Topical Bible: The Sea: Called The: Great Waters

◄ The Sea: Called The: Great Waters ►

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The term "Great Waters" is often used in the Bible to describe the vast and mighty seas that play a significant role in the biblical narrative. The sea is a powerful symbol in Scripture, representing both the majesty of God's creation and the chaos that can arise from the natural world.

Creation and Sovereignty

In the account of creation, the sea is one of the first elements to be formed by God. Genesis 1:9-10 states, "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.' And it was so. God called the dry land 'earth,' and the gathering of waters He called 'seas.' And God saw that it was good." Here, the sea is depicted as part of the ordered world that God has created, demonstrating His sovereignty over all things.

Symbol of Chaos and Danger

Throughout the Bible, the sea is also portrayed as a place of chaos and danger. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sea was often seen as a symbol of the unknown and the uncontrollable. This is reflected in passages such as Psalm 46:2-3 , which speaks of the earth giving way and the mountains falling into the heart of the sea, emphasizing the sea's potential for destruction and upheaval.

God's Power Over the Sea

Despite its association with chaos, the Bible consistently affirms God's power over the sea. In Exodus 14:21-22 , God parts the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape from Egypt, demonstrating His control over the natural world: "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left."

Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus demonstrates His authority over the sea in the calming of the storm. Mark 4:39 recounts, "Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. 'Silence!' He commanded. 'Be still!' And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm." This miracle underscores Jesus' divine authority and His ability to bring peace to the tumultuous forces of nature.

The Sea in Prophecy and Eschatology

In prophetic and eschatological literature, the sea often symbolizes the nations and peoples of the world. Isaiah 17:12 describes the nations as "roaring like the roaring of mighty waters," indicating the tumult and unrest among the peoples. In Revelation, the sea is depicted as a place from which the beast arises (Revelation 13:1), symbolizing the emergence of chaotic and oppressive powers.

Ultimately, the sea's role in eschatology is one of transformation. Revelation 21:1 declares, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This imagery suggests the removal of chaos and the establishment of God's perfect order in the new creation.

Conclusion

The sea, as the "Great Waters," serves as a multifaceted symbol in the Bible. It represents both the grandeur and the unpredictability of God's creation, while also affirming His ultimate authority and power over all things. Through the sea, Scripture communicates themes of creation, chaos, divine intervention, and eschatological hope.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 77:19
Your way is in the sea, and your path in the great waters, and your footsteps are not known.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Concerning the Waters.
... a tendency to descend, and flows with great readiness ... Thus the waters were gathered
together into their ... the Indian Sea: also the northern sea called the Caspian ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter ix concerning the waters.htm

The Lake of Gennesaret; Or, the Sea of Galilee and Tiberias.
... that there lies a plain between, which is called "the great plain, lying ... of the lake
Gennesaret: "The lake Gennesar is so called from the ... "The sea of Tiberias ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 70 the lake of.htm

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
... Doubt while so great a favor is before your eyes! ... us in thy book that "They provoked
thee at the sea, even at the Red sea." It was called the Sea of Weeds ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/sin its spring-head stream and.htm

The Six Days' Work Described.
... the gathering together of the waters He called Seas: and ... And God created great whales,
and every living creature that ... and fill the waters of the sea, and let ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xi the six days work.htm

The Lake Samochonitis [Or Semechonitis. ]
... the golden calf, send it into the Great": and so ... springs of Jordan, and the place
adjacent called Daphne, and ... into the plain; that is, into the sea of Tiberias ...
/.../lightfoot/from the talmud and hebraica/chapter 69 the lake samochonitis.htm

On the Sunday Called "Episozomenes," to those who had Come to ...
... And Jud??a is called Lebanon, because of its situation near ... and the houses of Jerusalem,
and every great house, the ... and the bases, and the brazen sea that was ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xix on the sunday.htm

By the Sea of Galilee - the Final Call of the First Disciples, and ...
... of time: As He was passing on by the Sea of Galilee ... kinds of fish at a dinner given
to a great Rabbi, [2256 ... that one of the gates of Jerusalem was called the fish ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiii by the sea.htm

A Path in the Sea
... so vehemently in every pulse of that great song, the ... Sea shore, standing on the bank
of the 'sea of glass ... That song is expressly called 'the song of Moses' and ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/a path in the sea.htm

The Call by the Sea
... whose word could gather the fishes from the sea could also ... It was such men that Jesus
called to be His colaborers ... Never had the world's great men such a teacher ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 25 the call by.htm

Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
... God, you would account it your happiest, that his providence has called you, to
"go down to the sea in ships, and to occupy your business in the great waters.". ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/thankfulness for mercies received a.htm