The Wonder of It All
What is well known as a basic fact of science is also a matter of great wonder, namely that two atoms of hydrogen (the lightest chemical element) combined with one atom of oxygen (which we all must breathe to live) produce the liquid we call simply "water". Water covers most of planet earth. It is found in the air above us as well as existing in large volumes beneath the surface of the earth. It can change its state and volume to become steam (a vapour) or ice (a solid). All living organisms require water to sustain life, and we humans whose bodies are made up of over 60 percent water cannot survive long without it.
From Genesis to Revelation the Bible has much to say about water. We read of physical features such as seas, rivers, springs, and brooks. These carry important spiritual lessons and we will try to draw out some of these for our own spiritual health.
God's Creation (Gen 1-3)
While the book of Genesis is not a science textbook, it clearly describes the almighty power of God – He spoke and it was done. Water was one of the first things created and it was soon divided and differentiated from the landmasses of the earth; then the seas were filled with living creatures on the fifth day. Initially the earth was watered by a mist or vapour. In addition, a river flowed out of Eden and divided into four. Two of these branches were the Euphrates and Tigris (Hiddekel) indicating that Eden was located in the Middle East.
After creating man, God provided all that he would need and also gave him dominion over the many creatures that had been formed upon the earth. And yet man was given a free will to exercise for the pleasure and glory of God. The entrance of sin was a direct result of man's disobedience to God's plain command, and, in exercising his self-will and acting independently of God, man sowed the seeds of his own physical and spiritual death. The latter meant that he would be separated from God eternally unless he was reconciled back to God.
God's Salvation (Jn 4)
We have already noted that water is essential for life upon earth. In a recurring cycle, water evaporates from the sea and produces clouds. When these move inland, they discharge over mountainous areas where the rain flows down into the rivers and runs back into the sea. This is a beautiful picture of divine grace.
Divine blessing comes from above. God is the source of all that is good and James tells us in his epistle that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1.17). In the same way that rain falls upon both the just and the unjust (Mt 5.45; Acts 14.17), God's grace is available to all. His goodness is intended to lead men to repentance.
Rain flows downwards to collect in abundance at the lowest point. Similarly, God's grace can only be enjoyed by those who humble themselves before Him, confess their sin, and accept His free gift of salvation through faith in Christ. He is the wellspring of "living water" and the only source of eternal life.
This was made clear one day during a conversation Christ had with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Sychar. He was travelling through Samaria and, being weary with His journey, He rested at the well around noon. When the woman came to draw water, Christ made a simple request: "Give me to drink". The woman naturally focused on the physical water to be found in the well, but the Lord began to speak of Himself as the giver of the "living water" of eternal life. Slowly and patiently He revealed Himself to the woman as a Jew who did not despise her, a prophet who knew everything about her, and eventually as the Messiah who could save her.
That very day the woman trusted Him and received His proffered gift of living water, eternal life, through faith in Him. Christ had made a promise: "Whosoever drinketh of this water [in the well] shall thirst again: 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" (vv.13-14). The need of the woman's soul was met and her heart was fully satisfied. No other salvation would be needed and no other Saviour would be found. Eternal life would be like a perpetual fountain within her soul.
The Rivers Within (Jn 7.37-39)
On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus Christ issued a great invitation: "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". Here again He was promising that He could meet the need of every soul. The writer, John, explained that on this occasion Christ was referring to the Holy Spirit who would come to indwell those who believed in Him. In the upper room the Lord further developed this truth when He explained that the Spirit could not come until He had ascended (Jn 16.7). As we know, forty days after His resurrection He was taken up into glory, and ten days later in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit came down. The Holy Spirit resides within every believer from the moment of conversion and guides and teaches him in the ways of God, according to the Word of God. The Spirit gives us the power to be fresh and fruitful in God's service.
Soul Thirst for God (Ps 42.1-2)
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." The sentiments of the psalmist are not a contradiction of what we have just considered above. John 4 speaks primarily of salvation; John 7 speaks of the indwelling Holy Spirit; Psalm 42 speaks of fellowship. The writer of the psalm desired to walk in closer communion with God and experience a deeper fellowship with Him. God is so great in His person that learning more about Him is like an unending journey of discovery, and getting to know Him better is an inexhaustible source of delight. Just as the Lord provided water from the rock to sustain the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai (Ex 17.6), so He will provide in Himself all that we need to sustain spiritual life as we travel through the barren desert of this present world. May we thirst after Him.
To be continued.
