¹ When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream. ² Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” ³ Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad. ⁴ Restore our fortunes again, Yahweh, like the streams in the Negev. ⁵ Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. ⁶ He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.

“When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion” (1). The Lord restored (past tense), meaning that the Lord restored us once. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth; and saw that all he made was very good.¹ Adam sinned and brought death to the world.² And again and again, the Lord restored his obstinate people.³

“We were like those who dreamed” (1). A few other verses in the Bible mention dreaming, like Joel 2:28 (“Your old men will dream dreams”).⁴ Here, it should seem that young men, growing in strength and looking forward to their years ahead, dream. Old men with gray heads ⁵ probably reminisce or yearn for the past. When the Lord restored our fortunes, we looked ahead, our eyes full of hope, to a brightly shining future.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy” (2). Laughter and joyful songs flowed naturally. “When the Lord restored… The Lord has done great things…”* (active tense) while “our mouths were filled…” (passive tense). God provides while we receive. His restoration produces in us a joy that overflows out of our mouths.

“Then it was said among the nations…” (2). Neighboring countries could not help but notice our joy overflowing into proclamations. In turn they praise God. “The Lord has done great things for them” (3). Our laughter and joyful songs catch the ears of all around us; and cause them to acknowledge God who does great things.

If we know the Lord, how can we choose anything other than his provision? Don’t we remember when our mouths filled with laughter and our tongues with singing? How those around watched enviously and praised the Lord! But we all like sheep have gone astray.⁶ We have trusted in our own beauty.⁷ And so we dream no longer.

To be continued…

¹¹ The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. So where do you get that living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children, and his livestock?” ¹³ Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again,

¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵ The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Jesus chooses to travel an unusual route to meet a woman¹ who is avoiding the rest of town to draw water midday²; and offers her living water.³ The woman asks him where she can get this living water (11) and Jesus tells her to go and call her husband (16).

Here’s an interesting thought. What if this woman is more of a renaissance lady: possessed of power to move from one husband to the next… As soon as one wears out his charm, she tries out the next.⁴ Maybe the woman remains fully possessed of her worldly desires!

Here, though, regardless of if she possesses her wordly desires or not, the woman faces Jesus who offers living water. This Jesus and the water he offers seem far more quenching to the physical “water” (gaining husbands) that the woman has needed to draw frequently.⁵

Also, what is she thinking when Jesus mentions the woman’s husbands? By pointing this out he is drawing to the surface her deep desire. Maybe part of her takes offense at the rudeness of another person seemingly guessing at and revealing her deep desire.

If I similarly encountered Jesus, part of me would probably want to leave offended. The presumptuousness of this man! The difficult truth! Telling me to trust that the water he offers will cause me to never thirst. But part of her sees Jesus and the water he offers for truth and water that springs up to eternal life. And she turns to him.

If we too could see our chasing after worldly desires as leading to unquenchable thirst the second we encounter Jesus. Might we see Jesus and receive him who offers water that springs up to eternal life!