In the 4th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus promises "living water" to the woman at the well; in the 7th chapter, He promises that those who are thirsty and come to Him will experience "streams of water" flowing from within them.
This water motif goes all the way back to Genesis and runs throughout the entire Old Testament. To begin with, with the change of one vowel, the Hebrew word for "blessing" becomes "spring or pool of water:"
Berakah = benediction, fruitfulness, abundance, prosperity
Berekah= a reservoir, pool, oasis
Throughout the Bible, the image of a river or a stream is used as a metaphor for blessings that come from heaven and give us life. According to Genesis 2, a river flowed out of the Garden of Paradise and branched into four tributaries that watered the earth. In those days, there was no rain, but rather a mist that seemed to water and penetrate all living things -- the earth is viewed as a kind of biosphere wherein all living things reciprocated health and blessing.
The Book of Psalms begins with a promise that those who delight in the Law of the Lord will be "like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in due season, and their leaves do not wither."
In contrast, Psalm 32 describes the man bearing unconfessed sin: my strength (alternate: moisture) was sapped as in the heat of summer. And Psalm 1 compares the "wicked" to 'chaff" which the wind blows away, rather than trees planted by streams of water. The motif begins early on, with Adam's sin: now the ground will yield "thorns and thistles" along with the fruit of the earth, and Adam will eat by the sweat of his brow. Not so much a "curse" from God, but a statement that Adam (man) and adamah (earth) share the same spirit and destiny. We breathe out our spirit on the earth as God has breathed out His. Whatever spirit emanates from us either nourishes or destroys the world around us: we can cause thorns and thistles to spring up in our wake, or in the words of Isaiah, "Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree; and instead of briers, the myrtle tree will grow" (55:13)
How will the earth flourish under our care? Only when we stay connected to the Source of Living Water: 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. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams (Is. 44: 3).....They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger or thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water (Is. 49:9b-10).
...to be continued
I love this! So much to think about.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth says that the Garden of Eden is knotted into Persian carpets. The borders are degrees of grace. The center medalion is a source of the stream that flows through, overflowing to water channels and with their blossoming trees. One walks only without shoes on sacred ground. In the East men would carry a little carpet, prostrating themselves on the ground, whenever they would be at the prayer time. Your essay is beautiful and invites memory.
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