Symbolism
of Water in the Bible
This topic of the “Symbolism of Water in the Bible” was
precipitated by my having heard a Rosh Hashanah presentation on JBStv by Rabbi
Mark Golub (now deceased). Rabbi Golub was emphasizing service to others in the
context of Israel’s High Holy Days. As a reference, he chose an example from
the Hebrew Bible (Torah) that corresponds to our Christian Bible’s Book of
Genesis Chapter 24. That example focused on Abraham’s sending his servant to
find a perfect wife for his son Isaac. The challenge would be how such a search
could be successfully accomplished.
With the guidance of the LORD God, the critical component
would be the servant’s basic need for water. The motivating factor would be the
expression of the highest level of service by both Abraham’s servant and the prospective
wife. The outcome would be the identification of the perfect future wife
Rebekah, who would demonstrate her loving heart through laborious service in
carrying water to help a virtual stranger. (Genesis 24: 10-20) At your convenience,
please read that story in the entire Chapter 24.
Hearing Rabbi Golub’s presentation and reading the
Scripture caused me to return to my earlier post to this blog titled: “Water,
Washing and Baptism” to review how I had previously looked at the subject of
“Water”. At that time I had noted its
significance on the Earth at the time of the Creation (Genesis Chapter One); as
the medium for the LORD’s judgment and redemption of Jonah (Book of Jonah); for
the Rite of Baptism, as by John the Baptist (Matthew Chapter Three); and as the
medium used for the literal washing of His Disciples’ feet by our Lord Jesus
(John 13: 1-17).
With that background, I’d like to extend my earlier
discussion to include other instances involving water which were key to the
messages of the Bible, both literally and symbolically.
One strategy for Bible study is to review events and
circumstances at the beginning of the Scripture and compare / contrast them to
those at the closing. Water is a good subject based on our faith in the truth
of Scripture. Note the following examples that are consistent with Rabbi
Golub’s message connecting water and God’s love for mankind.
Genesis Chapter Two informed us that “the LORD God
planted a garden eastward in Eden”, and “a river went out
of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted,
and became into four heads.” That river sustained vegetative life in the
garden, including the Tree of Life. Those four heads of the river were named as individual rivers
that flowed towards various parts of the Middle East. They were:
1. Pison – (Strong’s # 6376; 6335) – meaning “increase / dispersive /
spread”; flowing towards Asia Minor;
2. Gihon – (Strong’s #01521) – meaning “bursting forth”; flowing
towards Ethiopia;
3. Hiddekel – (Strong’s #02313 – meaning “rapid”; flowing towards the
east of Assyria (also called the Tigris River); and
4. Euphrates – (Strong’s #06578 – meaning “to break forth / rushing”;
now flowing from Asia Minor through Syria and Iraq to the Persian Sea. (See: https://churchleaders.com/pastors/467798-euphrates-river-bible.html
These sources of water were to be a true living
blessing / expression of love from God to man, both within and outside the
Garden of Eden.
[As an aside, note that over the years, many
have tried unsuccessfully to identify the main river that spawned those four
heads / rivers in hopes of discovering the Garden of Eden…but to no avail.
There is some speculation that at the onset of the Great Flood of Genesis, when
the LORD brought judgment on sinful man (except Noah and his family), the courses
of those rivers could have been altered. Consider the impact of the sudden surge of water
when “all
the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens
were opened.” (Genesis 7: 11)]
Now compare that description of
the waters / rivers of Eden to how the Bible informs us of what will come to
pass after the Lord’s Second Coming. In his revelation given by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle John reported:
“And I saw a new heaven and a new Earth: for the first heaven and the
first Earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21: 1)
John’s revelation later continued: “And He
shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of
the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of
life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit
every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
(Revelation 22: 1-2) This “river of water
of life” is to be, by definition, unlike any water we have ever seen or
experienced. We do not have a factual basis for determining the nature of the water
that flowed through the garden of Eden. However,
we might conclude that it was of the same quality and purpose for use by Adam
and Eve, as it helped sustain them and the tree of life there. Remember, later the
LORD God would evict Adam and Eve from the Garden after their disobedience, so
that man would no longer have access to that special tree. (Genesis 3: 22-24) Also
note that in the garden of Eden there was a “single tree of life”. But the
water of the river that will flow from God’s throne in the future will sustain
“three trees of life”…and presumably much more life.
A few verses later in that same Bible chapter, the Apostle John continued
his description of his vision, saying: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:
17). Again, God’s love manifests in His offering this blessing to man…freely. That
last sentence from the Apostle John reminded me of the earlier scriptural
account of our Lord Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. (John
4: 1-14) During their conversation about
the well water, the Lord said the following: “Whosoever drinketh of this
water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of
the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall
give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Is it likely that He was referring to the
future scenario described above after His Second Coming?
Further review of the term “thirst” related to man’s need for the
vital liquid water led to these additional scriptures:
·
Exodus 15: 22-26 – Three days after crossing the Red Sea from
Egypt and moving into the wilderness the people of Israel found no water. When
they came to Marah, they murmured against Moses because the waters there
were “bitter” / undrinkable. They had quickly forgotten the many miracles
the LORD had made in the recent days and weeks to redeem them from Pharaoh. The
LORD acknowledged Moses’ appeal for help by healing the waters with a tree.
(Consider the symbolic nature of that act and the “tree” that would sustain
the people.)
·
Exodus 17: 1-6 – Again the people of Israel had murmured against
Moses in the wilderness because of the lack of water for themselves and their
livestock. The LORD instructed Moses to strike the rock in Horeb, and
there shall come water out of it that the people may drink. Moses did so
and the life-saving water flowed freely.
·
Numbers 20: 1-11 – Yet a third time the Israelites gathered
themselves against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness complaining about the lack
of water. In his anger, Moses struck the rock twice, in violation of the
LORD’s command that he strike it only once. Still, the LORD made the water flow
freely to sustain them.
·
John 7: 37-39 – “In the last day of Israel’s Feast of Tabernacles,
the Lord Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst let him come unto
me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of
his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (But this spake He of the
Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost /
Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) …and
·
1 Corinthians 10: 1-4 – The Apostle Paul shared with his new
Corinthian converts his knowledge of Israel’s history. He explained that all
the people of the Nation were “baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea”
(as they fled Egypt)…And did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they
drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
Collectively, these references support a Scriptural link between the
literal and symbolic / figurative uses of “water”. They also reinforce how God
has used, and will use water to bless man. It is necessary to maintain life in
these present physical bodies. It is also what will be available to believers when
the Earth is regenerated after the Tribulation and the Second Coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, as noted above. (Isaiah 65: 17-25; 66: 22; 2 Peter 3: 1-13)
Some will remind me that God has also used water to bring judgment
against man. It wasn’t always as an expression of “His Love”. For example that judgment
happened when He flooded the Earth to remove sinful mankind. (Genesis Chapters Six
and Seven). In another example related to Israel’s experience with Egypt, God’s
judgment using water came against Pharaoh and Egypt by turning their river and
other water sources to blood, making them unusable. (Exodus 7: 14-25) Later, His ultimate judgment fell on Egypt
when Pharaoh and their army drowned in the Red Sea while pursuing the Israelites.
(Exodus Chapter 14; Psalm 136: 13-15) I
agree with those who see our Just and Holy God as being fair, in both love and mercy…and
in judgment against unrighteousness.
As another example of the Lord Jesus’ love using water, consider the
first miracle He performed when He acquiesced to His mother’s request at a
wedding. Even as He “reminded” her that the
“time had not yet come” for demonstrating
His power, in His love for her He turned simple water into the finest wine possible,
for the enjoyment of the wedding guests. (John 2: 1-10)
As a final example, consider this Scriptural account of the Lord
Jesus’ final moments on the Cross. John,
“the Apostle whom Jesus loved”, and to whom the Lord had just entrusted the
care of His mother, noted this event: “After this, Jesus knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled,
saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel
full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge (stet) with vinegar, and put it upon
hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had
received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave
up the ghost.” (John 19: 28-30)
Rather than offering the Lord Jesus water when He said, “I
thirst”, man gave Him vinegar!!! …and He received it. Up to the end of His experience
in His earthly body, in His love for man He accepted that bitter taste. It was
the final act of His torment and suffering at the hands of unbelieving mankind.
From that point on, He would focus His Love on those who would acknowledge Him
by returning His love through believing who He is…and later even for us today, believing
in our redemption through His death, burial and resurrection. (1 Corinthians
15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13; John 7: 38-39)
God’s love gift of the living waters of Revelation Chapter 22,
remain in man’s future.
Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson
