Jan 2016
Recently I have been reading through the 4 books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as a "Harmony of the Gospels." It's pretty neat to do this, as the sequence of events in these biographies of the Lord is put together in a step by step way.
In John 4 is the account of the Samaritan (a group despised by the Jews) woman...one who had made many bad choices with morality, and was somewhat shunned by the other women in her town. But the account reads, "He needed to go through Samaria." He, Jesus the Messiah, had a divine appointment with such a woman!...and it took place by a well.
I have been impacted with the "well scenario" before. In Gen 24, Eliezer the servant, at a well found Rebeccah, the bride for Isaac the son; Jacob later met his bride at the well in Gen 29; Moses met his bride at a well in Ex. 2; and Solomon's Shulamite bride is described as "a spring shut up, a fountain sealed...a well of living waters" in S of S 4:8.
----and now, in John 4 we read how our Lord met a woman by Jacob's well. And He initiates the relationship, speaking these words, "If you knew the gift of God, and Who it is Who says to you...you would have asked...and He would have given you living water." And a few verses later He says, "...whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst...the water I shall give will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
There are so many verses in the Word of God about flowing water, and wells! In John 7 Jesus cries out saying, "If anyone thirsts come to Me and drink...out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water!" And in the last chapter of the last book, Revelation 22 we read, "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come!...And let him who thirsts come...take the water of life freely."
The Bible can be likened to a huge puzzle, with pieces that we can diligently pour over, and then put together to form an amazing picture. As I was reading, and recalling the above verses my mind also went to Ps 46 where it says, "There is a river, whose streams (flowing) shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the most high." And again in Eph 2 where the Word says, "the whole building...grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in Whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
Even in the beginning Adam was placed in a garden with several rivers flowing; and in that setting God "built" a woman of whom Adam said, "Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh...she was taken out of man!" (out of his side) Finally at the cross, something flowed out of the Lord's side...blood and water! for redeeming us and for building His Bride.
Can you see this Divine, incredible picture?! God initiates a relationship with us. He calls us into the fellowship of His Son, and after placing His very life within us, begins to flow like living water into, and out of us! As we co-operate with this; "drinking Him in, and allowing Him to flow out freely from," He is invisibly building His forever temple...where the Triune God will live eternally with His purchased and matured believers---His Bride!
