Don’t Cry Over Spilt Waters

  The chronicles of the kings were written by priests who left out much detail that was written in the books of Samuel and the Kings. One specific repetition was David’s longing to drink from the waters from the well at Bethlehem, then occupied by the Philistines:



KEY VERSES:

And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord. And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. (2 Sam 23:14-17)

  That account seems to be out of place and not significant to the text surrounding it. However, both writers deemed it significant and important.  Now let’s investigate why that may be.



  Bethlehem comes from the Latin Bethleem originally named after the Canaanite god Lehem. In the time of David, it was Beyth lechem (Strong’s Dictionary), thus would be the “house of bread.” Not by coincidence, Jesus is the “Bread of Life” and said, “He that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

  Well, David thirsted a drink of the water from the well at Bethlehem! Was that coincidence, or did the writers write that to point toward Jesus? I believe, because of context and its discontinuity, that the account was prophetic. David wanted a drink of “living water” (John 4:10); representing Jesus’s Holy Spirit, from the well of the Son of David - Jesus! Jesus also said, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

  David would not drink of the water for which he longed, but “poured it out unto the Lord.” It would have been awkward and disrespectful if David had drunk that holy water, then urinated. Therefore, literally, David could not flow the living waters from his belly. Obviously, when Jesus spoke those words it was rhetorically. Jesus was referring to his own death: “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34).

John explained that when he wrote:

This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.  (1 John 5:6-8)

  Christians are to be baptized by water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Mat 28:19). Baptism represents the death of sinners and rebirth of a new creature. However, it is not the water alone which saves, but the water and the blood. In other words, hearts must be circumcised (Deut 10:16). Thus, the living waters flowing from bellies represent circumcised hearts. Baptism is a testimony to the efficaciousness of the circumcised heart. It is not the entire flesh which dies, but the iniquitous hearts of repentant sinners.

  I believe that David was projecting forward to the sacrificial death of Jesus. The “three mighty men” risked their blood for David to pour out the water. It seems that the three mighty “men” represent the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!

  Note that David need not risk his own life to obtain that water, but three mighty men did. As such, David was not worthy to drink for he did nothing for the water. The three mighty men risked their lives, and deserve that David spill the waters on their behalf. Although not at the same well as the Samaritan woman, that is the same type of water which Jesus was proclaiming to the woman Photina.

Just as Christians who do not risk their own lives for safety, neither did David. Three mighty men did for him, and Three Mighty Warriors did for us!

  David took a break from shedding blood to honor the blood that would be shed centuries later!  David, as Abraham before him, saw Jesus and him sacrificed. It was not only God’s Flesh that suffered on the cross, but Jesus’s Ghost which he gave up when it was finished, and the Father who is omnipresent. Three “Mighty Men” suffered on the cross – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but no one died but the “Philistine” Satan, represented by Judas who hung himself on a tree.

  David knew he would defeat the Philistines and their false god, Lehem, in the House of Lehem. Not only were the Philistines defeated, but wars were fought to reveal whose god was stronger. Lehem lost the battle of the gods, and The Bread of Life won out! Bethlehem was transformed from the House of Lehem to the House of Bread!

  Lehem was the fertility god of the stars. Think on that. His star was over Bethlehem, but a brighter Star overshadowed it. Bethlehem is no longer thought of the House of Lehem, but the House of the Bread (of Life)! Not by coincidence the Star of Jesus supplanted the stars of Lehem:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Mat 2:1-2).

  When David longed for water from the well at Bethlehem, he was really thirsting for living waters which would someday gush forth from Jesus’s belly.  David longed for the water in remembrance of Christ (Luke 22:19). Luke even reflected back on God’s mercy for Israel: “He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy” (Luke 1:54.), “as he spake to our fathers” (Luke 1:55). Surely Luke was making reference to David thirsting for waters back centuries before!

  David foresaw victory as he was “remembering” Jesus’s death long afterward in the future. He saw Lehem’s star replaced by the star of Jesus and the Star Himself! He then went to battle, knowing the outcome, due to the promised Savior. Unlike David who poured forth the living waters, now all who have come to Jesus are worthy to drink of his cup (1 Cor 11:27).

  David, since Jesus had yet to die, grace had not flowed from his loin, and David was not worthy to drink. It was not by water alone that one is worthy, but it must be also by the blood:

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. (Rev 16:5-6).

  The Angel of the Waters is Jesus. David knew that! We know that David refused the water as it represented the blood that could have been shed. Note that the three mighty men did not shed blood, but it was Jesus’s blood which was shed to win Bethlehem and defeat the Satan Philistines. That battle was fought because of the promise to Abraham. David was looking at the Covenant and its fulfillment. That was the day that the Abrahamic Covenant was revealed as the Covenant of Grace.