“A large stone was on the well’s mouth. Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well’s mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well’s mouth”. Genesis 29: 2-3
Wells had great significance in Bible times. They sustained life for families and communities. In a dry, desolate land you would not survive without a well. No water flowing means no life. Normally when people came to unoccupied land they would dig a well and it would become a lifeline for the community and also a landmark for weary strangers. Wells were very deep; they came right out of the earth. They were places of refreshment, places where people would gather. Places where people were nourished and sustained. In a spiritual sense they were often associated with God’s blessing and in today’s verse we are introduced to what came to be known as Jacob’s Well.
If you know the story of Jacob, you will remember that he was an interesting character. He deceives his Father and his brother and claims his brother’s birthright and blessing. Thus, his brother threatens to kill him and he ends up being forced to flee for his life. Next, we find him alone, on the run, and it is in this place that he has a dream of “a ladder (that) was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28 v 12)
This is a prophetic picture of Jesus the Messiah who would be the bridge to bring heaven to earth and provide people with a way back to their Heavenly Father. Following this in chapter 39 we find Jacob at the well. The shepherds have gathered around to water their sheep but the stone has not been lifted from the top of the well. Jacob meets a young shepherdess called Rachel. He knows this is his Uncles daughter. He removes the stone for her and then the sheep are watered. Now think about the imagery here. The stone (symbolising the law) is removed and the people receive water (signifying life). This encounter sparks the beginning of Jacob’s relationship with Rachel. Jacob, though underserving, finds favour and meets his future wife. This relationship with Rachel and her family will be the start of a new family through whom the nation of Israel, and ultimately the Messiah, will come.
So, let’s take a minute to think about all these events and why they are so significant in the book of John and for us today.
Jesus, the Messiah, the one who steps down from heaven, visits this same well centuries later. He meets a woman there. This woman is an outcast, rejected by her own community. Like Jacob she doesn’t believe she deserves to receive favour from the Lord. But she finds the source of true life at the well and is given the opportunity to enter into a new family - the family of God. Grace is poured out on this Samaritan woman at this gathering place. Signifying that grace is now available to all people for all time.
Today, wherever you are at, Jesus has stepped out of heaven and into your world. He comes to meet you and bless you and give you life, not because you deserve it or have earned it but because He loves you and is faithful. He desires to see you living a life of fullness, wholeness and vitality as you draw deep from the well of his love.
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020