SYMBOLS OF WATER IN THE BIBLE

By Stephen Xu

1. The World Made of Water

- "For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water." (2 Peter 3:5-6, emphasis added)

- "The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." (Genesis 1:2, emphasis added)

2. God’s Word

- "Jesus answered, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [that is, born of the Word of God] and the Spirit [that is, born of the Spirit of God] he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.'" (John 3:5, emphasis and notes added)

- "Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him [that is, the Word of God with the dwelling of the Holy Spirit] shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life [the Word of God gives us eternal life]." (John 4:10-15, emphasis and notes added)

- "... so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God]." (Ephesians 5:26, emphasis and notes added)

3. God's Salvation

- Baptism through immersion into water symbolizes cleansing of hearts and conscience:

"Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22, emphasis added); "... baptism now saves you -- not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 3: 20-21, emphasis added)

- "This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water [to cleanse us] only, but with the water and with the blood [to save us]. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement." (1 John 5:6-8, emphasis and notes added)

4. Spiritual Needs & Refreshment

- "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1, emphasis added)

5. God’s Blessings and Nourishment

- "Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy, for waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes." (Isaiah 35:6-7, emphasis added)

- "Then he said to me, 'These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes." (Ezekiel 47:8-9, emphasis added)

6. God’s Promise & Unfailing Love

- "God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.'" (Genesis 9:12-16, emphasis added)

7. Other Uses of Water:

- Cleansing of Body: Leviticus 11:32; 16:4; 17:15; 22:6; Numbers 19:7; Exodus 30:18; 40:7

- Cleansing of Sacrifices: Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 1:9; 6:28; 14:5

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible

Questions and comments of this Bible Study may be sent to Stephen at here

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