Topical Bible: Water: Necessary to Vegetation

◄ Water: Necessary to Vegetation ►

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Water is a fundamental element in the biblical narrative, symbolizing life, purification, and divine provision. Its necessity for vegetation is underscored throughout Scripture, illustrating both physical sustenance and spiritual truths.

Creation and Sustenance

In the creation account, water is depicted as a vital component of the earth's ecosystem. Genesis 2:5-6 states, "Now no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth, nor had any plant of the field sprouted, for the LORD God had not yet sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But springs welled up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground." This passage highlights the essential role of water in the growth and maintenance of vegetation, emphasizing that even in the absence of rain, God provided water through springs to sustain the earth.

Divine Provision and Blessing

Water is frequently associated with God's provision and blessing. In Deuteronomy 11:10-11 , the Promised Land is described as a place where water is abundant: "For the land you are entering to possess is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated by hand as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven." This passage contrasts the labor-intensive irrigation of Egypt with the natural, God-given rainfall of Canaan, underscoring water as a divine gift that ensures the fertility and productivity of the land.

Judgment and Restoration

The withholding of water is often depicted as a form of divine judgment, leading to drought and famine. In 1 Kings 17:1 , Elijah declares, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word." This pronouncement of drought serves as a judgment against the idolatry of Israel, demonstrating the dependence of vegetation on water and, by extension, the dependence of humanity on God's favor.

Conversely, the restoration of water is a sign of God's mercy and the renewal of His covenant with His people. Joel 2:23 promises, "Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains for your vindication. He sends you showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before." The return of rain signifies the restoration of agricultural abundance and the renewal of God's blessings upon the land.

Spiritual Symbolism

Water's role in sustaining vegetation also serves as a metaphor for spiritual nourishment. In Isaiah 55:10-11 , the prophet compares God's word to rain and snow that water the earth: "For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it." This imagery underscores the life-giving power of God's word, which, like water, is essential for spiritual growth and fruitfulness.

Throughout the Bible, water is portrayed as an indispensable resource for the flourishing of vegetation, symbolizing God's provision, judgment, and spiritual sustenance. Its presence or absence serves as a powerful indicator of divine favor or disfavor, reflecting the broader theological themes of dependence on God and the blessings of obedience.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 2:5,6
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 14:9
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 1:30
For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fades, and as a garden that has no water.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Voyage to Benares.
... could be taken in the way of luggage than necessary clothing ... The land down to the
water's edge was covered with the densest tropical vegetation, so that ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter ii voyage to benares.htm

Light and Shade.
... the villages are fields covered with vegetation most dense ... The water was thronged
with boats filled with Chinese to ... of that functionary it is necessary to get ...
//christianbookshelf.org/fagg/forty years in south china/iv light and shade.htm

The Early Training of a Race.
... During the summer the vegetation disappears almost entirely, and ... of the country makes
it necessary for its ... how to secure adequate supplies of food and water. ...
/.../kent/the making of a nation/study xi the early training.htm

On the Firmament.
... As, therefore, it was necessary to avoid an open struggle ... This is the reason of the
abundance of water at the ... of the help of fire, but the vegetation of trees ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/homily iii on the firmament.htm

'Give Me to Drink'
... she finds, in the midst of the lush vegetation round the ... may be gathered from the
fact that the water that He ... deeds of His life more than their necessary food. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture i/give me to drink.htm

The Conquest of Babylon.
... from the ground; so high, that it was necessary to build ... of the upper terrace, by
which water could be ... the walks, and introducing new varieties of vegetation. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter viii the conquest of.htm

My California Trip
... the ocean, and the one in the water would come ... food and to do whatever else was
necessary to make ... mountain to the park, we passed through vegetation in various ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter xvii my california trip.htm

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
... Temporary evil is the necessary condition, he asserts, of all ... only result in a more
luxuriant vegetation, and an ... of Boodhism, are clear as water, and lucid as ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/all mankind guilty or every.htm

The City of the "Elegant Gate"[*]
... between the lovely scenery and dense vegetation of many ... digging down, and walling
up, if necessary, forming terraces ... The water is conducted into the higher of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/fagg/forty years in south china/iii the city of the.htm

The First Year --Society and Climate.
... verandah the degree of light absolutely necessary with the ... grass over them, on which
water is continually ... see things grow; but in India vegetation takes such a ...
/.../chapter vi the first yearsociety.htm