are told, “Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses.. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.”

In this marvelous type, we see Pharaoh the king of Egypt as he prefigures Satan as the god of this world, attacking and seeking to destroy the believer. Often times the great Enemy seeks to frighten us and gets us on the run. When Moses “fled” from Pharaoh to Midian, the next  thing that we read of Moses is, that  “he sat down by a well.” Thank God there is One to whom we can flee for refuge — the Lord Jesus Christ to whom the “well” pointed.

To this well the daughters of Jethro also came, for water.  But the shepherds came and drove them away. How many of the “under- shepherds” today are, by their infidelistic teaching, driving many away from Christ. Nevertheless, God still has a Moses here and there, who will “stand up and help ” those who really desire the Water of Life. But be it noted, before we can “help” others we must first be resting on the well for ourselves, as Moses was.

7. Jesus the “Well”  is the object of song and praise.

“And from thence they went to Be-er: that is the well whereof the Lord spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. Then Israel sang this song, Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it” (Numbers 21: 16-17).

The well is here  personified, and  made the object of song. It evokes praise.  All believers ought to be “singing” unto the “Well.”

8. Jesus the “Well”  is the place of shelter and protection for believers cf Colossians 3:3

In  2 Samuel 17:17-1 we observe : “Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David. Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court: whither they went down . And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known ”.

Here we find the “well” providing shelter and protection for God’s people. Notice there was a “covering” over its mouth, so that Jonathan and Ahimaaz were hidden in the well. So it is with the believer — Paul writes in Colossians 3:3 “your life is hid with Christ in God.

The last sentence quoted above is noteworthy, “And the thing was not known!” The world is in complete ignorance of the believer’s place and portion in Christ!

9. Jesus the “Well”  is the only source of satisfying water for the believer

“And David longed, and said, O that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” ( 2 Samuel 23:15). Nothing but water from the well of Bethlehem would satisfy David. Nothing but water from Jesus the “Well”  will satisfy the believer either.

10. Jesus the “Well”  is the personal source of satisfying water for each believer

Proverbs 5:15 asserts   “Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.” What a blessed climax is this. The “well” is our own, and from its “running waters” we are invited to “drink.”

This study has been unspeakably blessed as it gives meaning to our text from John 4:6.— “Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey sat thus on the well .”

There are three things that we must consider, in connection with this particular “well” which speaks of the character of that Salvation which is found in Christ.

“Now Jacob’s well was there” ( John 4:6).

First , this well was purchased by Jacob, or more accurately speaking, the “field” in which the well was located was purchased by him. “And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram; and pitched his tent before the city. And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money” ( Genesis 33:18-19).

The word “Sychar” in John 4:6 means purchased . This well was  thus  a well-chosen and suited place for Christ to speak to that woman of the “gift of God,” which cost Him everything.

Second , the “parcel of ground” in which was this well, was afterwards taken by Joseph with “sword and bow;…. And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers. Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow” ( Genesis 48:21,22) — that this is the same “parcel of ground” referred to in Genesis 33 is clear from John 4:5.

 The reference in Genesis 48 is apparently to a later date than what is in view in Genesis 33. The Amorites were seeking to rob Jacob of his well, and therefore an appeal to arms was necessary. This, we believe, fore shadowed the present interval, during which the Holy Spirit (while Satan is yet the “Prince of this world” and ever seeks to oppose and keep believers-God’s Jacobs away from the “well”) is bringing salvation to souls by means of the “sword” ( Hebrews 4:12).

Third, this portion purchased by Jacob, and later secured by means of the “sword and bow,” was given to Joseph (see Genesis 48:21-22). This became a part of Joseph’s “birthright,” for said Jacob “I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren.” This ought to have been given to Reuben, Jacob’s “firstborn,” but through his fall into grievous sin it was transferred to Joseph (see 1 Chronicles 5:1).

How marvelously accurate the type! Christ the second Man takes the inheritance which the first man Adam forfeited and lost through sin!

 Putting these three together, we have: the “well” purchased, the “well” possessed, the “well” enjoyed.

LET US ENJOY THE “WELL” TODAY AS WE SING TO HIM-  JESUS THE “WELL”