Topical Bible: The Sea: (Waves of) Righteousness

◄ The Sea: (Waves of) Righteousness ►

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The imagery of the sea and its waves is a powerful and recurring motif throughout the Bible, often symbolizing the vastness, power, and sometimes the tumultuous nature of God's creation. In a spiritual context, the sea and its waves can also represent the overwhelming and purifying force of God's righteousness.

Biblical Imagery and Symbolism

The sea is frequently used in Scripture to depict the majesty and mystery of God's creation. In Genesis 1:10, God gathers the waters to form the seas, demonstrating His sovereign control over the natural world. The sea's vastness and depth often symbolize the infinite nature of God’s wisdom and knowledge (Job 11:7-9).

In the prophetic literature, the sea can also represent the nations and peoples of the world, as seen in Isaiah 17:12-13, where the tumult of many peoples is likened to the roaring of the seas. This imagery underscores the idea that just as the sea is vast and uncontrollable by human hands, so too are the nations under the sovereign rule of God.

Waves of Righteousness

The concept of "waves of righteousness" is not explicitly stated in Scripture, but the metaphor can be derived from the broader biblical themes of God's justice and moral order. Just as waves are relentless and purifying, so is the righteousness of God, which cleanses and transforms the believer.

In Isaiah 48:18, the prophet laments, "If only you had paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like waves of the sea." Here, righteousness is likened to the continuous and powerful waves of the sea, suggesting a life that is consistently aligned with God's will and characterized by His peace and justice.

The Sea as a Place of Testing and Deliverance

The sea is also a place of testing and deliverance in the biblical narrative. The Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14) is a foundational story of salvation, where God demonstrates His power to deliver His people from bondage. The parting of the sea and the subsequent destruction of the Egyptian army illustrate God's righteous judgment and His ability to save.

In the New Testament, Jesus' calming of the storm on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41) further emphasizes His authority over creation and His role as the bringer of peace. The disciples' fear is quelled by Jesus' command, "Peace, be still!" (Mark 4:39), showcasing His divine power to bring order out of chaos.

Righteousness and the New Creation

The sea also plays a role in eschatological visions, where it is often associated with the final establishment of God's kingdom. In Revelation 21:1, John describes a new heaven and a new earth, noting that "the sea was no more." This absence of the sea may symbolize the removal of chaos and evil, ushering in a new era of righteousness and peace.

Conclusion

The sea, with its waves of righteousness, serves as a profound symbol of God's unyielding justice and transformative power. It reminds believers of the vastness of God's creation, the depth of His wisdom, and the relentless nature of His righteous purposes. As the waves continually shape the shoreline, so does God's righteousness shape the lives of those who follow Him, calling them to live in accordance with His divine will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 48:18
O that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A River of Peace and Waves of Righteousness
... 'Oh that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river,
and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.'" Isaiah 48:18. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/a river of peace and.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiv. 24, "But the Boat was Now ...
... Righteousness then and wisdom is that true light, which the mind ceases to see ... He
showed forth an example of humility, that the waves of the sea vainly raged ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxv on the words.htm

Nisibene Hymns. Hymn i. O God of Mercies who Didst Refresh Noah ...
... 5. The foulness of my guilt Thy righteousness has seen, and ... For the waves will stir
up to prayer, which shall ... The sea, O Lord, which should have drowned me, in ...
/.../ephraim/hymns and homilies of ephraim the syrian/nisibene hymns hymn i o.htm

Zion Awakened
... and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever ... For
I am the LORD thy God, which stilleth the sea, when the waves thereof roar ...
/.../various/select masterpieces of biblical literature/zion awakened.htm

"The Sun of Righteousness"
... less bright over the valleys of Piedmont than over the waves of the sea which bore ...
On goes the Sun of Righteousness, nothing impedes him, his tabernacle is ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/the sun of righteousness.htm

Psalm LXV.
... ungodly and heathen men that have believed were sea, have been made land; with salt
waves at first barren, afterwards with the fruit of righteousness productive ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lxv.htm

Introduction.
... inspiration I hear a chiding voice saying, "O had ye hearkened unto me, then had
your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea.". ...
/.../orr/food for the lambs or helps for young christians/introduction.htm

The Call by the Sea
... swayed to and fro by the restless waves, and proclaiming ... word could gather the fishes
from the sea could also ... giving power of the Sun of Righteousness that he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 25 the call by.htm

"Peace, be Still"
... Scripture, "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it ... storm a calm, so that the
waves thereof are ... Lord Jesus Christ." "The work of righteousness shall be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 35 peace be still.htm

"Am Ia Sea, or a Whale?"
... Once you led others in the way of righteousness, but now you draw them into ... the God
of the whole earth, till, like the raging waves of the sea, it threatens ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/am i a sea or.htm