The Woman at the Well - Draw

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With the agility of a seasoned politician, feeling the heat of conviction and its accompanying embarrassment becoming too strong, she endeavoured to change the subject. The reader will kindly observe how politicians have the ability to transfer the heat from themselves, focusing it on an unsuspecting third party.

Said she, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain." 

1 Corinthians 2:9-14 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

There would certainly be no point in Jesus telling me to go and get my husband. I don't have one. I have never had one. I'm sure that in the future I will never have one.

To the rich young ruler, Jesus never said, "Get your husband!" He didn't have one either. However, if this man would know the abundant waters from the well of life, Jesus, in consistency with his requirement of the Woman at the Well, must POINT to the individual depth within him. 

Mark 10: 17-22 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these I have observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, ONE THING THOU LACKEST: go thy way, SELL WHATSOEVER THOU HAST, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: FOR HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS.

The young man turned down the offer of eternal life. To him the price was too steep. The cost was too great. Jesus loved him, but kindly observe that He allowed this young ruler to walk away. He did not follow him, pleading with him to change his mind. Each person must come the same way, counting the same cost. Only then can the waters of life flow through him. This candidate for the LIVING WATER was simply not hungry enough. How like many today.

Jesus knew where to point His finger precisely to activate the deep, in the spirit of the Woman at the Well. He knew exactly where to touch the rich young ruler. He has touched me where it was necessary for me. My precious friend, I know on the strength of these illustrations that He knows exactly where to place His finger on your life. I think you do also. If you are tired of your shallow, meaningless expression of Christianity, approach the Master as this woman did. He will receive you. Ask Him to show you what is required to enter another realm in Christian experience. Believe me, He will show you. Be prepared to count the cost, to pay the price. When you desire the waters of life more than any other interest, you will receive. But not until then! Allow Him to touch you. Allow Him to show you. Allow Him to unclog the hindrances to the well, and the abundance of living waters flowing from your innermost being will indeed be yours.

The mountain referred to in this section of Scripture is Mount Gerizim, the mountain upon which half the tribes of Israel recited the blessings. The other was Mount Ebal, the mount where the curses were recited. I could not help but notice and subsequently remark on the fact that when I was in the holy land in 1975, all the houses in the area were located on Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessing. In vivid contrast, none appeared on Mount Ebal! How true this is of man's nature. He will take good from God, but not bad. He accepts the positive and rejects the negative. He embraces the blessings and spurns the curses. Consider the popular promise boxes. All Scriptures found in them are of a positive nature. There is not one negative word from God to be found therein. How lopsided man is. In the natural realm, every school boy knows that positive and negative are required for the flow of electricity. Without this dual concept there can be no current! By all means accentuate the positive, but do not disregard the negative.

Matthew 16:21-27 From that time forth Jesus began to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall loose it: and whosoever will loose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and loose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

One is to recall that this rebuke immediately follows a revelation from the Holy Ghost that "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God!"

There is a serious challenge to all who would follow the Master: "Let him DENY HIMSELF, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS, and FOLLOW ME." This is the price. This is the cost. This is what it means to allow the Spirit of God to touch the deep within the human breast.

Luke 14:25-35 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it. Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, this man, began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war with another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speaketh as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive GOOD at the hand of God, and shall we not receive EVIL? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

If Jesus is the Lily of the Valley, and He is, how can He be found on the top of a mountain?

Water finds its own level. It always runs to the lowest point. This speaks of the majestic quality of humility. 

For every three mountain tops (experiences in God), there are FOUR VALLEYS! There are not many teachers who will point this out or even attempt to explain this.

 

1 2 3 [Three Mountain Tops]

 

1 2 3 4 [Four Valleys]

 

JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF! Let the believer do likewise. Perhaps he should endeavour to fall on the rock in an effort to be broken, rather than have it fall on him and grind him to powder.

Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

God knows only too well how to humble a person.

Philippians 2:7-11 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Our Lord now proceeds to explain that the true worship of God knows no geographical limitation. One can be as close to God at the South Pole, or in the midst of an African jungle, as he can in a cathedral, church building, or the grave where the body of Jesus lay for three days and three nights.

People have said to me, "It must have been wonderful to see the place where Jesus lay."

I respond, "Yes it was." To think this is the very place where the dead body of Jesus lay for three days and three nights. I spoke in tongues at this site and prayed for all the people in the church I was then pastoring. Yet, in regard to all this, would you like to know something? You can worship God anywhere. Do you know that I feel as close to God right here, in Brisbane, Australia, as I did in the holy land? You see, God is omnipresent, that means He is all over the world at one time. He is a Spirit.

It is because this is so that He can be in all places throughout His mighty universe at the same time! Yes, I have been to Israel, and will probably go again. Do you understand that deep in the heart of man there exists a desire to make pilgrimages? There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Only please don't do it in an effort to get closer to God or to somehow seek His favour by this means. You cannot notch up points with Him in this manner. It simply doesn't work that way. My friend, believe this with all your heart.