Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Parallel Translations
-
Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation.
-
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
-
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Isaiah 12:3 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Revelation 22:1 He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
- Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut out cisterns for themselves: broken cisterns that can’t hold water.
- Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.
- John 4:10-14 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his children and his livestock?” Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
- Revelation 7:17 for the Lamb who is in the middle of the throne shepherds them and leads them to springs of life-giving waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
- Isaiah 55:1-3 “Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in richness. Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
- John 7:37-39 Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
- Isaiah 49:10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun strike them: for he who has mercy on them will lead them. He will guide them by springs of water.
- John 1:16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
- Psalms 36:9 For with you is the spring of life. In your light we will see light.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (18 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain The graces of God shall be so abundant, that…
The graces of God shall be so abundant, that ye may receive them in as great plenty, as waters out of a fountain that is full.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water…
Isa 12:3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Ver. 3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water.] Joy is the just man’s portion, and Christ is the never failing fountain whence by a lively faith he may infallibly fetch it. {Joh 4:10; Joh 4:14; Joh 7:37} Christ was much delighted with this metaphor; see Joh 1:16. Out of this fountain only may men quench their spiritual thirst after righteousness. Haec sola est aqua quae animas arentes, marentes et squalidas reficit, et recreat. {a} These wells of salvation are those "words of eternal life," {Joh 6:68} the rich and "precious promises," {2Pe 1:4} "whereby we are made partakers of the divine nature," and of the Holy Spirit, which is frequently and fitly compared to water in regard of (1.) Ablution; {Eze 36:25} (2.) of Fructification; {Job 8:11 Isa 35:6-7; Isa 44:3-4} and (3.) of Refrigeration. {Psa 42:1 Rom 5:5} Some think the prophet here alludeth to those softly running waters of Shiloah, {Isa 8:6} or to the rock water that followed them in the wilderness, or to that famous fountain, {Num 21:16-18} whence they drew waters with so much mirth and melody.
Read full note →
{a} Sanchez.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Your thirsty and fainting souls shall be filled with…
Your thirsty and fainting souls shall be filled with Divine graces and comforts, which you may plentifully draw from God in the use of gospel ordinances, which was oft signified by water, both in the Old and in the New Testament. He seems to allude to the state of Israel in the wilderness, where when they had been tormented with thirst, they were greatly refreshed and delighted with those waters which God so graciously and wonderfully afforded them in that dry and barren land, Num 20:11; 21:16-18.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Therefore with joy shall ye draw water,.... These words…
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water,.... These words are either an exhortation to others, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "draw ye"; and so likewise an encouragement to them by her example, or a prophecy that they should do this; that is, apply to Christ for grace, and receive it from him: for by "water" is meant grace, which is compared to it, because it is softening, purifying, fructifying, cooling, and refreshing, and extinguishes thirst; and this is to be "drawn", it is to be come at, though the well in which it is be deep, and not in the reach of everyone; the bucket is faith that it is drawn with, and this is the gift of God; and it is in the exercise of this grace, which requires diligence, strength, and labour, that saints receive from Christ, and grace for grace; and this is exercised in the use of means, by prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and attendance on the word and ordinances, by which faith draws hard, and receives much, and, when it does, it is attended "with joy": salvation itself is received with joy, and so is the Saviour; as also a justifying righteousness, and pardoning grace, and likewise every supply of grace; which joy is of a spiritual kind, is in a way of believing, what a stranger intermeddles not with, and is unspeakable and full of glory:
out of the wells of salvation, or "fountains"; as all the three Persons are; Jehovah the Father, as he is called "the fountain of living water", Jer 2:13 so he is the fountain of salvation; it springs from him, from his everlasting love, his eternal purposes, his infinite wisdom, his sure and unalterable covenant, his free grace in the mission of his Son; and he himself is the God of grace, from whence it all comes, and every supply of it. The Spirit and his grace are called a "well of living water", Joh 4:14 and he also is a well of salvation; it is he that convinces men of their need of it, that brings near this salvation to them, and shows them their interest in it, and bears witness to it, and is the earnest and pledge of it; and he is the author of all that grace which makes them meet for it, and from whom are all the supplies of it by the way. But more especially Christ is meant, who is the "fountain of gardens, and well of living water", Sol 4:15 in whom salvation is, and in no other: the words may be rendered, "the wells" or "fountains of the Saviour" (r), yea, of Jesus; and which are no other than the fulness of grace in him: the phrase denotes the abundance of grace in Christ, much of which is given out in conversion; an abundance of it is received with the free gift of righteousness for justification; and a large measure of it in the pardon of sins, and in all the after supplies, through the wilderness of this world, till the saints come to glory; and which is vouchsafed to a great number, to all the elect angels and elect men, to all the churches, and the members thereof, in all ages; and this always has been and ever will be communicating to them. The Targum is,
Read full note →
"and ye shall receive a new doctrine from the chosen, the righteous;''
or of the righteous; which is true of the doctrine of the Gospel, received by the hands of chosen men, the apostles of Christ. The Jews (s) make use of this passage, in confirmation of the ceremony of drawing of water at the feast of tabernacles; and say (t) it signifies the drawing of the Holy Ghost; that is, his grace.
(r) "de fontibus Salvatoris", V. L.; Vatablus. (s) T. Bab. Succa, fol. 48. 2. & 50. 2. (t) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 70. fol. 62. 3. T. Hieros. Succa, fol. 55. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain With joy - Your thirsty souls shall be filled…
With joy - Your thirsty souls shall be filled with Divine graces and comforts, which you may draw from God, in the use of gospel-ordinances.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Isa 12:3. Therefore — Because the Lord Jehovah is…
Isa 12:3. Therefore — Because the Lord Jehovah is your strength and song, and is, and will be, your salvation; with joy shall ye draw water, &c. — The assurances God has given you of his love, and the experience you have had of the benefit and comfort of his grace, should greatly encourage your faith in him, and your expectations from him. Out of the wells of salvation — Your thirsty and fainting souls shall be filled with divine graces and comforts; which you shall plentifully draw from God, in the use of gospel ordinances, and which are often signified by water, both in the Old and in the New Testament. He seems to allude to the state of Israel in the wilderness, where, when they had been tormented with thirst, they were greatly refreshed and delighted with those waters which God so graciously and wonderfully afforded them in that dry and barren land, Num 20:11; Num 21:16-18. As this hymn evidently appears by its whole tenor, and by many expressions in it, to be much better calculated for the Christian Church than it could be for the Jewish, in any circumstances, or at any time that can be assigned; so “the Jews themselves seem to have applied it to the times of the Messiah. On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, they fetched water, in a golden pitcher, from the fountain of Siloah, springing at the foot of mount Sion, without the city; they brought it through the water-gate into the temple, and poured it, mixed with wine, on the sacrifice as it lay upon the altar, with great rejoicing. They seem to have taken up this custom, for it is not ordained in the law of Moses, as an emblem of future blessings, in allusion to this passage of Isaiah: Ye shall draw water with joy from the fountains of salvation: expressions that can hardly be understood of any benefits afforded by the Mosaic dispensation. Our Saviour applied the ceremony, and the intention of it, to himself, and to the effusion of the Holy Spirit, promised and to be given by him.” Thus Bishop Lowth, who quotes a passage from the Jerusalem Talmud to show that the Jews thought this song to be intended of the times of the Messiah, and considered the water, said to be drawn from the wells of salvation, as signifying the influences of the Holy Spirit to be given in his days.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Therefore - In view of all his mercies, the…
Therefore - In view of all his mercies, the Hebrew is, however; simply, ‘” and” ye shall draw.’ It has already been intimated that the Jews applied this passage to the Holy Spirit: and that probably on this they based their custom of drawing water from the fountain of Siloam at the feast of the dedication (note, Joh 7:37). The fountain of Siloam was in the eastern part of the city, and the water was borne from that fountain in a golden cup, and was poured, with every expression of rejoicing, on the sacrifice on the altar. It is not probable, however, that this custom was in use in the time of Isaiah. The language is evidently figurative; but the meaning is obvious. A fountain, or a well, in the sacred writings, is an emblem of that which produces joy and refreshment; which sustains and cheers. The figure is often employed to denote that which supports and refreshes the soul; which sustains man when sinking from exhaustion, as the babbling, fountain or well refreshes the weary and fainting pilgrim (compare Joh 4:14).
It is thus applied to God as an overflowing fountain, suited to supply the needs of all his creatures Jer 2:13; Jer 17:13; Psa 36:9; Pro 14:27; and to his plan of salvation - the sources of comfort which he has opened in the scheme of redeeming mercy to satisfy the needs of the souls of people Zec 13:1; Isa 41:18; Rev 7:17. The word ‘rivers’ is used in the same sense as ‘fountains’ in the above places Isa 42:15; Isa 43:19-20. Generally, in the Scriptures, streams, fountains, rivers, are used as emblematic of the abundant fullness and richness of the mercies which God has provided to supply the spiritual necessities of men. The idea here is, therefore, that they should partake abundantly of the mercies of salvation; that it was free, overflowing, and refreshing - like waters to weary pilgrims in the desert; and that their partaking of it would be with joy. It would fill the soul with happiness; as the discovery of an abundant fountain, or a well in the desert, fills the thirsty pilgrim with rejoicing.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Fountains. Instead of those which your fathers drank in…
Fountains. Instead of those which your fathers drank in the desert. (Calmet) --- You shall have the holy Scriptures, (Haydock) sacraments, &c., John iv. 13., and vii. 38.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain draw water . . . salvation--an expressive image in…
draw water . . . salvation--an expressive image in a hot country. On the last day of the feast of tabernacles the Jews used to bring water in a golden pitcher from the fountain of Siloam, and pour it, mingled with wine, on the sacrifice on the altar, with great rejoicing. This is the allusion in Jesus' words on "the last day of the feast" (Joh 7:2, Joh 7:37-39). The pouring out of water indicated repentance (Sa1 7:6; compare, as to the Jews' repentance hereafter, Zac 12:10). There shall be a latter outpouring of the Spirit like the former one on pentecost (Joe 2:23).
wells--not mere streams, which may run dry, but ever-flowing fountains (Joh 4:14; Joh 7:38), "Out of his belly (that is, in and from himself)--living water" (Isa 42:18; Psa 84:6; Zac 13:1; Rev 7:17).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 3. Draw water — What gift so welcome, so…
3. Draw water — What gift so welcome, so precious, after experience in the Desert of Sinai?
Wells of salvation — The inexhaustible riches of the Holy Spirit — so the figure clearly means; so the ancient Jews applied it. Water, wells of water, or fountains, rivers, are terms indisputably used in the Old Testament for the satisfying gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 3. A promise connecting the first song with the…
3. A promise connecting the first song with the second (Isa_12:4-6).
wells of salvation] (cf. Psa_87:7). The language is figurative, denoting the inexhaustible fulness of the Divine blessings prepared for the people of God.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water .…
(3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water . . .—Literally, And with joy. The words may be either part of the hymn, or addressed to those who are to join in it. The latter seems most in harmony with the context. In the later ritual of the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests went in solemn procession to the Pool of Siloam, filled a golden vase with water, carried it to the Temple, and poured it out on the western side of the altar of burnt offering, while the people chanted the great Hallel (Hymn of Praise) of Psalms 113-118 (See Note on Joh_7:37.) If we may assume that this represented the ritual of the monarchy, we may reasonably infer that the words of Isaiah pointed to it. The Talmud expressly connects the act with the symbolism of Isaiah’s words (Jer. Succa, v. 1), and the prophet’s reference to the “waters of Shiloah” in Isa_8:6, confirms the inference.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain With joy shall ye draw water. The prophet interrupts…
With joy shall ye draw water. The prophet interrupts the song to give a comforting promise. The "salvation" granted to the Church shall be as an inexhaustible well, from which all comers may draw continually. Compare our Lord"s promise to the woman of Samaria in Joh_4:14.
HOMILIES BY W.M. STATHAM Ver. 3. A religion of blessedness.
Read full note →
"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." Religion is not only safety, it is blessedness the very highest blessedness. We are not to be ever in fear and trembling about "our state," but to remember that "perfect love casteth out fear." A really religious man finds that he cannot do without the gospel as satisfying his entire being. He is not religious because he "ought to be," or must be, to be saved; he is religious because also it is truest joy.
I WATER MUST BE DRAWN. Certainly. The wells of truth are deep and clear, but we must come hither in one sense to draw. It is quite true that the woman of Samaria at Jacob"s well said to the Savior, "Give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw," and that Jesus told her the water he should give her should be in her "a well of water springing up into everlasting life." But at the same time, we must remember that Jesus spake a parable about "the treasure hid in a field." The ideas are both true. For the Christian there is a hidden blessedness, but it needs discovering by the Word and the Spirit of God. Every quiet meditation, every prayerful perusal of the sacred page, this is a drawing of water out of the wells of salvation.
II WATER WILL BE JOYFULLY DRAWN. Not "must be," but "will be." You cannot command pleasure;" you can duty." You can make the child or the man read Scripture, but only life within will lead them to draw water "with joy." The art-student loves to wander in the foreign galleries and to gaze upon the highest ideals of art. We listen to music so differently when we love and delight in it. And a quickened soul loves religion for its own sake.
III WATER MUST BE DISTRIBUTED WHEN DRAWN. We can "give" the cup as well as drink of the cup. It is the water that is so precious, not the wooden cup or the golden chalice that contains it. It is not new "theories" and "views" and "opinions" that are precious, but the Word of the living God, which is the pure water of life, and of which whoso drink shall live; for the written Word all leads to the living Word Jesus Christ, the Savior of men.
IV THE MANY WELLS ARE FED BY ONE FOUNTAIN. History or prophecy; Gospel or Epistle; precept or promise; the record of Paradise lost, in Genesis; or the story of Paradise regained, in the Apocalypse; all these are filled from the same Divine fountain. It is the Spirit that testifies of Christ; for "the testimony of Jesus" is the theme of history and "the spirit of prophecy." Many wells! Yes; but "all my springs are in thee. W.M.S.
The joy of Christ"s salvation.
These words of prophecy must have been peculiarly precious to those who first heard them. They sound very musical to us, but they must seem more melodious still to the Oriental ear. We know that water is an invaluable thing, but it is only they who have lived or traveled in tropical countries that appreciate all that is meant by burning drought or by refreshing streams. And as words gather sweetness and excellency to the ear as they become associated with that which we most prize, so we may be sure that the words "water" and "wells" had a most inviting sound to the people of Palestine, and that this passage had (as we should say) a "golden ring" in the hearing of the Jews. It may bring before us the joy which springs from the salvation of Jesus Christ in the several stages of our experience.
I PROFOUND AND MOST BLESSED PEACE. It is said that the most exquisite sensation that mortal man enjoys is experienced in the sudden cessation of excruciating pain. Similarly we may truly say that the most profound satisfaction of the soul is felt in a blessed consciousness of the removal of Divine condemnation; in other words, in a sense of forgiven sin. The "peace of God" not only "passeth understanding," but it is a truer and a deeper calm than any other which is born of outward circumstance or human favor. This frequently passes into
II THE JOY WHICH RISES INTO HOLY RAPTURE. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God... and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ". (Rom_5:1, Rom_5:11) The sense of God"s fatherly love, the conviction that sin, condemnation, death, hell all the really evil and harmful things are left behind forever, and that before us is an ever-ascending path of wisdom, righteousness, and joy, will awaken in the soul a rapturous delight compared with which the excitements and delectations of earth are very poor affairs.
III THE JOYOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE SOUL THROUGHOUT ALL ITS CHRISTIAN COURSE. With joy we "draw water." In the activities that are distinctively Christian we find a positive delight a source of satisfaction which does not injure, but ennoble; which does not pall and fade, but abide and deepen. In the course of our Christian experience we have:
1. The joy of praise; of pouring forth our trust and gratitude in strains of sacred song, "singing and making melody in the heart.
2. The joy of fellowship; holding glad communion with the heavenly Father, with the Divine Friend of our spirits; holding reverent and rejoicing intercourse with him both in social worship and in the hour of solitude; having, also, happy and heart-gladdening "fellowship one with another.
3. The joy of hope; the eager anticipation of a blessedness and glory which will follow the strife and suffering of this present time. Learn
1. the folly of refusing this heritage of joy;
2. the serious and mischievous mistake of giving a joyless impression of Christian service. C.
The wells of salvation
A very expressive image in a hot country. Wells are treated in contrast with cisterns, which only store the drainage of the ground. Wells are fed from springs and storehouses treasured in the heart of the earth. Inside Carisbrooke Castle is a deep well, which ensured constant supply for the garrison, however closely the castle might be besieged. Salvation is like a well; forth from it ever comes "living water." It is not like a man-made cistern, which only holds a limited quantity, and is apt to fail in the supreme hour of need. There may be a reference to the custom associated with one of the great feasts. On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles some say on each day the Jews used to bring water in a golden pitcher from the fountain of Siloam, and pour it, mingled with wine, on the sacrifice on the altar, with great rejoicing. Illustrating the joy of finding fresh and living water in hot countries, "it is said that while the French engineers were boring for water in the African desert, the Arabs looked on in silent wonder, until they saw the precious stream actually gushing forth, and then their joy knew no bounds; and sweet and precious as the cooling waters are now to the weary laboring child of the desert, so precious were they to the people to whom the words of the prophet were originally addressed; and the promise to them of an indefinite supply of that element would be highly appreciated by them, and well calculated to inspire their gratitude and joy." The idea of the text may be thus given: Out of the wells of salvation in God, who is the Fountain of all good to his people, you shall draw water with joy. Matthew Henry suggests three good topics for meditation.
1. God"s promises, revealed, ratified, and given out to us in his ordinances, are wells of salvation; wells of the Savior (so some read it), for in them the Savior and salvation are made known to us and made over to us.
2. It is our duty by faith to draw water out of these wells, to take to ourselves the benefit and comfort that are treasured up for us in them, as those that acknowledge all our fresh springs to be there, and all our fresh streams to be thence. (Psa_87:7)
3. Water is to be drawn out of the wells of salvation with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. It is the will of God that we should rejoice before him, and rejoice in him; (Deu_26:11) be joyful in his house of prayer, (Isa_56:7) and keep his feasts with gladness." (Act_2:46) Like well-water, salvation is
I EVER FRESH. And so ever pleasant.
II EVER ABUNDANT. Fullness for whosoever will. Compare cisterns, or wadys of deserts. Salvation is a perennial fount, a "perpetual tide; it flows for you, for me, for all.
III EVER FREE. Nobody can seal up this fountain.
IV EVER HEALTH-GIVING. Restoring, requickening. It is healing for the sick, strength for the disabled, life for those "dead in trespasses and sins." What can surpass in power to bring us joy our sense of the fitness and the fullness of the "great," the "common" salvation? R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Therefore with Joy shall ye draw water out of…
Isa_12:3
Therefore with Joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation
Read full note →
Drawing water from the wells of salvation
The Talmudists refer the words, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation, to the custom of making an oblation of water on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles.
But as it is not prescribed in the law of Moses, it has been doubted whether it dates back earlier than the times of the Maccabees. It is, however, at least as probable that the Asmonean princes should have restored an ancient as ordained a new rite; such a rite, to acknowledge Gods gift of the water without which harvest and vintage must have failed, would always have been a likely accompaniment of the feast in which these were celebrated; and the like acts of Samuel and Elijah, though for different purposes, perhaps go in confirmation of the ancient existence of such a practice. (Sir E. Strachey, Bart.)
The prophecy and its fulfilment
Two events, separated from each other by fifteen hundred years, bear upon these words. One was the origin of the peculiar form of this prophecy, the other contains its interpretation and claims to be its fulfilment.
1. The wandering march of the children of Israel had brought them to Rephidim, where there was no water. Their parched lips opened to murmur and rebel against their unseen Leader and His visible lieutenant. At his wits end, Moses cried to God, and the answer is the command to take with him the elders of Israel, and with his rod in his hand to go up to Horeb; and then come grand words, Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock, and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it. It is not the rock, nor the rod, nor the uplifted hand, but it is the presence of God which makes the sparkling streams pour out. How the thirsty men would drink, how gladly they would fling themselves on the ground and glue their lips to the glancing blessing, or dip their cups and skins into it, as it flashed along! Many a psalm and prophecy refer to this old story, and clearly Isaiah had it in his mind here, for the whole context is full of allusions to the history of the Exodus, as a symbol of the better deliverance from a worse bondage, which the Root of Jesse was to effect. The lyric burst of praise, of which the text is part, carries on the same allusion. The joyful band of pilgrims returning from this captivity sing the Song of Moses, chanted first by the banks of the Red Sea, The Lord is my strength and song and He is become my salvation. This distinct quotation, which immediately precedes our text, makes the reference in it which we have pointed out, most probable and natural. The connection of these words with the story in the Exodus was recognised by the Jews at a very early period, as is plain from their use in the remarkable ritual of the Feast of Tabernacles. That festival was originally appointed to preserve the remembrance of Israels nomad life in the wilderness. In the later days of the nation, a number of symbolical observances were added to those of the original institution. Daily, amidst loud jubilations, the priests wound in long procession down the slope from the temple to the fountain of Siloam in the valley beneath, and there drew water in golden urns. They bore it back, the crowd surging around them, and then amidst the blast of trumpets, and a tumult of rejoicing, they poured it on the altar, while thousands of voices chanted Isaiahs words, With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
2. So much for the occasion of the prophecy; now for its meaning and fulfilment. Nearly eight hundred years have passed. Again the festival has come round. For seven days the glad ceremonial has been performed. For the last time the priestly procession has gone down the rocky road; for the last time the vases have been filled at the cool fountain below; for the last time the bright water has been poured out sparkling in the sunlight; for the last time the shout of joy has risen and fallen, and as the words of the ancient chant were dying on the ear, a sudden stir began among the crowd, and from the midst of them, as they parted for his passage, came a young man, rustic in appearance, and there, before all the silence-stricken multitude, and priests with their empty urns, in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. Surely such words, in such a connection, at such a time, from such lips, are meant to point the path to the true understanding of the text. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The wells of salvation
I. Consider what we have to understand by THE WELLS OF SALVATION.
1. We are not to be content with any shallow and narrow interpretation of either idea in that phrase. No doubt salvation in the Old Testament often means merely outward deliverance from material peril. We shall not strain the meaning here, if we take salvation almost in the fully developed New Testament sense, as including, negatively, the deliverance from all evil, both evil of sin and evil of sorrow, and, positively, the endowment with all good, good both of holiness and happiness, which God can bestow or man receive.
2. Then if so, God Himself is, in the deepest truth, the Well of Salvation. The figure of our text does not point to a well so much as to a spring. It is a source, not a reservoir. So we have but to recall, the deep and wonderful words of the psalmist: With Thee is the fountain of life, and others not less profound of the prophet: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, in order to be led up to the essential meaning of this text. Salvation has its origin in the depths of Gods own nature. It wells up as of itself, not drawn forth by anything in us, but pouring out as from an inner impulse in His own deep heart. Surely, too, if God be the fountain of salvation, the essence of salvation must be His communication of Himself. The water is the same in the fountain as in the pitcher. But, God being the true fountain of salvation, notice that Jesus Christ plainly and decisively puts Himself in the place that belongs to God: If any man thirst, etc. Think of the extraordinary claims involved in that invitation. Every craving of heart and mind, all longings for love and wisdom, for purity and joy, for strength and guidance, He assumes to be able to slake by the gift of Himself.
3. One other remark may be made on this part of our subject. The first word of our text carries us back to something preceding, on which the drawing water with joy is founded. That something is expressed immediately before: The Lord Jehovah is my strength and song, etc. These words are quoted from Moses song at the Red Sea, and there point to the one definite act by which God had saved the people from their pursuers. In like manner, we have to look to a definite historical act by which the fountain of salvation has been opened for us, and our glad drawing therefrom has been made possible. The mission and work of Jesus Christ, His incarnation, passion and death, are the means by which the sealed fountain has been opened. For men, Jesus Christ is as the river which flows from the closed and land-locked sea of the infinite Divine nature. He is for us the only source, the inexhaustible, the perennial source--like some spring never hot or muddy, never frozen, never walled in,never sinking one hairbreadth in its basin, though armies drink, and ages pass.
II. Consider again, what is THE WAY OF DRAWING from the wells of salvation.
1. Christ has taught us what drawing is. To the Samaritan woman He said, Thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. So then Drawing is Asking. To the crowds in the temple courts He said, Let him come unto Me and drink. So, then, Drawing is Coming. To the listeners by the Sea of Galilee He said, He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. So Coming, Asking, Drawing, are all explained by Believing.
2. Now that faith which is thus powerful, must fasten on a definite historical fact. The faith which draws from the fountain of salvation is not a vague faith in generalities about Gods goodness and the like, but it grasps God as revealed and becoming our salvation in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
3. The words preceding our text suggest another characteristic of the faith which really draws water from the fountain: He is become my salvation. That is to say, this believing grasp of Christ manifested in a definite historical act is an intensely personal thing,
3. Consider, too, THE JOY OF THE WATER DRAWERS. The well is the meeting place in these hot lands, where the solitary shepherds from the pastures and the maidens from the black camels hair tents meet in the cool evening, and ringing laughter and cheery talk go round. Or the allusion may be rather to the joy, as of escape from death, with which some exhausted travellers press towards the palm trees on the horizon that tell of a spring in the desert, and when they have reached it, crowd to the fountain and drink greedily, no matter how hot and muddy it may be. So jubilant is the heart of the man whose soul is filled and feasted with the God of his salvation, and the salvation of his God. Such a man has all the sources and motives for joy which the heart can ask. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Salvation: how to get it
People have given many answers to the question, If God be the fountain of salvation, how are we to get the water? if I may say so, pumps of all sorts have been tried, and there has been much weary working of arms at the handles, and much jangling of buckets and nothing brought up. The old word is true, with a new application to all who try in any shape to procure salvation by any work of their own: Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. But there is no need for all this profitless work. It is as foolish as it would be to spend money and pains in sinking a well in some mountainous country, where every hillside is seamed with watercourses, and all that is needed is to put one end of any kind of wooden spout into the burn and your vessels under the other. The well of salvation is an artesian well that needs no machinery to raise the water, but only pitchers to receive it as it rises. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
Christs ordinances
I. WHAT IS UNDERSTOOD BY A MEANS OF SALVATION. It is that by and through which the Lord Jesus doth by His spirit convey grace and salvation into a soul. These means are some outward, some inward; some ordinary, others extraordinary.
II. WHAT THESE MEANS OF SALVATION ARE.
1. The inward means is faith (Heb_4:2). This ordinarily requires an outward means to work it by. But being wrought, it is the great inward means of communication betwixt Christ and the soul.
2. Extraordinary means are whatsoever the Lord in His sovereign wisdom is pleased to make use of extraordinarily for conveying grace into the hearts of His elect, as He did a voice from heaven for the conversion of Paul.
3. The outward and ordinary means are the Lords own ordinances Rom_10:14-15).
(1) In general, all the ordinances of God without exception, which He has set up in His Church for that end.
(2) The most special means of grace and salvation are the Word, sacraments, and prayer.
III. WHAT MAKES ANY ORDINANCE A MEANS OF GRACE, a well of salvation, out of which one may in faith look to draw water for his soul, or get spiritual good by.
1. No ordinance whatsoever can avail without a particular blessing; for the efficacy of ordinances is not natural, or from themselves.
2. Mens institutions or ordinances, in respect of God, are forbidden, and condemned by the Lords word, namely, in the second commandment.
3. Mens use of them is not only useless, but worse, not only to no good purpose, but to ill purpose. That which makes any ordinance a means of grace or salvation, is Divine institution only (Mat_28:20). Therefore the first question in all ordinances ought to be, Whose is this image and superscription?
IV. TO WHOM THE LORDS ORDINANCES ARE MADE EFFECTUAL.
1. Not to all who partake of them. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Many come to these wells who never taste of the water. I think it an unwarrantable expression, that all Gods ordinances do attain their end, in the salvation or damnation of all that come under them; for damnation is not the end of any of Gods ordinances, but salvation.
2. But to all the elect they are effectual, unto whom they come (Acts Joh_10:26).
V. WHENCE THE EFFICACY OF ORDINANCES PROCEEDS. It does not proceed from any virtue in themselves, or in him that administers them, but from the Spirit of the Lord working in them and by them (1Co_3:7). (T. Boston, D. D.)
The wells of salvation
I. THE WATER. The entire text refers to the great work of God in saving sinners by the obedience and death of His Son.
1. Water is essential to life.
2. Water is purifying in its influence.
3. It has refreshing and fertilising properties. In this country where water abounds we can hardly appreciate this. In the East a draught of cold water was frequently invaluable. It was not only valuable to the body of man, but fertilising to the earth. In this part of the world we have too much water, and our ingenuity is taxed to drain the land, but in the East ingenuity would be stretched to irrigate it.
4. It is a thing of universal adaptation. There are some persons who cannot take milk, others cannot take different kinds of food, and some cannot take vegetables to any amount; and so on. But you never found anyone who could do without water. It is a fact that not only can none of the human race do without it, but all the human race can take it. In like manner, the Gospel is for every class and condition of men.
II. THE WELLS OF SALVATION. Wherever the pure Gospel is preached, it may be considered one of the wells of salvation.
1. Properly speaking, the Deity is the well of salvation. Christ is the great medium, the great procuring cause, the great efficient cause, and the Holy Ghost is the water of life.
2. Again, the Scriptures of truth may be considered wells of salvation. We moreover observe that in an emphatic manner, all through the Holy Scriptures of revealed truth, Christ is preached, and they are thus wells of salvation.
3. Further, Christ is essentially and emphatically the well of salvation.
III. THE DRAWING OF THE WATER.
1. If you want to draw water, you must come near to the well. If you want to understand something about Christ, you must come to the Bible; you must listen to the Gospel faithfully preached, or, rather, you must come to Christ Jesus Himself.
2. There must be a personal application.
3. This drawing of the water must be continuous. That is a remarkable passage in 1Pe_2:4 --To whom coming. Coming denotes continued application. We must not only come for justification and sanctification to Christ, but we must continue to come.
IV. THE JOY. With joy, etc. No wonder when you consider--
1. The unrestricted freeness of the Gospel.
2. The gratuitousness of this great blessing.
3. That this joy inspires a glorious hope of eternal bliss. (Hugh Allen, M. A.)
A discovery of God's mercy in Christ
Let us consider the feelings which a discovery of Gods mercy in Christ awakens in the breasts of believers.
I. IT GIVES JOY TO THE BELIEVING SINNER WHEN HE FIRST DISCOVERS IT.
II. IT YIELDS JOY TO HIM THROUGH HIS WHOLE LIFE AFTERWARDS. (G. Innes.)
Wells of salvation
I. THE METAPHOR BY WHICH SALVATION IS HERE DESCRIBED. Wells of salvation. Water is a favourite emblem in the sacred Scriptures for setting forth the blessings of salvation, especially in the writings of the Old Testament prophets. Salvation, like a well, is--
1. Invisible in its source. God prepares the water for the wells in hidden springs. Man can make a well, but he cannot make a spring; so men may form systems of religion of their own, but they are only wells without water. Salvation is a well of Gods own construction, and He alone from His own hidden resources can supply the life-giving water. There is much mystery in the source of an ordinary well of water, yet we do not allow our inability to fully understand it to present an insuperable barrier in the way of accepting its great blessings; let us exercise the same common sense in our treatment of the wells of salvation.
2. Inexhaustible in its supply. A stream may be dried up, a river may fail to flow, a cistern may be exhausted, but a well is fed from hidden deep springs. In the Gospel of Christ there is enough for each, enough for all, enough for evermore.
3. Inestimable in its service.
II. THE MEANS BY WHICH SALVATION IS TO BE OBTAINED. With joy shall ye draw, etc. It is not enough for the thirsty to draw near to a well, not enough to look into it, and listen to the music of its waters--an effort must be made, it must be appropriated.
1. We must draw. God provides the well, but we must use the hand of faith; by the rope of effort we must let down the pitcher of desire--and as we draw the blessing up, we shall not thank the instruments by which we obtain the water, but we shall thank Him who provided it so freely for us.
2. We must drink. Not enough to draw the water to the edge of the well, not enough to lift it to the lips, the water must be drunk as well as drawn.
III. THE SPIRIT IN WHICH SALVATION IS TO BE RECEIVED. With joy, etc. The teaching of our text harmonises with the inductions of reason, and with the dictates of common sense. For how else could we draw water out of the wells of salvation? Will not the sufferer go gladly to the physician who has the ability and willingness to heal? Will not the fainting traveller go with joy to the well he discovers close by? (F. W. Brown.)
Drawing water from the wells of salvation
The question naturally arising from these words is, What will make us draw water with joy from these wells? In general we might remark, that these being styled the wells of salvation is a sufficient reason for this joy, provided it is kept properly in view. But more particularly, I remark--
I. That these wells must be KEPT OPEN for this purpose. The Church of Christ, because devoted to Him, and accessible to none other, is like a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. Not so the ordinances of grace: they are accessible to all. To keep these open, ministers must labour, travail as in birth, preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season. Pointed careful attention on the part of the hearers, accompanied with fervent prayer, must keep them open.
II. They must be KEPT PURE, living, running clear from the throne, No admixture to foul them must be allowed. No addition of ours, nothing kept back.
III. These waters must be TASTED.
IV. We must HIGHLY VALUE these wells, if we would draw water from them with joy.
V. A REWARD APPLICATION to these wells is necessary to our spiritual comfort. We must continue hungering and thirsting after righteousness. This application may be made at all times, and in every state. In the public and private and secret exercises of religion, in health and sickness, in the prison or the palace, wherever God is, public ordinances must be preferred. Application:
(1) To those who are employed in drawing water for others; and who, in order to this, should draw for themselves, that they may be successful in their work. Do we make it our study to speak from the heart to the heart?
(2) To those who think these wells are dry to them. What is the reason of this? Has it proceeded from the ministry? Have you expected from them what you should have from their Master? Have you never thought on your own misimprovement? Have you prayed that these wells might be opened to you?
(3) To those who have drawn, or think they have with joy drawn water from the wells of salvation. How ardent will your desires be. He that drinks of this water will not thirst again. Inordinate desires after the world will be quenched--they will be subdued. And here the fullest satisfaction will be obtained. (A. Brown.)
The wells of salvation
I. THE WELLS OF SALVATION. The value of the water yielded by these wells is found in the saving effects to be met with in those who come hither to draw and to drink. These waters impart strength to the worker, courage to the timid, joy to the mourner, refreshment to the weary, and satisfaction to the dry, and the thirsty. There is no evil in the spirit that this water will not cure. It would be a worlds wonder if Gods own Spirit could not make mans spirit as lively and happy as its inherent limits will allow; as happy for man as God, as been happy in Himself from eternity. Observe now that the great salvation which is in God--nay, which is God in us by His Spirit--finds its way outwards to thirsty drinkers through many outlets and notthrough one only. There are as many of these precious wells as there are distinctly revealed truths on the page of Scripture. Every promise of blessing, every call to duty, every story of Gods dealings with Israel and the nations, every prediction, every verse of sacred song, every miracle and parable of Christ, every word, indeed, that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, is, through the Spirit, a well of salvation. In a transferred sense, there are as many wells of salvation as there are living Christians on earth at a given time. The heart that draws water from the wells above mentioned, becomes itself a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Every Christian worker is, in an especial sense, a well of this kind.
II. THE JOYFUL DRINKING OF THE WATER found in these wells.
1. The drawer of water from any well of salvation is anyone anywhere who chooses. Whosoever will, let, him take the water of life freely.
2. The drawing and drinking impulse is the inward thirst of spirit, which, in a general form, characterises all mankind, and shows itself in spiritual minds in the form of thirst for this water in particular. Let him that is athirst come.
3. The drawing power is communicated by the Holy Spirit acting in His character as the promised Comforter and helper of our infirmities. In one point of view He is the power through which we draw and drink, as in another aspect He is the water we work with in this way for the refreshment of our souls and their true life.
4. The drawing apparatus includes all outward means available for help in our endeavours after the truth expressed in this or in that part of revelation, parallel passages containing like ideas or identical expressions, sound and able expositions, and along with these the lives and deeds of our Lords faithful and enlightened followers. The intimation in hand lays special stress upon the joy with which the drawing of this water is begun and kept up. This joy comes of the thought that the water is pure, life giving, and refreshing; of the ease with which the drawing machinery is used when all is right with the man who works it, and when the hallowed practice is maintained; of the fulness and constancy of the stream which flows toward us, after it has been drawn up from the depths of the well that is being worked at the time; and of the exhilarating effects of the water when taken freely. The joy prompts and helps the work of drawing. The drawing enlarges and maintains the joy. (David Lowe.)
The wells of salvation
I. THE PREPARED WELLS. A well differs from a spring in this: a spring is a natural outlet for the waters in the earth; a well is an artificial one made by man. The well is the result of design. So the wells of salvation represent a Divine design. These wells are the varied means of grace provided by God for our highest welfare. Two cautions deserve our serious thought.
1. We must not ignore, or neglect, any of these wells, for God in wisdom has caused them to be dug.
2. We must not substitute for these wells any cisterns of mere human digging.
II. THE REFRESHING WATERS of these wells of salvation. Jesus Himself called it living water. It is elsewhere called the water of life--a very expressive way of representing that salvation which one receives through the appointed means of grace. For--
1. Like living water, this salvation is very refreshing to the thirsty soul.
2. Like water, this salvation cleanses.
3. Like water, this salvation is free.
4. And this water is inexhaustible.
III. THE JOYFUL DRAWING. (E. H. Witman.)
The wells of salvation
I. THE WELLS. God, in carrying on His government, has seen it wise to act usually through agencies and means. He has provided means for carrying out His great and gracious purposes in redemption. These are here presented to us as wells.
II. THE DRAWING OUT OF THESE WELLS.
1. The existence of the means of grace is not enough.
2. We never will appropriate those blessings until impelled by a sense of need.
III. THE JOY. There are many things in Christ fitted to inspire joy.
1. His adaptation to the wants of the sinner.
2. His fulness.
3. He is an eternal Christ.
4. There is cause of rejoicing in the terms on which He is tendered.
The Gospel is brought within the reach of the poorest, the most abject, the most hopeless. Its language is not Do, or Give, but Take. And if Christ be so free, is it any wonder if the sinner should appropriate Him with joy? Application:
(1) What a wilderness this land would be without its Sabbaths, its Bibles, its sermons, its communions!
(2) The danger of polluted wells. We dare not mingle anything with Christ.
(3) If we have Christ in the ordinances, let us strive to partake of His fulness. (T. Maclauchlan, LL. D.)
The means of grace to be diligently used
Drawing water is an employment which requires strength, labour, and diligence, to which some means or instruments of conveyance are indispensably requisite. From these and other circumstances attending this operation we learn the import of the spiritual exercise here intended. The blessings communicated by the Holy Ghost are obtained by diligent application of the mind to prayer, attentive reading, hearing, and meditation; and by rightly disposing and digesting the subjects read, heard, and contemplated, so as believingly to apply them for the great purposes of spiritual improvement. (R. Macculloch.)
The wells of salvation
The plural is used because God is as many wells, inexhaustible. (W. Day, M. A.)
Wells of salvation: the Word of God
A young girl, going to be servant in a grand house, was discovered one day in the servants hall reading her Bible. Her mistress, richly attired in satin, with dazzling jewels, stood amazed at the sight of her poor domestic, who had but one spare evening a month, employing it in the study of Scripture. Maggie, she said, what are you doing with that Book? It is not right that you should read it tonight. You should be out, girl. The mistress, though thoroughly worldly, yet had a kind heart, and put her hand on the shrinking girl. Maggie looked up with sweet and steadfast eyes. This is enjoyment, maam, she said timidly.
Wells of salvation: the house of God
The camel, weary with his hundred miles travel across the burning sands, eats a few dried leaves, drinks at the well, lies down on the hot earth, and rolls about awhile, and is ready for another dash across the arid plain. So the tired burden bearer comes to the house of God, drinks from the fountain of life, and is renewed in soul and body too. (Kings Highway.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Isa_12:3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out…
WELLS OF SALVATION
Isa_12:3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Read full note →
Salvation is the great theme of the Bible, and thus it meets man’s great need. Think, I. of THE WELLS, the sources of salvation. Clearly these are not found in man himself. Salvation originated in the eternal love of God for man; it flows to sinners through the work of Jesus; it is by the influences of the Holy Spirit that the sinner is made willing to partake of it. These truly are wells of salvation; not rills that may dry up; not even rivers, which may fail because the streams from the mountains have failed; but wells, fountains over-flowing, inexhaustible as the nature of God. II. OF THE WATER. A beautiful symbol of a great reality. Excepting the air we breathe, there is no element so widely diffused, nor so essential to life, as water. Imagine a great city, a whole district, a ship’s crew without water [997]
1. Water revives. How the traveller dying from thirst begins to revive the instant water touches his lips; so the salvation of the gospel imparts new life to the soul; an invigoration, moreover, that shall not pass away (Joh_4:14).
2. Water cleanses. So does the salvation of the gospel (Rev_1:5; Heb_9:14; Eze_36:25; Zec_13:1).
3. Water fertilises. The water of salvation enriches and fertilises the spiritual soil, so that the blossoms of hope in the early spring-time of piety, and the matured fruits of holiness in the autumn of life, adorn the garden of the Lord (Isa_58:11; Jer_31:12; Psa_1:3; Num_24:9). III. Of THE JOY.
1. This can only be experienced by such as draw water out of the wells of salvation. Necessarily it is a matter of experience. There are many things that must be felt to be known, and this is one of them.
2. This joy may be expected in the very act of drawing the water of salvation. If you were to overtake a traveller in a sandy desert dying from thirst, he would begin to enjoy the very moment he became conscious of the touch of the precious fluid. So with the Christian (Rom_15:13). And as he may and ought to be constantly drawing from the wells of salvation, his life should always be a happy life (H. E. I., 3037–3051; P. D., 2085).
[997] Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down,
’Twas sad as sad could be;
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!
All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody sun at noon
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the moon.
Day after day, day after day
We stuck, nor breath, nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.
Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
—Coleridge: “Ancient Mariner.”
Our text may be regarded—
1. As giving full permission to do that of which it speaks. However unworthy we may be, we may come to the wells of salvation, and draw as much as we need (Rev_22:17; H. E. I., 2331, 2361, 2362, 4086).
2. Nay, as a command. When a sovereign prepares a banquet, and issues his invitations, those invitations have the force of commands. God has graciously provided salvation for your souls in Christ: will you turn away, and despise His love?—John Rawlinson.
Salvation—let us not think of it meanly. It has past, present, future aspects. Too often we content ourselves with the past view of it, and that in a selfish way. Twenty or thirty years ago, we “believed” and were “saved,” i.e., got out of harm’s way. What is God’s grace doing for us? Is it making us purer, nobler? And what are our aspirations and prospects? Are we imitators of the great Apostle (Php_3:13-14).
This comprehensive and glorious salvation, what is its source? Whence is it to be drawn? From GOD. “Behold, God is my salvation.… Therefore,” &c. The third verse must never be separated in thought from the second, “With Thee is the fountain of life”—with God as revealed to us in Christ. This is the claim of Christ Himself (Joh_8:37-38) [1000] He stands over against all the ignorance, the guilt, the pollution, and the deathfulness of man, as the infinite Fulness (1Co_1:30; Col_1:19; Joh_1:16; H. E. I., 934–941). All the wells of salvation are in Him; and from Him His people draw the priceless “water” with joy. This is a duty, but it is performed by them as freely and spontaneously as on a summer morning the birds fill the air with music. They do so—
1. Because the wells of salvation are free to all, and easily accessible by all. Were it not so, we might fear that we or our friends were excluded therefrom. But God’s salvation, like all His best gifts—air, light, water—is free to all alike (H. E. I., 942, 943, 2331, 2361, 2362). And it is easily accessible; no harder terms are imposed upon us than it is possible and right for us to comply with. (All this is summed up in chap. Isa_55:1.)
2. Because “the wells of salvation” are inexhaustible. Picture the fainting and despairing condition of a traveller who, in a time of scorching heat, comes to a well, and finds it empty. No such fate awaits the true seeker after God. Other sources of help will deceive and fail us (Jer_2:13).
3. Because of the deep satisfaction which is derived therefrom (Joh_4:14; H. E. I., 968–971, 1658, 1659, 2738–2837, 4627–4630, 4970).
4. Because the fulness that thus becomes ours is a source of blessing to others (Gen_12:2; Gen_39:5; Pro_18:4; Isa_58:11; Eze_47:12; Zec_14:8; H. E. I., 1740–1743) [1003]
[1000] The Talmudists refer the words, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation,” to the custom of making an oblation of water on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, when a priest fetched water in a golden pitcher from the fountain of Siloah, and poured it mixed with wine on the morning sacrifice as it lay on the altar; while at the evening offering the same was done amidst shouts of joy from the assembled people. It was in obvious allusion to this rite that, “in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink;” but as it is not prescribed in the law of Moses, it has been doubted whether it dates back earlier than the times of the Maccabees. It is, however, at least as probable that the Asmonean princes should have restored an ancient as ordained a new rite: such a rite, to acknowledge God’s gift of water without which harvest and vintage must have failed, would always have been a likely accompaniment of the feast in which these were celebrated; and the like acts of Samuel and Elijah, though for different purposes, perhaps go in confirmation of the ancient existence of such a practice (1Sa_7:6; 1Ki_18:33-35). Be this as it may, the idea conveyed by the image of the living water will be the same:—“Such as is the refreshment of water from the spring, and from the clouds of heaven, to the parched lips and the thirsty land, in this our sultry climate, such shall be the refreshment to your spirit in that day from the salvation of Jehovah. He shall dwell among you, and His Spirit shall be a well of life to the whole nation.”—Strachey.
[1003] Joh_7:38, “In the Book Sohar we find the same metaphor, fol. 40, Colossians 4, ‘When a man turns to God, he becomes like a spring of fresh living water, and streams flow out from him to all men.’ ”—Geikie.
The last day of the feast, known as “the Hosanna Rabba” and the “Great Day,” found Him, as each day before, doubtless, had done, in the Temple arcades. He had gone thither early, to meet the crowds assembled for morning prayer. It was a day of special rejoicing. A great procession of pilgrims marched seven times round the city, with their lulats[branches of palm woven round with willow and myrtle], music, and loud-voiced choirs preceding, and the air was rent with shouts of Hosanna, in commemoration of the taking of Jericho, the first city in the Holy Land that fell into the hands of their fathers. Other multitudes streamed to the brooks of Shiloah, after the priests and Levites, bearing the golden vessels, with which to draw some of the water. As many as could get near the stream drank of it, amidst loud chanting of the words of Isaiah—“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,” “With joy shall we draw water from the wells of salvation,”—rising in jubilant chants on every side. The water drawn by the priests was meanwhile borne up to the Temple, amid the boundless excitement of a vast throng. Such a crowd was, apparently, passing at this moment.
Rising, as the throng went by, His Spirit was moved at such honest enthusiasm, yet saddened at the moral decay which mistook a mere ceremony for religion. It was burning autumn weather, when the sun had for months shone in a cloudless sky, and the early rains were longed for as the monsoons in India after the summer heat. Water at all times is a magic word in a sultry climate like Palestine, but at this moment it had a double power. Standing, therefore, to give His words more solemnity, His voice now sounded far and near over the throng, with soft clearness, which arrested all—
“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink, for I will give him the living waters of God’s heavenly grace, of which the water you have now drawn from Shiloah is only, as your Rabbis tell you, a type. He that believes in Me drinks into his soul of My fulness, as from a fountain, the riches of divine grace and truth. Nor do they bring life to him alone who thus drinks. They become in his own heart, as the whole burden of Scripture tells, a living spring, which shall flow from his lips and life in holy words and deeds, quickening the thirsty around him.”—Geikie.
Come to the Well-spring of life. It is open to you all. Whosoever will may come. Jesus stands ready to satisfy your deepest longings.—William Manning.
This chapter should be read in connection with the preceding, which determines its application to the times of Messiah. The peaceful state of the Church in Hezekiah’s time is made the emblem of the peaceful era of the Gospel; as the Israelites who had been carried away in various invasions thus returned to their own country, so the nations should be gathered to the standard of Christ (Isa_11:10-16).
I. The sources of consolation which God has opened up to the Church in the revelation of His Son. In a dry and thirsty land like this—in a world where there are so many sorrows arising from sin, and so many difficulties in our way to heaven—we need sources of supply, fountains of consolation. And in the Word of God we have them; “wells of salvation,” not running streams, not brooks, full in spring and dry in summer, but wells!
1. Christ is the great fountain (Joh_7:37-38). When He was lifted up upon the cross, the fountain of grace that is in Him was opened, and healing streams shall never cease to flow from it, till the last weary pilgrim has reached the abodes of blessedness. Do we thirst for the pardon of sin? (Mat_12:31). For the favour and friendship of God? (Mat_5:6). For solid and spiritual happiness? (Isa_55:1; Rev_22:17).
2. The religion of Christ is a system of consolation and joy; it is the only one that deserves the name; all others work as with unmeaning ceremonies or unfounded expectations. All the parts of Christ’s religion, properly understood and personally enjoyed, promote solid comfort and true joy. Its doctrine (Rom_5:11). Its promises (Psa_97:11). Its precepts (Psa_119:54). Its prospects (Rom_5:2; H. E. I., 4161–4163).
3. God is “the God of comfort.” Christ is “the consolation of Israel.” The Holy Spirit is “the Comforter.” How ample are the sources of comfort and joy mentioned in this chapter!
(1.) The removal of a sense of divine displeasure (Isa_12:1).
(2.) Hope of interest in God’s special favour as our covenant God (Isa_12:2).
II. What is necessary to our personal appropriation of these comforts and joys [1006] Many persons, who appear to be disciples of Christ, are without the satisfaction which the text promises. They may be safe, but they are not happy (H. E. I., 306–314). The fault is not in the Gospel: the promise is express, the provision is free, the invitation is open. If the Christian would know the joy of which the text speaks,
1. He must learn to set a higher value upon spiritual blessings. It is the order of divine procedure to awaken a high sense of the value of His gifts before He communicates them. Many seem indifferent whether they enjoy the higher blessings of religion or no. The saints in former times were more earnest (Psa_42:1).
2. He must cultivate those graces of religion which are immediately connected with its enjoyments: humility of mind, a teachable spirit, a more spiritual order of affections (Psa_25:9; Psa_25:14; Col_3:2; Php_4:5-7).
3. Especially he must cultivate a prayerful spirit and expectant dependence upon divine illumination. Prayer is the key that opens the treasury of heaven (Psa_34:5; Psa_119:18). Neglect of the Spirit’s influences is a frequent cause of degeneracy and distress.
4. He must avoid whatever would hinder the life and power of religion; the secret love of sin, undue attachment to the world, prevalence of unholy tempers. It is a matter of perfect impossibility that the comforts of religion can be enjoyed where sin and inconsistency prevail. Is there no sin indulged, no self-dependence, no conformity to the world, no neglect of private duties? (Jer_2:17-18). Heaven is the realm of perfect happiness, because it is the realm of perfect holiness.
5. He must diligently use all the appointed means of grace.
[1006] See H. E. I., 315–352, 1252–1285.
III. Particular seasons when the prophetic promise is fulfilled. Private meditation, public ordinances, trouble, death, entrance into heaven.—Samuel Thodey.
By “the wells of salvation” we may understand “the means of grace” [1009]
[1009] See H. E. I. 3309–3311, 3424–3465, 5075–5081.
I. These wells of salvation have been opened for the supply of human needs; not for God’s benefit, but for ours. What wells are to travellers through a desert, these are to us in our pilgrimage to Zion. II. Men should come to these wells for the purpose of having their needs supplied; not from habit, not that we may set a good example, &c., but that we ourselves may be refreshed and strengthened. III. No frequency in coming to these wells can be in any sense meritorious. Expose the mistake of the Pharisee and the Ritualist. The oftener we avail ourselves of them, the more we increase, not our claims upon God, but our obligation to Him; and the more should increase, not our pride and self-righteousness, but our thankfulness to God for His goodness in providing them. IV. The wells are nothing: the water in them is everything. A dry well, however deep it may be, or whatever historic associations may cluster around it, is worthless; and so are all religious ordinances apart from the Spirit of God. We must ever remember that they are means of grace—channels through which the God of all grace will satisfy the soul’s thirst of those who seek Him in sincerity and truth. V. Nevertheless we are not to stay away from the wells, nor despise them. That is a false spirituality that disparages divine ordinances. We are not to trust in the wells, yet neither are we to refuse to draw water out of them:—
(1.) Because GOD opened them, and to neglect them is to charge Him with foolishly providing what we do not need.
(2.) Because it pleases Him to give us water through them; and we are to accept the blessing in whatever way He chooses to impart it to us. Naaman (2Ki_5:11-13); the blind man (Joh_9:6-7).
(3.) Because we need refreshment and reinvigoration day by day (Isa_40:31; Psa_84:7; H. E. I., 555, 556, 3866–3876).
(4.) Because our Master in the days of His flesh used the means of grace; no true Christian will seek in this respect to be above his Lord. VI. God has opened WELLS of salvation; not one, but many; none needlessly. We must use them all. Their benefit lies in their conjunction. For the production of a harvest, the sun and the rain are both needed; the sun alone would make a desert, the rain alone a swamp. No bird can fly with one wing, &c. We must read as well as pray, &c.
CONCLUDING LESSONS.—
1. Why God sometimes leaves the wells dry. His people sometimes come so to delight in the means of grace, that they forget they are only means, and then He withholds His blessing, that they may be taught that He alone can satisfy their souls (Psa_84:2; Psa_62:5).
2. Why, when there is water in the wells, some are not quickened and refreshed.
(1.) Water revives the living, not the dead.
(2.) Some forget to bring their buckets. They have no real desires after God, no true faith in His power and willingness to bless them, and to each of them we may say, “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the wells are deep” (Joh_4:11).
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain
Isaiah
THE WELL-SPRING OF SALVATION
Read full note →
Isa 12:3.
There are two events separated from each other by more than fifteen hundred years which have a bearing upon this prophecy: the one supplied the occasion for its utterance, the other claimed to be its interpretation and its fulfilment. The first of these is that scene familiar to us all, where the Israelites in the wilderness murmured for want of water, and the law-giver, being at his wits’ end what to do with his troublesome charges, took his anxieties to God, and got for an answer the command to take with him the elders of Israel and his miracle-working rod, and to go to the rock, ‘and the Lord shall stand upon the rock before thee and them, and the water shall flow forth.’ It was not the rock, nor the rod, nor Moses and the elders, but the presence of God that brought the refreshing draught. And that that incident was in Isaiah’s mind when he wrote our text is very clear to anybody who will observe that it occurs in the middle of a song of praise, which corresponds to the Israelites’ song at the Red Sea after the destruction of Pharaoh, and is part of a great prophecy in which he describes God’s future blessings and mercies under images constantly drawn from the Egyptian bondage and the Exodus in the desert. Now, that interpretation, or rather that application, of the words of my text, was very familiar to the Jews long, long before the New Testament was thought about. For, as many of you will know, there came in the course of time a number of ceremonies to be added to a feast established by Moses himself-the Feast of Tabernacles. That was a feast in which the whole body of the Israelitish people dwelt for a week in leafy booths, in order to remind them of the time when they were wanderers in the wilderness; and as is usually the case, the ritual of the celebration developed a number of additional symbolical observances which were tacked on to it in the course of centuries. Amongst these there was this very memorable one: that on each of the days of the Feast of Tabernacles, at a given point in the ceremonial, the priests went from the temple, winding down the rocky path on the temple mountain, to the Pool of Siloam in the valley below, and there in their golden vases they drew the cool sparkling water, which they bore up, and amidst the blare of trumpets and the clash of cymbals poured it on the altar, whilst the people chanted the words of my text, ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’
That ceremonial had been going on for eight hundred years from Isaiah’s time; and once more the period came round when it was to be performed; and on the seven days of the feast, punctually at the appointed time, the procession wound down the rocky slopes, drew the water in the golden vases, bore it up to the temple, and poured it upon the altar; and on the last great day of the feast, the same ceremonial went on up to a given point; and just as the last rites of the chant of our text were dying on the ears, there was a little stir amidst the crowd, which parted to make way for him, and a youngish man, of mean appearance and rustic dress, stepped forward, and there, before all the gathered multitudes and the priests standing with their empty urns, symbol of the impotence of their system, ‘on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.’ Brethren, such a commentary, at such a time, from such a commentator, may well absolve me from the necessity of enforcing the evangelistic bearing of the words of my text. And so, then, with that understanding of the deepest meaning of these words that we have to look at, I ask you to take them in the simplest possible way, and to consider three points: the Well of Salvation, the Act of Drawing the Water, the Gladness of those that draw. ‘With joy shall ye draw water out of the fountains of salvation.’
Now, with regard to the first point, let me remind you to begin with, that the idea of the word here is not that which we attach to a well, but that which we attach to a spring. It does not describe the source of salvation as being a mere reservoir, still less as being a created or manufactured thing; but there lies in it the deep idea of a source from which the water wells up by its own inward energy. Then, when we have got that explanation, and the deep, full, pregnant meaning of the word salvation as a thing past, a thing present, a thing future, a thing which negatively delivers a man from all sin and sorrow, and a thing which positively endows a man with beauty, happiness, and holiness-when we have got that, then the question next cries aloud for answer-this well-spring of salvation, is-what? Who? And the first answer and the last answer is GOD-GOD HIMSELF. It is no mere bit of drapery of the prophet’s imagery, this well-spring of salvation; it is something much more substantial, much deeper than that. You remember the old psalm, ‘With Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light’; and what David and John after him called life, Isaiah and Paul after him calls salvation. And you remember too, no doubt, the indictment of another of the prophets, laying hold of the same metaphor in order to point to the folly and the suicide of all godless living: ‘My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and they have hewn out for themselves broken cisterns.’ They were manufactured articles, and because they were made they could be cracked, but the fountain, because it rises by its own inherent energy, springing up into everlasting life, is all-sufficient. God Himself is the well-spring of salvation.
If I had time to enlarge upon this idea, I might remind you how nobly and blessedly that principle is confirmed when we think of this great salvation, past, present, and future, negative and positive, all-sufficient and complete, as having its origin in His deep nature, as having its process in His own finished work, and as being in its essence the communication of Himself. That last thing I should like to say a word or two about. If there is a man or a woman that thinks of salvation as if it were merely a shutting up of some material hell, or the dodging round a corner so as to escape some external consequence of transgression, let him and her hear this: the possession of God is salvation, that and nothing else. To have Him within me, that is to be saved; to have His life in His dear Son made the foundation of my life, to have my whole being penetrated and filled with God, that is the essence of the salvation that is in Jesus Christ. And because it comes unmotived, uncaused, self-originated, springing up from the depths of His own heart; because it is all effected by His own mighty work who has trodden the winepress alone, and, single-handed, has wrought the salvation of the race; and because its essence and heart is the communication of God Himself, and the bestowing upon us the participation in a divine nature, therefore the depth of the thought, God Himself is the well-fountain of salvation.
But there is still another step to take. If these things which I have only just been able to glance at in the most superficial, and perhaps, therefore, confused manner, in any measure commend themselves to your judgments and your consciences, let me ask you to go with me one step further, and to figure to yourselves the significance and the strangeness of that moment to which I have already referred, when a man stood up in the temple court, and, with distinct allusion to the whole of the multitude of Old Testament sayings, in which God and the communication of God’s own energy were represented as being the fountain of salvation and the salvation from the fountain, and said, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me.’ Why, what a thing-let us put it into plain, vulgar English-what a thing for a man to say-’If any man thirst.’ Who art Thou that dost thus plant Thyself opposite the race, sure that Thou hast no needs like them, but, contrariwise, canst refresh and satiate the thirsty lips of them all? Who art Thou that dost proclaim Thyself as sufficient for the fruition of the mind that yearns for truth and thirsts for certitude, of the parched heart that wearies and cracks for want of love, of the will that longs to be rightly and lovingly commanded? Oh, dear brethren, not only the Titanic presumption of proposing oneself as enough for a single soul, but the inconceivable madness of proposing oneself as enough for all the race in all generations to the end of time, except on one hypothesis, marks this utterance of Him who has also said, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart.’ Strange lowliness! singular meekness! Who was He? Who is this that steps into the place that only a God can fill, and says, ‘I can do it all. If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink’?
Dear brethren, some of us can, thank God, answer that question as I pray that every one of you may be able to answer it, ‘Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ; Thou art the everlasting son of the Father. With Thee is the fountain of life; Thou Thyself art the living water.’
But I think there is a still further step to be taken. It is not only that our Lord Jesus Christ, in His nature, in His person, is the communicator of the divine life to man, just as-if you will let me take such a metaphor-just as up in the hills sometimes you will find some little tarn or loch all shut in; but having trickling from it a thread of limpid life, and, wherever it flows, the water of the loch goes; only, the one is lake and the other is river, and the latter is the medium of communication of the former to the thirsty pastures of the wilderness. And not only so, but-if I might venture to build upon a word of the context-there seems to be another consideration there. The words which precede my text are a quotation from a song of the Israelites in their former Exodus: ‘The Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation.’ Now, if our Bible has been correct-and I do not enter upon that question-in emphasising the difference between is and is become, mark where it takes us. It takes us to this, that there was some single, definite, historical act wherein God became in an eminent manner and in reality what He had always been in purpose, intent, and idea. Then that to which my text originally alludes, to which it looks back, is the great deliverance wrought by the banks of the Red Sea. It was because Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned in it that Miriam and her musical sisters, with their timbrel and dance, not only said, ‘The Lord is my strength,’ but ‘He has become my strength’-there where the corpses are floating yet. What answers to that in the matter with which we are concerned? Brethren, it is not enough to say that God is the fountain of salvation, it is not enough to say that the Incarnate Christ is the medium of salvation. Will you take the other step with us, and say that the Cross of Christ is the realisation of the divine intention of salvation? Then He, who from everlasting was the strength and song of all the strong and the songful, is become the salvation of all the lost, and the fountain is ‘opened for sin and for uncleanness.’ A definite, historical act, the manifestation of Jesus Christ, is the bringing to man of the salvation of God. So much, then, for that first point to which I desired to ask your attention.
And now let me say a word or two as to the second. I wish to speak about this process of drawing from the fountain. That metaphor, without any further explanation, might very naturally suggest more idea of human effort than in reality belongs to it. Men have said: ‘Yes; no doubt God is the fountain of salvation; no doubt Christ is the river of salvation; no doubt His death is the opening of the fountain for sin and for uncleanness; but how am I to bring myself into contact and connection with it?’ And there have been all sorts of answers. Every kind of pump has been resorted to. Go up to the Agricultural Hall and you will see no end of contrivances for bringing water to the surface. There are not so many there as men have found out for themselves to bring the water of salvation to their lips, and the effect has always been the same. There has been something wrong with the valves; the pump has not worked properly; there has been something wrong with the crank; the pipe has not gone down to the water; and there has been nothing but a great jingling of empty buckets, and aching and wearied elbows, and what the woman said to Christ has been true all round, ‘Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep.’ Ay! thank God, it is deep; and if we let our Lord be His own interpreter, we have only to put together three sayings of His in order to come to the true meaning of this metaphor. My text says, ‘With joy ye shall draw water’; and Christ, sitting at the well of Samaria-what a strange combination of the weakness and the weariness of manhood and the strength and self-consciousness of Divinity was there!-wearied with His journey, said, ‘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.’ So, then, drawing is asking. That is step number one.
Take another word of the Master’s that I have already quoted for other purposes, ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.’ So, then, drawing, or asking, or coming are all equivalent. That is step number two.
And, then, take another word. ‘He that cometh unto Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.’ So, then, drawing, asking, coming, all melt into the one simple word-believing. Trust in Him, and thou hast come, thou hast asked, thou hast drawn, thou dost possess.
But whilst I would lay the foundation thus broad, thus simple, do not forget, dear brethren, what I was saying about a definite historical act. You will hear people say, ‘Oh, I trust in Christ!’ What do you trust in Christ? You will hear people say, ‘Oh, I look to the goodness of God.’ Be it so. God forbid I should say a word to prevent that; but what I would insist upon is that a mere vague regard to a vague Christ is not the faith that is equivalent to drawing from the fountain of salvation. There must be a further object in a faith that saves. It must lay hold of the definite historical act in which Christ has become the salvation of the world.
Do not take it upon my words, take it upon His own. He once said to His fellow-countrymen in His lifetime, ‘I am the living bread’; and many of our modern teachers would go that length heartily. Was that where Christ stopped? By no means. Was His Gospel a gospel of incarnation only? Certainly not. ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven.’ Anything more? Yes; this more, ‘and the bread which I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He that eateth Me he shall live by Me.’ ‘Well,’ say some people, ‘that means following His example, accepting His teaching, being loyal to His Person, absorbing His Spirit.’ Yes, it means all that; but is that all it means? Take His own commentary: ‘He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life.’ Yes, brethren, a Christ incarnate, blessed be God! A Christ crucified, blessed be God! And not the one but both must be the basis of our faith and our hope.
Now, will you let me say one thing about this matter of drawing the water? It is an act of faith in a whole Jesus, and eminently in the mighty act and sacrifice of His Cross. But to go back again to the context: ‘He also is become my salvation. ‘That is what I desire, God helping me, to lay on the hearts of all my hearers-that a definite act of faith in Christ crucified is not enough unless it is a personal act, unless it is what our old Puritan forefathers used to call ‘appropriating faith.’ Never mind about the somewhat dry and technical phraseology; the thing is what I insist upon-’my salvation.’ O brother! what does it matter though all Niagara were roaring past your door; you might die of thirst all the same unless you put your own lips to it. Down on your knees like Gideon’s men; it is safest there; that is the only attitude in which a man can drink of this fountain. Down on your knees and put your lips to it-your very own lips-and drink for your own soul’s salvation. Christ died for the world. Yes; but the world for which Christ died is made up of individuals who were in His heart. It is Paul’s words that I would beseech you to make your own: ‘The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.’ Every one of you is entitled to say that, if you will. You remember that verse filled with adoring contemplation that we sometimes sing, one word in which seems to me to be coloured by the too sombre doctrine of the epoch from which it came:-
‘My soul looks back to see
The burden Thou didst bear,
When hanging on the accursed tree,
And knows her guilt was there.’
‘He also is my strength and my song. He is become my salvation; therefore, in joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.’
Now, I have left myself no time to do more than say one word about that last point, the gladness of the water-drawers. It is a pretty picture in our text, full of the atmosphere and spirit of Eastern life: the cheery talk and the ringing laughter round the village well, where the shepherds with their flocks linger all day long, and the maidens from their tents come-a kind of rude Exchange in the antique world; and, says our prophet, ‘As the dwellers in the land at their village springs, so ye, the weary travellers at “the eye of the desert,” will draw with gladness.’ So we have this joy.
Dear brethren, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for something better than to make us glad, but it is meant to make us glad too, and he is but a very poor Christian who has not found that it is the joy and rejoicing of his heart. We need not put too much emphasis and stress upon that side of the truth; but we need not either suppress it or disregard it in our modern high-flown disinterestedness. There are joys worth calling so which only come from possessing this fountain of salvation. How shall I enumerate them? The best way, I think, will be to quote passages.
There is the gladness of forgiven sin and a quieted conscience: ‘Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.’ There is the joy of a conscious possession of God: ‘Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day.’ There is the joy of fellowship and communion with Jesus Christ and His full presence: ‘I will see you again; and your hearts shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh away from you.’ There is the joy of willing obedience: ‘I delight to do Thy will.’ ‘It is joy to the just to do judgment.’ There is the joy of a bright hope of an inheritance ‘incorruptible,’ ‘wherein ye greatly rejoice,’ and there is a joy which, like that Greek fire they talk about, burns brighter under water, and glows as the darkness deepens-a joy which is independent of circumstances, and can say, ‘Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, yet I will rejoice in the Lord.’
And all that, brother and friend, may be yours and mine; and then what this same prophet says may also be true: ‘The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads’-that is for the pilgrimage; ‘They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away’-that is for the home. There is another prophecy in this same book of Isaiah: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters’; that was the voice of the Christ in prophecy. There is a saying spoken in the temple courts: ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink’; that was the voice of the Christ upon earth. There is a saying at the end of Scripture-almost the last words that the Seer in Patmos heard: ‘Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely’; that was the voice of the Christ from the throne. And the triple invitation comes to every soul of man in the world, and to thee, and thee, and thee, my brother. Answer, answer as the Samaritan woman did: ‘Sir, give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither’ any more to draw of the broken cisterns.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 With joy you will draw water from the wells…
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation
Isaiah speaks of people being saved as if they were getting salvation the way people get water out of well. AT: "you will rejoice when he saves you, as people rejoice when they draw water from a well" (See: Metaphor)
Read full note →
call upon his name
Here "his name" refers to Yahweh. Calling on him represents either praising him or asking him for help. AT: "praise him loudly" or "call to him to help you" (See: Metonymy)
declare his deeds among the peoples
The noun "deeds" can be expressed with the phrase "what he has done." AT: "Tell the peoples about the great things he has done" (See: Abstract Nouns)
proclaim that his name is exalted
Here "his name" refers to Yahweh. AT: "proclaim that he is exalted" or "proclaim that he is great" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
joy
water
cistern
save
Yahweh
name
declare
works
people group
preach
exalt
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 12:3 God’s salvation is like a deep and unending…
12:3 God’s salvation is like a deep and unending source of water that provides life (see also 41:18; Ps 87:7).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.