The Believers Of Samaria

After King Solomon plunged from his great wisdom (1 Kings 10:23-24) to great corruption (1 Kings 11:31-35), The United Kingdom of Israel divided into two separate countries, The Northern Kingdom of "Israel" and The Southern Kingdom of "Judah." They were never reunited (but will be in the future - see The Gathering of Israel and Judah).

When they made themselves corrupt and refused to heed all of the warnings from the LORD to repent (see The Prophets: North and South), the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were conquered and taken away by the Assyrians under Sargon (see Ancient Empires - Assyria) by 721 B.C. (see The Galilee Captivity). Later, about 677 B.C., the Assyrians under Esarhaddon brought people of other nations (primarily from the area that Abraham originated; see Israel's Iraqi Roots) in to keep the land from becoming desolate. Those non-Israelites became known as "Samaritans." Notice that although they were not Israelite, they came to know the LORD long before the "New Testament" era.

"^17:22 For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did [see also The Return Of The Golden Calves]; they departed not from them; ^17:23 Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

^17:24 And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. ^17:25 And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.^17:26 Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.

^17:27 Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. ^17:28 Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD." (2 Kings 17:22-28 KJV)

After the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah returned from their Babylonian exile (because they made themselves corrupt just like the northern kingdom had become about 130 years earlier), they refused to allow the Samaritans to take part in the rebuilding of the Temple because they were not Israelites. That scornful relationship continued right into New Testament times e.g. "for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9 KJV). "Samaritan" even became a form of insult, including a blasphemous one upon Christ e.g. "^8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto Him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?" (John 8:48 KJV).

"The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ"

The Samaritan people (the "foreign" people who were named after the area that the corrupt people of the northern kingdom of Israel lost because they failed to follow the Messiah; see Baal's Samaria) nevertheless fared far better with the Jews who recognized the Messiah, including the Messiah Himself. The Christ freely and openly accepted and associated with Samaritan people. In return, many of them recognized and accepted Him as The Savior, while the Jewish leadership generally rejected Him (see When Do Jews Become Christians?). Samaritans were among the earliest Christians (Acts 8:25, 9:31, 15:3).

Samaritan acceptance of The Prophet Of Galilee was demonstrated by a Samaritan woman who not only welcomed the Christ, but through her testimony caused others to become believers as well.

"^4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ^4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour [i.e. noon - see Hours Of The Day].

^4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. ^4:8 For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.

^4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

^4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

^4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? ^4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

^4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: ^4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

^4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

^4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

^4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: ^4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

^4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet [see Jesus Of Nazareth, Prophet Of God]. ^4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

^4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. ^4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews [see Zionism to understand how that term is about Christ, not about those who reject Him]. ^4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ^4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

^4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ [see Israelite Monarchy - The Messiah; also The Messiah's Triumphal Entry Into The Temple]: when he is come, he will tell us all things. ^4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." (Acts 4:5-26 KJV)

The Samaritan woman wasn't merely a convert. She caused others to look to the Truth as well.

"^4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

^4:40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. ^4:41 And many more believed because of his own word; ^4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." (Acts 4:39-42 KJV)

Fact Finder: What are the "living waters" that Christ spoke of to the Samaritan woman?
See Living Waters

This Day In History, August 15

1057: Macbeth, King of Scotland, was killed.

1096: The Church of Rome armies of the First Crusade set out from Europe to "liberate" Jerusalem from the occupying forces of Islamic Turks. Championed by Peter the Hermit in 1093, Pope Urban II had sanctioned the crusade at the Council of Clermont in 1095.

1261: Constantinople fell to Michael VIII of Nicea.

1519: Panama City was founded.

1534: French explorer Jacques Cartier began his return trip to France after his first voyage to Canada.

1537: Spanish conquistador Juan de Salazar y Espinoza founded Fort of Our Lady of Asuncion, later Asuncion, Paraguay's capital.

1620: The Mayflower set sail for the "New World" from Southampton, England with 102 English "Pilgrims."

1658: The League of the Rhine was established under French protection after France's King Louis XIV failed to be elected Holy Roman Emperor; Sweden's King Charles X began a second war with Denmark and besieged Copenhagen.

1744: The second Silesian War began with an invasion of Saxony by Prussia's King Frederick II.

1914: The Panama Canal was officially opened.

1940: The German Luftwaffe (air force) suffered its greatest losses for a single day during the Battle of Britain - 75 Nazi aircraft were shot down by the Royal Air Force.

1945: Korea was liberated from 35 years of colonial rule after Japan's defeat in World War II. The peninsula was divided into the Communist North and capitalist South (just as French colonial forces divided Vietnam into North and South a decade later).

1947: Britain partitioned India into the dominions of India and Pakistan, thereby creating two independent nations. Pandit Nehru as became Premier of India and L. Ali Khan became Premier of Pakistan.

1969: The 3-day "Woodstock Music and Art Fair" opened at Max Yasgur's dairy farm in New York State. With an attendance of over 400,000 misguided young people, "Woodstock" became the most infamous satanic festival of idolatry, fornication and dope-addiction of its time.

2007: A magnitude 8.0 earthquake in the Pacific devastated areas of Peru; over 500 people were killed and more than 1,000 were injured.