Why is the Bible and Water important to Christians?

The Bible and water are very much connected. Water is mentioned 722 times in the scriptures.

That is less than God, Jesus, heaven or love, but many more times than faith, hope, prayer or even worship. When I found that out I thought it very interesting and wanted to learn more from the Bible and water.

Gen 1:2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

Before there was anything; light, sun or moon, earth, plants, living creatures or anything else, there was water.

Having created the earth out of water, and the sky in the midst of waters, and calling forth living creatures out of water, God continues to bathe his creation with water as a sign of His care.

Revelations 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end water flows through the pages of scripture. It is full of passages that link water to Gods creating, blessing and saving work. This alone shows to me the importance of water in our spiritual lives.

I will not be able, nor do I think I could, go through all the passages in which water in mentioned. I will attempt, however, to give you a sampling and ask that you study the Word for yourself, just as a Barean.

The Bible and Water Speak of Physical Birth

In day five of creation we find in Genesis 1:20 God said "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that have life..." This passage shows us that life comes out of the water.

In the natural birth process that is true also. After conception we continue to develop and grow in what is essentially a sack of water inside the womb.

When a woman is in labor and the baby is about to be born, we wait for that 'water to break' so that the baby can come forth into life.

Also physical birth (water birth) must come before Spiritual birth as we see in John 3 when Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, is asking questions of Jesus.

John 3: 1-5 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

The Bible and Water Speaks of Gods Word

Ephesians 5:26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.

Isaiah 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Hosea 6:3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

Amos 5:24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!

Believers in Christ Jesus would do well to read, study, and meditate on the Word of God. Reading your bible will have a cleansing effect on you. That leads into the next topic in our discussion in the Bible and water...

The Bible and Water Speak of Purification and Cleansing

Exodus tells us that Moses was instructed to make a bronze basin and fill it with water. The priests would wash both their hands and feet before they entered the Tabernacle so "that they die not."

Aaron, in Leviticus, is told to take a bath in water before he offers sacrifices.

A ceremonial washing with water symbolizes greater purity when God says in Ezekiel 36:25

Ezekiel 36:25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.

As believers in Christ Jesus we can approach God with assurance as it says in Hebrews 10:22

Hebrews 10:22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

John 13 shows us Jesus washing His disciples feet. But why only their feet? That's what Simon Peter asked Jesus as well. Jesus answered in John 13:10

John 13:10 Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean...

See, they only wore saddles at that time. As they walked on the roads the dust and dirt would collect on their feet and need to be cleaned even though the rest of the body was already cleaned.

It's true then that, in our life as a believer, we all need to be purified from the dust and dirt of this world. We do that by reading the Word of God.

Matthew 3:5,6,11 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River..."I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

The Bible and Water Speak of Restlessness and Tribulation

The Bible and Water Speak of Deliverance and Rescue

In Exodus we read the story that shows us water is the means of deliverance for Moses when he was just an infant. Pharaoh's daughter, upon finding a baby in the reeds of the Nile river and taking him home to raise, maned him Moses "because I drew him out of the water."

Further in Exodus, God uses water again when He parts the Red Sea to rescue the Isrealites from the army of Pharaoh sent to take them back into slavery. God used the same sea for both the deliverance of His people and judgment on the Egyptian army.

Bible and Water

Genesis 7 describes how Noah and his family were delivered and rescued by water while in the ark.

Genesis 7:17 For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth.

Noah's family and the living creatures on the ark, which means something affording protection or safety, were the only things that God did not destroy in the flood.

Genesis 7:21-23 Every living thing that moved on the earth perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

The Bible and Water Speak of Blessings from God

In John 2 we read the first miracle done by Jesus and a weeding feast in Cana where He blessed a couple and the guest that were gathered to celebrate their wedding...

John 2: 7-11 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

The Bible and water are connected again in Exodus 17 where we find that after the Isrealites were in the desert for a time they became thirsty and needed water. They needed a lot of water. Enough for about one million people plus all the livestock that was with them and God provided it for them.

Exodus 17:5,6 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

In Isaiah 44 we read about Israel being the chosen and the blessing that will come to them from God.

Isaiah 44: 1-3 "But now listen, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.

This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

And Jesus heals a man that was blind from birth. He uses two forms of water. First he spit on the ground to make mud and then tells the man to go and take a bath. As he did this his sight returned.

John 9: 1-7 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

The Bible and Water...Some Final Thoughts

The Bible and water are keys for any believer. I would say that they are one of the main means that God's power and grace are revealed to us. But only if we search it outand accept th gift He is wanting to give us.

The Bible and water sustain both our physical and spiritual lives.They both remind us of our creator and savior; unites us with the Spirit, and transforms and purifies both the world and each and every believer.

If, as believers, we continue to take the bible and water for granted and contaminate it, waste or spoil it, we will see that we will have difficulties in our physical bodies as well as in our spiritual lives.

When believer in Jesus accept the bible and water, cherish, respect and hounor them both as the gifts of God that are freely given to us, we will find our reservoirs full.

Isaiah 12:2,3 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

And we will then be able to draw on the Lord and all that our King has for His children, with Joy, from the wells of Salvation