Encounter at the well

spring up O well

Numbers 21

Wow! This is a long chapter and a lot happens in it! It is full of difficulties, mysteries, victories, types, and poetry. What a wonderful chapter. Sadly, I am only taking a look at the encounter at the well...

16 And from thence they went to Beer: that is the well whereof the LORD spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.
they went to Beer – if you recall, Be’er is the Hebrew word for well. This well became so famous it became known simply as “The Well.” And it was here that the Lord said:
Gather the people together, and I will give them water – this is a wonderful promise, I will give them water. I must confess, I live in a land where water is always, readily, easily available. I have no idea what it is to be traveling through waterless places, which is exactly what they were doing. What a precious promise, Gather the people together, and I will give them water. God is our source, our supply, and this is His promise. And in verses 17-18, they found it!

17 Then Israel sang this song
This was an exciting time. I have read that this is the first time Israel sang since Exodus 15. And what is really exciting is we have the actual song! Verses 17-18:

Spring up, O well; 
sing ye unto it:
The princes digged the well, 
the nobles of the people digged it, 
by the lawgiver, with their staves. 

This is a very ancient poem/song. God promised water and here it is! And so they sing, Spring up, O well. But notice the song. God said, I will give them water, but when they got to the area, there was no water. They had to dig the well. But they didn’t just look for some muscle bound youths. No, the princes dug it, the nobles dug for this water. As they dug the people sang, Spring up, O well. And I can hear the increase in volume as the water began to spring up! God said, “I will give them water” and He did! Cool, sweet water. What refreshment! What joy!
18 . . . And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah:
19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel: and from Nahaliel to Bamoth:
20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
I am not certain, but I am persuaded that while 18-20 are not part of the song, these verses describe in poetical terms this encounter at the well.
And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah – Mattanah means gift of Yahweh
And from Mattanah to Nahaliel – Nahaliel means torrents of God
and from Nahaliel to Bamoth – Bamoth means high place
This well, this torrent of God, was a gift from Yahweh.

I have a chorus book that was published in 1971, and it contains an anonymous song based on this passage:

Spring up, O well, within my soul
Spring up, O well, and overflow
Spring up, O well, flow out from me
Spring up, O well, and set me free

The same chorus book also contains a song written by L. Casebolt, probably based on John 7:38-39:

There’s a river of life flowing out through me
It makes the lame to walk and the blind to see
Opens prison doors, sets the captives free
There’s a river of life flowing out through me

Although I have them, I have never sung these songs. Somebody put them together, altered the melody, and by 1978 it appeared thus, with L. Casebolt as the author:

I’ve got a river of life flowing out from me
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see
Opens prison doors, sets those captives free
I’ve got a river of life flowing out of me

Spring up, O well, within my soul
Spring up, O well, and make me whole
Spring up, O well, and give to me
That life abundantly

Why all this ado about a simple song? God said, I will give them water. Jesus spoke of  water: the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life and again, He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This scripture is a beautiful picture of this. Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it. When we believed in Jesus, he placed within us a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Amen! Sing to the well, ask it to spring up and become a river flowing out of you!!