5 Incredible Ways Isaac’s Wells Connect with the Gospel Message

The men who tended cattle in Gerar took issue with Isaac’s cattle herders as they tried to dig a well. They claimed that the water was theirs (Genesis 26:20), so Isaac’s men moved along to another spot and dug once more.

But here again, the locals argued with them (v.21). Isaac “moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, saying, ‘For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land’” (Genesis 26:22).

Isaac’s men did not fight. Their need for water would have been urgent, but they were also moving in on territory where the locals felt threatened. Although the Philistine’s actions appear spiteful and unjust, Isaac’s men chose not to argue, but instead persevered until they could find water over which there would be no quarrel.

One writer opines that our society’s “obsession with speaking has crowded out any positive value of silence. Yet, our Lord masters the art of the silence for us, so that we might speak better for him and so that our words may be conformed to his words.”

Isaac’s silence might call to mind the silence of Christ in front of his accusers. “Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed” (Matthew 27:13-14). On the third day, Jesus’ resurrection spoke more loudly than any words could have. Three wells, three days: God will always bring forth water in dry places for his people (Isaiah 41:18).

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Modern North Americans, including Christians, are fixated on their rights and what they are entitled to. Yet, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik reminds us that “as sinners, the only thing we deserve is God’s judgment. Therefore, we are not overstating matters when we say with John Piper, ‘A sense of deservedness or entitlement will keep us from knowing Christ.’”

As Isaac’s men faced hostility – their wells filled, their pursuit for lifegiving water prolonged – they did not suggest they had a right to the water, since they had done the work. In the modern, litigious North American culture, Christians are accustomed to the idea of fighting for what they believe is rightfully theirs, never mind whether they have engaged in a redemptive battle or a self-righteous one. But Scripture has reminded us that God does not concern himself with what is “fair” in the way of human beings. “A just balance and scales are the Lord's; all the weights in the bag are his work” (Proverbs 16:11). After all, our sinless Savior took our punishment upon himself, which though necessary, was certainly not fair.

When considering what is just and right, the Lord is most concerned about his righteousness, but he also sees the one who bears persecution for his name’s sake: “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do” (Hebrews 6:10). He will not cause his people harm for the sake of it, although he allows unfairness according to his plans and purposes, and he rewards the one who is patient in the face of persecution for the sake of the gospel.

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Unity is essential to the success of a mission. Quina Aragon explained that “Unity in and of itself isn’t the goal. Unity with the truth of Christ is.” Even if a single missionary wishes to convince someone that Christ is Lord and Savior, he or she must be unified with Christ. When a group of people do anything in Jesus’ name, they must share the same purpose and fall under the command of their King.

At the wells which Isaac’s men dug, any tendency towards grumbling was overwhelmed by the urgency of their collective purpose, against the malice of their enemies’ collective purpose. Their agreement is implied since they could have split into factions: fight back, abandon the work completely, or go looking for water somewhere else as individuals. Instead, they successfully revealed a water source together.

Jon Bloom commented that “The only thing Satan’s forces fear more than the vibrant faith of a Christian is the unified, collaborative, vibrant faith of a community of Christians.” When God’s people agree on what is important, they can move forward in their God-given mission to love him and to love others, and they are powerful in their resistance against evil and lies. But their power is not in fists, but in agreement with and submission to their King and Savior.

A unified church is filled with power. 1 John 1:7 describes it this way: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” That’s the power of unified well-digging, which brings forth springs of Living Water.

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“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4).

A worker for the Lord does not get distracted by whatever is peripheral to the mission. Not only would fighting have been contrary to the unified purpose of digging for water they could claim for Isaac’s household, it would have also caused a delay in finding life-giving water for drinking, for giving their livestock water, or for ritual cleansing. Even if they had been unified in their desire to argue against their unfair treatment, that does not mean they would have been able to take back either the first or second well.

Distraction is a classic enemy tactic. Satan can implant ideas into someone’s head, or erect hurdles which are so difficult to overcome that the hurdler forgets where he is going and why. Yet, “If Satan’s main aim is to distract us from God’s word, it makes sense that the primary way we overcome Satan’s temptations is by intentional meditation on God’s word,” instructed J.D. Greear.

Unity, silence, and lack of entitlement help the Lord’s people to cast off distractions and stay focused on the pursuit of Jesus’ mission, in preference to tempting temporal desires. Paul wrote to the Colossians that they should “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). Distractions are earthly, so look up.

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The writer of Hebrews exhorts his readers to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2). Christians are running a race against the world, against Satan, and against their own sin nature. They are running a race against doubt and fear, either of which could drag them away from Living Water to dry places.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). The men looking for water were certainly enduring a trial, but they stayed faithful to their goal and were rewarded in the end.

One way a runner promotes endurance is to cast off those heavy and unnecessary things which force her to use up more energy, or which get in the way and force detours, lengthening the journey needlessly. This is yet another reason that fighting for their wells and becoming distracted by the issue of fairness would have been problematic for Isaac’s servants. Similarly, a faithful follower of the Triune God finds perseverance more difficult when he or she is bogged down by discouragements and distractions unrelated to God’s glory.

Understand the Need for Water

Christians know Living Water is available to them, and they know who provides that water: only Jesus. Christians are refreshed at the well when they recognize their neediness and seek Jesus, just as Isaac’s servants were driven to forget everything except finding water. Once one becomes a believer, one responsibility is to prevent distraction, doubt, and self-righteousness from filling the well.

Perhaps the worst enemy to water-seeking people is not the Philistine, but the well-digger and his or her own tendency to fight the wrong battles.

Sources
Map of the Journey of Isaac
https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2012/01/23/screwtape-on-pleasure-and-distraction/

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