Isaac flourished at Gerar, by the blessing of the Lord,  having planted he received a hundred fold, waxed great and went forward and grew until he became very great. He had possessions of flocks and herds, a great store of servants until the Philistines envied him and sent him away into the valley of Gerar. This place was less hospitable for the Philistines had stopped up the wells that his father Abraham had digged and filled them with earth. Thus removing the possibility of supplying the need of his crops, flocks, servants, as well as his family.

 For all the wells which his father’s servants had digged
in the days of Abraham his father,
the Philistines had stopped them,
and filled them with earth.
Gen 26:15

Well without Water

And Isaac digged again the wells of water,
which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father;
for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham:
and he called their names after the names by which
his father had called them.
Gen 26:18

This was fine, Isaac’s men dug the well and found water, but the herdmen of Gerar were not happy, they came and strove with Isaac’s herdmen, claiming that the water was their  water.  Isaac did not contest this, he renamed the well “Esek” which means “quarrel”  and moved on and dug again and found water. The herdmen of Gerar  contested this also, so Isaac renamed this well “Sitnah” meaning “hatred, hostility” and moved on. Isaac’s men then dug another well which was not contested so he called it “Rehoboth” meaning “broad places” for the Lord hath made room for us, and now we shall be fruitful.

Isaac now moved on to Beer-sheba and the Lord appeared to him in the night saying that HE was the God of Abraham his father, not to fear,  for HE would bless him and multiply his seed, for His servant Abraham’s sake.

Abimelech king of the Philistines came to Isaac saying that the Philistines had seen that the Lord was with Isaac and now wanted an oath between them, so they made a covenant together for peace. Isaac prepared a feast, they ate and drank, and in the morning rose up, confirmed the covenant and went in peace.

That’s the story of the stopped up wells, the wells full of earth, the wells without water, the wells that could not be a blessing to anyone.  I want to now try to apply the lessons of this story, spiritually. 
J A Alexander wrote     “Water is a natural and common figure, for obtaining and enjoying divine  favour.”  

Water, as we know, is essential for life and growth, water sustains and strengthens life, water is refreshing and reviving. This is true of physical life but it is also true concerning spiritual life, water is essential.

When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst,
I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys:
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
Isaiah 41:17-18

There is a graphic picture of God doing this in Exodus 17. The children of Israel were in the wilderness of Sin (Sinai), they murmured and complained to Moses because of the lack of water and God showed them ‘Grace in the Wilderness’. Moses smote the rock of Horeb with his rod and water came forth and the people did drink and were satisfied. Now the Apostle Paul himself shows us that this has a spiritual application, it was Christ that met the needs of His children, as the rock released the waters when it was struck in faith, it is Christ that supplies our needs through faith…..

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:
for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:
and that Rock was Christ.
1 Cor. 10 :4

 Unfortunately there are still Philistines about. There are those that would fill up the “wells of salvation” and block up the way to blessing with all kinds of debris. There are false prophets, who bring in damnable heresies, who cause the way of truth to be evil spoken of, who through covetousness would make merchandise of us. There are brute beasts who speak evil of things that they don’t understand. There are many with eyes full of adultery, who cannot cease from sin, who beguile unstable souls and forsake the right way and quickly go astray. How many “Christians”  live in such a way, that instead of bringing needy souls to the water of life, and leading the thirsty to the fountain of the water of  life, they thrust forth all kinds of obstacles to hinder, divert, block up that wonderful supply given by the grace of God. All these people are described as “wells without water, clouds that are carried away with the tempest. “Wells without  water” are quite useless things, bring no benefit or blessing, no refreshing, no life or growth, no sustaining power, no reviving within. Clouds might appear beneficial, have a promise of refreshing showers but yield absolutely nothing as they are blown away with the tempest. 

 These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with a tempest;
to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
2 Peter 2:17

Fortunately not all “Wells are without Water”, not all wells are stopped, blocked up with earth, some have been dug again and yield the Waters of Life. There are those who open up the wells of salvation, and make the water of  life available through the preaching and the sharing of God’s word. The “water” in the verse below is an intensive plural it indicates the fulness and all sufficiency of the blessings which come from these springs, says one commentator, these oasis in the deserts are life giving, these natural springs of waters are given by the goodness of God and the waters in the wells of Salvation are given by the Grace of God, and yield life giving mercy.

 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3

Firstly, I must ask if you are drawing “water out of the wells of Salvation” for yourself? Are you getting nourishment for your own spiritual life and growth? Why are so many Christians, weak, stunted, without depth and power, often bowed down in spiritual warfare, instead of overcoming in the Spirit’s power? They do not feed themselves with the Word, they do not refresh themselves with Prayer, they do not give themselves time to grow and develop, they do not give themselves the opportunity to be filled with the Spirit’s power. They miss out on fellowship with God and His people, they deprive themselves of the resources that are available, they never reflect upon the mighty acts of God in History, although we are mightily blessed with books, digital resources,  conferences, and lectures which are there to help us. It is with joy, real happiness, that we should be drawing “Water out of the Wells of Salvation”  but how often, our spirits, are  heavy when we come to the Word, or prayer, or fellowship, or some good book, or some other spiritual exercise. O Lord increase our “Joy in the Lord” Help us too know Peace and Joy, real Joy in our lives, that we might “Draw Water out of the Wells of Salvation” for ourselves firstly that we might then help others to draw water. We should be the means to bring sinners to Christ, to show them the benefits, to point them to life giving refreshing springs.

 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.
John 4:14

This is why “Drawing Water out of the Wells of Salvation” is so important. For if, we drink of them we shall never thirst. Once we have drunk of them, they are a life giving supply; they spring up unto everlasting life. The only way to have everlasting life is to drink of Christ, to have Him in our hearts and lives, to know the Salvation that He gives us. Then when we have this great blessing, given to us by the Grace of God, we are to bring others unto Christ, to drink of the water that only he can give. We are, as it were, to unblock the way, remove all the hindrances, re-dig the wells, that Water of Life might flow freely once again, for this how Salvation comes before the eyes of the lost. Now are you a “well without water”, “a cloud” promising much, but carried away with a tempest. A New Year is before us, with new opportunities, are you blocking up the wells or unblocking them, helping sinners to Christ or hindering them? The consequences are eternal !

However, we are not quite finished with water yet, notice the verse below.

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Rev. 7:17

Here is a picture, which takes us into heaven itself. Here is the Lamb, in the midst of the throne, feeding his own, wiping away all tears from their eyes. These two themes are often spoken about, the Lamb in the midst of the throne and the wiping away of all tears, but, the Lamb leading His own to the “Living Fountains of Water” is not often brought before our eyes. This is in Heaven and we are still being led to living fountains of water by Christ the Lamb, what does this mean?
Let John Gill answer this,

“by “water” is meant the grace, love, and free favour of God in Christ, that pure river of water of life, which proceeds from the throne of God, and of the Lamb, from divine sovereignty; and with which the saints in this state shall be sweetly and fully solaced and refreshed; and hence they shall never thirst more: and this is said to be “living”, because not only refreshing and reviving, but because it will last for ever; the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting; and it is signified by “fountains”, to denote the abundance of it, even as it will be perceived and enjoyed by the saints now;….” Rev 7:17

and for all eternity, we shall hunger and thirst no more because we shall have a superabundant supply, being feed and led by the Lamb in the midst of the throne.

There are “Wells with Water” and “Wells without Water” : WHICH ARE YOU?

©Jeff Maxwell 2011

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