In Genesis 21 we see two wells: the well of Abraham and the well of Ishmael. A well is the source of man’s living, supplying man with water for his daily life. The two wells in Genesis 21 signify two sources of living.
The first well, Abraham’s well (which later became the well of Isaac at Beer-Sheba) issued in a life for God’s purpose with the end result of going to Mount Moriah (which later became Mount Zion, where the temple was built).
The second well, the well of Ishmael, was in the wilderness and issued in him being a hunter, a killer of life, living for himself and eventually being joined to Egypt (by marrying someone from Egypt).
In our Christian life today we have two wells to drink from – either the well of Isaac or the well of Ishmael.
When we drink from the well of Isaac – the well of Christ, the well of the Spirit – we live in the garden of our spirit, we enjoy the church life, and we are being brought to Zion to become the overcomers for God’s purpose.
If we drink from the well of Ishmael, we live in and for ourselves, we are joined to the world, we cooperate with Satan to kill life, and we end up in confusion and rebellion toward God.
What well do we drink from? What do we take as our source of living? Do we take the flowing Triune God as our unique source of life? Or do we “switch sources” from time to time, drinking from the well of the world and living in the wilderness of our soul?
Do we drink and enjoy the things that this world has to offer, while neglecting God as the fountain of living waters?
Today in our Christian life and church life we have a choice: we can live in the wilderness of our soul, wandering around and living for ourselves, or we can drink of God as the fountain of living waters and live in the garden of our spirit and in the church life!
Two Sources of Living: the Well of Ishmael and the Well of Isaac
There was a contention between Abraham and Abimelech over a well that Abraham dug, and they made a covenant to strengthen the fact that the well belonged to Abraham; then, he planted a tamarisk tree there and named that place, Beer-Sheba (see Gen. 21).
Later, Isaac returned to Beer-Sheba and had God’s appearing, enjoyed the well his father dug, and lived under the tamarisk tree. This is the first well, “the well of Isaac”, a redeemed well.
This well is the redeemed source in the garden of our spirit, a wonderful place full of the flourishing life, issuing in us living in the church life (Beer-Sheba) and being brought up to mount Moriah to become a burnt offering for God’s satisfaction.
The other well is the well of Ishmael. After Abraham cast Ishmael and his mother out, their water finished as they wandered in the wilderness, but God provided a well for them to survive.
This well issued in Ishmael becoming a hunter, living in the wilderness, and being joined to Egypt through marriage (his mother got him a wife from Egypt). This source is natural, it is in the wilderness of our soul (a place of wondering and straying, a place rejected by God), and is related to Egypt, the world.
When we drink of God as the fountain of living waters, we are being brought up to our spirit, to Mount Zion, to live a life of a burnt offering for God’s satisfaction.
But when we drink from the water of the well of Ishmael, the water of the world and the natural man, we wander in our soul, are dry and thirsty as in a wilderness, and we are being brought down to Egypt, in union with the world.
Two Kinds of Christians – those like Ishmael and those like Isaac
Abraham is our father, but what kind of source do we live by? What well do we drink of? Today there are only two kinds of Christians – those like Ishmael and those like Isaac.
Those Christians who are like Ishmael live for themselves in the wilderness of their soul and they are being slowing joined to the world (1 John 2:15-17).
Do we live for ourselves? Do we live in our soul, in the wilderness of our soul-life? Are we being joined to the world? Where do we spend most of our time, energy, and attention – on Christ and on the saints or in the things of this world?
The other kind of Christians is like Isaac, those who live for God in their spirit and in the church life, who are gradually being brought up to Mount Zion (Rom. 8:4; 12:4-5; 16:1; Rev. 14:1).
Do we live in our spirit? Do we live in the church life? Are we gradually being produced as the overcomers God needs today?
It’s not about what we DO but about what kind of water we drink. We need to pay attention to the source – pay attention to what sort of water you are drinking!
These two sources are with us every day, and what kind of living we have depends on what kind of water we are drinking day after day.
If we drink from the well of Ishmael we will be living in the world, in the wilderness of our soul life, becoming an archer for the building up of our own kingdom. But if we drink from the well of Isaac, we will live in our spirit and in the church life so that we may reach God’s goal.
We need to live in our mingled spirit, drink of God as the fountain of living waters, and never leave the church life! Stay in Beer-Sheba and drink from the redeemed well, and you will reach the goal!
Ishmael’s Well was in the Wilderness, a Place Rejected by God
In considering the two sources for out living we need to realize that Ishmael’s well – the source of his living – was in the wilderness, a place rejected by God (Gen. 21:19-21; 25:12, 18).
In the Bible we see that God rejects the wilderness, and His people may be allowed to wander in the wilderness – but with the goal of entering into Canaan, the good land. God doesn’t accept the wilderness, and if we drink from Ishmael’s well, we are rejected by Him.
If we live in the wilderness of our soul, we will become “an archer” as Ishmael was (Gen. 21:20), someone who kills life for his own interest and satisfaction. If we stay in the wilderness of our soul and drink water out of the well of Ishmael, we will kill life for building our own kingdom, and we will drift into Egypt, the world.
God’s desire is that we would be planters and nourishers of life, and by drinking of God as the living water we will plant and grow life for God’s kingdom. But if we spend out days wandering in the wilderness of our soul, we will kill life and be joined to the world.
Hagar was an Egyptian and she made sure her son is joined to another Egyptian through marriage (Gen. 21:21). If we are in our soul and not in our spirit, if we live according to our natural being, we can easily drift into the world and be joined to the world.
We need to be aware that there is a well, a source of living, that can make us a “wild hunter” (living for ourselves in a wild way and killing life for our pleasure) and that can join us to the world.
May we remain at Beer-Sheba enjoying the well of living water and living under the tamarisk tree, living a life of the altar and the tent, until the Lord brings us to Mount Moriah to be a burnt offering for His satisfaction!
Lord, show us the two sources of living for us as Christians. May we reject living in the wilderness of our soul and choose to exercise our spirit and live in the garden of our spirit! Lord, keep us in our spirit and in the church life enjoying You as the well of living water as the unique source for our living. We are here for Your building. We want to live for Your purpose of having the church, the Body of Christ, for Your corporate expression. We don’t want to be wandering in the wilderness of our soul and be rejected by God. We want to drink of the fountain of life so that we would become a burnt offering for Your satisfaction!
References and Hymns on this Topic
- Inspiration: the Word of God, my Christian experience, bro. Minoru Chan’s sharing in the message for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Genesis (msgs. 46, 56), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of Genesis (2), week 10 / msg 10, Two Wells — Two Sources of Living.
- Hymns on this topic:
# I thirsted in the barren land of Babylon / And nothing satisfying there I found; / But to the blessed local church one day I came, / Where springs of living water do abound. / Drinking at the springs of living water, / Happy now am I, / My heart they satisfy; / Drinking at the springs of living water, / O wonderful and bountiful supply! (Hymns #1234)
# Many weary years I vainly sought a spring, / One that never would run dry; / Unavailing all that earth to me could bring, / Nothing seemed to satisfy. / Drinking at the Fountain that never runs dry, / Drinking at the Fountain of life am I; / Finding joy and pleasure / In abounding measure, / I am drinking at the Fountain of life. (Hymns #322)
# I’m living on the mountain, underneath a cloudless sky, / I’m drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry; / O yes, I’m feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, / For I am dwelling in Beulah Land. (Hymns #324)
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Amen! Lord, keep us in spirit,