Covering seventy percent of the Earth's surface, water is one of the most powerful manifestations of God's presence and power. In the beginning the Earth was "...without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Gen 1.2)`. Water stands as a tangible representation of creation and the beginning of new life. From the depths of the waters God caused dry land to appear on the third day of creation (Gen 1.9). The presence and power of water is well known in it's ability to sustain life or bring destruction. The scriptures reveal that water has played an important role in confirming and demonstrating God's presence and power in the physical world. Tracing water as an element through the scriptures provides added depth to our knowledge of what God can do.
During the days of Noah evil grew to the point that God first limited the lifespan of humans to 120 years (Gen 6.3). As wickedness increased God used water to cleanse and renew the world. Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord (Gen 6.8) and was told to prepare an ark that would save the patriarch and his family. The scriptures describe the onset of the flood and the effect it had on the world at the time. "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." (Gen 7.11-12). About a year later Noah and his family emerged from the ark into a world that had been purged of corruption and renewed.
Water symbolizes God's power to protect and deliver as we see in the exodus of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage. As the children of Israel left Egypt, Pharaoh sent his army to overtake them. Approaching the Red Sea with the army of Pharaoh behind them, God barred the way with a pillar of fire as the waters of the sea parted and a strong wind dried the seabed for the people to cross on dry land (Ex 14.5-21). Once the Hebrews were safe the Egyptians thought they would prevail. "And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. ... And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them." (Ex 14.23,28).
The Law of Moses is filled with images of water used to wash sacrifices before they were offered. Priests were to wash in the Laver, a large basin placed between the altar of burnt offering and the door of the Tabernacle. Priests were washed as part of their consecration to serve in their office. Numerous examples are given for washing as part of purification and other things under the Law of Moses in the book of Leviticus. These were significant since they were commands of God and were to be carried out exactly as instructed. The penalty for not following these directions was death in many cases or being cut off from their people and God for disobedience. The Law itself contained many elements, such as water, that pointed to the fulfillment of God's plan to save all mankind through the Messiah.
Paul draws on the deliverance of the children of Israel by the Red Sea as a type of baptism in which the people were saved from their enemies and drawn under the protection of God. Paul writes, "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea..." (1 Cor 10.1-2). Christ stated, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16.16). The baptism Jesus spoke of is immersion in water which was carried out beginning on the day of Pentecost when the remission of sins in the name of Christ was preached for the first time. Paul describes this immersion as a burial comparing baptism to the physical death and resurrection of Christ. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom 6.3-4).
We can see the image of water as a manifestation of God's power, his deliverance from sin and his ability to save in Peter's frist epistle. "... when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." (1 Pet 3.20-21). As Peter states the answer of a good conscience is that which expresses faith in God through Christ and will be saves us when we follow the Lord's instructions.
Water is an abundant element representing multiple facets of God's power and provisions. Floods may also be malevolent, boding ill for those who have done evil (Jer 47.2, Isa 28.2). In these, and similar passages, the aspect of judgment is brought out. There's also the combined element of power and a sense of finality. In other places we find that floods represent trouble, overwhelming problems that seek to engulf and destroy. From these the Lord provides protection (Psm 18.4, Psm 69.2, 15). Turning to the New Testament, the book of Revelation speaks of the persecution of the church and the forces that sought to destroy it. Surrounded by such massive opposition, the providence of God provides for the survival of the saved and the perpetuation of his purpose that not even Satan can thwart (Rev 12.15-16). The figure and reality of water and floods is such that God demonstrates his ability to create, sustain and save in spite of all things that oppose.
Water was present from the beginning at the dawn of creation and new life. It was an instrument of cleansing, purging evil from the world. As a symbol it was used to purify and prepare one for service to God. Floods, an image of the fury of water, is used to depict judgment and oppression. Water today stands as the instrument by which one comes into contact with the blood of Christ when we act in faith and render obedience to the Lord who will save us.