The Bible is a tapestry of tightly woven threads, each one intricately weaving its way through the pages of Scripture. Each thread connects many stories together, all contributing to a central theme that runs through the entirety of the biblical narrative—leading, ultimately, to Jesus.
Part of reading the Bible is following the threads to see where they lead. It’s about noticing where they double back, tying into what came before, and where they converge at key passages. It’s recognizing how the earlier threads foreshadow and promise the later ones and how the latter threads look back, connecting with the foundation laid before.
One major biblical thread is the symbolism of water. It weaves through the Bible in three primary ways: as a force that only God can control, as a source of life, and as a cleansing and renewing agent.
A Force Only God can Control
Water plays a crucial role from the very beginning of the Bible. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God is described as hovering over the waters during creation. In the ancient worldview, the sea was often associated with chaos, as seen in this verse. Water is depicted as a primordial force in the creation narrative, symbolizing a chaotic, formless state from which God, through His creative power, brings order and life.
God separates the dark, chaotic waters to form the sky and the seas, establishing water as a fundamental element of creation. Dry land emerges as a home for humans to flourish. The term “deep” (NIV) is derived from a word related to a sea monster in the Babylonian creation myth. The picture conveyed is one of God’s absolute mastery over the waters by His divine Word.
The created order is preserved through God’s power as He maintains the sea within bounds (Job 38:8-11) and, by implication, restrains the threat of chaos. Though storms may appear to threaten this order, God is Himself the Lord of the storm, with all the elements of nature, water in particular, firmly under His sovereign control (cf. Psalm 29).
A Source of Life
In the Garden of Eden, a river flows to water the garden and then divides into four rivers, symbolizing the life-giving nature of water and its ability to sustain creation. This establishes water as a source of life and fertility early in the biblical narrative.
The thread of water reappears with the chaotic waters of the flood. The flood account in Genesis 6–9 is a reversal of creation, a return of the waters of chaos. The same chaotic waters that God parted in Genesis 1 now return to cover the land that God previously raised up from the sea. The floodwaters serve as both a means of destruction and purification, washing away the corruption of humanity. Noah’s ark, which saves a remnant of life, becomes a symbol of salvation through water.
From here, the way is made for a new creation—the world renewed after judgment and the preservation of righteous Noah and his family. God rescues this remnant of Noah and his family through the waters so they can step onto dry land and become a fresh start for humanity.
As we move further into the Old Testament, the water theme emerges again in the story of the Exodus. God saves His people from Egypt by leading them through the waters onto dry land (Exodus 14). Pharaoh and his army are destroyed. The parting of the Red Sea is a miraculous event where water acts as both a barrier and a means of deliverance. This event symbolizes God’s power to save His people and His ability to make a way where there seems to be none.
In the desert, God provides water from the rock to quench the Israelites’ thirst, symbolizing both God’s faithfulness to provide and the spiritual nourishment that He offers to His people (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).
The thread of water repeats later with Joshua and the Israelites when they come to enter Canaan, and they again pass through waters—this time the waters of the Jordan into the Promised Land (Joshua 3–4).
A Cleansing and Renewing Agent
Throughout Scripture, water is frequently used as a cleansing agent in rituals of purification. It is a metaphor for spiritual renewal, where God cleanses the people of Israel from their sin and restores them. Water is used in purification rites, representing the washing away of sin or impurity, often symbolizing holiness and the restoration of a clean relationship with God (Leviticus 14:5–7; Ezekiel 36:25).
Water is also frequently used to express the longing for God’s presence and deliverance. Water symbolizes the deep longing for spiritual fulfilment and closeness to God. The thirst for water is akin to the thirst for God’s presence and salvation (Psalm 42:1–2).
This thread is taken up and projected into the future by later biblical authors. Isaiah envisions a new Exodus, with a new King leading God’s people into a new creation. As this thread is woven through Scripture, the nations are depicted as the chaotic waters (Isaiah 11:1–16).
The prophets often speak of water in terms of God’s future blessings and salvation. Isaiah 44:3 speaks of God’s provision of living water as a symbol of His Spirit, bringing life and renewal to a dry and barren world. In Zechariah 14:8, water symbolizes spiritual vitality, and its flow from Jerusalem signifies God’s presence in the new creation.
Fulfilment in Jesus
In the New Testament, Jesus is presented as the fulfilment of the water thread in its various aspects. All the Gospels highlight the story of Jesus going down to the Jordan River. He enters the waters and then back out again in his baptism. In that moment, the Heavenly Father announces that Jesus is His Son, who will rescue the world from the chaos of our evil and violence by entering death and emerging victorious on the other side. This is one reason baptism is a significant ordinance for Jesus’ followers. It’s about participating in this ancient pattern of going through the waters of death and following Jesus into the new creation (Romans 6:1-4; 1 Corinthians 10:1–2; 1 Peter 3:20–21).
Jesus offers “living water,” contrasting the temporary satisfaction of earthly water with the eternal satisfaction and life found in Him. This metaphor points to the Holy Spirit, which believers receive as a continual source of spiritual life (John 4:13–14).
Water is also used metaphorically in relation to God’s Word. In Ephesians 5:26, Paul speaks of Christ cleansing the church, “washed by the cleansing of God’s word,” drawing a parallel between water’s cleansing properties and the purifying effect of Scripture.
Water continues to play a role in the vision of the new heaven and earth and the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1–2a. “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the centre of the main street.” The river of life represents the abundant and eternal life that flows from God’s throne, marking the ultimate fulfilment of the promise of living water. It symbolizes the perfect communion between God and His people in the new creation where His presence will forever satisfy the thirst of His people.
This image brings the water theme full circle, returning to the life-giving river of Eden, now in its perfected, eternal state. From the waters of creation to the river of life in the New Jerusalem, water in the Bible consistently serves as a powerful symbol of God’s life-giving creative power, purification, and spiritual renewal.
