Topical Bible: The Sea: The Waves of Tumultuous

◄ The Sea: The Waves of Tumultuous ►

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The sea, with its vast expanse and unpredictable nature, is a recurring symbol in the Bible, often representing chaos, danger, and the unknown. Throughout Scripture, the sea is depicted as a place of tumult and turmoil, yet also as a domain under the sovereign control of God.

Creation and Sovereignty

In the creation narrative, the sea is one of the first elements to be formed. 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 part of God's orderly creation, yet its potential for chaos is implied by the need for divine command to gather and contain it.

The Psalms frequently highlight God's sovereignty over the sea. Psalm 89:9 declares, "You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them." This imagery underscores God's power to bring order out of chaos, a theme that resonates throughout the biblical narrative.

Judgment and Deliverance

The sea often serves as a backdrop for divine judgment and deliverance. In the account of Noah, the floodwaters represent God's judgment on a sinful world, yet they also become the means of deliverance for Noah and his family (Genesis 6-9). Similarly, the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus 14 is a dramatic demonstration of God's power to save His people, as the Israelites pass through on dry ground while the pursuing Egyptian army is swallowed by the returning waves.

The prophet Jonah's encounter with the sea further illustrates this dual theme of judgment and deliverance. Jonah 1:15 recounts, "Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm." Jonah's descent into the depths symbolizes judgment, yet his subsequent deliverance by a great fish highlights God's mercy and control over the natural world.

Symbol of Chaos and Evil

In apocalyptic literature, the sea often symbolizes chaos and evil. The book of Daniel and Revelation both depict beasts emerging from the sea, representing oppressive empires and forces opposed to God. Revelation 13:1 describes, "Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea." This imagery conveys the sea as a source of turmoil and opposition to divine order.

Christ's Authority Over the Sea

The New Testament continues to emphasize the sea's tumultuous nature while highlighting Christ's authority over it. In the Gospels, Jesus demonstrates His divine power by calming a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:39 records, "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 not only reveals Jesus' mastery over creation but also serves as a metaphor for His ability to bring peace to the chaos of human life.

Eschatological Hope

In the eschatological vision of the new creation, the sea's tumultuous nature is finally subdued. Revelation 21:1 states, "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 ultimate removal of chaos and evil, as God's perfect order is established in the new creation.

Throughout Scripture, the sea and its waves of tumultuous serve as a powerful symbol of both the chaos inherent in the fallen world and the sovereign power of God to bring order, judgment, and salvation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 21:25
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jude 1:13
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Psalm 65 Part 2 Divine Providence in Air, Earth, and Sea.
... v.5-13 LM. Divine providence in air, earth, and sea. The God of our salvation hears. ...
When a tumultuous nation raves. Wild as the winds, and loud as waves. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/psalm 65 part 2 divine.htm

Psalm 65:2. 5-13. Second Part. LM Divine Providence in Air, Earth ...
... LM Divine providence in air, earth, and sea; or, The God ... the raging crowd to peace,
When a tumultuous nation raves Wild as the winds, and loud as waves. ...
/.../watts/the psalms of david/psalm 65 2 0 5-13 second part.htm

Stillness in Storm
... will deliver me from a crowd of tumultuous desires and ... is, 'Let the winds and the
waves sometimes have ... stormy winds strive on the surface sea, recognise them ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/stillness in storm.htm

The Young Saul and the Aged Paul [Footnote: to the Young. ]
... that indicate how he took all that sea of troubles and of sorrows that poured its
waves and its ... is diviner and more precious than the tumultuous transports of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/the young saul and the.htm

Discourse viii. The Help of Religion.
... along for a little while on the top-waves of excitement ... a rain-drop that falls into
the sea; surely as ... in imagination, at some corner of yonder tumultuous street ...
/.../chapin/humanity in the city/discourse viii the help of.htm

Christ
... because of the impeded circulation, driving the surging, tumultuous blood back ... riving
blow, loosens the bands of the sea, sends tidal waves in surges of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/haldeman/christ christianity and the bible/christ.htm

On the Firmament.
... Turbulent, seditious, agitated by the tumultuous waves of passion, they have received
the name of sea, because of the instability and the inconstancy of their ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily iii on the firmament.htm

The City and River of God
... glad the city of God,' and the tumultuous billows of ... be carried into the midst of
the sea; though the ... thereof.' There you can hear the wild waves dashing round ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the city and river of.htm

"Now the God of Hope Fill You with all Joy and Peace in Believing ...
... to pacify the troubled soul, and lay the tumultuous waves of the ... This commands the
winds and waves of the conscience ... and high sailing-tide of the sea of peace ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon ix now the god.htm

A vision of the Latter-Day Glories
... He objects to it flowing towards the sea. ... river, sweeping all before it, shall fill
this dry bed, and swell on, and on, and on, with tumultuous waves of joy ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/a vision of the latter-day.htm