The well in this story (Gen 29:1-14) sets the scene for us; it shows us a place of watering, a place where the shepherds gathered to water the flock. It’s significant because Jacob and his family were shepherds and so it’s perhaps inevitable that the watering wells were important places to them. The well was the place where water, essential for life, could be found.
God not only provides for our physical needs but describes Hmself as the bread of life and the water of life. Just as we cannot exist without food and water in the natural realm, we cannot exist without the sustenance God provides for us through His word and through His Spirit. We need to learn the daily disciplines of prayer and reading God’s word so that we can grow spiritually (see Heb 5:11-14). If we only connect with God’s word in a church context, we will become spiritually famished because we need to receive from God on a daily basis.
Hebrews provides warnings to us to pay attention to what we have heard (see Heb 2:1) and reminds us that the word did not do all the people good because they failed to add faith to the mix. (Heb 4:2) Just as a cake needs all the ingredients to make it taste good, so we need to add faith to God’s word so that we can see His promises come true. Jacob reminds us that God is able to direct and guide our lives without us having to plot or scheme; we too can therefore enter God’s rest (Heb 4:10) and know that He is able to provide us, no matter what our circumstances.
