The Bride is at the Well

Have you noticed that three of the most prominent men in the Old Testament found their brides at a well? The brides of Isaac, Abraham’s son, Jacob, Isaac’s son and Abraham’s grandson and Moses, were all at a well when they were found or met directly.

Let’s take a look.

Abraham’s servant found Isaac a bride, Rebekah, at a well (read Genesis 24).

“Today I came to this well and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful. I will stand by this well and wait for a young woman to come to get water. Then I will say, “Please give me water from your jar to drink.” The right woman will answer in a special way. She will say, “Drink this water, and I will also get water for your camels.” That way I will know that she is the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ (Genesis 24:42-44 ERV)

Then Genesis chapter 29 records Jacob meeting his bride Rachel at a well.

Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. As he looked, he saw a well in the field…Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. (Genesis 29:1 & 10 ESV)

And Moses, after he’d fled from Egypt to Midian, met his bride Zipporah, at a well.

Moses fled from Pharaoh’s presence and took refuge in the land of Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water [from the well where Moses was resting] and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock…Moses was willing to remain with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah [to be his wife]. (Exodus 2:15, 16 & 21 AMP)

These three Old Testament accounts are deliberate in letting us know that the bride is at the well. This is no coincidence, clearly there’s a reason this detail is recorded and so, it must not be overlooked. Three brides for three prominent bridegrooms all encountered at a well.

In the New Testament we find an account of another bridegroom who meets a woman at a well but she is not a bride, for that matter we’re told that she’s had five husbands and the man she’s living with isn’t her husband (see John 4:18), and he is no ordinary groom, for He is the Bridegroom, Jesus.

Is there a connection between those bride encounters of the Old Testament and this of the New? Remember, the Bible accounts are not a haphazard, mishmash of random tales; the Old Testament always correlates with the New Testament.

Jesus doesn’t meet this unnamed woman at any well, He meets her at Jacob’s well. Also, this woman is a Samaritan, she’s not a Jew but of mixed heritage. You see, the Samaritans were a mixture of races between Jews and Gentiles and although they worshiped God, they also served idols.  So, they were not only of mixed ancestry but of mixed religion and even their politics was affected by this mixture as well (read 2 Kings 17).

Because of this, the Jews deemed everything about Samaritans as impure and were prejudiced against them; they were shunned and despised by the Jews – their customs, their religious practices and their food were considered unclean.

This is why the encounter between the Bridegroom and this Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well was remarkable.

Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water (John 4:6-7 NIV)

Jews passing through Samaria – So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar (John 4:5 NIV) – was simply not done.

Jews buying food in Sychar – His disciples had gone into the town to buy food (John 4:8 NIV) – was simply not done.

Jews conversing with Samaritans – Jews do not associate with Samaritans (John 4:9 NIV) – was simply not done.

Jews evangelizing in Samaria was simply not done – Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers (John 4:39-41 NIV).

John’s Bridegroom, unlike the other three bridegrooms, did not meet a pure Jewish bride, instead, the bride who is at the well was a mix of Jew and Gentile. Chapter seventeen of second Kings tells us that there were five peoples with whom the Israelites intermarried,

the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim (2 Kings 17:24 ESV)

This is an illustration of what the Christian church, the bride of Christ, was to become. It began as a congregation of Jewish believers but became a bringing together of a mixture of peoples as the bride.

 In Old Testament times, God’s people were solely the Jews but under the new covenant, Gentiles were grafted in (see Romans 11:11-31).

Notice that the five groups of people brought into Samaria by the king of Assyria, correlates to the Samaritan woman’s five husbands.

Jesus tells the woman to call her husband, she replies that she has no husband, then Jesus says to the woman,

“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 NIV)

He was in fact asking her to show Him who has her heart, but she was unable to since her heart was torn, as a Samaritan, her worship was divided (see v 20).

This entire story is focused on the issue of the heart in worship and spiritual confusion.

Jesus assures her that a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24 NIV)

Beloved, Jesus is the Bridegroom,  the bride (you) is at the well and Jesus wants to know who has your heart; He is, even now, proposing to you by saying the same thing Abraham’s servant said to Rebekah, “Please give me water from your jar to drink.” 

What is your response? Will you water the flocks? Will you give Him a drink?

Amen †

 

Shelley Johnson “The Bride is at the Well” © 2026 August 25, 2026