Dear VictoryinJesus,
The Word of God is written in the spiritual language of Christ. To understand scripture, a person must understand it "spiritually". Christ said to understand the spiritual way, one must have "ears that can hear" and "eyes that can see".
Paul made this statement:
1Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
The carnal mind understands (sees) Christ in a literal and outward way. This is the way mankind sees Christ and the way believers who are under the Old Covenant see Him.
The spiritual mind understands Christ in a spiritual and inward way. Only believers who are converted and who are under the New Covenant will see Christ in this manner.
In the spiritual language of Christ, Christ teaches us by spiritual symbols in parables (fictional stories), types (actual events) and by analogies. To understand the truth of those teachings, a believer must understand what the spiritual symbols represent and then apply the teaching spiritually and inwardly.
The Parables which begin with this phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven is like" are teachings on certain aspects (here a little and there a little) of the pathway to salvation. That pathway is spiritual.
Earlier on this thread, I presented the spiritual teaching of the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The parable is part of the "marriage analogy" which is taught in many places of scripture. To understand the parable, one must also consider the other portions of scripture which teach on that analogy. And since the parable is one of the "Kingdom of Heaven is like" parables, we know that it is teaching on the pathway to salvation that the Elect must travel.
Here is a similar teaching by Christ. This teaching is a "type" which also teaches a portion of the pathway to salvation. See if you can find the similar points which are presented in the Ten Virgins parable.
Here is the scripture:
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 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. 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. 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? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 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. 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 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. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
The Samaritan woman is half Gentile and half Jew. In the story, she represents a 'called out" Gentile believer who has received the "earnest" (down payment/1st installment) of the Holy Spirit. The earnest of the Spirit is also called the Early Rain or the Holy Spirit of Promise. The earnest of the Spirit is given in measure and will leave a new believer carnally minded and spiritually blind. In this condition, Christ will remain "veiled" from them.
Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of Promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance UNTIL the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
When an Elect person receives the Holy Spirit of Promise, it seals them until their day of redemption which will occur when Christ "comes again" and pours out the Latter Rain.
The sealing of the Elect with the Holy Spirit of Promise is presented in the first half of Revelation chapter 7. The second half of chapter 7 shows the Elect upon their day of redemption when they are baptized with the Holy Spirit (Latter Rain). This happens within the lifetime of each of the Elect.
Since the Samaritan woman has only received the Early Rain, she still drinks from Jacob's well. The water of Jacob's well will keep the woman under the Law and will leave her "thirsty" (Mat 5:6). It leaves her thirsty because the Law cannot make her righteous - but the Law will lead her to Christ (Gal 3:24) and His water of life which will make her righteous. The water of life represents the Latter Rain/Baptism of the Holy Spirit. After a called out believer drinks of this water, they will come out from the Law and be covered under the New Covenant of Grace through Faith.
Christ mentions the "gift of God" and says to the woman that if she "knew" who it was standing before her, she would have asked Him to give her His "living water". But the woman could not recognize Christ because of her spiritual blindness (Acts 9:5). This portion of the exchange between the woman and Christ is referring to what is taught in Luke 11:9-13. In that scripture, it teaches that when an Elect believer has finally been lead to Christ, they will ask for the Holy Spirit (Latter Rain). In response to their prayer, Christ will pour out the Holy Spirit upon them. This is the same salvation event which the 120 Jewish Elect experienced on the Day of Pentecost. It is the same prayer that Paul was praying after being in Damascus for three days. This is the Latter Rain.
When the woman asks for some of the living water Christ mentions, Christ does not give her any, but instead, Christ tells her to "call your husband and tell him to come here". She replies and says that she does not have a husband. Christ then tells her that she has said well. Christ continues by telling her that she has had "five husbands" and that the one she is with now is not her husband. The phrase "five husbands" is a spiritual symbol which represents a "called out" Gentile believer's "first love" (Christ). The number "five" represents the way a believer approaches Christ. In this case, the woman (when she first came to Christ), approached Him by "faith". But afterward, Satan came to her and deceived her. When she listened to Satan, she committed adultery with him and fell away. The woman committed adultery by following Satan's way (the crooked way of "works") instead of remaining "faithful" to her husband (Christ).
Near the end of the story, Christ tells her that the "hour" will come when she will no longer worship God on the "mountain" or in "Jerusalem". These two terms represents her carnality. The "hour" will come when the woman has been converted and has been given spiritual vision. She will then be able to worship God in "Spirit and in truth".
The story ends with the woman still not knowing who Jesus is. The woman then says that she knows when the Messiah comes, He will tell her all things. Christ then reveals Himself to her to represent His coming to her with the Latter Rain and salvation.
Joe