The Woman of Samaria.
Zion's Advocate, Vol. 41, No. 3, March 1902.The curiosity of this woman was greatly aroused, but she was still ignorant of the greatness and power of the wonderful being who was sitting on the well. Knowing only of the literal water in the well, and seeing that he had no means of procuring that, she asked him where this "living water" came from. She doubted his being greater than the patriarch Jacob who gave the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children and cattle. The ancient account of that noted patriarch was regarded by his descendants with great respect. He had lived over eighteen hundred years before Jesus was born! With him God had dealt most graciously and wonderfully. But he that sat on the well was the "Ancient of days" himself. Even before Abraham was, he existed. Long before the "morning stars sang together" he lived in the bosom of the Father. As personified wisdom he was declared by Solomon to be "set up from everlasting, or ever the earth was." Truly his antiquity far excelled that of Jacob, while he was as much greater in wisdom and power as infinity is greater than finiteness.
He did not yet reveal himself to the woman, but proceeded to set
forth the durable effects of the "living water" as compared with the transient effects of the water she had come to draw. "Whosoever drinketh of this water," said he, "shall thirst again." Many perish from thirst though they had often slaked their thirst by draughts of literal water. We cannot live long here without water, but it will not prolong life a moment beyond the set limit of earthly existence. Kind hands often moisten the lips of the dying after the power to swallow is lost, but no vitality is imparted thereby, neither is the icy grasp of death loosened. But Jesus is able to give water, the durable effects of which are such that the burning thirst of those who drink it is forever driven away.
That water, when once given, remains within forever. It is within, not as a periodical spring which depends upon the winds and clouds, and which may or may not issue forth as the seasons are favorable or unfavorable. It is not only in him to whom it is given, at the time it is given, but Jesus declares "it shall be in him." There is no end to the futurity of the verb shall be in this passage. "It shall be in him a well of water." But may not the well go dry? No, indeed, for then it would be a well without water, and not a well of water. The reservoir of this well is inexhaustible, and its connection with the well can never be broken. Besides he declares it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. A person in a well might get out of it, and get away from it, but he could not get out of a well if it were in him, neither could he get away from it. Wherever the recipient of this living water may wander the well is with him for it is in him. He is a "spring shut up, a fountain sealed." The springing up of this well is continuous even to everlasting life, so he that drinks of the "living water" shall live forever. No poor sinner will ever perish who has received a draught of this water.
This water cannot be purchased, it is given given without money and without price. Only the rich can afford the luxuries of this world, for it takes money to purchase them. The poor are often hard-pressed to procure the bare necessities of life. But only the poor in spirit can obtain the living water. Oh! how good the Lord is to provide for the poor and needy! Lost and ruined sinners are received by him and furnished with that which satisfies their anxious desires, the gracious benefits of which will last through all eternity. All who thirst for this water receive it. "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." What encouragement this is to the thirsty! Not one, who has ever thirsted for the living water, shall ever be in hell.
The woman said, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not." The
sincerity of this petition we would have had no reason to doubt had she not said, "neither come hither to draw." Then, to cause her mind to reflect upon her own wretchedness, and to show her that he knew what a sinner she was, he said to her, "Go call thy husband, and come hither." In replying that she had no husband she expressed an unintentional truth. Her design was to mislead him and evade the request he had made. How vain it is to suppose that we can hide our guilt from him, or escape his judgment by the cunning artifice of sophistry! He looks into the most secret recesses of the human heart, and reads every act in connection with its causes and consequences. To the surprise and shame of this woman he revealed to her what she was and what she had been. We believe she saw her corruption then, not only by the light of the vocal words he uttered,
but also by the illumination of the Spirit which quickens.
Desiring to draw him away from the line of conversation that was so distressing to her, she attempted to introduce an argument in regard to the place where God was to be truly worshipped. She seemed to think that God is localized, and that the particular place where he is to be worshipped is of great importance. In this she was not very different from some modern worshippers, who seem to think that God is to be wheeled about on the vehicle of the gospel. With what skillful wisdom did the Saviour draw a spiritual lesson from this statement of hers! He pictured the inferiority, in a national sense, of the Samaritans to the Jews, by saying, "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews." In this he taught that the legal service belonged to the Jews and not to the Samaritans. But he gave her a more important truth than that regarding the true, spiritual worship of God. How forcible must these words have been as they came from his lips: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." The Mosaic service, which the Jews were authorized to render, and which the Samaritans pretended to render, was to be set aside as having its fulfillment in the meek and lowly one who was sitting on the well! God, the Father, is a Spirit. He must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.
True worshippers only will be accepted. None are true worshippers except such as worship in spirit and in truth. To worship in that way we must have the Spirit. Then before the first act of true worship is rendered we must have the Spirit to enable us to render such worship. Ungodly sinners, who are dead in trespasses and sins, cannot worship in order to get the Spirit, because that would be to render true worship before true worship could be rendered. This nut the Arminian world will never be able to crack, even if they succeed in moulding a sledge hammer ten thousand times as heavy as any ever wielded by their giants.
As we write this, we think of our own worship, and wonder if it is ever true. We worship God, we say. But oh! do we worship him in spirit and in truth? How very fearful we are! God is a Spirit! He is the great, invisible influence that pervades the hearts of his true worshippers. Formal display may present an attractive appearance, but
"All is not gold that glitters."
One thing we know, we do crave to worship God acceptably. To enter into the true spirit of the hymns we sing, so as to sing them with the Spirit and with the understanding also; to pray to him with a conscious feeling of his holy presence and approbation; to draw near to him in all our service, stripped of all selfish motives and actuated by his Spirit alone; this is what we long for as the hart pants for the water brook. O Lord, strip us of every disposition to fear or to please our fellow beings, and qualify us to worship thee in spirit and in truth. Our prayer is that God may arouse his dear people everywhere, revive his precious cause, and enable his beloved Zion to bloom with heavenly beauty and to send forth the sweet perfume of his praise and glory.
"The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things." Look, dear readers, at the two. There he sat on the well a pure being there she stood a guilty wretch. She had seen herself in her pollution, but her eyes had not yet been opened to see him who was able to remove her guilt and make her clean and white. It is true she saw the man on the well, but she saw him not yet as her Saviour. How vast the contrast between the two! How wonderful to think that she would finally be made as pure as he! Thus before the remedy is made known the disease is described. Conviction for sin comes with the quickening work of the Holy Spirit; subsequently Jesus reveals himself as the precious, loving Saviour. He did not leave the poor woman in the dark, but said to her, when she spoke of the Messiah, the Christ, "I that speak unto thee am he." She must have believed him at once, for she was in such haste to spread the news that she left her water-pot, and went her way into the city. The joy that filled her heart when she knew she was permitted to look upon the promised Saviour, caused her to forget the errand upon which she had come to the well. The child of God loses sight of earthly things when favored with a glorious revelation of the blessed Jesus.
"As by the light of opening day,
The stars are all concealed,
So earthly objects fade away
When Jesus is revealed."
Its objects now no longer please,
No more content afford;
Far from my heart be joys like these,
Since I have seen the Lord."
J. R. D.
Copyright c. 2005. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
