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The Importance of Water (May 26, 2008)

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This article was written by Dr.Erik Strunk “The Importance of Water” “And the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2 Many human societies seem to come together precisely where there are signs of water existing. In places where water is plentiful, it would seem to be less like a substance than an environment. We drink it, cook with it, bathe in it, wash away waste with it, harness it for power, and swim in it. Some 70% of the Earth’s surface is ocean water, and our bodies are 66% water by weight. So, if Earth amounts to a watery environment flocked by landmasses called continents, then the human body amounts to a watery mass with significant proportions of other materials immersed in it. Water is a major player in many of life’s processes. It is the medium in which life’s processes take place. Throughout the Bible, we will find various scriptures where water has made an impact on many lives in the history of man. We begin with Genesis 7:4 where Moses writes about hoe god sent floodwater to destroy the Earth to rid it of evil and corruption. Next, we read in Exodus 14:21 where Moses parted the water to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land to freedom from Egypt. Then there are verses in Psalms; for example, 1:3 says “he shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water that bringeth forth His fruit in good season”, and 23:2 that says, “He leadeth me beside still waters.” In Proverbs 25:25, we read, “as cold water to a living soul, so it is good news from a far country”. In Ecclesiastes 11:1, scripture tells us to ‘cast out thy bread upon the waters, for thou shall find it after many days’ The prophet Isaiah also gives us several references to water. First, in 43:2, he shares with us the promise of God’s help through water. Then in 55:1, he uses water as an invitation to an abundant life. Jeremiah speaks of water in 2:13 in reference to God’s people committing evil by forsaking God in the fountain of living water. Now we get into the Gospel references to water. First, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, and John 1:26 all speak of John the Baptist and baptism by water; especially in Matthew 3 that speaks of Jesus’ baptism in River Jordan. Matthew also states in 10:42 that drinking a cup of cold water are conditions of discipleship. John 7:38 tells us that ‘he who believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. The final reference in the Bible comes from Revelation 22:17, ‘and who so ever will, let him take the water of life freely. With this said, let us not take water for granted, for it serves many purposes in both our physical and spiritual lives. And Speaking of water, Acts 9:18-19 tells us that He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Throughout African-American culture, water symbolizes freedom, justice, and privilege," states Langston Hughes, an African-American poet, in "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Rivers--and water as such--play a part in the Bible. A river, dividing into four headstreams, flowed out of Eden. The Jordan, flowing from beyond the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, is mentioned often in the Bible; in it John baptized Jesus and many others. Saint Paul and Silas met Lydia, the first convert in Europe, and other women gathered for prayer at a riverside near Philippi. In a heavenly vision Saint John saw "the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal" (Revelation 22:1). Water as such, whether it flows in rivers or is poured into a font when it is used for the sacrament of Holy Baptism, does more than symbolize "freedom, justice, and privilege." When connected with God's Word, as Jesus directs, it has the power to cleanse from sin, to grant freedom from the curse of the Law, to impart justice and other virtues of faith, to endow the baptized person, young or old, with the privilege of belonging to God's family with the right of inheritance guaranteed. Water, with the Word, did all this for Saul the converted Pharisee, to whom Ananias of Damascus said, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away" (Acts 22:16). Also your baptism and mine is a precious means of grace through which the Triune God grants a flood of blessings: "clothed ... with Christ" (Galatians 3:27), "forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38), "washed ... sanctified ... justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 6:11), and a "good conscience toward God" (1 Peter 3:21). Let the rivers, or plain, simple, tap water, remind you of this.

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