- Jews and Samaritans had an intense and mutual dislike for each other. They avoided any and all contact.
- By going around Samaria to the east, Jesus and His disciples could have followed the Jordan River. The river would have provided a constant water supply as they traveled.
- Going around Samaria and along the Jordan would have avoided the rough and rocky terrain of Samaria.
The first word is chre which is a necessity resulting from time and circumstances. For example, I might say, “I had to leave for work at 7:30 or I would have been late.” The time and circumstances necessitate an action on my part.
The second word is dei which is a necessity resulting from a moral obligation or a divine appointment. An example for this word might be, “I had to go spend some time with my friend because she is going through a hard time.” In this case, the moral obligation of being a kind and supportive friend is necessitating an action on my part.
The second word is the one used in John 4:4. The circumstances didn’t necessitate that Jesus and the disciples travel through Samaria. Quite the opposite, as I mentioned earlier, this chosen route wasn’t the socially acceptable thing to do, it didn’t guarantee their needs would be met, and it was a difficult journey.
However, Jesus had a divine appointment with a woman at a well in Sychar. He would do whatever it took to make sure He kept that divine appointment because His message was too important to not share. That woman at the well would drink of the living water He offered and receive eternal life. In turn, she would share the message of the Messiah with the people of her town and many more would come to know Him.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this Divine Appointment. For stretching my brain with the two different usages for "had"!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Sheri! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
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