Sunday, March 27, 2011

Men's Bible Study, Third Sunday in Lent: H2O and More





EXODUS 17: 1-7 - Do you Thirst?- Not all about water

Moses is dealing with his wandering and very disappointed Israelite band. They are at Rephidam (Wadi Feran), an oases, 20 miles north of Mount Sinai. This is normally a well watered, fertile valley; however, Moses and the tribes found it dry. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and live stock with thirst?” The band is weary of all the wanderings; they are losing faith in Moses’ leadership which was not that great to begin with. In desperation, Moses calls on God for deliverance. What to do? God gives Moses explicit orders:

Go to Horeb (the lower slopes of Mount Sinai)

Bring the elders with you ahead of the masses

Strike the rock with your walking staff when you see me at Horeb and water will appear.

There are parallel writings about this trial and bringing water in Numbers 20: 2-13, the major differences are that Moses disobeyed the orders, striking the rock two times. Because of the lack of faith and trust in the Lord, God tells Moses, because you did not trust in me you will not bring this bunch of quarreling people into the Promised Land. Religious scholars debate the nuances of Exodus and Numbers, noting they are compilations of oral traditions, written at different times and removed from the actual events. Although they focus on Moses, he is not the author of either book.

A Rabbinical legend (also see Paul’s First letter to the Corinthians, 10:4) has this water-rock following the tribes of Israel showing God’s providence, in spite of their obstinacies. Paul looks at it as a form of grace flowing from the rock. It is in modern Christian tune: “God is flowing like a river, flowing out through you and me.” In the end of the passage, Moses names this site: Massah –Meribeth to distinguish the event of the Israelites bickering and testing God. The theme of thirst, water, and dependence will flow from this reading into the Gospel. Water is important, thirst can mean different things.

Romans 5: 1-11- Being Kept Safe from God’s Anger

Here is Paul speaking about faith, endurance, hardship, and pouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts. All of these components relate to the Trials & Tribulation at Massah –Meribeth, as well as the forth coming interaction of Jesus with a lady at a well near Sychar.

John 4: 5-42- Living Water

Jesus is on his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, to do so; he had to pass through Samaria. Along the way, tired and thirsty he took a break at Jacob’s well near the village of Sychar (known today as Askar), it is two miles ENE of Nablus and half a mile north of Jacob’s well. They arrived at mid-day and the disciples headed into Sychar to get some food. Jesus hung out at the well. A woman from Sychar with the intention to get some water comes upon Jesus. The conventional stereotyping has it that this woman is from the wrong side of the tracks in Sychar and was not allowed to use the well in town. This passage is one if not the longest dialog between Jesus and a very interesting person. Remember in last week’s Gospel Jesus had a lengthy discussion about being born again in the spirit with Nicodemus, a learned Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. In a social context, this was not a big deal, but we note that Nicodemus came to Jesus under the cover of darkness. The Samaritan lady was out and about at noon in the bright sunlight. Also of note, the mores of the day were that a Rabbi would not speak or be seen with a woman, and especially not a woman of Samaria (Jews despised Samaritans). If that were not bad enough, the lady had gone through five husbands. Jesus takes a great risk in the eyes of the time in having conversation with the woman. This is an occasion where we see that this Messiah is not limiting his message to a select group. Even the disciples were astonished that Jesus had gotten involved with the Samaritan woman and tried to get him to disengage.

“You don’t know what God wants to give you, and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for water that gives life.” We are back to thirst, water being a metaphor for quenching a different thirst, a thirsty soul. The discourse continues with a pattern of misunderstanding about living water. The woman is taking in the information in as literal facts and Jesus is explaining spiritually what he is offering. At the time, living water would mean, a bubbly brook. Jacob’s well was about 100 ft deep and water slowly seeped out of the rocks and collected in a pool at the bottom of the well. A person had to dispatch leather vessel on a cord to the pool to collect water. This would not be living water. Finally, Jesus says to the woman, No one who drinks of this water will get thirsty again, a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” And in a second, the woman responds, Give me some.

The passage goes on and on, in the end, many of the lady’s neighbors in Sychar come to know Jesus as their Lord and savior.

Posted by Walt Jaap

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