Two Wells

Genesis 24; Genesis 29:

 The well encounter of Genesis 24 represents the conduct of the believer under the law. The statutory system of Moses condescends to accept that which could be done by the participant rather than what must be done. An animal victim to atone for sin amounts to an empty gesture. It gives what we have while pointing to what we do not have. Animals Israel had, holiness was wanting. Rebekah had the water and her admission into the contract with Abraham's servant gained her nothing at the well. This contrasts with Rachel's experience. She was barred from the water, it was inaccessible to her, It was only by Jacob's gallantry that Rachel could get the water. This typifies the nature of the Gospel. The New Testament imperative of self-mortification in Christ exists only inferentially in the first commandment, is vaguely alluded to in the lamentations of Job and glimpsed implicitly in the prophets. So, under the law there existed a gracious shadow, a curtained cloud of glory whereby the believer was sustained until the revelation of that Perfect One Who fulfilled the Law. It is before Him that we fall as dead men, the Law is perfectly embodied, the dreadfull ugliness of our depravity is fully exposed in the light of His perfection. Trully the Divine record of the earthly conduct of our Savior is the brightest ray of the Law! It heralds an inversion of that which once was. Rather than God making what we have acceptable in hope, the Gospel requires what we do not have, but can have by faith. Here then comes Christ to roll away the large stone of our flesh continually.

   In his Sunday after Christmas sermon, Luther refered to Elijah's day as a "gracious day" compared to these "times of indignation", that is, the Gospel age. As in Acts 17:30, "While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now He commands all people everywhere to repent."

   It is in this regard that Jesus declared, "I came into this world for judgement, so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." (John 9:39)