Encounter at the well

The pastor who inspired this study was preaching from this chapter when he observed, “If you take the stories of the well out of the Bible, all of the stories about things that happened at the well, just take them out of the Bible, the Bible would be a lesser book for it. It would be poorer in story, because there are so many things that took place ‘by the well’.” This is a wonderful chapter but rather long - if I commented on every part, oy vey this would be a long post! I encourage you to read the whole chapter, but as for me, I will reserve my comments to the encounter at the well.

Genesis 24

1-9 Abraham sends his eldest servant to get a wife for Isaac. He charges him, thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And Abraham assures him that God will help him in this.

10  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.
11  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
How long did it take for the servant to travel from Beersheba to Nahor? The pastor said 6 weeks. Josephus said, "it requires much time to pass through Meopotamia, in which it is tedious traveling, both in the winter for the depth of the clay, and in summer for want of water." This was serious business!
the time that women go out to draw water - He just happened to arrive at the time the women went to the well to draw water. God is in this venture! “When the steward came to seek a wife for his master, he did not go to places of amusement and sinful pleasure, and pray that he might meet one there, but to the well of water, expecting to find one there employed aright.” (Matthew Henry)

12  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13  Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
This is so cool – at his first stop he prays for guidance and a quick answer to his quest. I admit, this is definitely not the way we go about finding a spouse! But, as strange as this sounds to us, such arranged marriages was the way they did it.
“Abraham's servant devoutly acknowledged God. He proposes a sign, a prayer that God would provide a good wife for his young master: She should be simple, industrious, humble, cheerful, serviceable, and hospitable. Common sense, as well as piety, tells us, these are the proper qualifications for a wife and mother; for one who is to be a companion to her husband, the manager of domestic concerns, and trusted to form the minds of children. He prayed that God would be pleased to make his way in this matter plain and clear before him.” (Matthew Henry)

15  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
Rebekah just happens to come to the well at this time. God is in this!
And the damsel was very fair to look upon – a neat little touch.
she went down into the well...and came up – this is our image of a well

but sometimes a well in Israel looked like this

you go down into one of these wells!

17  And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18  And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19  And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20  And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
This is a lot of work! I’m told that camels can drink a lot of water, and there are ten of them!

21  And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
22  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
23  And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?
24  And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
25  She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.
Hey! This is the woman he came looking for!
“Rebekah, in all respects, answered the characters he sought for in the woman that was to be his master's wife. When she came to the well, she went down and filled her pitcher, and came up to go home with it. She did not stand to gaze upon the strange man or his camels, but minded her business, and would not have been diverted from it but by an opportunity of doing good. She did not curiously or confidently enter into discourse with him, but answered him modestly.” (Matthew Henry)

26  And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
27  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.
The servant is a spiritual man. He asked God to lead him to the right woman and when He did, he gave thanks. But he didn’t sit at home, he was in the way, that is, he went out searching and trusted God to direct his steps.

28  And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.
29  And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
30  And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.
31  And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
And the damsel ran  – she was excited! You don’t get engaged every day!
and Laban ran – he didn’t want the servant to find another girl. I suspect his concern was as much about the dowry as it was for his sister.
he stood by the camels at the well – this is interesting: everybody around him is literally running around and he’s just hanging out at the well.

Verses 32-67 contain the rest of this exciting story, which I encourage you to read. I’m not going to comment on that section because my purpose is this encounter at the well.

What a beautiful example of faith
God had called Abraham out of Ur and promised him this land. Abraham believed God, so he’s not leaving the area, and his search for a wife for Isaac reflects this – no Canaanite woman, no moving back for Isaac. And in that faith he sent his servant to fetch a wife for Isaac, confident that God would guide him. Such is the faith of our father, Abraham.
The servant went forth and when he got to the well he prayed for guidance, he being in the way. They believed God would provide, so they stepped out in faith. This is how faith works, we act on what we believe.
This also reminds us where faith comes from: faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. It is always a response. Abraham had a Word from God and the servant had the word from Abraham, and they believed the promise.

This story is about finding a wife. 
How do you find a wife? Have your father send someone to fetch one for you!
Where should you look for a wife? Or for that matter, for a husband? At the well: “he did not go to places of amusement and sinful pleasure, and pray that he might meet one there, but to the well of water, expecting to find one there employed aright.”
What do you look for in a wife? “simple, industrious, humble, cheerful, serviceable, and hospitable.” And the added blessing - she was fair to look upon!
And as a woman, when you receive a proposal from a godly, wealthy man at a well, take it!

A hymn for Thursday

Bring Your Vessels Not a Few
Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. 2 Kings 4:3,5

You can listen to the song here It’s a tad bit different than we used to sing it, since we only enjoyed piano accompaniment, but I like this version too.

Are you longing for the fullness
Of the blessing of the Lord
In your heart and life today?
Claim the promise of your Father;
Come according to His Word,
In the blessèd, old time way.

He will fill your heart today to overflowing.
As the Lord commandeth you,
Bring your vessels, not a few.
He will fill your heart today to overflowing
With the Holy Ghost and power.

Bring your empty earthen vessels,
Clean through Jesus’ precious blood.
Come, ye needy, one and all;
And in humble consecration
Wait before the throne of God
Till the Holy Ghost shall fall.

Like the cruse of oil unfailing
Is His grace forevermore,
And His love unchanging still;
And according to His promise,
With the Holy Ghost and power
He will every vessel fill.

Mrs. C.H. Morris, 1912

Mrs. C.H. Morris, or Lelia Morris (1862-1929), was born in Pennsville, Ohio. In 1881, she married Charles H. Morris. She and her husband were active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and in camp meetings. She began song writing in the 1890s, writing hymns as she did her housework, authoring more than 1,000 Gospel songs. When her eyes began to fail in 1913, her son built a 28-foot blackboard with oversized staff lines, so she could continue composing.

Encounter at the well

Abraham at Beersheba

Genesis 20:1-18 relates a sorry affair in Abraham's life: he tells Abimelech that Sarah is his sister; Abimelech takes Sarah to be his wife; but before anything happens, God warns Abimelech in a dream. Abimelech's response to all this? Genesis 20:14-15: And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.
Abimelech appears to be a righteous, God-fearing man. This is the backdrop for:-

Genesis 21

22  And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:
23  Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.
24  And Abraham said, I will swear.
God is with thee in all that thou doest – Amen! What a testimony. And this wasn’t Abraham telling folks how wonderful he was, other people saw this, knew this, said this of him.

swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me – he slightly chides Abraham for his earlier behavior, then asks to be treated with the same kindness he has shown to Abraham. kindness is one of the richest Old Testament words; chesed, it means mercy, kindness, loving-kindness. This is the ultimate righteousness, and in fact the LXX (Septuagint) translates this passage, “according to the righteousness...” Amen.

25  And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.
26  And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but today.
And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water - Now Abraham brings up a touchy subject - a well is a big deal for folks living in such a dry area. It would seem he was going to overlook this transgression, but now that their relationship has grown deeper he brings it up. Abimelech denies any knowledge of it.

27  And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.
They make a covenant to cement their relationship. In the previous chapter, Abimelech supplies the gifts, even though he was sinned against, and here Abraham supplies the sheep and oxen for sacrifice even though he was the one sinned against. This is uncomfortable. When someone wrongs me I want them to take the necessary action to make things right. Abraham dug the well and it was taken away from him by violence, he was wronged, but he supplies the sheep and oxen for the sacrifice. This reconciliation costs him. This is chesed, this is righteousness.

28  And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.
29  And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?
30  And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.
I can just hear Abimelech, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves? Which is really amazing because he wasn’t speaking English! He’s saying, “What’s this? Is this a trick?”
“No. This gift is a witness that I have dug this well.” Again, Abraham did all the work, he dug the well; Abimelech’s servants took it by violence; so Abraham was clearly wronged, yet he provides the seven lambs as a witness. When someone has wronged me, I want them to take me to supper as a peace offering, not me take them to supper! But Abraham was righteous to his own hurt. He was a man of faith, a righteous man, and a man of chesed – mercy, kindness, goodness.

31  Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.
32  Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.
Beersheba – The Well of the Oath (LXX). They both “swore” that this was Abraham’s well.

33  And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.
planted a grove – KJV says grove; other versions say tamarisk tree; LXX says field; Vulgate has grove; no one seems really sure what this means, but most folks agree this refers to a Tamarisk tree

this is a tamarisk tree; no, that's not Abraham standing next to it

Why did he plant a Tamarisk tree? Practically, it provided shade, coolness and beauty.

called on the name of Yahweh, the everlasting God – this indicates there is something more, something deeper going on here.

Abraham has known God by His name Yahweh for some time – he has built altars to Him, he has called on His name, and he has sworn by that name. He knows Him as God (Elohim), as Yahweh, as the “most high God” (El Elyon), as “the Almighty God” (El Shaddai),  and here he called on Him as the “everlasting God” (El Olam). Abraham knows God, and he calls on his name, that is, he worships Him. But he worships Him in a particular way, as “the everlasting God.” What does this mean?

“El Olam is the Eternal God without a beginning or end. “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”  (Psalm 90:2)
“We understand from this name of God that He is the sovereign, eternal ruler of the entire universe who is beyond time or space.
This name of God, El Olam, teaches us that God is unchangeable (Malachi 3:6). His plans and purposes are timeless, and He will not fail to follow through with them “Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass...” (Isaiah 37:26).
“He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”  (Isaiah 42:4)
Thus, we read in Genesis 21:33 that after Abraham entered into a peace treaty with Abimelech and Phicol at Beersheba, he called upon El Olam as a display of his faith that the Everlasting God would deliver on His covenant promise to give his descendants the Land.
Everything we see in the natural is temporal and subject to change, but like Abraham, we should not be moved by what we see since El Olam is the Eternal God who created the universe.  He will not fail to accomplish His plans and promises.” (The Messianic Prophecy Bible Project)

34  And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.


This is a neat encounter - it has its roots in conflict and is really about how two powerful, righteous men settled their differences. This encounter at Beersheba causes me to examine myself:

+ Am I a righteous man? that is, do I walk in chesed (mercy, kindness, loving-kindness)?

+ do I know God as El Olam?


that he might be the father of all them that believe . . . who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham

Well, that was a strange dream

I was driving a delivery truck, but I was driving it while laying on the roof of the cab! As I got into town I began to look for an opportunity to get back inside the cab so I would have better control of the truck. At last, such an opportunity presented itself: the traffic ahead was stopped, so I came to a stop behind some horses at what appeared to be a railroad crossing. I jumped off the roof. There was some altercation on the ground that I don't remember in much detail - the front wheel of my truck had slid off the road into a hole and some man pushed it back on to the road.
When it was time to get into the cab, suddenly the driver was an older man named Jack. In order to get into the cab, I had to climb through the driver’s window. At this point it was as if I was his spirit. Every time he stopped and got out, I got out. When he got back in I would have to climb in through the window, but it was difficult. He had some traffic related difficulty and got out and dealt with it. He got back in the truck. This time, when I tried to climb back in the driver's window, I had a really hard time getting in.
As we were driving down the road, he started talking about people who were getting on him about driving (he was retired but driving again). I was about to ask him if he enjoyed what he was doing when his driving became erratic. He was driving on the shoulder, really more off the shoulder. I started yelling, “Jack, get back on the road!” He couldn't hear me. We were now off the road, in fact, it was if we were flying. Jack was having such a grand time! I was yelling, “Jack, this isn't a plane. Jack!!” But he couldn't hear me. Then ahead of us the scenery changed - everything in front of us was now a nondescript wall. I sat back into the seat and said softly, “Get ready, Jack.” Then we hit the wall and Jack died. On the other side of the wall there was nothing, no scenery, just empty. We heard a deep and comforting Voice above us, “Come to me.” And I watched Jack rise up.

This was a very vivid dream!

It is like my dreams are stitched together. I’m sure this dream had flowed out of another one that I don’t remember, and after this it became another dream that was related to the altercation on the ground.

A hymn for Thursday

Worthy is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb, the hosts of Heaven sing,
As before the throne they make His praises ring;
Worthy is the Lamb the book to open wide,
Worthy is the Lamb who once was crucified.

Oh, this bleeding Lamb, oh, this bleeding Lamb,
Oh, this dying Lamb, He was found worthy;
Oh, this bleeding Lamb, oh, this bleeding Lamb,
Oh, this dying Lamb, He was found worthy.

Worthy is the Lamb, who shed His precious blood
To restore a world to happiness and God;
When no eye could pity and no arm could save,
Jesus for our ransom, Himself freely gave.

Worthy is the Lamb, the bleeding sacrifice
Who for Adam’s race paid such a fearful price;
Worthy is the Lamb, the Paschal Lamb of God,
For the world received Redemption thro’ His blood.

Worthy is the Lamb, let men and angels sing,
Worthy is the Lamb, let hallelujahs ring;
And when life is past, upon the golden shore,
Worthy is the Lamb, we’ll shout forevermore.

Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1898.
Music: George C. Hugg
Chorus arranged from a spiritual

you can read my post about Johnson Oatman, Jr. here

At age 12, George Hugg became choirmaster at his church. At 14, he published his first song, which became very popular. He was a prolific composer, with over 2,000 works, including 18 books of revival and Sunday school music and 90 song services for special occasions (Christmas, Easter, etc.).

as you can see, I notated this one also for Mary so she could play the autoharp for us!

The vines in my yard

These are the vines in my yard. This is the story of my battle.

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering plant in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States west to Manitoba and Utah, and south to eastern Mexico and Guatemala.
This stuff is everywhere and very aggressive. Pull it out today and it pops up tomorrow. I have pulled it out of my bushes and now it is growing into the yard. I used to think it was cute. I no longer think that.

English Ivy

Hedera helix - common ivy, English ivy, European ivy, or just ivy; native to most of Europe and western Asia. A rampant, clinging evergreen vine. It is labeled as an invasive species in a number of areas where it has been introduced. And I agree, it is invasive. This stuff is everywhere. I am still trying to decide if it is useful in some areas as ground cover.

Wild Yam

Dioscorea villosa is a species of a twining tuberous vine that is native to eastern North America. It is growing in one end of my Forsythia. I have been so successful in removing it from my Forsythia that it moved to the area next to it, and vigorously into the yard. People have asked me if it is edible and others have said it was medicinal. I don’t really care, I want it gone.

Unknown

I don’t know what this is. It grows in one place in my yard, in a single Camellia. I don’t know its name and I tolerate it only because it has such beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Cypress Vine

Ipomoea quamoclit also known as cypress vine, cypressvine morning glory, cardinal creeper, cardinal vine, star glory or hummingbird vine. This grows naturally in all the cultivated areas in my backyard and has a tendency to choke out good plants, but I like it. I try to control its strangling effects while at the same encouraging its climbing. As you can see it doesn't need a lot of help.

I have also found kudzu and poison ivy once each, but thankfully they are gone.

The Virginia Creeper, Ivy, and Wild Yam are aggressive and persistent, so I am involved in quite a battle. They also grow quite fast. I forgot to mention, I don’t use chemical poisons, so I have to stay on top of this!

Encounter at the Well

Hagar is at a well again. She seems to have spent a lot of time at wells!

Genesis 21

1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  
2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  
3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  
4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.
6  And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, all that hear will laugh with me.
7  And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.
Amen! This is a significant moment in Genesis and in salvation history - it is with good reason Sarah rejoices and exults in the Lord!

8  And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the day that Isaac was weaned.
9  And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10  Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
What does it mean, Ishmael was mocking? I don’t really know, but Sarah took exception to it. Ishmael is probably 17 years old and Isaac 3.
Cast out this bondwoman and her son- “Both Sarah and Abraham have been accused of cruelty in this transaction, because every word reads harsh to us. Cast out signifies not only to thrust out, drive away, and expel, but also to divorce; (see Lev 21:7); and it is in this latter sense the word should be understood here. The child of Abraham by Hagar might be considered as having a right at least to a part of the inheritance; and as it was sufficiently known to Sarah that God had designed that the succession should be established in the line of Isaac, she wished Abraham to divorce Hagar, or to perform some sort of legal act by which Ishmael might be excluded from all claim on the inheritance.” (Adam Clarke)
See Galatians 4:21-31 for how the Apostle Paul applies this to us

11  And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
12  And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
13  And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight Clearly he cherished Ishamael.
And God said - turns out Sarah was right! Then He gives Abraham two promises: “in Isaac shall thy seed by called” and “I will make Ishmael a nation.”

14  And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
“By ‘bread’ we are to understand the food or provisions which were necessary for her and Ishmael, till they should come to the place of their destination; which, no doubt, Abraham particularly pointed out. The ‘bottle’ contained water sufficient to last them till they should come to the next well; which, it is likely, Abraham particularly specified also. We may therefore safely presume that she and her son were sufficiently provided for their journey. Travelers in those countries take only provisions sufficient to carry them to the next village or encampment; and water to supply them till they shall meet with the next well.” (Adam Clarke)

15  And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
16  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.
Alas, Hagar appears to have gotten lost and is now so desperate she has given up. Ishmael is 17, why is he more worn out than his mama? Teenagers! The people in that country would’ve understood immediately – they are literally thirsting to death
She lift up her voice, and wept – The Septuagint has it, “And she departed and sat down opposite him at a distance, as it were a bow-shot, for she said, Surely I cannot see the death of my child: and she sat opposite him, and the child cried aloud and wept.” This matches the next verse much better. However we read it, there is such sadness in this story. I like to think this includes crying out for help.

17  And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
the angel of God – the same person as in her last encounter, the Son
What aileth thee, Hagar? Ha, isn’t it obvious? But the angel of God sees beyond what is to what God will do – God hath heard the voice of the lad. God saw his need and had the supply. When you can look past your circumstance, beyond your need, and see God’s supply, that is faith.

In their trouble they cried out to God. My problem is too often I get into a fix and cry, but I don't cry out to the Lord. Or, when I do pray, it is not in faith, I'm just saying the words. I need to pray until I find the promise; then I need to believe the promise, that is, focus on what God is going to do and not what I see.

18  Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.
19  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.
Again the promise, I will make him a great nation. Why is God taking care of Ishmael? For Abraham’s sake, because He has made promises to him concerning the lad. God made a covenant with Abraham and promised to make Ishmael a great nation. God is answering their cry because of His covenant with Abraham.  This is an picture of praying in the name of Jesus. My confidence toward the high, holy, righteous God is based on who Jesus is, what he has done, and God's covenant with him.

she saw a well of water – Praise the Lord! God opened her eyes to see the well. I need to remember the pattern here: trouble, cry out to the Lord, believe the promise, obey, then I will see the well. Reminds me of the ten lepers, as they went, they were cleansed. When they left Jesus they still had leprosy. When Hagar went to Ishmael she still had no water. But when she believed enough to obey, she saw the well. Amen.

20  And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.
21  And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.


Hagar had great trials. Trials I can’t even imagine. And in her trials she cried out to God and he provided for her. This is meant to encourage us: When you are in trouble, when you despair, cry out to the Lord and he will save you!

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

A hymn for Thursday

I Will Praise Him

When I saw the cleansing fountain
Open wide for all my sin,
I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing,
When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”

I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.

Though the way seems straight and narrow,
All I claimed was swept away;
My ambitions, plans and wishes,
At my feet in ashes lay.

Then God’s fire upon the altar
Of my heart was set aflame;
I shall never cease to praise Him
Glory, glory to His Name!

Blessed be the Name of Jesus!
I’m so glad He took me in;
He’s forgiven my transgressions,
He has cleansed my heart from sin.

Glory, glory to the Father!
Glory, glory to the Son!
Glory, glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Three in One!

I would often change the last line of the refrain,
For His blood can wash away each stain
to
For His blood has washed away each stain

Margaret J. Harris, 1898

Margaret Harris was a member of the Iowa Holiness Association. She and her husband, songwriter John Harris, were active in holiness revivals and camp meetings. Margaret played the organ to accompany the duets she sang with her husband. In addition, Margaret was known as an effective preacher with strong messages.

I also enjoyed singing another of her songs, He Took My Sins Away

Encounter at the well

Last Sunday, the pastor of the church we visited said,
“If you take the stories of the well out of the Bible, all of the stories about things that happened at the well, just take them out of the Bible, the Bible would be a lesser book for it. It would be poorer in story, because there are so many things that took place by the well.”
I had never thought about it and decided to look into it. He was right! And for the next few Tuesdays I will offer a look at these encounters at the well.

Genesis 16 - Hagar

1  Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
Thus begins a interesting and touching chapter. God had promised Abram a son, but it hasn’t happened yet. Sarai bare him no children, but she has a plan...

2  And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.
3  And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.
4  And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
It worked too! Abram marries Hagar and she conceives. But then Sarai’s plan backfires, her mistress was despised in her eyes...

5  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: the LORD judge between me and thee.
6  But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.
Sarai treats Hagar harshly, so much so that Hagar fled from her face. And this is where this sad story gets very interesting!

7  And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
Hagar stopped by a fountain of water, a spring, later in the chapter it is called a well, which is why this is an encounter by the well. 

8  And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11  And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou [art] with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12  And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
And the angel of the LORD found her and tells her some interesting things:
 I will multiply thy seed exceedingly – what a promise - handmaid Hagar will be the mother of a multitude.
and he will be a wild man – I always thought this meant he would be a trouble maker, but how could that be comforting to this poor woman? Rather this means “God himself has sent them out free - he has loosed them from all political restraint. The wilderness is their habitation; and in the parched land, where no other human beings could live, they have their dwellings. They scorn the city, and therefore have no fixed habitations. They may be said to have no lands, and yet the range of the mountains is their pasture - they pitch their tents and feed their flocks, wherever they please…
It is farther said, His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him - Many potentates among the Abyssinians, Persians, Egyptians, and Turks, have endeavored to subjugate the wandering or wild Arabs; but, though they have had temporary triumphs, they have been ultimately unsuccessful. From the beginning to the present day they have maintained their independence, and God preserves them as a lasting monument of his providential care, and an incontestable argument of the truth of Divine Revelation.” (Adam Clarke)

13  And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Just who is this angel?
“The angel of the Lord - That Jesus Christ, in a body suited to the dignity of his nature, frequently appeared to the patriarchs, has been already intimated. That the person mentioned here was greater than any created being is sufficiently evident from the following particulars: -

1. From his promising to perform what God alone could do, and foretelling what God alone could know; "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly". This shows a prescience which is proper to God alone.

2. Hagar considers the person who spoke to her as God, calls him El – Thou God seest me.

3. Moses calls this angel expressly Yahweh; “she called the Name of Yahweh that spake to her, El-roi (Thou God seest me). Now this is a name never given to any created being.

These things cannot be spoken of any human or created being, for the knowledge, works, etc., attributed to this person are such as belong to God; and as in all these cases there is a most evident personal appearance, Jesus Christ alone can be meant; for of God the Father it has been ever true that no man hath at any time seen his shape, nor has he ever limited himself to any definable personal appearance.” (Adam Clarke)

This despised handmaid has an encounter with Jesus! That is comfort!

“Thou God seest me! She found that the eye of a merciful God had been upon her in all her wanderings and afflictions; and her words seem to intimate that she had been seeking the Divine help and protection, for she says, Have I not also looked after him that seeth me? Hagar was now convinced that God himself had appeared unto her…” (Adam Clarke)

14  Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
The fountain is now called a well, a “be’er”, and is given a name, Be’er-lahai-roi, which means, "well of the Living One seeing me". Amen. The Septuagint puts it, “The well of him whom I have openly seen”.

At this point I don’t care how you translate Beerlahairoi, I’m blown away by this encounter at the well. Hagar, a nobody, a pawn in someone else’s game, in her time of trouble has an encounter with Christ, Who comforts her and gives her wonderful promises! Armed as she is with the presence, comfort and promise of God, it would be much easier for her to Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

15  And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
16  And Abram [was] fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Amen. What an encounter!

A hymn for Thursday

The first church I pastored was Brent Alliance Church in Pensacola, FL. They used the old Alliance hymnal, affectionately known as the blue book. This hymn was across the page from The Lily of the Valley. It looked interesting, so I sat down at the piano and taught myself the song. I liked it and we sang / introduced it everywhere we went thereafter. I wrote the chords down so Mary could accompany us on the autoharp.

Caleb Saw the Lord 

Others saw the giants, Caleb saw the Lord;
They were sore disheartened,  He believed God's word;
And that word he fully, fearlessly, obeyed--
Was it not sufficient that the Lord hath said?

I will never leave thee;
Go in this thy might;
One shall chase a thousand,
Two put ten to flight.

Oh to follow fully like this one of old;
Oh to be like Caleb, doing what is told;
Then the Lord's rich blessing will be ours today,
He will prosper ever those who Him obey.

If we are half-hearted, we'll not taste God's best;
Those who follow wholly will be wholly blest,
Blest in soul and spirit, body, mind, and heart,
Rich in heav'nly treasure, which He will impart.

Oh to have one Master, only One to please;
Oh to have one purpose, not our will or ease;
Pressing ever onward to the goal before,
Serving gladly, wholly, Him whom we adore.

Words: Anna E. Richards (chorus by MJC)
Music: Mabel Johnston Camp

On reading the Bible through in one year

In my previous post about my granddaughter’s two weeks with us I wrote,

Early on I asked her if she was regularly reading in the Bible. “Yes, I am reading through the Bible Chronologically in one year and I’m almost finished.” Wow! I asked if I could read with her and then discuss our reading for the day. She agreed and together we read the last seven books: 2 Timothy, 2 Peter & Jude, 1 John, 2 & 3 John, Revelation. That was pretty cool.

While she read the Bible through in one year, I read for eight days. Perhaps I need to re-title my post, “On reading the Bible through in 8 days” Actually, I only read through seven books in eight days. And the truth is, I missed day seven and had to read two days worth on day eight! But I did get a feel for how much you had to read in order to read it through in one year. And that is what I want to write about today.

I have used these reading plans before, but it has been a long time. For many years now I have used a different approach in my reading, usually slower and concentrated on one book or topic, consequently I had greater freedom to slow down or speed up because there was no schedule to keep. That was the first thing I noticed - you don’t have time to meditate on a passage or even a book because tomorrow you have another 4-6 chapters to read. The other side of that coin is, I did read seven books in eight days! Using my current reading plan, that would not have happened.

With this kind of reading you get the big picture. I read an epistle written by Paul, by Peter, by Jude, and three by John. And I noticed something. Something significant. The Apostles draw more definite lines than we seem to today. Today, you can live any way you want and still be considered a good Christian. Not with the Apostles. They are much quicker to warn believers, “If you are not walking in his commandments there is a potentially serious problem.” They speak of judgment more freely than is often the case today: unbelievers will be judged; believers will be judged. And when it comes to false teachers, oh my... The Apostles would be described as “very harsh, unkind, and unloving.” As I read these books I wondered, “Have we have moved away from the Apostles? Have we have changed the gospel?”

This is a great idea, read the Bible through in one year. It gets you into the Bible and it helps you develop discipline. I see a couple of drawbacks: I mentioned one earlier; another is, if for some reason you miss a day or two you can seriously fall behind, get discouraged, and give up. I prefer a more contemplative reading plan, but perhaps it would be good to have the occasional binge reading.

But I did enjoy reading an epistle or selection knowing we would discuss it later that evening.

The week which turned into two

On July 15 we headed up to Ohio for the weekend (you can read about it here ) and we brought Aimee back with us. (Actually, we took our granddaughter Lucca up with us and brought her back too!) Aimee is our firstborn grandchild. We had four girls and so it seems appropriate that our first grandchild is a granddaughter! Now back to my story...

We had made arrangements for Aimee to come back and stay with us for a week. We toyed with the idea of having her stay with us the whole month of August and then finally settled on two weeks. She flew back home last Saturday.

So, what was it like having her hanging out with us for two weeks. Awesome. Let me be more specific, AWESOME!!

While we were still in Ohio, Aimee took me aside and said, “Don’t feel like you have to keep me entertained the whole time.” I took her at her word and my plan for the two weeks was basically, Let’s just hang out. We did a little more than that, but that was pretty much what happened – she came and shared our life.

Early on I introduced her to WKRP in Cincinnati. We watched three episodes one night and enjoyed them. Then the big hit, Lost in Space. We laughed and worried together at their outrageous predicaments. Our favorite scene was when they encountered a space cowboy standing on a high rock, “Howdy, folks.”. No kidding, a guy in his own private spaceship who was from Texas and wore a cowboy hat! And as far as they were concerned, this was an everyday event!! Aimee likes Star Trek The Next Generation, so I enjoyed a couple of episodes of this with her. I’m telling you, sometimes the excitement at my house is palpable!

One day I let her cut the grass. She didn't like the idea of the push-mower but enjoyed the riding mower!

    

We went for a couple of walks. One night we drove with Mary to work a walked back home (2.1 miles).

 Another evening we went for a walk along the river.

Aimee takes walks like I do – “Let’s see where every side trail goes.” Oh, when Aimee goes for a walk she is a serious bundle of energy. It seems I go for a stroll while she is shot out of a cannon! Of course, I can keep up with her, but I confess, I have to work at it!

Mary said we ought to go to Tennessee to see Aimee’s great-grandmother, so we did. Drove up there on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon we rode out to Roan Mountain. Beautiful! We stopped at the State Park and wandered a bit then drove up to the Tennessee-North Carolina border and hiked to the edge of the mountain. It was only 1.7 miles from the parking lot to the overlook, but I’m telling you, the hike out felt like it took two hours, the hike back felt like 20 minutes. It was beautiful.

See? She is off and running!

Early on I asked her if she was regularly reading in the Bible. “Yes, I am reading through the Bible Chronologically in one year and I’m almost finished.” Wow! I asked if I could read with her and then discuss our reading for the day. She agreed and together we read the last seven books: 2 Timothy, 2 Peter & Jude, 1 John, 2 & 3 John, Revelation. That was pretty cool.

On our last night we went took our supper at Fatz Café then went home and watched The Martian. While we watched she “live tweeted” commentary. Pretty hilarious stuff, too.

It was wonderful having her here for those two weeks! We were like two peas in a pod, causing Mary to roll her eyes at us more than once. What happens when Aimee and Granddaddy hang out together?

Ha! I love it because I love her!