Yehoshua's Conversation With The Samaritan Woman

The following is from Yochanan/John chapter 4:

Then he (Yehoshua/Jesus) came to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Yaakov/Jacob gave to his son Yoseph/Joseph. Now Yaakov’s/Jacob's well was there. Yehoshua/Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat at the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water  Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink".  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to get supplies.)  Then the woman of Samaria responded to him, "How is it that you, being a Jew, are asking me for a drink when I am a woman of Samaria?

COMMENT:  It is and always has been common for people everywhere, especially in non-urban areas, to recognize people from surrounding areas by their dress.  Here the Samaritan woman expresses no doubt in identifying Yehoshua/Jesus as a Jew, most likely due to the tsitsit he is wearing.

Yehoshua/Jesus answered and said unto her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked to receive from him, and he would have given you living water.

The woman answered him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from where then would you get that living water?  Are you greater than our father Yaakov/Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, together with his children, and his cattle?"

Yehoshua/Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water shall thirst again. Whoever drinks of the water that I give them shall never thirst.  The water that I give them shall be in them a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

The woman said to him, "Sir, give this water to me, that I never thirst, neither have to come here again to draw.

Yehoshua/Jesus replied to her, "Go, call your husband, and then return here."

The woman answered and said, "I have no husband.”

Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "You have answered well, saying, 'I have no husband'.  For you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband.  You have spoken honestly.

The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

COMMENT:  The author of the book, Yochanan/John, does not claim to have heard this conversation.  He states for the record that none of the disciples of Yehoshua/Jesus were present.  In this way he indicates quite clearly that Yehoshua/Jesus himself repeated this conversation to him and, no doubt, the other disciples.  In other words, the author of the book is indicating that this is the way that Yehoshua/Jesus, and not a later source, wanted this dialogue to be recorded.

Every teaching that purports to be based in the Torah of the G-d of Israel, (that purports to be Biblical), is read either with the mindset of an outsider or of an insider.  The commentators through the ages on this conversation between Yehoshua/Jesus and the Samaritan woman have read it almost always with the mindset of outsiders listening in, outsiders from a greater or lesser distance.  As such, they have heard it as being a conversation primarily about Yehoshua/Jesus and who he might be.  While not dismissing this audience, it is also possible to read the conversation in a way to understand it as an insider, ( like the Jews and Samaritans involved in the story), might have understood it. Insomuch that one may have the very same Biblical awareness and concerns as those Jews and Samaritans represented here, it is even possible to listen to the dialogue as being oneself an insider.

Listening as an insider, we can understand that the person relating the conversation, and it is indicated here that this person is Yehoshua/Jesus himself, wants it to be understood that the central subject of the conversation is the relationship of Jews and Samaritans.  And what is said about that subject is not immediately expressed in the question of how it is that a Jewish man might be talking to a Samaritan woman, but is brought out in its most immediate and pronounced form in the question that is evoked in the Samaritan woman’s mind, which goes back to the division of the twelve tribes in relation to the house of David, and which she articulates:  "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and you say that Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

Yehoshua/Jesus answers her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming, when you shall neither (be able to) worship in this mountain, nor worship the Father at Jerusalem."

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus begins teaching her, as he promised he would if she were to ask him, speaking of the coming great galut/exile.

 "You worship you know not what.  We know who we worship.  For salvation is of the Jews."

COMMENT:   This statement is a definitive statement of Yehoshua's/Jesus' faith. We find it recorded in a conversation he had with a Samaritan.  We are pressed by this to give attention to the question of why the record of Yehoshua's life provided by his talmudim/disciples, and then subsequent history, shows so much association between the Jew, Yehoshua/Jesus, and the nations.  In response to that pressure we can look at the conclusion of the dialogue between Yehoshua/Jesus and the Samaritan woman and see how it might inform us about this. Speaking to the Samaritan woman, Yehoshua/Jesus continues:

“The hour is coming, and has already begun, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus continues to inform her that there will be a way in the coming galut/exile that it will still be possible to worship the Father, even though it will not be possible during that time to do so in complete fulfillment of the commandments to go up to Jerusalem.  He does not correct her in saying that as a Jew he holds to the commandments and that G-d will ultimately be worshiped in Jerusalem.  Rather, he indicates to her that there is a rectification of the human heart that needs to occur and that in the great galut/exile there will be a redemptive effect upon the heart to purify the worship of G-d.

 The woman then said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming. When he comes, he will reveal all things to us.”

Yehoshua/Jesus said to her, "I who am speaking with you am he.”

COMMENT:  Yehoshua/Jesus does not say this to make himself the subject of the communication.  He does so in order to respond to her implied doubt concerning the teaching he has offered her.  Indeed, we have here the question before us of why he would say directly to a Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah that she has been taught to expect but to his own people, the Jews, whether Judean’s or Galileans, he refuses always to state this.  

I believe that the reason for this is be found in the spirit of G-d’s answer to Samuel concerning Israel’s desire to have a king like unto the rulers of the nations.  It is, as I understand it, as though G-d said to Samuel, “It is alright.  I will deal with it. It is not you they have rejected. It is me.  It is to be expected. I have already said through Moshe that this would happen, but also that I will be hidden from them just enough for them to know what they have lost and ultimately turn to me in pure, whole-hearted faith.”  For me, this is the messianic message of Yehoshua, that Israel, like Adam broke the special, sanctified relationship that G-d chose to have with her, but he, in turn, will never break it with her, but instead will turn her very wanderings into her salvation.  And for this very reason Yehoshua expressed his message throughout the Galilee region, then culminated it in Judea and Jerusalem, sending it out then to Samaria and to all the ends of the earth, wherever the tribes of Israel wandered.  

Read more notes and commentary on the Book of Yochanan/John here.

The Baptism To Come

Rashi:

And there shall be a highway: in the midst of the water for the remnant of His people

Read more

Concealment and Revelation of Mashiach

See:

The Concealment and Revelation of Mashiach and The Good News

After that Yehoshua made atonement for his own people Israel who did not receive him, he was taken up into heaven and concealed there from the world.  This concealment is the aspect of grace which is created in his offering for Israel and continues on.  Read more...

Thoughts On Monotheism and Conversion

A person can conclude that there must be a God

and yet not know God.

Unless a person walks with God like Adam did at first in the garden, or talks person to person with God like Moses, unless a person trusts God personally like Jesus did when he went up to Jerusalem to become the object of the hatred of his brothers and sisters, or like Joseph did when he went out to his brothers to be hated and afflicted by them, like Abraham did when he obeyed God and offered up Isaac, who was his only hope, a person's possible belief can be a belief in monotheism without being a saving belief in God.

A person can believe that there is a God while at the same time not believing God.

A person can believe that there is a God and also believe God but yet only believe God very imperfectly.

When a person believes that there is a God on their own there is a self-referential aspect to their belief.  That is, the authority for their belief that there is a God is the process of their own thinking.

Only when a person walks with God like Adam did at first in the garden, or talks person to person with God like Moses did, only when a person trusts God personally like Jesus did when he went up to Jerusalem to become the object of the hatred of his brothers and sisters, or like Joseph did when he went out to his brothers to be hated and afflicted by them, and like Abraham did when he obeyed God and offered up Isaac, who was his only hope, does the authority of their belief become God and not the process of their own thinking.

We know that a person can obey the commandment of God what seems to be exactly, and yet it is in form only, without the obedience being in the heart.  If a person does not even believe that there is a God and yet performs the commandments in perfect form it cannot be said that there is any obedience at all.  If a person believes that there is a God and the only authority for their belief is the process of their own thinking, so that it is their opinion that God exists, they might obey the commandments out of fear, but how will they obey them out of love of God?

If it is a person's opinion that monotheism is true and that God exists and furthermore they reason that if God exists he has a will to be obeyed, then if they hear from someone that God's will is expressed in this commandment or that commandment, and they trust the person who tells them this, they may convince themselves logically that the only possibly right way to live is to obey such commandments.  However, if they do not hear God himself saying to them, "This is the way of Truth walk in it and live!" how will they be saved?

Isaiah 30
[New Living Translation]
Judah’s Worthless Treaty with Egypt

1“What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,”
says the LORD.
“You make plans that are contrary to mine.
You make alliances not directed by my Spirit,
thus piling up your sins.
2For without consulting me,
you have gone down to Egypt for help.
You have put your trust in Pharaoh’s protection.
You have tried to hide in his shade.
3But by trusting Pharaoh, you will be humiliated,
and by depending on him, you will be disgraced.
4For though his power extends to Zoan
and his officials have arrived in Hanes,
5all who trust in him will be ashamed.
He will not help you.
Instead, he will disgrace you.”
6This message came to me concerning the animals in the Negev:
The caravan moves slowly
across the terrible desert to Egypt—
donkeys weighed down with riches
and camels loaded with treasure—
all to pay for Egypt’s protection.
They travel through the wilderness,
a place of lionesses and lions,
a place where vipers and poisonous snakes live.
All this, and Egypt will give you nothing in return.
7Egypt’s promises are worthless!
Therefore, I call her Rahab—
the Harmless Dragon.a
A Warning for Rebellious Judah
8Now go and write down these words.
Write them in a book.
They will stand until the end of time
as a witness
9that these people are stubborn rebels
who refuse to pay attention to the LORD’s instructions.
10They tell the seers,
“Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets,
“Don’t tell us what is right.
Tell us nice things.
Tell us lies.
11Forget all this gloom.
Get off your narrow path.
Stop telling us about your
‘Holy One of Israel.’”
12This is the reply of the Holy One of Israel:
“Because you despise what I tell you
and trust instead in oppression and lies,
13calamity will come upon you suddenly—
like a bulging wall that bursts and falls.
In an instant it will collapse
and come crashing down.
14You will be smashed like a piece of pottery—
shattered so completely that
there won’t be a piece big enough
to carry coals from a fireplace
or a little water from the well.”
15This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:
“Only in returning to me
and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.
But you would have none of it.
16You said, ‘No, we will get our help from Egypt.
They will give us swift horses for riding into battle.’
But the only swiftness you are going to see
is the swiftness of your enemies chasing you!
17One of them will chase a thousand of you.
Five of them will make all of you flee.
You will be left like a lonely flagpole on a hill
or a tattered banner on a distant mountaintop.”
Blessings for the LORD’s People
18So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
19O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
20Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
21Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
22Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!”
23Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock. 24The oxen and donkeys that till the ground will eat good grain, its chaff blown away by the wind. 25In that day, when your enemies are slaughtered and the towers fall, there will be streams of water flowing down every mountain and hill. 26The moon will be as bright as the sun, and the sun will be seven times brighter—like the light of seven days in one! So it will be when the LORD begins to heal his people and cure the wounds he gave them.
27Look! The LORD is coming from far away,
burning with anger,
surrounded by thick, rising smoke.
His lips are filled with fury;
his words consume like fire.
28His hot breath pours out like a flood
up to the neck of his enemies.
He will sift out the proud nations for destruction.
He will bridle them and lead them away to ruin.
29But the people of God will sing a song of joy,
like the songs at the holy festivals.
You will be filled with joy,
as when a flutist leads a group of pilgrims
to Jerusalem, the mountain of the LORD—
to the Rock of Israel.
30And the LORD will make his majestic voice heard.
He will display the strength of his mighty arm.
It will descend with devouring flames,
with cloudbursts, thunderstorms, and huge hailstones.
31At the LORD’s command, the Assyrians will be shattered.
He will strike them down with his royal scepter.
32And as the LORD strikes them with his rod of punishment,
his people will celebrate with tambourines and harps.
Lifting his mighty arm, he will fight the Assyrians.
33Topheth—the place of burning—
has long been ready for the Assyrian king;
the pyre is piled high with wood.
The breath of the LORD, like fire from a volcano,
will set it ablaze.

Footnotes:
a 30:7 Hebrew Rahab who sits still. Rahab is the name of a mythical sea monster that represents chaos in ancient literature. The name is used here as a poetic name for Egypt.

Then the End Shall Come...

In Matthew 24 Yehoshua is recorded as teaching his students that all the calamities of the world will escalate more and more but the are not the calamities of the final period of time simply because they are escalating more and more.  They are a part of what prepares the world for that final period of time, which is a period of the most severe judgments.  They are only one part of the escalating patterns that prepare the world for its final end.  Such things as hatred and immorality will also increase exponentially.  But it is the Good News itself, according to Yehoshua, which will bring about the final end of the natural time and life of this world.

How does this work?  First of all the Great Commission being fulfilled is not simply a marker, the ultimate sign of the end time and Mashiach's return.  Nor is it simply a case that it is a technical matter of giving every sinner a chance to repent and be saved.  This good news that is spoken of is itself the channel of the Eternal World penetrating and infiltrating into this temporal world.  This is the Good News of Israel and Her Messiah.  It is an utter mystery to this world, but it will be announced and it will be made clear and indisputable in the final hour – as a result, the end shall come.

If We Walk In The Spirit

There comes a time when followers of the Spirit of Israel's Messiah can no longer walk in the Spirit each in their own way.  When the Shepherd of the sheep has gathered all the strays into one place, into the one flock, the Spirit no longer leads the sheep separately but leads only the flock as a whole.  The Shekinah leads the whole camp of Israel through the wilderness, not separate tribes separately, certainly not separate individuals separately.  But there was a great scattering and all the sheep who were able to hear the voice of the Shepherd had to be called back into one flock.  The time of the testimony in the wilderness is the time of the testimony of unity.  The time of the testimony of unity is the time of the testimony of the whole house of Israel to Yehoshua HaMashiach, which is a testimony in mystery and with a plot of suspense.  For it is the testimony of a people who are whole and not whole.  They are whole because they are one but they are not whole because they are yet in the wilderness.  For they are the people whose land is the land of the new creation of the heavens and the earth.  This testimony, therefore, is a narrative, a story of a journey of a people with their God and toward their God, a people who as one walk in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for a kingdom of a few days.  For when the Good News of Israel and Her Messiah, the Good News of the Kingdom of God, is announced unto the ends of the earth, then the end of the kingdom of a few days will come.  The kingdoms of the proud giants will fall and Israel will enter her land.

When Will The Remnant of Israel Speak on Her Behalf About Mashiach?

I will soon post a series of notes here about how the great training work, the training of the nations in our generation, must begin.  This is the training work that will need to be done in obedience to the great assignment that Mashiach has given us.

If you are moved to read these notes by a spirit longing for and seeking the Mashiach of Israel, I would guide you to read and study first my series on the relationship of the judgements in Egypt and the judgement upon the world as a whole as revealed in The Book of The Revelation of Yehoshua HaMashiach.  That series is posted on the Hearing Seven Thunders site.  You might want to read the following post there first, and then go from there back to the first posts in the series and work your way forward from there.  Here is the link to the post where you might want to start coming from here:

Hearing Seven Thunders: Little Book Rev. 10 – Exodus-Revelation Judgements