Thursday, January 12, 2023

"Gather at the Mouth of the Well"

Genesis 29:7-8 NIV

“‘Look,’ he said, ‘the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.’

‘We can't,’ they replied, ‘until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.’”

Jacob came to find a wife in the country of Paddan Aram “from among the daughters of Laban,” his mother’s brother (Genesis 28.2). Upon his arrival he met some shepherds who gathered their sheep at an unorthodox time. At midday sheep should have been grazing in the fields, not meeting at the local water hole. Jacob encouraged the sheep herders to water their flocks and quickly go back out to the pastures where they belonged.

His fellow herdsmen explained the local shepherd’s code... All flocks were required to be present and accounted for before the stone could be “rolled away from the mouth of the well.” This rule may have existed because…

 -----1).. the stone was too heavy to move without everyone’s assistance, or perhaps…

 -----2).. the well was community property and water rationing was monitored by all stakeholders.

Jacob discovered there was an abundance of water behind the rock for every shepherd and sheep who needed it. 

There’s still plenty of water for thirsty sheep. The rock was rolled away... permanently!

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his
innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7.37-38 NASU

When Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea took His body and “placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb” (Mark 15.46). Very early on the following Sabbath, some women discovered “that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away” (Mark 16.4). From that day, the living water has been made freely and abundantly available to every thirsty soul who gathers at “the mouth of the well.”

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning
and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from
the spring of the water of life without cost.”
Revelation 21.6 NASU

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks again, Dave.

My thoughts for Thursday's reading:

"She named him Rueben, for she said, It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will ove me now."

"Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have born him three sons. So he was named Levi."

"God has presented me with a special gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have born him six sons. So she named him Zebelun."

Reminds me again of that definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Also reminds me of a song that came out a decade or two ago entitled: "The things we do for love." Leah did everything for Jacob, and it sounds like in the end, it wasn't nearly enough.

This message that Jacob was constantly giving Leah was diametrically opposed to the message of Christ. Leah did everything to please Jacob, yet nothing worked. Yet Jesus told us plainly:

"Come to me ALL who are weary anjhd burdened, and I will give you restTake my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart , and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.

----Matthew, ch 11, vs 28-30.

Jesus doesn't play favorites. Everyone is welcome. And no one is ever told: "Not good enough."
I believe this is exactly where the term: "good news" comes from.

-------CMM

davescriven said...

Hi CMM,

That is good news.

Dave