Digging Wells In The Valley Of Baca

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Pastor James May

DIGGING WELLS IN THE VALLEY OF BACA

Psalms 84:5-6, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools."

To begin with let us establish the fact that we are strangers and pilgrims in a dry and thirsty land. This world is not the home of those that love the Lord. We are traveling to our final destination, Heaven, where the tabernacle, or house of God, is found. Heaven is our promised land and to that eternal home we are bound.

In the book of Judges 2:1-6 we read of the account of Israel as they are led into the land that God had promised to Abraham for many years. It seemed that Israel would never really experience the promise of the covenant that God had made with them. Their journey from the time of the promise to Abraham to the time when they crossed over the Jordan River on dry land to enter Canaan had been filled with both good times and bad times, victories and defeats, successes and failures. Now, at last, they were ready to enjoy the great promises of God.

God has made a covenant with those who call themselves Christians and who are living in obedience to His word; to those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and have had the Blood of the Lamb applied to their heart.

To each of us is given the promise that Jesus spoke of in John 14:2-3, "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Even though Israel was God’s chosen nation, his earthly wife in the spiritual sense, they still had to go through a journey filled with troubles, trials, tests, battles and enemies in order to claim their promise.

The Valley of Baca, also called the Valley of Bochin in Judges, was the only passageway into the high hills where Israel’s Cities of Refuge were located. Some scholars state that the Valley of Baca was also representative of the valley that led up to the city of Jerusalem where the temple of God was found. A weary traveler, searching for safety from those who were pursuing him because of an accidental death or some inadvertent sin that he had committed, would have to travel this valley to find refuge and safety in the House of God or the Cities of Refuge.

The Valley of Baca was part of the desert country. The valley was filled with thorns, wild animals, pitfalls, vipers and all sorts of danger. In addition, there were wells of water but they were often far apart and hard to get to. It was nearly impossible to travel this valley without facing extreme hardship and suffering. That is why the Valley of Baca was named because it literally means “Valley of Tears”.

Every one of us is traveling through this “Valley of Baca” right now. If you are looking toward Heaven and longing to be with Jesus then your life is just one long journey through a valley filled with suffering and tears.

Surely God has placed in your path some wells to draw from. Without those wells of water, those times of refreshing that come from the Lord, none of us would make it to Glory for the journey is too hard and we are too weak.

Acts 3:19, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"

Those who traveled this valley did not find relief until they reached their final destination. The dangers of the valley of Baca were real and relentless and threatening until they finally went through the gates of the city where safety was finally found.