Topical Bible: The Sea: God: Set Bounds To, by a Perpetual Decree

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The concept of God setting bounds to the sea is a recurring theme in the Bible, illustrating His supreme authority and control over creation. This theme underscores God's power and the order He establishes in the natural world, serving as a testament to His sovereignty and the reliability of His decrees.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 1:9-10 : "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."
· In the creation narrative, God commands the waters to gather, forming seas and allowing dry land to appear. This act of separation and boundary-setting is foundational, demonstrating God's authority over the elements from the very beginning.

2. Job 38:8-11 : "Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket, when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, and I declared: 'You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop'?"
· In God's discourse with Job, He emphasizes His role in setting the sea's limits. The imagery of enclosing the sea and setting bars and doors highlights God's control and the permanence of His decrees.

3. Psalm 104:5-9 : "He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away— the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You appointed for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never again cover the earth."
· This psalm celebrates God's creative power and His establishment of boundaries for the waters. The assurance that the waters will never again cover the earth reflects the reliability of God's decrees.

4. Proverbs 8:29 : "when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth."
· Wisdom, personified in Proverbs, recounts the creation acts of God, including the setting of boundaries for the sea. This passage reinforces the idea that the sea's limits are a result of divine command.

5. Jeremiah 5:22 : "'Do you not fear Me?' declares the LORD. 'Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.'"
· Here, God uses the imagery of the sea's boundaries to call His people to reverence. The enduring nature of the boundary serves as a metaphor for God's unchanging power and authority.

Theological Significance:

The setting of boundaries for the sea is a powerful symbol of God's order and control over chaos. In ancient Near Eastern thought, the sea often represented chaos and disorder. By setting limits to the sea, God demonstrates His ability to bring order out of chaos, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture. This act of boundary-setting is not merely a physical or geographical action but a theological statement about God's sovereignty and the stability of His creation.

The perpetual decree that the sea should not transgress its bounds serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and the constancy of His word. Just as the sea obeys the limits set by God, so too are believers called to trust in the boundaries and commands established by Him, knowing that they are for the good of creation and humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 26:10
He has compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 38:8,10,11
Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 8:27,29
When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass on the face of the depth:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Purposes of God.
... of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color ... in spite of
all the inducements to the contrary which God can wisely set before them ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xlvi purposes of god.htm

The World, Created by God, Still Cherished and Protected by Him. ...
... that the sun does not daily rise and set by a ... manner, we are elsewhere taught, that
whenever the sea is raised ... was not only foreseen by the eye of God, but had ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 16 the world created.htm

Of the Decrees of God.
... without or against means; all impediments and thorns set in his way ... you, which ebb
and flow as the sea, and change ... It is true that God, in his deep wisdom, hath ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xiv of the decrees.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... He answers, Even I, "which have" set, or "placed the sand for the bound of the sea
by a ... Also, when Job had God present with him, making manifest the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

The Preface to the Commandments
... of God is a hedge to keep us within the bounds of sobriety ... Of Israel's march out
of Egypt it is said, when the sea fled, and ... Here was the power of God set forth ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/1 3 the preface to the.htm

Fragrant Spices from the Mountains of Myrrh. "Thou Art all Fair ...
... it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O my God." (Psalm 40 ... (Galatians
2:20.) Then look down into this sea of love ... Was set before Him vividly,"He look'd ...
/.../spurgeon/till he come/fragrant spices from the mountains.htm

Women who Witnessed the Fall of Rome
... and thus the people were convinced that God was on ... friendliness; but he had not in
reality set bounds to the ... between "the devil and the deep sea." But, while ...
/.../brittain/women of early christianity/vii women who witnessed the.htm

Paul's Departure and Crown;
... with all their raging waves, have banks and bounds set to them ... Jesus said to Peter,
Walk upon the sea (Exodus 4 ... upon Job's case, and the lesson God set him, when ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/pauls departure and crown.htm

The Honors that were Paid the Jews; and the Leagues that were Made ...
... the Hebrews, as we have [also] found it set down in ... ever a great regard to piety
towards God, and to ... and may make their proseuchae at the sea-side, according ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 the honors that.htm

The Seven Trumpets.
... is seated, 17:7, 8. John saw this beast arise out of the sea, (13:1 ... by Daniel, when
he says: "In the days of these kings shall the GOD of heaven set up a ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the seven trumpets.htm