FROM SIX to SEVEN

There are a number of scriptures in the Bible that talk of us being “married” to God or Jesus. Consider the following two verses:

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; (Isaiah 54:5)

This imagery is used to accentuate the depth and intimacy of our relationship with our God, and elsewhere we, the Church, are described as the Bride of Christ.

Now consider the Samaritan woman in Sychar whom Jesus spoke with in John 4. The discussion commences with Jesus requesting that she might give Him a drink of water, which was remarkable since Jews culturally had nothing to do with Samaritans. When she registered her surprise at this request, Jesus embarks on a discussion about living water. We might see this as Jesus’ attempt to present to her the gospel, demonstrating her need for that which satisfies spiritually.

Once Jesus had piqued her interest along this theme, Jesus suddenly changes the discussion to talk about her husband. Why would He do this? I believe that Jesus recognized where her spiritual need (thirst) lay: being unconditionally loved. She admits that she has no husband, but Jesus is aware that she has had five husbands, and the person she currently lives with is not her husband.

Many of our non-Christian friends and acquaintances are equally thirsty, looking for some form of lasting satisfaction and meaning to life. Like the Samaritan woman, they may have tried different “husbands” with whom to be intimate: Money; Work; Family; Sex; Alcohol and/ or Drugs……

It is interesting to note that the number Six in Hebrew means man, flesh, whilst number Seven means completion, satisfaction. How do we assist in moving our non-Christian friends from “Six” to “Seven” = married to Jesus?

Clearly, Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit to give specific insight into the Samaritan woman’s way of life and her deepest needs by asking her to get her husband and come back to Him (v16). Having identified her need, Jesus doesn’t try to manipulate the conversation by re-emphasising the revelation from the Holy Spirit when the woman changes the conversation – He simply continues to talk with her.

We should behave in the same way in our interactions with those who are not yet Christian: 1) we rely on the Holy Spirit to give us necessary words of knowledge; 2) we speak out what the Holy Spirit gives us; 3) we continue dialogue, even when seemingly thwarted in what we want to communicate.

The great news from John 4 is that the end result of Jesus’ conversation with the woman was many in Sychar became believers (v 39 - 42), despite Jesus being unable to complete His talk about living water. If we are willing to be open vessels for Him, God uses all of what we bring for good (Romans 8:28), and we can be confident that God’s purposes will prevail: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)