Topical Bible: Pools and Ponds: Made by God

Bible > Topical > Pools and Ponds

◄ Pools and Ponds: Made by God ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical narrative, pools and ponds are often depicted as natural features created by God, serving various purposes in the divine order of creation. These bodies of water are not only essential for sustaining life but also hold symbolic and spiritual significance throughout the Scriptures.

Creation and Purpose

From the very beginning, water is a fundamental element in God's creation. 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." While this passage primarily refers to larger bodies of water, it sets the stage for understanding all water sources, including pools and ponds, as part of God's good creation.

Pools and ponds, as smaller bodies of water, are vital for the sustenance of both human and animal life. They provide drinking water, support agriculture, and serve as habitats for various creatures. In the arid regions of the biblical world, these water sources were especially precious, often seen as blessings from God.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance

Pools and ponds also carry rich symbolic meanings in the Bible. They are often associated with cleansing, healing, and renewal. One of the most notable references is the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-4 , where a multitude of invalids waited for the stirring of the water, believed to bring healing. This pool symbolizes God's provision of physical and spiritual restoration.

In the Psalms, water imagery frequently conveys God's provision and care. Psalm 23:2 says, "He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters." Here, the tranquil waters represent God's peace and guidance, offering refreshment to the soul.

Divine Encounters and Miracles

Pools and ponds are also settings for divine encounters and miracles. In 2 Kings 5:10-14 , the prophet Elisha instructs Naaman to wash in the Jordan River, a natural body of water, to be cleansed of his leprosy. Although not a pool or pond, this event underscores the theme of water as a medium for God's miraculous works.

Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus performs a miracle at the Pool of Siloam. In John 9:7 , Jesus tells a man born blind, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." The man obeys and receives his sight, demonstrating the power of faith and obedience in conjunction with God's provision through natural means.

Prophetic Imagery

Prophets also use the imagery of pools and ponds to convey messages of hope and judgment. Isaiah 35:7 prophesies, "The parched ground will become a pool, the thirsty land springs of water." This transformation symbolizes the coming restoration and abundance in God's kingdom, where desolation is turned into life-giving abundance.

Conversely, Isaiah 14:23 speaks of judgment, "I will make her a place for owls and swampland; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction," declares the LORD of Hosts. Here, the imagery of swampland and desolation serves as a warning of divine judgment against the wicked.

Conclusion

Throughout the Bible, pools and ponds, as creations of God, are integral to the narrative of His interaction with humanity. They serve practical purposes, symbolize spiritual truths, and are settings for divine encounters, reflecting the multifaceted ways in which God uses His creation to fulfill His purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 35:7
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Answer to Trust
... it there be dotted, like a chain of ponds in a ... ever recurring to Him, like the linked
pools that mirror ... not every one to whom that revelation is made know His ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/the answer to trust.htm

The Water of Life;
... We are but as ponds, pools, and cisterns, that can hold but little ... of the Spirit,
by which the soul is made capable of understanding what God and himself is. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the water of life.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... of Cairo, announce each morning what progress it has made since evening ... cease to
flow, and form a mere network of stagnant pools and muddy ponds, which fast ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Saints' Privilege and Profit;
... Nothing but rivers will satisfy such a soul; ponds, pools, and cisterns, will ... and
tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God, kings and ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the saints privilege and profit.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... will loathe to drink of them; yea, as it was with the ponds and pools of Egypt ... A
peace therefore cannot be made among these cities when God has forbidden it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... The word signifies pools, marshes, the provinces situated beyond Egyptian territory ...
They greet him as their sun, the god before whom ... A discovery made by the ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

La Brea
... 'In one of the star-shaped pools of water ... was over; they came back through San Fernando;
made, almost in ... a huge Caddis, like those in English ponds and streams ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter viii la brea.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... Sometimes the sentence is shortened, and the name of the god is understood: as for
instance, "Usirkaf," his double is omnipotent; "Snofmi," he has made me good ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm