Scripture: 1 Chronicles 11:15-19
In this sermon, I want to make three points in the form of questions. Point Number One: What can we learn about the water at this particular well in Bethlehem? Point Number Two: What can we learn about ourselves as Christians? And Point Number Three: What can we learn about Jesus?
I mentioned at the beginning of 2023 that my New Year’s Resolution back then was to drink more water—in fact, to drink a gallon of water every day. I told you about my so-called “judgment jug” that I drink from. I’m happy to report that I have continued to do that every day. I’ve also dropped and broken two judgment jugs along the way, but still… I have kept my resolution.
But the challenge I face in drinking water is this: I simply don’t like it. Water by itself has never tasted good to me. It tastes bitter…
With one exception… And some of you will be able to relate to this… But when I was a kid—on hot summer days, and I was playing outside with friends, and we got really hot and sweaty and thirsty—the very best tasting water of all, which I loved, was the water I drank from a rubber hose… a garden hose… from an outside spigot. Some of y’all remember…
That, my friends, is good water! I miss it. Of course, these days, if you go to a hardware store, you’ll find little signs attached to new garden hoses: “Safe to drink water from this hose.” Which makes me wonder, “Are there hoses that aren’t safe for drinking water?” In which case, I’m pretty sure I would have been poisoned a long time ago.
Anyway, that water was good. And this brings us to Point Number One: Exactly how good was the water from the well next to the Bethlehem gate?
What’s really going on here?
What’s really going on, first of all, is that David had to wait a long time to become king over Israel. Fifteen years earlier, the prophet Samuel anointed David, the “man after God’s own heart,” 1 to be king. That’s a long time of waiting—with a lot of heartache, a lot of pain and suffering, a lot of setbacks in between. His life was constantly threatened by the jealous King Saul.
And then, even after Saul’s death, for two long years, David only became king over the tribe of Judah, in the south. The other tribes remained loyal to the family of King Saul; and one of his sons became king. 2 Only after that son was killed did David became king over all Israel.
Finally…
And now that David is king, everything is great, right? No more problems?
Yeah, right!
Because there are now enemy armies occupying large swaths of Israel… land that God had promised to Israel. So first David has to take the city of Jerusalem from one enemy, the Jebusites. And in today’s scripture, he and his ragtag army are waiting to take his hometown of Bethlehem from another enemy, this time the Philistines. David’s army is small… They’re outnumbered and overmatched by the Philistine army. They’re at an impasse. They don’t know how they’re going to be successful.
So it is in this context that David says, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!”
Do you think that when David said that, he was just really, really thirsty?
No… He and his small army were encamped at what the Bible calls a stronghold, which could only be a stronghold if it had a water source nearby… a spring of water… to which he and his soldiers had easy access. So David already had water. He wasn’t physically thirsty.
Okay, was this water at the well by the gate of his hometown just especially good-tasting, like that water from the garden hose that I described a moment ago?
I doubt it…
I am sure that there’s a prayer underneath David’s longing for the water of Bethlehem: And the prayer is something like this: “God, when…? Lord, when will you give me the kingdom you promised? When can Israel be free and safe and secure and independent from its many enemies? How much longer, Lord?”
And that’s Point Number One: What do we learn about this water at the well in Bethlehem? It’s nothing special. But it does remind us, as we are so often reminded, that God’s timing isn’t our timing. And even more, God’s timing is never early. And at least from our perspective God’s timing usually seems late. But God will show up. And God will show out. But he will do it in his time, not ours.
And this brings us to Point Number Two: What can we learn from these three mighty men and from David about living a Christian life? There’s a Part A and a Part B.
But first, Part A: We learn that faith takes risks…
Let’s notice first of all that David doesn’t command these three warriors to fetch him this water. He doesn’t challenge any of his soldiers to do it: He doesn’t ask, “Who will be brave enough to break through enemy lines and get me this wonderful water.” No, he doesn’t ask for or expect anyone to volunteer for it. He would never do that! It would be asking too much! It’s too risky!
The Bible spares us the details of just how risky the three warriors’ expedition must have been. The Bible leaves it to our imaginations. In his book, The Unfolding Mystery, Bible scholar Edmund Clowney describes the danger and difficulty this way:
We are not told when or where the three swordsmen first met opposition, or what outpost of the Philistine garrison first challenged them. But we are told that they broke through the Philistine lines and entered Bethlehem. Did they fight their way up the hill to the gate of the city? [Because Bethlehem was up a hill, which makes it easier to defend and harder to conquer.] If not, they surely had to fight when they entered.
[Clowney continues…] The city gate would have been the command post of the Philistine garrison. The open area there was the place where the troops would be mustered. Did a woman of the town draw the water for them? Did one soldier draw it while the others defended him? We are not told. Clearly, escaping from the town with the water would be the harder fight. Perhaps hardest of all was their return across the wilderness after their combat, carrying the water instead of drinking it! 3
These three men were taking a risky step of faith. They were badly outnumbered. They simply shouldn’t have been able to succeed, right? Except for one reason… “But God… dot, dot, dot.”
Does that sound familiar?
There’s a reason, I believe, the Lord gave me those two words as our vision this year. Because for too many of us at Toccoa First Methodist, the Christian faith is merely something we possess, in our heads… We believe these certain doctrines. We made a profession of faith. We prayed a sinner’s prayer. We got baptized. We went through confirmation. All these things that happened in our past… and as a result, we have assurance of heaven when we die.
And I’m not saying that that isn’t a small part of being a Christian. Of course it is! But God is challenging each one of us to actually exercise our faith… to put our faith into action… to live as if all these things we say we believe are actually true.
And living that way is scary and difficult…
Remember back in Genesis 18 when the angel tells Abraham that in a year’s time Sarah—who will be 90 years old at that point—will conceive and give birth to the promised son, Isaac. Sarah overhears the angel say this, and what does she do? She laughs. But it’s not a laugh of wonder and joy at the amazing thing that God will do. It’s a scoffing kind of laughter. Like, “Yeah, right!” She says, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?” 4
And Sarah’s question would be a good question… except for one thing: But God, dot, dot, dot…
And the angel rightly scolds Sarah and says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 5
Brothers and sisters, when we look at our lives and the things we so often worry about—the things that frighten us, the things that keep us up at night—how would we honestly answer the angel’s question: “Is anything too hard of the Lord?”
I’m afraid that we think that some things are too hard for you!
Brothers and sisters, we need to hear the message, “But God, dot, dot, dot.” Nothing is too hard for him! And he wants to show us that nothing is too hard for him. But first we need to put our faith into action! And see for ourselves that nothing is too hard for him! He will take care of us. He will provide for us.
[Tithes and offerings… Malachi 3:10]
That’s Part A…
Here’s Part B: Faith is like falling in love…
What moves me most about what the three mighty men do is… David doesn’t ask them to do it. These three soldiers do what they do without being asked… They do it merely because this is what King David wants. They love David… so they do it…
A couple of weeks before Christmas, I thought of the perfect gift for Lisa. I had already gotten her a few things—we like to to give lots of presents at Christmas in our family. But I hadn’t yet thought of “the” gift, if you know what I mean. Until around December 15, and it hit me: A couple of months earlier, Lisa had mentioned a coworker who had this tiny treadmill under her desk at work… they call them “walking pads”… These things are super quiet and unobtrusive. And they enable you to walk—get exercise, get your steps in—while working. Even I would like one of those… hint, hint.
But I thought, well that’s perfect. I know Lisa will love it. She won’t be expecting it. And I’ll get credit for thinking of such a thoughtful gift. It will prove that I listen—I mean, I really listen—to Lisa when she talks. So I was feeling great about this gift.
So I ordered the perfect version of the walking pad on Amazon. And it arrived a few days later.
And wouldn’t you know it… It showed up on our back porch in this giant box… and the box had… the box literally had a picture of the treadmill, a name and a description of the item, on the outside of the box. And I’m thinking, “Give me some warning, Amazon… Geez.” And Lisa, of course, saw the box on the porch. She wasn’t snooping at all.
And she told me she saw it. I think, if I were her, I would have pretended I didn’t see it. But I can’t fault her for being honest. But she said she saw it… And then she said, “But I knew I was getting one of those because, after all… It was the only thing I asked for…”
And in my head, I objected… I didn’t say it out loud, but I immediately thought, “You didn’t ask for it. And that’s what makes it extra special… You didn’t ask.”
And I still don’t think Lisa asked. But as it turns out, she clearly was expecting it. Which goes to show just how close she came to being really disappointed on Christmas Day. Because I didn’t even think of this thing as a gift idea till nearly the last minute! Whew! Dodged a bullet.
My point is, if you love someone… and you know what would please that person… and you have it within your power to give them this thing that would please them… you do it. Of course you do. It brings you pleasure to please this person that you love… in this way.
You don’t need or necessarily want to be asked. As my experience with the walking pad illustrates, it’s not as good a gift, not as valuable a gift, if you have to be asked.
David didn’t ask. He expressed a wish. And David’s wish was almost literally their command.
When I was growing up, I hated cutting the grass. And I frequently complained and grumbled about having to do it… Which is unusual, because I rarely complain or grumble… And one time I complained out loud in front of my Uncle Nick. I said, “I have to cut the grass.” He said, “You don’t have to; you get to.”
Even as a young teenager, I wished I could see it that way. Then it would be so much easier. I get to do this…
I hate to say this, but I don’t think I loved my parents enough to see it that way. I was too selfish, too self-centered, too self-absorbed, too wrapped up in my own world to see things that way… I could think of a thousand other things I’d rather be doing with my time. Of course now—with both Mom and Dad being gone for many, many years—if I could get in a time machine and go back in time… to the point at which I was 13 years old… and it was a summer day and the grass needed cutting… I’d be like, “Mom and Dad, you’re going to have the best-manicured lawn on the street. Your neighbors will be jealous. I’m going to cut it in that criss-cross pattern that you see on the most expensive lawns. I’m going to get the edger and edge around the driveway and curb. It’ll be three times the work but totally worth it! Let me make you proud of me. Let me show you how good your lawn can look!”
That’s what true love looks like! “Of course I’ll do this. It is my absolute pleasure to do this. I get to do this. Because I love you.”
What these three men did, they did out of love for their king!
Well, that sounds great… We all agree… But because these soldiers risked so much, sacrificed so much, what happens next may shock us. Look at verses 18 and 19:
But David would not drink it. He poured it out to the Lord and said, “Far be it from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the lifeblood of these men? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it.
David poured it out… on the ground…
We modern people have a hard time understanding David’s behavior. To us, it seems like the ultimate waste. We expect these three mighty men to be indignant: “After all the trouble we went to, all we risked, all we sacrificed… and this is the thanks we get? You’re going to pour our precious water out on the ground? What a waste!”
But they weren’t thinking that…
And here’s what David was thinking: “This water that these brave men retrieved at the risk of their lives is no longer mere water. It’s now as precious as the blood that they risked spilling to bring it to me. This is the most precious pitcher of water I’ve ever held in my hand. This water is the best, most valuable thing I own. I am unworthy of a gift this precious. It’s too good for me. Therefore the only one who deserves it is God. I’ll give it to him. For me to do this will glorify him in a powerful way. And that’s what I want to do. That’s what I’m here for. That’s why I exist!”
And he pours it out on the ground.
In the Law of Moses this is what’s called a “drink offering,” which would normally be fine wine, and would normally be offered to God in the tabernacle… or later, the temple… It was a way of thanking God and glorifying him for his faithful love.
A drink offering is considered a “sacrifice”…
But if we understand David’s actions in today’s scripture, doesn’t it change the meaning of sacrifice?
I mean, we usually think of a sacrifice as something we give reluctantly: “I don’t want to give this; it’s hard; it hurts me to do it; but I’m supposed to.” Sigh! But the true meaning of sacrifice is, “I don’t have to do this! I get to do this… I want to give this to God. Only God deserves it. I only pray that what I’m giving is good enough.”
That’s what sacrifice is… Not “I have to”… but “I get to.”
When you truly love someone, you say not “I have to make this sacrifice,” but “I get to make this sacrifice. Because I love you that much.”
You know, nearly everyone—whether they’re Christians or not—understands this principle. It gets communicated in some of our most popular movies, books, and music frequently. For instance, back in the ’80s the singer-songwriter Prince had a Top Ten hit song in which he tells the woman he loves, “I would die for you.” A few years later, Bryan Adams had a number one hit song in which he also says to the woman he loves, “I would give it all. I would sacrifice… I would die for you.” A few years after that, a rock band called Firehouse had a Top Twenty hit song in which the singer tells the woman he loves, “I dedicate my life to you. You know that I would die for you.”
Are you sensing a theme here?
These singers aren’t exaggerating. I believe they’re being perfectly sincere: When we’re in love, what wouldn’t we do for the one we love? Nothing. Even die for them! We would be happy to do it. Because we’re in love.
Scripture teaches again and again that our love for Christ ought to be like that! Our love for him should be that deep, that personal, that intimate, that emotional. Faith in Christ is a more like falling in love than solving a physics problem.
I wish, as a pastor, I could make you fall in love with Jesus. I can’t. But… I’m excited to say that I see evidence that it’s happening all around. Since we started our “Journey Through the Bible” reading plan last fall, for instance, I’ve had many men and women come up to me and say, in so many words, this is the best thing they’ve ever done—or one of the best things… one of the best things the church has ever done. Their life has been changed. Why? Because they’re getting to know Jesus more and more! Because they’re falling in love with Jesus more and more. Because—praise God—they’re treasuring Christ more and more.
It’s happening, brothers and sisters!
The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians possibly near the end of his life, shortly before he was executed. Regardless, he thought he might be nearing the end of his life. And he said the following in Philippians 2:17: “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.”
“Drink offering.” That’s what David pours out in today’s scripture!
Even if that’s what happens to Paul’s life, he is glad. He will rejoice. Because when you’re in love with someone, what wouldn’t you do for them?
Dear Lord Jesus, make us love you like that! Melt our hearts that we may love you like that. Change us, Lord, please!
Point Number Three… What can we learn about Jesus?
For this point I want to focus on two images of water that relate to Christ.
First, when he was on the cross, you may recall that Jesus quoted Psalm 22, whose first words are these: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And in the rest of the psalm, David prophesies about Christ and about his death on the cross. It includes these words in verse 14, which may ring a bell: “My life is poured out like water.” Christ’s life is poured out like water on the cross. That’s the first image.
Second image: In John chapter 4, Jesus has a conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well about water. And he tells her, in verse 10, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” And in verses 13 and 14: Jesus refers to the water she’s drawn from the well and says, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”
And here Jesus is using the image of “living water” to refer to his Holy Spirit, which comes and lives within the hearts of us believers… Through the Spirit, Christ himself lives within us.
Recall in verse 19 that David says this water is too precious for him because, after all, these three men brought it to him “at the risk of their lives.”
But in order for Christ to give us his “living water”—which “becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within us, giving us eternal life,” Jesus not only “risked” his life, he gave up his life.
Christ poured out his life like water in order to give us his living water.
Christ poured out his life like water in order to give us his living water.
No matter how good that water that David longed for was, the living water that Christ offers is infinitely better. It’s what we most deeply crave. It’s what satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. And that water is available for free.
When Jesus told this Samaritan woman about the living water that he offers, she said, “Please, sir… Please, Lord, give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again…”
Some of you this morning, in your own spirits, are saying the same thing: “Please, sir… Please, Lord… give me this water.” Give me eternal life. Give me this gift of your Spirit… I need it… I need you.