Commentary

 

Water

  

Water is the basis of life, the essential ingredient in all drinks, and in the form of rivers, lakes and oceans supports life in myriad ways. The spiritual meaning of water is similarly basic: It represents truth in general, the ideas and concepts that guide us to do good things in our lives. In a more specific sense, it represents truth at its simplest level: the ideas we learn from the Bible and simply believe. Swedenborg refers to this as “natural” truth or “truths of faith.” They are not things we have explored, figured out or confirmed through life; rather they are things that we accept to be true because we’ve been told they are true. Like water, these ideas flow to us from other sources. And like water, they are ever-changing; to build something permanent we might look to the more permanent ideas represented by stones. But water is crucial to life, and so are these accepted ideas. Water can also, of course, be threatening. Rivers, lakes and oceans are inherently dangerous, and flooding was an ever greater threat in Biblical times than it is now. These aspects represent the opposite meaning – water as falsity, twisted ideas which support evil and can overwhelm and destroy us if we’re not careful.

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Commentary

 

#123 What Does the Spirit of the Lord Do, Exactly?

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: What Does the Spirit of the Lord Do Exactly

Topic: Word

Summary: The Bible tells us that the Spirit of the Lord does many different things and is very active in every phase of our spiritual lives.

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
Genesis 1:1-2
Exodus 31:1-3
Numbers 11:27; 24:2
Judges 3:8; 6:34; 11:29; 13:24-25; 14:5-6, 19; 15:14
1 Samuel 10:6, 9-10; 11:6; 16:13-14; 19:20-24
2 Samuel 23:1-2
1 Kings 18:7, 12; 22:6
2 Kings 2:16
2 Chronicles 20:14; 24:20
Job 33:4
Isaiah 11:1-2; 40:13; 59:19; 61:1-3
Ezekiel 11:5, 24; 37:1
Micah 2:7; 3:8
Zechariah 7:12
Matthew 12:24-28
Acts of the Apostles 8:36
1 Corinthians 2:14
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Ephesians 3:14-16
John 7:37
Revelation 22:1
Proverbs 20:27

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 1/9/2013. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com