What A Well Teaches Me about Jesus (Genesis 23-26)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Why are there so many “well meetings” in Scripture, and is there anything significant about these encounters?

Wells in the Bible are similar to grocery stores or gas stations today. They were the center of activity in a community, and communities revolved around them. Without water, everything else in society fell apart. In the Bible, we have several critical well encounters. One of these is in Genesis 24, when Abraham’s servant travels to find a wife for his son Isaac.

Keep in mind the customs of that day meant life was very different. For example, in verse 2, Abraham tells his servant to place his hand under his thigh, meaning he wants him to touch his genitals.

At first glance, this appears very strange, but Gordon Wenham notes there is more to the story. He writes,

“Since the OT particularly associates God with life (see the symbolism of the sacrificial law) and Abraham had been circumcised as a mark of the covenant, placing his hand under Abraham’s thigh made an intimate association with some fundamental religious ideas. An oath by the seat of procreation is particularly apt in this instance, when it concerns the finding of a wife for Isaac.”^[1]

Once again, we see this two-fold narrative unfold. There is the plain narrative we read where Abraham’s servant meets Rebecca and sees she is the one for Isaac. Wenham notes, “In this era ‘camels’ were relatively rare, and to take ‘ten’ suggests Abraham’s great wealth.”^[2] With thirsty camels consuming upwards of 25 gallons after a week’s travel,^[3] Rebecca’s actions are extraordinary. Robert Alter points out that Rebekah is “a continuous whirl of purposeful activity. In four short verses (Gen. 24:16, 18–20), she is the subject of eleven verbs of action and one of speech.”^[4]

That’s one part of the story. But the grander revelation of this narrative is that God is keeping his promises. Also, when we step back, we see that this “well narrative” is just one of several in Scripture. Isaac’s son Jacob eventually meets his wife Rachel, and Moses meets his wife Zipporah at a well. Looking closer at these accounts, we see some fascinating patterns, leaving Carissa Quinn to write that “their resemblance cannot be chalked up to mere coincidence.

Rather, it seems that the authors have carefully crafted these stories to follow a certain pattern.”[5] Quinn goes on to say, “Through their similarities, these stories connect the figures to one another by the same historical and theological thread. In other words, like Isaac and Rebekah, so also Jacob and then Moses will lead the nation in their covenant relationship with Yahweh.”[6]

A Meditation to PRAY

Praise | Lord, thank you for always doing what you say you will do and answering as you promise you will answer.

Release | Thank you for the immediate reassurance this story offers. I release to you the fears I might have of my children or friends who are preparing for marriage.

Ask | I ask you to guide my choices even as you guided Abraham, his servant, and Rebecca.

Yield | I surrender my thoughts of how my life needs to play out and trust you to show me your way.

A Challenge to Act Like Christ  

Of course, the most famous well story in Scripture is John 4, when Jesus meets a woman from Samaria. Keep in mind that when they read this story, the average Jewish reader’s mind would go to the previous “well marriage accounts” in the Old Testament. But that’s where we see a dramatic twist. Carissa Quinn writes,

But rather than one woman becoming married, she convinces many people in her community to follow her and join themselves with Jesus. This joining is the final element of the well-meeting pattern and is framed as a bond between two parties. In fact, Jesus is referred to as the “groom” in the chapter just before (John 3:27-30). However, this is a different kind of bond than a marriage between two people. Jesus’ message to the woman and her people is that he, the Messiah, is offering true life, living water, to anyone who would join themselves with him. Just like the waters that flowed out of Eden from the tree of life, so Jesus is offering life to all who would unite themselves with him in a symbolic and everlasting union.[7]

This is what makes the person of Jesus so extraordinary. Isaac, Jacob, and Moses were imperfect bridegrooms, but Jesus was the perfect bridegroom. And when we place our hope in him, we will never thirst again.

*Unless you specify otherwise, comments and questions you ask may be featured in upcoming podcast episodes.

^[1] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 141.

^[2] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 16–50, vol. 2, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1994), 141.

^[3]Life Application Study Bible, Accordance electronic ed. (Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004), paragraph 853.

[4] Robert Alter, Art of Biblical Narrative, pp. 53–54.

[5] Carissa Quinn, “Jesus Offers Living Water and… Marriage?” The Bible Project, https://bibleproject.com/articles/jesus-offers-living-water-and-marriage/ (accessed December 9, 2023).

[6] Carissa Quinn, “Jesus Offers Living Water and… Marriage?” The Bible Project, https://bibleproject.com/articles/jesus-offers-living-water-and-marriage/ (accessed December 9, 2023).

[7] https://bibleproject.com/articles/jesus-offers-living-water-and-marriage/