The Depth Of A Well

Posted on August 7, 2018 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

“Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver. And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.” — Genesis 33:19-20 (NLT2)

If only reconciliation was as simple as handing someone a glass of cool water, right? But sometimes it isn’t and it’s in those times where one of two things about ourselves show themselves. The first one is that we get ourselves feeling unworthy to have reconciliation happen because of the gravity of the wrong that was done and guilt of it has its grip on us. The second one is where we have exalted ourselves to a pseudo position of authority then proclaim that reconciliation will not happen because of the gravity of the wrong that was done and want the grip of guilt upon the offender.

None the matter of the two sides, to not seek and accept reconciliation as you claim Christ as Lord and Savior only serves to leaving us knee deep in this verse, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20). Now, go ahead and say “ouch” …I just did. Reconciliation has always been God’s number 1 mission with His creation. If that wasn’t the case then there would have been no need for Jesus to be sent to intercede on our behalf.

The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman is one of those moments in the Biblical timeline that has the depth of the very well this moment takes place at. Now for those of us who know the story see this moment as Jesus dealing with a person who has deep rooted sin in their life and needs the “living water” that Jesus provides. As my friend and author, Pastor John Mol, wrote in his book, Jesus: The Revolutionary, “When the Samaritan woman in John 4 left her village late in the morning to retrieve water from Jacob’s well, she was an individual in bondage due to her past moral failures and the opinions of others. After her conversation with Jesus she returned to her village differently than she left because she was free.”

When we read this on the surface we see the compassion of Jesus who knew full well the gravity of the wrong this woman was involved in. This moment shows us all that Jesus is gonna meet us at our level of need and forgive us. But there is more to Jacob’s well than just this one woman…there is Jacob himself.

Jacob was from the days of ancient past and for the Jews and the Samaritans he is a man worthy of their respect. This was because both Jew and Samaritan used ancestry and lineage as a measuring stick and Jacob was father to them all. And even though both parties would recognize that their lineage goes back to him, it would eventually be the Samaritans at the well doing the reminiscing before the arrival of Jesus. So, I scratched my head and wondered, “Why would this be?”

Well as with everything we search out in Scripture, we need to go back into the past or dig into it like we were digging a well. So, when it comes to Jacob we gotta look back and dig deep because Jacob has quite the story to look at. The first recorded event is in the womb of mother, Rebekah. Apparently when she inquired of the LORD what was going on, He simply replied, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples will be separated from your body; and one people shall be stronger than the other; and the older shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:23).

So, as I wonder what I just got myself into I would ask you ponder something today. For a nation like Israel, once united then divided and its future left unreconciled for centuries, how can you see this at play in your life today? Yes, we can look at the external and say our country can be found in this but a country isn’t a country without it’s individuals reconciled one to another.

In the very womb of Rebekah there laid a struggle that would harbor a reconciliation that was only superficial and temporary thus leaving division among the people. We need to look at that and realize that when we choose to take up one of the positions I stated earlier we take hostages with us. One act of rebellion leads to separation and the only thing that changes that is surrender. If Jesus can surrender His life on our behalf, who are we not to do that same? Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Zephaniah 1-3 |You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “The Bible lets us know how far sinful mankind is from a holy God. Sin has dug a vast separating gulf. Christ has become the Mediator. By the giving of Himself in death, He stands between God and sinners. He shows us that by His death He has made effective God’s testament, God’s will.” — Aiden Wilson Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12