Topical Bible: Water: Collected in Fountains

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In biblical times, water was a precious resource, essential for survival and daily life. The collection of water in fountains was a common practice, serving both practical and symbolic purposes. Fountains, often referred to as springs or wells in the Bible, were vital for providing communities with a reliable water source.

Biblical References and Significance

1. Genesis 26:19 · "Then Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found a well of fresh water there." This passage highlights the importance of wells as sources of fresh water, essential for sustaining life and prosperity. The act of digging wells was often associated with God's blessing and provision.

2. Proverbs 5:15 · "Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well." This verse uses the imagery of water collection to convey a moral lesson about faithfulness and contentment. The metaphor of drinking from one's own well underscores the value of personal responsibility and integrity.

3. 2 Kings 18:31 · "Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: 'Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern.'" Here, the promise of drinking water from one's own cistern symbolizes peace, security, and self-sufficiency, contrasting with the threat of foreign domination.

4. Jeremiah 2:13 · "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water." This passage uses the imagery of fountains and cisterns to illustrate spiritual truths. God is depicted as the "fountain of living water," the ultimate source of life and sustenance, while human efforts apart from Him are likened to broken cisterns, inadequate and unreliable.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Israel, fountains and wells were often located in central areas of towns and villages, serving as gathering places for the community. They were essential for daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, and irrigation. The construction and maintenance of these water sources were crucial for the survival and growth of settlements.

Fountains also held spiritual significance, often associated with purity and life. In a land where water scarcity was a constant concern, the presence of a reliable water source was seen as a divine blessing. This is reflected in the numerous biblical references to water as a symbol of God's provision and sustenance.

Symbolism and Theological Themes

Water collected in fountains is frequently used in Scripture as a metaphor for spiritual truths. It represents life, cleansing, and renewal. The imagery of God as a fountain of living water emphasizes His role as the sustainer and source of all life. This theme is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus refers to Himself as the source of "living water" (John 4:10), offering eternal life to those who believe in Him.

The practice of collecting water in fountains serves as a reminder of the dependence of humanity on God's provision. It underscores the biblical principle that true satisfaction and sustenance come from God alone, the ultimate fountain of life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Kings 18:5
And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go into the land, to all fountains of water, and to all brooks: peradventure we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 32:3
He took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were without the city: and they did help him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

That Neither the Whole Universe nor the Elements are God, nor are ...
... neither are the fountains gods from which the water flows. And if the fountains
are not gods, neither are the rivers, which are collected from the fountains. ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap vi that neither the whole.htm

Remarks on the Creation of the World.
... fountains, and seas. The water, then, covering all the earth, and specially its
hollow places, God, through His Word, next caused the waters to be collected ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiii remarks on the creation.htm

The Water of Life;
... Wilson, Chandler, Whitfield, and others who collected and published ... When the poor
and needy seek water, and there is ... he, 'in high places, and fountains in the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the water of life.htm

What the Lord Jesus did in the City of Nazareth.
... there was a terrible rain, and He collected it into ... an olive branch, and began to
let the water out of ... Sodomite, what harm have my works the fountains of water ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of thomas/chapter iv what the lord jesus.htm

Egypt and Greece.
... in groves and gardens; they constructed fountains; they raised ... The others he collected
together, and then shut ... of ascertaining precisely the rise of the water. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/xerxes/chapter ii egypt and greece.htm

Travel. A Personal Experience.
... Colored electric light jets deck the fountains, flower-beds ... When the water was forced
out of these caissons by ... of every great cathedral lies collected the moth ...
/.../ix travel a personal experience.htm

God's Cup of Myrrh
... Yet Thine were the streams and the fountains,. ... vainly endeavoured to prove his innocence,
a crowd collected at the ... come to the fair may drink the water and die. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bevan/three friends of god/chapter liii gods cup of.htm

Of the Outer Limbs of Man, and their Use.
... in which are contained the living fountains of blood ... by its force presses it down
when collected into balls ... stretched out and hollowed they draw water; and when ...
/.../lactantius/on the workmanship of god/chap x of the outer limbs.htm

Imperial Tombs.
... for five days and nights, and finally collected the ashes ... channels, erected eight
hundred and five fountains, and one hundred and thirty water reservoirs. ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter iv imperial tombs.htm

Papal Tombs.
... to purify their hands, not in receptacles of stagnant water, but in springs or living
fountains. ... cathedral at Monza contains a list of oils collected by John ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter v papal tombs.htm