LESSON VII.—SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1900
5 So He cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. 8 Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. For His disciples were gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman therefore saith unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a Samaritan woman? 10 (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. 11 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; from whence then hast Thou that living water? 12 Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his sons, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, 14 Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. 15 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said unto Him, I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou saidst well, I have no husband; 18 for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband; this hast thou said truly. 19 The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. 22 Ye worship that which ye know not; we worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such doth the Father seek to be His worshipers. 24 God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. 25 The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messiah cometh (which is called Christ); when He is come, He will declare unto us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. Golden Text: "God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24. NOTE.—The lesson section includes John 4:1-43. Learn by heart verses 10 and 14; Rev. 22:17; and Isa. 55:1. It would be well in teaching this lesson to contrast the interview with Nicodemus and this with the Samaritan woman, noting the difference in character, rank, and intelligence, and the difference in the method of teaching the two. (1) To what city did Jesus and His disciples come on their journey to Galilee? What was particularly noted of this locality? V. 5. (2) What well-known landmark existed at this place? What was Jesus' physical condition as He reached the well? What did He do? What time of day was it? V. 6. Note 1. (3) Who came to the well to draw water? What favor did Jesus ask of her? V. 7. (4) Where were the disciples of Jesus at this time? V. 8. (5) How did the Samaritan woman show her surprise at this request? Why was it natural for her to ask such a question? V. 9. Note 2. (6) How did Jesus reply to her query? V. 10. Note 3. (7) By what statement did the woman show that she did not understand the deep meaning of Jesus teaching? What two questions did she ask Him? Vs. 11, 12. (8) What did Jesus say of the water from the well by which He was sitting? V. 13. (9) With what did He compare it? What effect would it have upon him who partook of it? What would it really become in the individual? V. 14. Note 4. (10) Hearing these words of the Saviour, what question did the woman ask Him? What is still shown by her question? V. 15. Note 5. (11) What did Jesus tell the woman to do? V. 16. (12) What reply did she make? How did He answer her? V. 17. (13) In what way could it be said that she had spoken truly? V. 18. (14) What statement did these words of Jesus lead her to make? V. 19. (15) How did the woman seek to turn the conversation from herself? V. 20. Note 6. (16) What remarkable statement did the Saviour then make to her? V. 21. (17) What did He say of the worship of the two peoples? V. 22. (18) What time had now arrived in the history of the religious world? V. 23. (19) What worship only is acceptable to God? V. 24. Note 7. (20) What shows that this woman knew somewhat of the Old Testament prophecy? What would He do when He came?15V. 25. (21) What plain declaration did Jesus then make to her? V. 26. 1. About the sixth hour.—According to Jewish reckoning, this would be at noon. If the Roman reckoning is here used by John, as some have thought, then it was evening when this occurred. Both views are held, but the weight of evidence is in favor of the Jewish reckoning, placing the time of the Saviour's discourse at noon. 2. Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.—That is, no relations of hospitality, such as a request of this kind would be understood by them to imply. The Jews and Samaritans had business relations one with another, but no social intercourse whatever. "The wonder of the Samaritan woman was that a Jew should seek, by asking and receiving drink, to make a friendly compact with a member of a hostile race."—Trumbull. In the East the giving and receiving a drink of water was equivalent to a covenant of hospitality—a compact, however, which was not to be considered indissoluble. 3. If thou knewest the gift of God.—That is, if she had known Him, who was the Gift of God. This has a double significance. In the East water was called "the gift of God." Christ, the living Water, was then the real, living Gift of God; and if she had known Him, she would have asked for the real "gift of God,"—the real water, the water of life. 4. Shall never thirst.—"Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draught of the water of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else. The riches, honors, and pleasures of the world do not attract him. The constant cry of the heart is, 'More of Thee.' And He who reveals to the soul its necessity, is waiting to satisfy its hunger and thirst. The cisterns will be emptied, the pools become dry; but our Redeemer is an inexhaustible Fountain. He in whom Christ dwells, has within himself the fountain of blessing."—Desire of Ages. 5. Give me this water.—She was not asking Him for the water of Jacob's well, for she had been drinking of that continually, and yet her words seem to imply that she was still thinking of material water. The words, "Neither come all the way hither to draw," show that she was thinking of the burden of carrying water and coming so far for it. But before Jesus can give her that water, He must reveal to her her own condition, and create in her soul a thirst for righteousness. He led up to this by telling her to go and bring her husband. 6. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain.—With this statement the Samaritan woman sought to turn the conversation into another channel. She would bring up the controversy that had existed so long between Jew and Samaritan. The Samaritans wished to join with the Jews in the erection of the temple in the time of Ezra, and as the Jews would not allow this, they built a temple of their own in Mount Gerizim. Here they worshiped in accordance with the Mosaic ritual, but without wholly renouncing idolatry. Tho their temple was destroyed by their enemies, they still clung to their form of worship. 7. Must worship in spirit and truth.—"Not by seeking a holy mountain or a sacred temple are men brought into communion with Heaven. Religion is not to be conformed to external forms and ceremonies. The religion that comes from God is the only religion that will lead to God. Wherever a soul reaches out after God, there the Spirit's working is manifest, and God will reveal Himself to that soul."—Desire of Ages.