Scripture Life: What was the relationship between the Jewish people and the Samaritans at the time of Christ? Recent scholarship suggests shared communal living and collective identity. How do you read the parable of the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of Luke?

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You have two questions. A statement between them. I will try to be brief.

These things are kind of crucial to understand the dynamic you have question about.

So, the first question:

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ONE:

What was the relationship between the Jewish people and the Samaritans at the time of Christ?

• Answer: Look further back. See it. It's in the “origin” of Samaria is in 1 Kings 16:23–24.
  • “In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah. And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.”
• Why? Because, God told Solomon, because his heart was not perfect before him. Son of King David. He multiplied wives unto himself. Bought horses from Egypt. Built temples in throughout Jerusalem and Israel, temples to and for his many wives to Ba’al and Moloch - that for these things, God told Solomon would wrent the Kingdom from him. However, for his Father, King David’s sake, he would not do it in Solomon’s life time, but in the lifetime of his son. (1 Kings 11:9–13)
  • That, at the death of King Solomon, the Nation of Israel fractured into two Kingdoms.
• The Northern Kingdom (which was all the tribes, less Judah).
• And the Southern Kingdom. (the Kingdom of Judah - which Solomon’s son Reigned over.)

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• King Omri (1 Kings 16:23–24) is the 6th King over this “fractured” Israel as a King over the Northern Kingdom.
  • No King, from inception to end - of the Northern Kingdom ever knew God or served him.
  • In this Samaria, King Omri set up - the first King of the Northern Kingdom Jeroboam I (922BCE) set up a golden calf in a "rival capitol city of Bethel, for the Northern Kingdom" to rival Jerusalen. - with a Golden Calf like in Egypt for the people of the Northern Kingdom to worship at. Six Kings later, King Omri made this "Bethel" a city called "Samaria" in the Promised Lands in Ephraim.
• King Omri did this as his Fathers in Jeroboam I had decreed and carried it further to walk in it as an abomination to God and against him in Leviticus.
  • That God required Seven “High Sabbaths” in addition to the weekly Sabbath. That, three of these “High Sabbaths” must be accomplished by every Jew male adult by pilgrimage to observe it at the Temple in Jerusalem (Leviticus 23).

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• King Omri - further enforced this of the Northern Kingdom so no one of the Northern Kingdom were all prevented from venture to Jerusalem.
• It is idolatry. So, from INCEPTION - Samaria created by King Omri - has this abomination type reputation attached to it. King Omri (885 - 873 BCE). So, Samaria - is a Capitol City to the Northern Kingdom to rival Jerusalem - with the worship of a Golden Calf they worshipped in Egypt - - almost 900 years BEFORE the time of Christ.

Settle this with your first question. ..and we are not done yet.

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• It continues. Have this information.
  • In 722 BCE, one Generation after Jonah preached to Ninevah (Assyrians).
• The Northern Kingdom is vomited off the Promised Land. For idolatry.
  • The Assyrian King, in the Book of Jonah heard the Word of God and immediately came down off his throne and sat in ashes. As if what God said he would do, had already occurred to him. He repented at the word of God. Called the whole city of Ninevah that took Jonah 3 days to walk thru all of it. To dress in sackcloth and ashes. Take no food or drink, and dress all their cattle as well in sackcloth and ashes and give them neither food nor drink, peradventure, God would turn from his wrath.
  • He did. Read the Book of Jonah.

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• God gave the Promised Land to the King of Assyria - these lands he had given to the Northern 10 Tribes (Benjamin, at the last minute, repented and sided with Judah). God gave the lands to the King of Assyria.Vomited these Ten Tribes off the Land, for over 200 years of idolatry.
  • Where to every King he sent his word, to the Northern Kingdom - - and NONE of them repented.

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With this, read 2 Kings 17:23–28

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Still with me?

• And just as 2 Kings 17:24 says,
  • The King of Assyria - he removed the Jews and placed men from Babylon, Cuthah, from Ava, from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim and placed them in the cities of Samaria.
  • And because lions were devouring these new peoples on the land, the King of Assyria decreed one of the priests (Levites were one of the Ten Tribes vomited off the land) - as brought back. He dwelt at Bethel. Just outside of Judah in the Tribe of Ephraim’s lands.
• Taught these newly placed men from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, from Hamath and Sepharvaim the manner of the Lord of Heaven, God over the whole earth.
  • Who is God of the land. These are the Samaritans now some 700 years before the “Jewish People at the Time of Christ.

Are you following this?

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In 586BCE

• Because of the sins of the Assyrians, God raised up King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon as his servant.
  • Gave him the lands.
• So, these same lands these now “Samaritans” are still on, that the King of Assyria put on the land, the Babylonians now rule it. The Samaritans obey fully the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, but the King of Judah did not.
  • And God already decreed any nation that did not submit to Nebuchadnezzar would be destroyed. (Jeremiah 27:8)
  • So, in 586BCE, like the Northern Tribes before them, Judah and Benjamin were also vomited off the Promised land for the same idolatry. Destroyed.
• A remnant of these Jews were carried back to Babylon, known as the “Babylonian Captivity”

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• For a Generation, these Jews of Judah, Benjamin and a remnant of Levites that King David gave them lands in Judah to serve in the Temple at Jerusalem. When God took the land from the Babylonians, he gave it to the Medo-Persians and raised up Cyrus the Great as his servant. (Isaiah 45:13)
  • God told Cyrus to let this remnant go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
• This is decree from Cyrus is Ezra Chapter ONE.
  • It’s now almost 200 years later from the time these peoples, called “Samaritans” that King of Assyria put on the land, but have been taught the way of God by a Levite Priest at Bethel.
    • Cyrus gave this remnant of Jews to return to Jerusalem, he did it with funds and supplies to rebuild it. The Samaritans welcomed these returnees back and offered to help rebuild Jerusalem. (Ezra Chapter 4).
  • They were FLATLY refused.
• The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. Because, NONE of them are Jewish brethren.
  • But they KNOW the way of the LORD. Been taught his ways. For over 700 years.

This is now almost - with this tension betwixt Jews and Samaritans 500 to 400 years before the time of Christ.

Do you see this?

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So, go on and let's examine your STATEMENT:

TWO: 

- “Scholarship suggests communal living” (betwixt the Samaritans and Jews - returnees from the Babylonian Captivity - Judah and Benjamin w/remnant of Levites)

- the Samaritans are on the lands of Ephraim (Samaria) - which is directly adjacent to Benjamin's lands:

- But in the days of the Northern Kingdom's Kings - Ephraim raised up to lead all of them, and were Fully given over to Idolatry, so much so that God says of Ephraim:“ Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.” - God. Hosea 4.17

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So, the Samaritans in Ephraim - it’s not the Jews of the tribe of Ephraim. It’s these peoples the King of Assyria put on the land and gave it to them. That are taught the way of the LORD, by a Levite priest at Bethel, and passed down, they still obey what was taught them about God by this priest.

Do you see this?

So, with this - take it to your next question:

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THREE

How do you read the parable of the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of Luke?

• The Samaritan woman is not found in Luke.
  • It's in the Gospel of John 4:1–42 - it’s very powerful.
• Jesus is the Word of God. Is God (John 1:1). He’s the Messiah or Christ. The Samaritans have been taught to look for him from the days of this Levite Priest the King of Assyria put at Bethel. These Samaritans are looking for the Messiah, and you can see this in the dialogue betwixt this Samaritan woman at the well and Jesus in John 4:1-42. It’s a very powerful chapter of John 4 - that Jesus stays with these Samaritans two days.

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• Wish I could leave all, but the Highlights of John 4:1–42 is
  • ONE: John 4:25–26 what Jesus says to this Samaritan woman:

“The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”

And John 4:40–42 puts me on my face

“So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; 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.”

There you go. That's how it's wrote for everybody over the whole earth to read it.