Topical Bible: Natural Life is Compared to Water Spilt on the Ground

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The imagery of natural life being compared to water spilled on the ground is a poignant metaphor found in the Bible, illustrating the transient and irreversible nature of human existence. This metaphor is primarily drawn from 2 Samuel 14:14, where the wise woman of Tekoa speaks to King David: "For surely we will die and be like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away life, but He devises means so that the banished one may not be cast out from Him" .

Context and Interpretation

In the context of 2 Samuel 14, the metaphor is used during a conversation between King David and the wise woman of Tekoa, who was sent by Joab to persuade the king to reconcile with his estranged son Absalom. The woman uses this vivid imagery to emphasize the inevitability of death and the futility of holding onto grievances, as life, once lost, cannot be reclaimed, much like water that has been spilled and absorbed into the earth.

Theological Implications

This metaphor underscores several theological themes:

1. The Brevity of Life: The comparison to spilled water highlights the fleeting nature of human life. Just as water quickly disappears into the ground, so too does life pass swiftly, reminding believers of the importance of living with an eternal perspective.

2. Irreversibility of Death: Once water is spilled, it cannot be gathered back. Similarly, once life is lost, it cannot be restored by human means. This serves as a sobering reminder of the finality of death and the urgency of repentance and reconciliation with God.

3. God’s Mercy and Redemption: Despite the inevitability of death, the passage also speaks to God's mercy. The verse continues to reveal that God "devises means so that the banished one may not be cast out from Him." This reflects the divine provision for redemption and reconciliation, offering hope that, through God's grace, separation from Him is not the final word.

Practical Applications

For believers, this metaphor encourages a life of humility and dependence on God. Recognizing the transient nature of life should lead to a focus on spiritual priorities, fostering a sense of urgency in seeking reconciliation with others and with God. It also serves as a call to trust in God's redemptive plan, knowing that He provides a way for restoration and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Related Biblical Themes

The theme of life's brevity is echoed throughout Scripture. James 4:14 compares life to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Psalm 103:15-16 likens human days to grass that flourishes and then is gone. These passages, along with the metaphor of water spilled on the ground, collectively remind believers of the importance of living wisely and in accordance with God's will.

In summary, the metaphor of natural life as water spilled on the ground serves as a powerful reminder of life's transience, the finality of death, and the hope of redemption through God's mercy. It calls believers to live with an eternal perspective, prioritizing reconciliation and trust in God's sovereign plan.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Samuel 14:14
For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any person: yet does he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Self-Scrutiny in God's Presence.
... sin is so tame and languid, when compared with the ... Well and natural was it, that
the earliest creed of the ... life,"he who dares to lose his life,"shall find ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/self-scrutiny in gods presence.htm

Precious Deaths
... were the deaths of conscript peasants when compared with the ... is laid in the grave
as a natural body, that ... the almighty a spiritual body, full of life, and glory ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/precious deaths.htm

The Northern Mountains
... the outer coat before you attack a pulp compared with which ... In addition to which
attempt on the life and fortunes ... In fact, a Fetish is no natural object at all ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter xi the northern mountains.htm

The Ethics of Elfland
... elves and began to take notice of the natural world, I ... I felt and feel that life
itself is as bright as ... window-pane; and when the heavens were compared to the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/iv the ethics of elfland.htm

Light for them that Sit in Darkness;
... killeth"that it was of no importance, compared with the ... Christ himself give thee
light and life by faith in ... the whole stock of Jacob, the natural children of ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/light for them that sit.htm

Concerning the Ministry.
... of God, [564] and in scripture compared to a ... again, neither can they convey the life
and spirit ... makes such interruption of an outward natural succession, that ...
/.../proposition x concerning the ministry.htm

On the Glory of Martyrdom.
... be preferred to the desires of eternal life, things which ... present time are not worthy
to be compared to the ... Thus this is the natural practice of every man, to ...
/.../on the glory of martyrdom.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... 4. As for my own natural life, for the time that I ... hours, I was like a man bereft
of life; and, as now ... thus represented to me, That my sin, when compared to the ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... 4. As for my own natural life, for the time that I ... tears for the things of this present
life, how am ... myself, though blessed but with bread and water; I should ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Christ a Complete Saviour:
... feel wearisomeness in religious duties, but a natural propensity to ... It is compared
to fire, to fire of the hottest ... thing, as to the spirit and life of prayer ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christ a complete saviour .htm