Numbers 21:16-20

Spring up, O well.

A song of the pilgrimage

I. The needs of human pilgrimage.

1. How indispensable are the things which we need.

2. How many are the things which we need.

3. How constant are our needs. We may change our place and our circumstances, but we never change our dependent condition.

II. The divine provision for the needs of human pilgrimage.

1. Promised by God.

2. Bestowed in connection with human effort.

3. Enkindled human joy, which was expressed in this song.

4. Suitably commemorated. Let us be eager to perpetuate the memory of our mercies.

III. The continuousness of human pilgrimage. The well was not the goal: a place to halt, but not to settle. (W. Jones.)

A song at the well-head

I. These people required water as we greatly need grace, and there was a promise given concerning the supply. “The Lord spake unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” Beloved, we have a promise. A promise? nay, a thousand promises! God’s people were never in any plight whatever but what there was a promise to meet that condition.

1. The supply promised here was a Divine supply: “I will give them water.” Who else could satisfy those flocks and herds? By what mechanism or by what human toil could all those multitudes of people have received enough to drink? God can do it, and He will. The supply of grace that you are to receive in your time of need is a Divine supply. You are not to look to man for grace.

2. As it was a Divine supply, so also it was a suitable one. The people were thirsty, and the promise was, “I will give them water.” What dost thou want? Go and lay open thy needs before the Lord. Tell Him what it is thou requirest, if thou knowest, and then add to thy prayer, “And what I know not that I need, yet give me, for Thou art able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or even think: not according to my apprehension of my necessities, but according to Thy perception of my needs, deal with Thy servant, O Lord, and grant me that which is most suitable to my case.” “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.”

3. Observe, too, that the supply promised was an abundant supply. No child of God shall be left to perish for want of the necessary supplies. “I will give them water.”

4. As it was a Divine supply, a suitable supply, and an abundant supply, so also it was a sure supply. “I will give them water.” It is not, “I may, perhaps, do it; possibly there shall be refreshment for them”; but, “I will give them water.” “Oh! the splendour of the Lord’s “shalls” and “wills”! They never fail.

II. Observe the song. These people had not been singing for years; ever since the day when they had sung at the Red Sea, “Sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously,” the minstrelsy of Israel had been hushed, except when they danced before the calf of gold; but for their God they had had little or no music. But now they come together to the digging of the well, and the children of Israel sing this song, “Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it.”

1. This song may be looked upon as the voice of cheerfulness. There was no water, but they were still in good spirits. Supplies were short, but their courage was still great. Cheerfulness in want, cheerfulness upon the bed of pain, cheerfulness under slander, singing, like the nightingale, in the night, praising God when the thorn is at the breast, this is a high Christian attainment, which we should seek after, and not be content without.

2. I like, too, the look of these children of Israel, singing to the Lord before the water came, praising Him while they were yet thirsty, living for a little while upon the recollections of the past, believing that He who smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, and who gave them bread from heaven, would surely supply their needs. Let us pitch a tune and join with them, however low our estate may be.

3. Note, again, that this song was the voice not so much of natural cheerfulness as of cheerfulness sustained by faith. They believed the promise, “Gather the people together, and I will give them water.” They sang the song of expectation. I think this is one of the peculiar enjoyments of faith, to be the substance of things hoped for. The joy of hope, who shall measure it?

4. This song, also, was no doubt greatly increased in its volume, and more elevated in its tone, when the water did begin to spring. After the elders of the people had digged for awhile, the flowing crystal began to leap into the air; they saw it run over the margin of the well, the multitude pressed around to quench their thirst, and then they sang, “Spring up, O well! Flow on, flow on, perennial fount! Flow on, thou wondrous stream Divinely given! Flow on, and let the praises of those who drink, flow also! Sing ye unto it, and ye that drink lift up your songs, and ye that mark your neighbours as their eyes flash with delight as they receive the needed refreshment, let your song increase as you see the joy of others.” All ye who have received anything of Divine grace, sing ye unto it! Bless God by singing and praising His name while you are receiving His favours.

III. The song was a prayer. “Spring up, O well,” was virtually a prayer to God that He would make the well spring up, only it was faith’s way of singing her prayer.

1. We would remark of this prayer, that it went at once to the work, and sought for that which was required. What was needed? Not a well, bat water; not mere digging in the sand, but the obtaining and the drinking of the water. Let me remind you that it is very easy for us to forget what it is that we want, and to be satisfied with something short of it. Now, what we need is not the means of grace, but the grace of the means. Strive after vital godliness, real soul-work, the life-giving operation of the Spirit of God in your hearts, or else you may have the well, but you will not have any springings therefrom. Remember, then, it went direct to the point.

2. Notice, also, that this prayer was the prayer of faith, like the song. Now, “without faith it is impossible to please God”: this is emphatically true with regard to prayer. He who pleads with God in unbelief really insults Hind, and will get no blessing.

3. Notice, further, that it was united prayer. All the people prayed, “Spring up, O well!” I daresay that was a prayer-meeting at which everybody prayed, for they were all thirsty, and therefore they all said, “Spring up, O well!” What blessed meetings those are when the souls of all present are in it!

IV. They began with a promise; they turned the promise into a song and into a prayer, and they did not stop there, but then they went to work. “God helps them that help themselves,” is an old proverb, and it is true with God’s people as well as true of Providence. If we want to have God’s blessing, we must not expect to receive it by lying passive.

1. When God intends to bless a people, effort is always esteemed to be honourable. “The princes digged the well, the nobles of the people digged it.” They were not ashamed of the work: And when God shall bless a Church and people, they must all feel that it is a very great honour to do anything in the service of God.

2. But it was also effort which was accomplished by very feeble means. They digged the well, and they digged it with their staves--not very first-class tools. Would not the mattock and the spade have been better? Ay, but they did as they were told. They digged with their staves. These, I suppose, were simply their rods, which, like the sheiks in the East, they carried in their hands as an emblem of government, somewhat similar to the crook of the shepherd. These they used, according as they were commanded. Well, we must dig with our staves. We must dig as we can. We must use what abilities we have.

3. It was effort in God’s order. They digged the well “by the direction of the lawgiver.” We must not serve God according to our fancies. Let us keep close to the good old paths which are laid down in Holy Writ, and, digging the well, we shall get the water.

4. It was effort made in faith. They digged the well, but as they digged it they felt so certain that the water would come that they sang at the work, “Spring up, O well!” This is the true way to work if we would get a blessing. We must preach in faith, believing that the Word cannot return unto our Master void. We must teach in the Sabbath-school in faith, believing that the children will be led to seek Christ early, and to find Him. We must distribute the tract in faith, believing that if we cast our bread upon the waters, we shall find it after many days. You must take care that you have this faith. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The song at the well

I. The well of salvation choked up with rubbish of superstition and ignorance, technical theologies, dry dissertations, dogmatic controversies, &c.

II. The well of salvation cleared out. A princely and noble work.

III. The work of opening up the well of salvation to men should be done with joyfulness. (Hom. Monthly.)

The song of the well

What is celebrated with such sparkling joy in this little burst of melody is the happy union among all ranks, and the spirit of universal goodwill and co-operation in the work--giving cheerful angury for the future of the tribes in entering on the promised land, and a lively demonstration of popular confidence in their leaders.

1. There is a personal lesson respecting the spirit in which we ought to do our work. When the people were called to bore for water in a novel fashion, how inspiriting it is to read, “Then Israel sang this song!” This lightened their toil, and helped to prosper the issue. Thank God, “He gives us songs in the very night.” Let us remember how our Lord Himself, on the eve of His betrayal, and in full view of the bitter Cross, alleviated His sorrows and braced His spirit for the task--“He sang a hymn.” What a lesson for this work-a-day world, when nothing worth doing can be undertaken without something being endured! But “a cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine.” And singing is infectious. They sang the song, and they digged the well. So work, and so sing.

2. A social lesson--the blessings of united effort. We are to mark how zealously all ranks joined in the work, and how “the leaders led in Israel.” When Israel thus laboured, we hear of no disorder. Murmurings were stilled. High and low were full of heart and full of hope, because full of love.

3. A philanthropic lesson--dig a well. This well became a lasting blessing, celebrated in immortal song. A disciple of Mohammed, it is said, came to the prophet one day and asked, “What shall I best do as a memorial to my mother who is dead?” to which he replied, “Dig a well, and call it by her name, and put upon it, ‘This well is for my mother.’” Beautiful idea! a monument truly serviceable, and therefore sure to last. Some memories are “writ in water,” but here a mother’s name is blissfully perpetuated in supplying the pure refreshing draught to weary wayfarers. This form of good endures like “a joy for ever,” trickling down from age to age. “Dig a well.” Whoso giveth a cup of cold water shall in no wise lose his reward.

4. A spiritual lesson. “Gather the people to Me; I will give them water.” The point here emphasised is the connection between promise, preparation, and prayer, if we would win the privilege of drawing water with joy from the wells of salvation. (A. H. Drysdale, M. A.)

The springing well

This rising fountain may be viewed as a beautiful emblem of the springing up of grace in the heart, when it becomes the subject of the life-giving influences of the Holy Spirit, and which Christ Himself takes occasion to illustrate by the same kind of allusion, when conversing with the Samaritan woman. The water that He will give to them that ask Him is admirably descriptive of the vitality, purity, and perpetuity of grace. The ministers of Christ, as these princes of the people, at the command of God, and under the superintendence of His providence, move the ground, where the water of life springs up and yields the purest satisfaction, and the heart becomes as if itself an inward source of good. How many hearts, through the gift of Christ, have become as wells of living water, rising fountains of spiritual thoughts, and of heavenly affections, sweet and refreshing! It was under the direction of His providence, and the influences of His Spirit, that they have become so. And now, it is only for time to bring forth His eternal purposes, and at the word of His grace the result will be, where least looked for or thought of, as when the fountain of Beer, not before known of, rose at the command, “Spring up, O well!” This it is that, seen amidst the barren wastes of nature, delights the eye and cheers the heart of every Christian, who not less longs and prays for the life of souls, and the communications of living streams from Christ, than those at this station longed for the cooling spring. (W. Seaton.)