The Seventh Man
There was once a woman who had been with 6 men, but by the time she met a 7th man, she was complete. Who is this you ask? It was the Samaritan Woman. And who is the 7th man? It’s Jesus.
There’s so much “depth” in this real-life story that we don’t often see. It’s more than just a woman who meets Jesus at a well, it symbolizes the whole Gospel message and it’s one that every genuine Christian should be able to relate to, that when we meet “the Seventh Man,” we too are complete ready to go out into the world telling everyone we meet about Him.
I want to point out 3 “Depths” about this real-life story, this deep conversation that Jesus and this woman had that you may have never thought about:
Depth 1- Six and Seven:
As you might know already, the number 6 in Scripture is the number of man. And, the number 7 in Scripture is the number of completion, or perfection. The six men that the Samaritan Woman had been with represents her trying in her own way to be complete, to be perfect. But, as humans we know that it’s impossible to find another human that will complete us, that will perfect us. Why? Because men and women are flawed. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit who introduces us to the “Seventh Man” that we, like the Samaritan Woman find completion and perfection. And Jesus lets her know this rather clearly, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Depth 2- Wells = Marriage
Any Hebrew would have realized that meeting at wells represents a union, or marriage. Abraham’s servant finds a wife for Isaac at a well (Genesis 24:13); Jacob met his wife Rachel at a well (Genesis 29:2); and Moses met his wife, Zipporah at a well (Exodus 2:15). Jesus, we know is “the Groom,” the well in this real-life story represents finding a spouse, and the Samaritan Woman represents the church. And Jesus is crazy about his woman, for which He cannot wait to come back and get.
Isaiah 62:5 states: “As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (NIV)”
Depth 3- Leaving Your Water Jar
So, Jesus and the Samaritan Woman had an in-depth conversation and He’s feeding her words of eternal life. His disciples had been in the city getting food because all 13 of them were tired from their all-day journey, but they eventually returned, and when they returned they wanted to know why Jesus was talking to a woman in public…because men and women in that day didn’t associate in public. As they’re questioning Jesus (John 4:28), the Samaritan woman left her water pot at the well beside Jesus- just plain left it- and went in to the city.
The water jar represents baggage, sin, or life before Jesus. And putting down that water jar represents a conversion experience. By the time she put down the water jar she had been transformed, she had experienced the divine mercy of the Christ, repented, and went into the city to evangelize. I love this definition of evangelization by D.T. Niles, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” The Samaritan Woman was a beggar, but she was a transformed beggar who went into the city to tell other beggars where to get BREAD! And, we too have been called to tell other beggars where they can get BREAD.