In Judges 15, Samson killed 1,000 Philistine men in Lehi with the jawbone of a donkey. Once Samson–through the power of God alone–slew all of these men, he became so thirsty he thought he would die. In such need for a drink of water, Samson cried out to God. Answering Samson’s prayer, God opened the ground in the form of a spring and fulfilled Samson’s need for water. Samson named this very place “En-hakorre,” meaning “the well of him who cried.”
Samson, knowing from previous experiences that God was able, had faith that God would supply his need not only for water at that very moment, but he knew previously that God will give him the power to defeat the Philistine men; only God could allow one man to kill 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.
Of this instance Charles Spurgeon said,
“With that simple minded faith which was so characteristic of Samson, who was nothing but a big child, he turned his eye to his heavenly Father, and cried, ‘O Jehovah, thou hast given me this great deliverance and now shall I die for thirst? After all that though hast done for me, shall the uncircumcised rejoice over me because I die for want of a drink of water?’ Such confidence had he, that God would interpose on his behalf.”
The Bible tells us that all we need is the faith of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20) and child-like faith (Matthew 18:3); here we see the product of that kind of faith: God met the need of Samson’s sincere cry.
I find it so interesting at different places in the Bible where people have a need that needs to be met and God brings them to a well. This is characteristic for the story of Samuel and Rebekah in Genesis 24. Samuel sent his servant to find him a wife, who deemed to be Rebekah. Samuel’s servant met Rebekah at a well. Not only was Samuel’s need for a wife supplied at a well, but so were the needs of his servant’s camels; they were given water. A similar situation at a well takes place in Exodus 2 when Moses fled from Egypt to Midian. Moses was at a well when the daughters of the priest of Midian came to the well and Moses drew water for their flocks. It was here that Moses was offered to eat with them–his need for food was met–and the priest of Midian ended up giving one of his daughters, Zipporah, to Moses to be his wife. We also can’t forget about the woman at the well in John 4 who was need of salvation.
These are just a few instances where a need is met at a well. How fascinating it is to me that Samson named the place where God met his need En-hakorre, “the well of him who cried.” Just as God met the need of Samson, Samuel, Moses, and the woman at the well, He will the needs of the child of God! Have faith and cry out to Him! Jesus is the Living Water flowing out of the well that will NEVER run dry! So I must ask you friend, where is your En-hakkore?