John 4Samaria; Living Water; the gift of God; Jesus Is

Greater; whoever believes; Vows, Marriage, Living Together, Shacking Up; What is proper worship?;

What is truth?; Messiah is coming; They left everything and followed Him; Harvest Has Come;

the Savior of the world

Let's read John 4:1-42Mother's Day 2016

It's unlikely that this woman had five husbands in the first century and no

children. Let's assume she was a mom, and see how kindly Jesus deals with her.

John 4:4, “pass through Samaria”?

• NAU John 4:4 And He had to pass through Samaria.

• KJV John 4:4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

• NKJ John 4:4 But He needed to go through Samaria.

• There are three routes available, the other 2 avoid Samaria. A ceremonially clean Jew would not go through Samaria.

John 4:5, Sychar• NAU John 4:5 So He came to

a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;

• NAU Joshua 24:32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph's sons.

John 4:1-42 Shechem

• “Shechem, Why was the city of Shechem an important archaeological find? The ancient city of Shechem plays a prominent role in the Bible. The Lord spoke to Abraham near Shechem after commanding him to leave his home in Haran (Genesis 12:1-7). Jacob later settled near Shechem after leaving his father-in-law Laban in Padan Aram (Genesis 33:18). Simeon and Levi killed all the males of Shechem after the rape of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34). Shechem was allotted to the tribe of Ephraim following the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 20:7). Joseph was buried in Shechem after his body was exhumed and brought from Egypt (Joshua 24:32). Rehoboam was crowned in Shechem following the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12:1). Shechem briefly served as Jeroboam's capital following the division of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms (1 Kings 12:25). And although the city no longer existed in Jesus' day, it was the original site of Jacob's Well where Jesus spoke with the woman of Samaria (John 4:1-42). The city of Shechem is mentioned by name in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, and Hosea. When the city of Shechem was discovered it was thus a great source of vindication for the biblical record. Shechem is mentioned by other historical sources outside of the Bible including an Egyptian Stele and the writings of Josephus. This excavation has been identified as the Temple of Baal Berith (Judges 9). Funds generated at this temple financed Abimelech’s government. It’s also the building where Shechem’s people took refuge during Abimelech's attack.

John 4:5, Sychar, Samaria

• John 4:5 …Samaria…Sychar…Jacob …Joseph;• They had a rich history together, yet;• The Jews despised the Samaritans;• NAU Luke 4:26 and yet Elijah was sent to none of

them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things;

John 4:5, Samaritans vs. Jews• NAU Luke 9:51 When the days were approaching for His

ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; 52 and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. 54 When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." And they went on to another village.

John 4:5, Don’t Give To Dogs• Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out after

instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;

• Matthew 15:26 And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.“

• Philippians 3:2 Beware of the dogs…• Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs…• NAU Matthew 7:6 "Do not give what is holy to

dogs…

John 4:5, How Do Dogs Get Saved?

• OT dispensation, born, captives, marry, or purchased slaves, missionary prophets;

• Psalm 51:13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.

• Isaiah 19:22 The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them.

• Jonah 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city…• Ruth 1:1-16…a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went

to sojourn in the land of Moab… 16 But Ruth said, “…where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

• Joshua 6:25 …Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day…

John 4:5, How Do Dogs Get Saved?

• Joshua 6:25 Rahab, • Exodus 18:5 …Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came

with his sons and his wife to Moses…• Exodus 12:48 …if a stranger sojourns with you…

let all his males be circumcised… and he shall be like a native of the land…

• Exodus 2:16-21…the priest of Midian… 21…gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

• Genesis 15:2 Abram said,…I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?“

• Numbers 31:12 They brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses…

John 4:5Now All Must Be Born Again

• NT dispensation, converted, born again ;• Matthew 18:3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless

you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

• John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.“

• 1 Peter 1:3 …His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope …Jesus Christ…

• Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..

• 1 Peter 1:23, Luke 9:5, Acts 18:6, 13:51

John 4:6, Helped On Your Journey

• John 4:6 and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

• Elisabeth Elliot said, “It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the End of our journey, He is also at every stopping place.”

• Luke 9:3…Take nothing for your journey…• 2 Corinthians 1:16 …from Macedonia to come to

you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea.

John 4:7, Water

• NAU John 4:7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink.”

• John uses “water” more than any other NT book, over twice as many uses. And 9/19’s of those uses are in chapter 4. This is “The Water” chapter.

John 4:7, “Water”, Jerusalem Inspiration

• Just Like Sitting By the Banias Waterfalls "The Lord is ✡Upon the Waters,” Rebecca Kowalsky captured this exquisite waterfall flowing into a green sparkling pool.

John 4:7, “Water”, Jerusalem Inspiration

• “According to Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson, “the word for water, מים ('mayim'), provides an interesting example of how the Hebrew word expresses the essence of the thing it names. This word is made from two of the letters 'mem' (מ) and one letter 'yud' (י). Science tells us that a water molecule, H2O is made up of two atoms of hydrogen surrounding one atom of oxygen. In the Hebrew word, this exact structure is reflected; the letter 'מ' represents the hydrogen while the 'י' represents the oxygen.”

John 4:7, Give

• John 4:7, …”Give Me a drink." • Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you.

They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

• “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

John 4:9, Samaritans Not Sumerians

• The Sumerians resided in ancient Sumer, in the region of southern Mesopotamia. They were the non-Semitic people of ancient Babylonia.

• 3500 - 2000 BC, Post flood to the time of Abraham and Job

• Gen 11 on

Map of Sumerwikipedia.org

John 4:10, “the gift of God”• NAU John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to 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."

• Jesus expected her to know what “the gift of God” was from her Pentateuch.

• NAU Genesis 3:15 …her seed…• NAU Genesis 12:3 …in you all the families of the earth will be

blessed.”• NAU Galatians 3:8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify

the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”

• NAU Deuteronomy 18:18 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.

John 4:10, Living Water• NAU John 4:10 …He would have given you living water.”• NAU Numbers 20:11 …Moses …struck the rock …and water

came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank.

• NAU Jeremiah 17:13 …Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD.

• John 7:38 "He who believes in Me… will flow rivers of living water.'“

• 1 John 5:6-8 Jesus Christ-- He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood-- and these three are in agreement.

John 4:12, Well Of Water

• NAU John 4:12 "You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”

• And all God’s people answered;

John 4:12, Jesus Is Greater • Hebrews 3:3 For He has been counted worthy of more

glory than Moses…• Matthew 12:6 "But I say to you that something greater

than the temple is here…. 41 "The men of Nineveh …repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 "The Queen of the South … came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

• John 5:36…the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John… [Matt 11:11]

• John 8:53 "Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? … 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.“ 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him…

John 4:14

John 4:14, whoever believes

• John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

• NAU John 3:16 … whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

• John 3:5 …unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 4:18, Confess • NAU John 4:17 The woman answered and said, "I have no

husband." Jesus said to her, "You have correctly said, 'I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly."

• Lisa Harper said, “Our gracious heavenly Father entrusts us to confess our mess. And to show us that it’s okay to let down our pretenses, His Word is full of stories about unlikely people becoming heroes- a stuttering ex-con who leads God’s people out of slavery; an unethical little “IRS agent” who becomes a friend of Jesus; a sleazy woman whose testimony triggers a revival in her hometown. If you’re embarrassed by your past, you’re in good company!”

John 4:17-18, Was the Samaritan Woman Really Immoral?, Seven Brothers One Wife

• Was the Samaritan Woman Really Immoral?• By Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg• In the gospel of John Jesus engages in a most unusual conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. “So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had

given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” (John 4:5-6) From the start a first century Israelite reader is alerted to the fact that conversation takes place next to the burial place of Joseph’s bones brought from Egypt, “they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem…” (Josh.24:32) immediately hinting at the connection of the Samaritan woman story with the story of Joseph. What kind of connection you may ask? Please, allow me to explain.

To read this article on Jewish Studies for Christians site, click HERE (recommended).

Traditionally the Samaritan woman is presented as a person of ill repute; a loose and sinful woman who already (though always pictured young) had five husbands and at present lives with a man who is not her husband. She comes to the well in the midday heat (sixth hour is about noon) avoiding the eye of the community. (The painting accompanying this article is a good example of traditional this theory: She is young. She is beautiful. She is out to attract men.) So as the traditional theory has it, Jesus called her on her sin and she had to admit it.

The conversation at the well, however, with this seemingly unrighteous woman bears all marks of deep theological engagement on both sides. The woman knows that according to the traditions of Judean Israelites Jesus would be ritually contaminated were he to use a vessel that belonged to a Samaritan. She therefore wonders how she can help him to drink since he has no vessel of his own (i.e. ceremonially clean vessel). They discuss worship, salvation and even Messiah – the concept that Samaritans didn’t have, but Judeans did. The initial tension is soon resolved and the conversation results in her testifying about Jesus to her entire village, belief of many Samaritan Israelites in Jesus and Jesus staying with them for two days.

Why did members of her Israelite (non-Judean) community trust her witness, if she was a known sinner? Why would they drop everything they were doing and come to see a Judean young man (given religio-political adversarial climate)?

What if the description of the Samaritan woman has been misunderstood by us, later interpreters?

“But wait!”, you may think. What about avoiding people, five prior husbands and a live-in boyfriend? Isn’t that enough evidence? Well, not really. Avoiding people, among other possibilities, (if she was indeed doing so) may have been a symptom of depression caused by life’s difficulties, such as multiple divorces. “Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (John 4:17-18). The mere fact of having had multiple husbands is not a sin in and of itself.

In ancient Israelite society women did not initiate divorces. Five husbands could have died of sickness, killed by bandits, perished in war or divorced her because of infertility. Still the result would have been devastating each time. The book of Tobit (2nd century BCE), for example, talks about a Jewish woman named Sarah who had seven husbands, who all died on the day of their wedding (with the help of demonic forces). She was scorned by the community, looked upon as cursed and guilty of their death. Depressed to the point of suicide Sara prayed to God to end her shame, insisting in her purity to the end. (Tobit 3:7-17) People were harsh to Sarah and no doubt the social standing of the Samaritan woman brought her great anguish as well. (My own grandaunt had four husbands, she outlived them all. So I know that this happens.)

Jesus stated that she lived with a man that was not her husband and many assume that means the woman cohabitated with her boyfriend, but that is not a fact. Because she needed help, she could have lived with her distant relative or in some other undesirable arrangement in order to survive. It is likely that Jesus was not nailing her down to the cross of justice, but instead was letting her know that he knows everything about the pain she had to endure. This is certainly more in line with the Jesus we know from other stories.

What is interesting is that the suffering of Joseph (remember the conversation is taking place not far from his tomb) and the Samaritan woman is not the only thing they had in common. Just as with Joseph, so also the suffering of the Samaritan woman, in the end brought forth the same result – salvation of their people.

• To leave a comment, Click Here

Yours,

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-EyzenbergJewish Studies Department, Dean of the facultyeTeacherBiblical, Israeli Academy of Linguistics and History

• http://jewishstudies.eteacherbiblical.com/samaritan-woman-really-immoral-dr-eli-lizorkin-eyzenberg/

John 4:17-18, Was the Samaritan Woman Really Immoral?, By Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg

• “… The mere fact of having had multiple husbands is not a sin in and of itself…. Five husbands could have died of sickness, killed by bandits, perished in war or divorced her because of infertility… Jesus stated that she lived with a man that was not her husband and many assume that means the woman cohabitated with her boyfriend, but that is not a fact. Because she needed help, she could have lived with her distant relative or in some other undesirable arrangement in order to survive. It is likely that Jesus was not nailing her down to the cross of justice, but instead was letting her know that he knows everything about the pain she had to endure. This is certainly more in line with the Jesus we know from other stories.

• http://jewishstudies.eteacherbiblical.com/samaritan-woman-really-immoral-dr-eli-lizorkin-eyzenberg/

John 4:18, Vows, Marriage, Living Together, Shacking Up

• NAU John 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”

• Jesus used the same words for “husband” and “have” in both places. He did not say that she had five husbands, and now has a cousin/Brother-in-law.

NAU John 4:20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

John 4:20-22“What is proper worship?”

• NAU John 4:20 “…men ought to worship.”• Mac dictionary defines worship as, “the feeling or

expression of reverence and adoration for a deity… show reverence and adoration for (a deity)…”

• NAU Philippians 3:3 …we … who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

• NAS Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,…

John 4:23“What is truth?”

• NAU John 4:23 "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

• NAU John 18:38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?”…• Mac dictionary defines truth as, “…that which is true

or in accordance with fact or reality…”• NAU John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your

word is truth.• NAU 2 Samuel 7:28 "Now, O Lord GOD, You are God,

and Your words are truth…• NAU John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and

the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

John 4:23-24, TRUTH, Summit University, WORD OF THE WEEK

John 4:23-24, 8:32, TRUTH• Sherrie Holloway, Summit University, concerning, “TRUTH

—This word is something I have to keep coming back to in life. There are so many unknowns and so many things in the midst of my circumstances that try to distract me from my path, so I have to keep bringing myself back to what I actually KNOW rather than get lost in all the unknowns. This word also helps me respond correctly. I just read today that we do not respond to our circumstances, but rather to our interpretation of those circumstances. As life happens, I need to be sure I am focused on TRUTH so that my reactions and interactions are what they should be.”

John 4:25 “I know that Messiah is coming”

• NAU John 4:25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”

• Christians who say they don't like prophecy are disliking a huge portion of the Bible. This first meeting with this woman and Jesus has brought her twice to prophecy.

John 4:25 “I know that Messiah is coming”

• NAU John 4:25 …I know that Messiah is coming…• Samaritans only used their Pentateuch, how did she

know about Messiah?• NAU Psalm 2:2 The kings of the earth take their stand

And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed [<04899> משיחו mashiach], saying, [1 Samuel 2:10, 12:3]

• NAU Deuteronomy 18:15 "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.

• NAU Genesis 3:15 …your seed and her seed…

John 4:28, “left her waterpot”

• NAU John 4:28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men,

• NAU Luke 5:11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

• NAU Matthew 4:20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him….22 And they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

• NAU Luke 14:28 "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

• Mark 1:20,10:28, Matthew 19:27, Luke 5:28,18:28

John 4:35, White For Harvest

• NAU John 4:35 "Do you not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest '? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. 36 "Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 "For in this case the saying is true, 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor."

John 4:35, Harvest Has Come• Women harvest wheat with sickles then bind it by hand in a field in

1956.PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANC AND JEAN SHORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

John 4:35, “white for harvest”

• David Hocking says that grain is not white when it is ripe, but tan. He believes that Jesus was referring to the white robes that the Samaritan men wore. The time of the day was about 6 PM (Roman time). The men would have been returning from the harvest fields. They then heard the good news of the Messiah and were saved.

John 4:35, “white for harvest”• The white robes that the Samaritan men wear/wore.

Samaritans on the Mount Gerizim (2006)

wikipedia

John 4:35, “white for harvest”• The white robes that the Samaritan men wear/wore.

John D. Whiting - The Last Israelitish Blood Sacrifice by John D. Whiting, The National Geographic Magazine, Jan 1920.

Samaritans pray before the Holy Rock on Mount Gerizim

wikipedia

John 4:42“the Savior of the world”

• NAU John 4:42 and they were saying to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

• NAU Isaiah 43:11 "I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.

John 4:42Savior of

the World

• 1 John 4:14

John 4:42 “the Savior of the world”

• NAU John 4:42 …this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

• Only 2 NAU uses of “Savior of the world”. 2 Samuel 22:3 is 1st use of “Savior”, “Savior” is not in the Pentateuch.

• NAU 1 John 4:14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

John 4:42, Savior Jesus Christ

• John only uses the word “Savior” these 2 times. (John 4:42, 1 John 4:14)

• NAU Isaiah 43:11 …the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me.

• NAU Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

• The words “Christ” and “Savior” occur 15 times in the New Testament in the same verse.

Let's read John 4:43-54

The Seven Miracles In JohnA Bible Study by Jack Kelley

• The Seven Miracles In John• Saturday, April 5th, 2014Featured• Grace• Healing• Israel• Salvation• A Bible Study by Jack Kelley• In the past I’ve explained the need for 4 Gospels and the tremendous increase in understanding we can gain by comparing events from the different perspectives of each (read The Four Faces of Jesus). In this study we’ll focus on the unique character of John’s Gospel.• Due to his extensive use of symbolism John’s Gospel, written to the church, can be the most intriguing. Everything he recorded in his gospel actually happened, but he arranged and described them in such a way as to convey additional truth beyond the obvious point of his narrative. Sometimes he even rearranged the order of

events to underscore emphasize this additional truth. John 2 is a good example of this. He placed the cleansing of the Temple right after the wedding at Cana to illustrate the point that the Lord came to create an intimate personal relationship with His church (as in a marriage), not to fix a broken religion.• The focus of John’s gospel is the Lord’s Judean ministry and really only the last part of that. He devoted most of 9 chapters (John 12-20) to the Lord’s last week and used 1/3 of the gospel’s 879 verses to describe His last 24 hours. The first 11 chapters define the Lord’s ministry through John’s selective use of 7 miracles, and we’ll

use them to show how John’s Gospel contains more than meets the eye.• Miracle 1, Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)• This one is misunderstood by most and yet results in the disciples putting their faith in the Lord. (This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His Glory and the disciples put their faith in Him, John 2:11). It seems so insignificant when compared the opening miracles in the other gospels,

which involved either casting out demons or curing leprosy.• This miracle took place because an embarrassing discovery had been made. A wedding banquet Jesus was attending was in full swing when the servants suddenly realized they were out of wine. His mother, who was also there, asked Him to help. The Lord had 6 empty jars of stone filled with water which He then turned into

wine. The master of the banquet proclaimed the wine Jesus had made to be superior to the wine they had served earlier, saying they had saved the best for last.• Look at the symbolism: These six stone jars normally held water used for used for ceremonial cleansing, an important part of Old Covenant life. Now they contained wine, which is often associated with the New Covenant due to the Lord’s Supper.• What’s more, the wine these jars now contained was superior to the wine the wedding guests had been drinking before, just as the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). This miracle symbolized nothing less than the Mission of the Messiah; changing the empty way of man’s religion into a living, joyful,

relationship with the Lord, as demonstrated by the wedding celebration.• Miracle 2, Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54).• Here’s an act of God’s Grace, pure and simple. There’s no indication of the official’s nationality or background, his religious conviction or his worthiness, only his faith. He had heard of Jesus and of His miraculous power and begged Him to come heal his dying son. Jesus didn’t go with him but simply told the man his son would

live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith.

• Miracle 3, The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)• Tradition holds that an angel periodically stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda. The first one into the water when that happened was healed. Many people who were sick or disabled waited there by the pool day after day for a chance to be healed. But a cripple can’t get himself to the pool in time. This man had been crippled

for 38 years and had repeatedly tried and failed. Then Jesus came along and healed him.• I believe this man’s predicament demonstrates the poverty of the Law, which was never intended to heal us of our infirmities (physical and spiritual) but to show us our need for a Savior … that we’re hopeless and helpless without Him.• He was at the very edge of healing, but all of his unsuccessful efforts to get into the pool had only made it obvious that his infirmity was preventing him from being healed. In the same way, the Law leaves us at the very edge of salvation but all of our unsuccessful efforts to keep it only make it obvious that our sinfulness will

prevent us from being saved. Just like the cripple needed someone to heal him, we need someone to save us.• Miracle 4, The Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-5).• This is perhaps the best known of all the Lord’s miracles and the only one before the resurrection that is recorded in all four gospels. A large crowd had followed Jesus into a remote location and Jesus could see that they would need to be fed. But the men alone numbered 5,000 and adding the women and children could have

more than doubled that number. Andrew found a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish, and Jesus multiplied it into a satisfying meal for everyone with enough left over to fill 12 baskets.• This is the practical demonstration of the Lord’s promise that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all our other needs will be met as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But there’s more in view here than just our physical needs. We who believe in Jesus will never again feel that emptiness that tells us there’s more to life than just

having our physical needs met. This is what Jesus meant when He said;• I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).

• Miracle 5, Walking on the Water (John 6:16-25).• The 5th miracle is also well known to everyone familiar with the Lord’s ministry. The disciples had labored all night long to row only about half way across the Sea of Galilee (about 3 miles), when the Lord passed by them … walking on the water! When they realized it was Jesus, they let him into the boat and immediately reached

their destination. Without Him they were struggling just to make headway, but with Him in their midst the struggle was over.• Miracle 6, Healing The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41).• A man had been blind from birth. Jesus made some mud, put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go wash it off. When the man did as Jesus instructed he could see.• While Jesus performed this miracle early in Chapter 9, the balance of the narrative clearly (and sometimes comically) shows how much more spiritual discernment this blind beggar had than the learned officials of the religion, who had studied all their lives. In their experience, no one had ever opened the eyes of a man born blind

and they were determined to discredit the lowly beggar, especially since this event took place on the Sabbath. A lengthy interrogation followed, where the beggar put the religious experts to shame, and they ended up throwing him out. Afterward Jesus found him and introduced Himself. The man became a believer and worshiped him.

• Jesus said He came so the blind would see and those who see would become blind. When the Pharisees asked if He thought they were blind He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:39-41).• As it concerns your eternity, it doesn’t matter what you claim to know about Jesus. What matters is whether you know Jesus.• Miracle 7, Raising Lazarus From The Dead (John 11:1-44).• The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise to all who believe in His name, as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. The text shows that even though Jesus knew Lazarus was sick He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He

responded to the sisters’ call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead that contains the tiniest hint of the rapture. I don’t think people who don’t already know about the rapture see this, but those who do can take comfort in this faint hint contained in John 11:25-26.

• Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).• What’s The Point?• Near the end of his gospel account John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).• This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that by believing we might have eternal life. So what does these particular miracles show us that would help us believe?• Miracle 1 shows He came to take us from the stone cold and empty way of man’s religion into a living and joyful relationship with Him.• Miracle 2 shows we are saved by grace through faith.• Miracle 3 shows our own futile works are insufficient to save ourselves. We need Him to save us.• Miracle 4 is a demonstration of His supernatural care and provision for those who seek Him.• Miracle 5 shows that because of His miraculous power, we can easily accomplish things through Him that would be all but impossible on our own.• Miracle 6 reveals that if we’ll allow it, He can cause even the lowliest person born spiritually blind to see and believe, and• Miracle 7 is a promise that all who believe in Him will live even though they die, and those who live and believe will never die.• I purposely confined my commentary on these miracles to what I believe John was trying to convey to us in his gospel. Some of these miracles are contained in one or more of the other gospels where you might see details John didn’t include or where the emphasis might be a little different. Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on

the water is a good example (Matt. 14:22-33). I encourage you to read the different accounts of all these miracles to get the whole story. Selah 04-05-14• http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

John 4:43-54, The Seven Miracles In JohnA Bible Study by Jack Kelley

• “…Miracle 2, Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54).• Here’s an act of God’s Grace, pure and simple. There’s no

indication of the official’s nationality or background, his religious conviction or his worthiness, only his faith. He had heard of Jesus and of His miraculous power and begged Him to come heal his dying son. Jesus didn’t go with him but simply told the man his son would live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith…”

John 4:46, Cana of Galilee

• NAU John 4:46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.

John 4:47, Imploring Him

• NAU John 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.

• This “royal official” came to this itinerant, homeless, rabbi/carpenter. This had to be a humbling experience for him.

• This allows me to squeeze in this cartoon;

Pride Or Humble

• The word’s “pride, proud” or “humble” do not occur in the Gospel of John.

So, in conclusion;

• Pastors can have pride issues also

THE END• Keep looking up, and keep looking to the cross.

John Believe And Live, Elmer Towns, Mal Couch and Ed Hindson, Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series,

page

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

the rapture• http://www.gotquestions.org/video-contest.html• Question: "What is the Tribulation? How do we know the Tribulation will last seven years?"

Answer: The tribulation is a future seven-year period of time when God will finish His discipline of Israel and finalize His judgment of the unbelieving world. The church, made up of all who have trusted in the person and work of the Lord Jesus to save them from being punished for sin, will not be present during the tribulation. The church will be removed from the earth in an event known as the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The church is saved from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Throughout Scripture, the tribulation is referred to by other names such as the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:12; 13:6-9; Joel 1:15; 2:1-31; 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2); trouble or tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30; Zephaniah 1:1); the great tribulation, which refers to the more intense second half of the seven-year period (Matthew 24:21); time or day of trouble (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15); time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7).

An understanding of Daniel 9:24-27 is necessary in order to understand the purpose and time of the tribulation. This passage speaks of 70 weeks that have been declared against “your people.” Daniel's people are the Jews, the nation of Israel, and Daniel 9:24 speaks of a period of time that God has given “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” God declares that “seventy sevens” will fulfill all these things. This is 70 sevens of years, or 490 years. (Some translations refer to 70 weeks of years.) This is confirmed by another part of this passage in Daniel. In verses 25 and 26, Daniel is told that the Messiah will be cut off after “seven sevens and sixty-two sevens” (69 total), beginning with the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. In other words, 69 sevens of years (483 years) after the decree to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah will be cut off. Biblical historians confirm that 483 years passed from the time of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the time when Jesus was crucified. Most Christian scholars, regardless of their view of eschatology (future things/events), have the above understanding of Daniel's 70 sevens.

With 483 years having passed from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the cutting off of the Messiah, this leaves one seven-year period to be fulfilled in terms of Daniel 9:24: “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” This final seven-year period is known as the tribulation period—it is a time when God finishes judging Israel for its sin.

Daniel 9:27 gives a few highlights of the seven-year tribulation period: “He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” The person of whom this verse speaks is the person Jesus calls the “abomination that causes desolation” (Matthew 24:15) and is called “the beast” in Revelation 13. Daniel 9:27 says that the beast will make a covenant for seven years, but in the middle of this week (3 1/2 years into the tribulation), he will break the covenant, putting a stop to sacrifice. Revelation 13 explains that the beast will place an image of himself in the temple and require the world to worship him. Revelation 13:5 says that this will go on for 42 months, which is 3 1/2 years. Since Daniel 9:27 says that this will happen in the middle of the week, and Revelation 13:5 says that the beast will do this for a period of 42 months, it is easy to see that the total length of time is 84 months or seven years. Also see Daniel 7:25, where the “time, times, and half a time” (time=1 year; times=2 years; half a time=1/2 year; total of 3 1/2 years) also refers to “great tribulation,” the last half of the seven-year tribulation period when the beast will be in power.

For further references about the tribulation, see Revelation 11:2-3, which speaks of 1260 days and 42 months, and Daniel 12:11-12, which speaks of 1290 days and 1335 days. These days have a reference to the midpoint of the tribulation. The additional days in Daniel 12 may include the time at the end for the judgment of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46) and time for the setting up of Christ's millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:4-6).

In summary, the Tribulation is the 7-year time period in the end times in which humanity's decadence and depravity will reach its fullness, with God judging accordingly.

Recommended Resource: Understanding End Times Prophecy by Paul Benware.

Vows, Acts 21:23, Acts Is A Transition Book

• NAU Acts 21:23…We have four men who are under a vow;

• Acts 18:18 Paul…had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.

• Matt 5:36-37 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

• James 5:12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear — not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.

http://archive.org/details/John4-5

• http://archive.org/details/John4-5

John 4:1-42 Shechem

• “Shechem, Why was the city of Shechem an important archaeological find? The ancient city of Shechem plays a prominent role in the Bible. The Lord spoke to Abraham near Shechem after commanding him to leave his home in Haran (Genesis 12:1-7). Jacob later settled near Shechem after leaving his father-in-law Laban in Padan Aram (Genesis 33:18). Simeon and Levi killed all the males of Shechem after the rape of their sister Dinah (Genesis 34). Shechem was allotted to the tribe of Ephraim following the Israelite conquest of the Promised Land (Joshua 20:7). Joseph was buried in Shechem after his body was exhumed and brought from Egypt (Joshua 24:32). Rehoboam was crowned in Shechem following the death of Solomon (1 Kings 12:1). Shechem briefly served as Jeroboam's capital following the division of the Kingdom into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms (1 Kings 12:25). And although the city no longer existed in Jesus' day, it was the original site of Jacob's Well where Jesus spoke with the woman of Samaria (John 4:1-42). The city of Shechem is mentioned by name in Genesis, Joshua, Judges, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Jeremiah, and Hosea. When the city of Shechem was discovered it was thus a great source of vindication for the biblical record. Shechem is mentioned by other historical sources outside of the Bible including an Egyptian Stele and the writings of Josephus. This excavation has been identified as the Temple of Baal Berith (Judges 9). Funds generated at this temple financed Abimelech’s government. It’s also the building where Shechem’s people took refuge during Abimelech's attack.

John 4:5, Messiah Ben Joseph, Mashiach Ben-Yoseph

• NAU John 4:5 So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;

• http://www.jerusalemperspective.com/8770/

• Mashiach Ben-Yoseph (Artistic Drawing by Elhanan Ben-Avraham)

John 4:12, Jesus Is Greater• Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a

heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. 2 He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. 3 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; 6 but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

John 4:13-14, How do I know which of God's promises are for me?

• Question: "How do I know which of God's promises are for me?"

Answer: There are literally hundreds of promises in the Bible. How can we know which promises apply to us, which promises we can claim? To frame this question another way, how can one tell the difference between general promises and specific promises? A general promise is one that is given by the Holy Spirit to every believer in every age. When the author penned the promise, he set no limitations on time period or recipient.

An example of a general promise is 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This promise is based on the forgiving nature of God and is available to all believers everywhere. Another example of a general promise is Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This promise is made to all believers who, refusing to worry, bring their requests to God (v. 8). Other examples of general promises include Psalm 1:3; 27:10; 31:24; John 4:13-14 (note the word “whoever”); and Revelation 3:20.

A specific promise is one that is made to specific individuals on specific occasions. The context of the promise will usually make clear who the recipient is. For example, the promise of 1 Kings 9:5 is very specific: “I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever.” The preceding and following verses make it clear that the Lord is speaking only to King Solomon.

Luke 2:35 contains another specific promise: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” This prophecy/promise was directed to Mary and was fulfilled in her lifetime. While a specific promise is not made to all believers generally, the Holy Spirit can still use a specific promise to guide or encourage any of His children. For example, the promise of Isaiah 54:10 was written with Israel in mind, but the Holy Spirit has used these words to comfort many Christians today: “my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.”

As he was led to take the gospel to the Gentiles, the apostle Paul claimed the promise of Isaiah: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47). Isaiah’s promise was originally meant for the Messiah, but in it Paul found guidance from the Lord for his own life. When claiming a promise from Scripture, we should keep the following principles in mind:

1) Promises are often conditional. Look for the word “if” in the context.2) God gives us promises to help us better submit to His will and trust Him. A promise does not make God bend to our will.3) Do not assume to know precisely when, where, or how the promise will be fulfilled in your life.

Recommended Resources: God's Promises for You: Scripture Selections from Max Lucado and Logos Bible Software.

John 4:17-18, Was the Samaritan Woman Really Immoral?, Seven Brothers One Wife

• Was the Samaritan Woman Really Immoral?• By Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg• In the gospel of John Jesus engages in a most unusual conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. “So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had

given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” (John 4:5-6) From the start a first century Israelite reader is alerted to the fact that conversation takes place next to the burial place of Joseph’s bones brought from Egypt, “they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem…” (Josh.24:32) immediately hinting at the connection of the Samaritan woman story with the story of Joseph. What kind of connection you may ask? Please, allow me to explain.

To read this article on Jewish Studies for Christians site, click HERE (recommended).

Traditionally the Samaritan woman is presented as a person of ill repute; a loose and sinful woman who already (though always pictured young) had five husbands and at present lives with a man who is not her husband. She comes to the well in the midday heat (sixth hour is about noon) avoiding the eye of the community. (The painting accompanying this article is a good example of traditional this theory: She is young. She is beautiful. She is out to attract men.) So as the traditional theory has it, Jesus called her on her sin and she had to admit it.

The conversation at the well, however, with this seemingly unrighteous woman bears all marks of deep theological engagement on both sides. The woman knows that according to the traditions of Judean Israelites Jesus would be ritually contaminated were he to use a vessel that belonged to a Samaritan. She therefore wonders how she can help him to drink since he has no vessel of his own (i.e. ceremonially clean vessel). They discuss worship, salvation and even Messiah – the concept that Samaritans didn’t have, but Judeans did. The initial tension is soon resolved and the conversation results in her testifying about Jesus to her entire village, belief of many Samaritan Israelites in Jesus and Jesus staying with them for two days.

Why did members of her Israelite (non-Judean) community trust her witness, if she was a known sinner? Why would they drop everything they were doing and come to see a Judean young man (given religio-political adversarial climate)?

What if the description of the Samaritan woman has been misunderstood by us, later interpreters?

“But wait!”, you may think. What about avoiding people, five prior husbands and a live-in boyfriend? Isn’t that enough evidence? Well, not really. Avoiding people, among other possibilities, (if she was indeed doing so) may have been a symptom of depression caused by life’s difficulties, such as multiple divorces. “Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” (John 4:17-18). The mere fact of having had multiple husbands is not a sin in and of itself.

In ancient Israelite society women did not initiate divorces. Five husbands could have died of sickness, killed by bandits, perished in war or divorced her because of infertility. Still the result would have been devastating each time. The book of Tobit (2nd century BCE), for example, talks about a Jewish woman named Sarah who had seven husbands, who all died on the day of their wedding (with the help of demonic forces). She was scorned by the community, looked upon as cursed and guilty of their death. Depressed to the point of suicide Sara prayed to God to end her shame, insisting in her purity to the end. (Tobit 3:7-17) People were harsh to Sarah and no doubt the social standing of the Samaritan woman brought her great anguish as well. (My own grandaunt had four husbands, she outlived them all. So I know that this happens.)

Jesus stated that she lived with a man that was not her husband and many assume that means the woman cohabitated with her boyfriend, but that is not a fact. Because she needed help, she could have lived with her distant relative or in some other undesirable arrangement in order to survive. It is likely that Jesus was not nailing her down to the cross of justice, but instead was letting her know that he knows everything about the pain she had to endure. This is certainly more in line with the Jesus we know from other stories.

What is interesting is that the suffering of Joseph (remember the conversation is taking place not far from his tomb) and the Samaritan woman is not the only thing they had in common. Just as with Joseph, so also the suffering of the Samaritan woman, in the end brought forth the same result – salvation of their people.

• To leave a comment, Click Here

Yours,

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-EyzenbergJewish Studies Department, Dean of the facultyeTeacherBiblical, Israeli Academy of Linguistics and History

• http://jewishstudies.eteacherbiblical.com/samaritan-woman-really-immoral-dr-eli-lizorkin-eyzenberg/

John 4:18,The Samaritan Woman• The story of the Samaritan woman is one of the most beloved stories ever told by the gospel writers. The story is read and heard dozens of times

throughout the life of almost every Christ-follower. Yet some key questions in the story seem to remain unanswered.

Why does John mention to the reader that the conversation takes place in the presence of the silent witness - the bones of Joseph? (Every Israelite knew that the bones of Joseph were buried in the plot of land that Jacob gave to Joseph (John 4:5; Josh.24:32)). Is it because the woman suffered much in her life, and just as with Joseph, her suffering will lead to the salvation of her people? Why did the Samaritan woman (if she really was a woman of ill repute, as traditional interpretation has it) command such a sway over the religious Samaritan society, that upon hearing her the villagers drop what they are doing and immediately come to meet a young Jew that is passing through Samaria at her request? These are not the only issues that seem to seriously question the traditional reading of the Samaritan woman. There are many others. One of the key problems that we face today is that we do not understand the ancient inter-Israelite polemic, as did John and his readers.They knew that Samaritans (as oppose to Samarians) believed themselves to be the faithful remnant of Israel, preserving the original Mosaic and Abrahamic traditions.

They were not Samarians (שומרונים) inhabitants of Samaria who once offered to help rebuild the Jerusalem Temple (Ezra 4:1-3). They were the Samaritans (שומרים) - the Guardians of Torah. They could not possibly come to help the returned Judean exiles, whom they considered straying away from the original Israelite religion and bringing back to Israel their dangerous Babylonian practices.

• The difference between Samarians and Samaritans would be easily discernible if you had the basics of Biblical Hebrew. Come join us on this exciting journey. To explore, click HERE.

• Yours,

Dr. Eli Lizorkin-EyzenbergDr.eli@eTeachergroup.com

NAU John 4:20 "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to

worship."

John 4:22, ”How can I know how to properly worship God?“ GotQuestions.org

• Question: "How can I know how to properly worship God?"

Answer: Worship can be defined as the act of honoring and loving a deity, idol or person in a “selfless” manner. The act of worship involves the total self in giving praise, thanksgiving and reverence to that deity, person or material object. It is not a half-hearted affair, and it is only after we distinguish between that which is and isn’t worship, with regards to the divine objective, that we can begin to answer the above question more fully. True, biblical worship, as defined by the scholar A. W. Pink (1886 – 1952) in his exposition of the gospel of John, says this: “It is a redeemed heart, occupied with God, expressing itself in adoration and thanksgiving.” Likewise, A. W. Tozer, once regarded as a prophet of the 20th century, said, “True worship is to be so personally and hopelessly in love with God, that the idea of a transfer of affection never even remotely exists.”

So, the true worship of God is distinguished by the following criteria: first, it comes from the redeemed heart of a man or woman who has been justified before God by faith and who is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins. How can one worship the God of heaven if his sin has not been dealt with? Never can that worship be acceptable that proceeds from an unregenerate heart where Satan, self and the world hold sway (2 Timothy 2:26; 1 John 2:15). Any worship, other than that from a “washed” heart, is vain.

Second, true worship of God comes from a heart that desires Him alone. This was precisely where the Samaritan people erred; they sought to worship both God and idols (2 Kings 17:28-41), and this is reaffirmed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He discourses on the subject of true worship with the Samaritan woman who came to fetch water from the well. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know” (John 4:22). These people worshipped God “half-heartedly” because their total affection was not set on God. It is possible for even true believers to fall into this second error. We might not assent to having physical idols, like the Samaritans did, but what absorbs our will, our time, our resources most of all? Is it careers, material possessions, money, health, even our families? Let us cry out, like King David in Psalm 63:5, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips, my mouth will praise you.” Nothing less than God should satisfy the heart of the regenerate man, and his response to that divine satisfaction, comparable to the best food ever, is the fruit of lips that sing God’s praise (Hebrews 13:15).

Third, true worship of God is the desire to continue to build up our knowledge of God. How we have lost that desire in these days! Apart from the Bible, which we should be reading daily, we need to supplement our knowledge by reading other good books, too. We need to fill our minds constantly with the things of God; God should always be on our mind, and everything we do should be done with reference to Him (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31). It is interesting that the Greek word for “worship” in Romans 12:1 can also mean “service.” So, our daily lives should also be considered as worship. Every day we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. The church is supposed to be “squeezing” the world into its own mold, the mold of Jesus Christ, but too often it’s the other way around.

Let us purify our hearts if we really want to worship the triune God in spirit and in truth. Our God is holy; He is altogether “Other,” a God who cannot share us with other objects of our affection. Indeed, a God who WILL not share us, for the sake of His holiness. We were made to be worshipping creatures, but the Fall has crippled and ruined us. Worship is the most natural thing for man, but until we are restored to God through the sacrifice of His dear Son, then all our worship is but a vain thing. It is as “strange fire” before the altar (Leviticus 10:1).

Recommended Resources: Gravity and Gladness: The Pursuit of God in Corporate Worship, DVD by John Piper and Logos Bible Software.

John 4:22, Israel's Salvation