Rebekah and the Samaritan Woman

There are some remarkable parallels between Rebekah in Genesis 24 and the Samaritan Woman in John 1:1-45.

The descendants of Nahor were part of Abraham's family but somewhat removed, geographically and by faith. Terah, Abram and Lot left Ur of the Chaldeans possibly leaving Nahor with idolatry (Josh 24:2), but certainly leaving him behind in their journey to the promised land. The Samaritans were also the awkward family members to the Jews in Jesus' day, related but with their own land, and their own faith.

They share several other literary connections:

• Both involve a man alone on a journey in a land of the estranged family.
• Both men meet a woman at her local well and ask her straight out for a drink (Gen 24:17; John 4:7).
• The reactions of each of the women differ markedly. One is defensive and suspicious, and one is gracious and open.
• Both men have offer something wonderful to the women.
• The reaction of both women is finally to run back to town and describe what has just happened.
• The town welcomes Jesus and ask him to stay with them for two nights. The city of Nahor also welcomes Abraham's servant and persuade him to stay with them for a night.

In addition both narratives are concerned with marriage, and a marriage into the covenant line, with the promised seed of Abraham.

The Samaritan woman is not just another individual but representative of Samaria, and all the nations. She has had many husbands and not accepted that salvation comes from the Jews (cf. Jer 3:8; Hos 4:15 etc). If you see that then the women's next response to Jesus ('Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship') becomes not just a random theological riposte to try and gain the offensive, but illustrative of exactly how she has had different husbands. Jesus points her beyond the covenant with the old Jerusalem, to himself as the new Jerusalem where the nations will flood too (e.g. Jer 3:17). She has had many husbands, but he is the bridegroom that will really satisfy, as John the Baptist has only just declared (John 3:29).

Do you think I'm drawing lines which are not there?

I really don't think I am, but realise I haven't explained it as fluently as it deserves. Hopefully you get the picture though.