Two Women at the Well
Sometimes in attempting a comparison of an Old Testament character with a New there are to be found far more similarities than differences. But after all, the God of the New Testament is exactly the same God as in the Old: He changes not. And what variations do we suppose exist between Old and New personalities? Are we not all sinners, and our needs basically the same? Beginning with Adam and Eve we have needed a Saviour; One who might effectively deal with our sins; One who would reconcile us to the God against whom we have transgressed. How often the scriptures have made known the outcasts; the ‘whosoevers’ who would be made the objects of the Mercies and Grace of a yet Just God. The message is the same unto the ending of the Book: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” Rev. 22:17.
What may we glean as we look upon the record of two seeming ‘outcasts’ as Hagar the Egyptian handmaid and the Samaritan woman?
“And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now the Lord hath restrained [atsar, to hold back, shut (up), stopped] me from bearing” Gen. 16:2. Oh, Sarai! Think you that your God has pronounced a curse upon you; that He would render you harm? Thou art to be blessed among women, in that you shall yet bear a child from whom shall come the Christ of God!
And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid. . .and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. . .And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes” Gen. 16:5. What have we here? Is it “Those whom God hath joined together. . .?” Or is it rather “Those whom Sarai hath joined together. . .?” Hagar, do you really have a husband in Abram?
There is no question concerning the Samaritan woman: “The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her. . .he whom thou now hast is not thy husband” John 4:17a,18b. An undeniable two-fold witness is given.
The Relationship was broken between Sarai and Hagar. “. . . and when she [Hagar] saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. . .and when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face” Gen. 16:4,6b.
(As Hagar fled from the face of Sarai - so all, as in Adam, flee from the face of God.)
The relationship was broken between Israel and the Samaritans. “Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, asketh a drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” John 4:9.
The Angel of the Lord found Hagar at the well Beer-lahai-roi. “And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness” Gen. 16:7. The Angel of the Lord (a Theophany) is clearly identified in verse 13: “And she called the name of the Lord that spoke to her, Thou God seest me.” The angel is both Lord and God!
Jesus came to Jacob’s well to ‘find’ the Samaritan woman. “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things” vs.25. “Thou God seest me?” “Jesus saith unto her, I (that speak unto thee) am he.” Or I AM!
Hagar at the well Beer-lahai-roi, or “Him that liveth and seeth me.” “And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also looked after him that seeth me? Whereby the well was called Beer-lahai-roi” Gen. 16:13,14.
The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. “Come see a man who told me all ever I did.” Or, “Come see Him that liveth and seeth me!” The Samaritan woman might well have called Jesus Beer-lahai-roi, as did her Old Testament sister Hagar!
Both had a common need; they were “drawn” to the Well of water. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters” Isaiah. 55:1. (But those who will not acknowledge any thirst shall not drink; rather will be parched and withered as the rich man in Hell.)
Were both made partakers of the Living Water? “And she [Hagar the Egyptian] called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me. . .Have I also looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi” vs 13,14.
“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not” John 4:14,15.
Both the Egyptian woman and the woman of Samaria were “cast-outs.” Yet Jesus provided water from the Well for both. For Hagar: “And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. And God was with the lad” Gen. 19:21:19,20a. To the Samaritan woman said Jesus, “I AM He [Messias]. . .The woman then [having seen the Well of living water] left her waterpot, went into the city and proclaimed to the men: “Come see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: Is not this the Christ?”
To the Jew, to the Egyptian, to the Samaritan: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. . .There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither Bond nor free. . .for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” Gal. 3:26,28,29.
Though the covenant be through Isaac, yet in Christ even the descendants of Ishmael may become heirs!
“And the angel of the Lord said unto her, [Hagar] I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude” Gen. 16:10. The Angel of the Lord [Christ] said. . .I will multiply thy seed.” All others but Christ are immediately disqualified!
I will multiply thy seed? Does the promise of the Lord extend itself - even unto Samaria? “Jesus saith unto them. . .behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. . .And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman” John 4;35,39. And who other than Christ can be said to have sown the seed in Samaria? Certainly not the Jews! Notice, He did not say the fields are in need of seeding; no, they are white; they are ready to harvest!
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”
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