In my last post I showed that biblical names are also character traits. One name and its meaning I didn't mention was Moses but I'd like to talk about the symbolism of his name and how it relates to us all as Christians.
Moses means drawn. He was so-named by his surrogate mother who said "Because I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10). In Exodus 20:21 it says Moses drew near to God. Symbolically God's people are all like Moses in that sense.
But there is extra significance in Moses having been drawn "out of the water" and how it relates to us. First here are several bible verses where water symbolically represents people.
In these first two, multitudes of men are referred to as floods.
2 Samuel 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
Isaiah 59:19 .. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
In these next two, nations are referred to as waves in the sea and rushing waters.
Ezekiel 26:3 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.
Isaiah 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
In this one the Assyrian king's armies (called "all his glory") are compared to waters from a river.
Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
And the apostle John certainly understood the symbolism as he made crystal clear in Revelation.
Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
King David also made the connection between waters and people when he wrote a song where he says when speaking of God "He drew me out of many waters." This song is repeated in both 2 Samuel and Psalms.
2 Samuel 22:17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
Psalm 18:16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
I don't know about you, but I love learning bible symbolism. When I go back and reread things I find it fascinating how often you see verses with double meanings like this one:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
I think all of us when Jesus refers to "the sea and the waves roaring" thought of storms and tumults in the oceans and I still think it means those things. But now understanding the symbolism I see a dual meaning, with the term also alluding to the masses panicking as the world around them plunges into chaos.
But what about us? Like Moses and David, we were drawn to the Lord out of the sea of people. Do you remember what happened in Mark chapter 4 when the storm kicked the waves up and was threatening to sink the ship? Jesus "said unto the sea, Peace, be still... and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). Because God drew us out of the waters too, when the distress of nations reaches its peak and the rest of the sea and waves roar all around us, we will have "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding [and] shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Knowing as Christians that our King and Saviour is preparing mansions for us New Jerusalem means no matter what "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
Amen.
Moses means drawn. He was so-named by his surrogate mother who said "Because I drew him out of the water" (Exodus 2:10). In Exodus 20:21 it says Moses drew near to God. Symbolically God's people are all like Moses in that sense.
But there is extra significance in Moses having been drawn "out of the water" and how it relates to us. First here are several bible verses where water symbolically represents people.
In these first two, multitudes of men are referred to as floods.
2 Samuel 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
Isaiah 59:19 .. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
In these next two, nations are referred to as waves in the sea and rushing waters.
Ezekiel 26:3 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.
Isaiah 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
In this one the Assyrian king's armies (called "all his glory") are compared to waters from a river.
Isaiah 8:7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
And the apostle John certainly understood the symbolism as he made crystal clear in Revelation.
Revelation 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
King David also made the connection between waters and people when he wrote a song where he says when speaking of God "He drew me out of many waters." This song is repeated in both 2 Samuel and Psalms.
2 Samuel 22:17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
Psalm 18:16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
I don't know about you, but I love learning bible symbolism. When I go back and reread things I find it fascinating how often you see verses with double meanings like this one:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
I think all of us when Jesus refers to "the sea and the waves roaring" thought of storms and tumults in the oceans and I still think it means those things. But now understanding the symbolism I see a dual meaning, with the term also alluding to the masses panicking as the world around them plunges into chaos.
But what about us? Like Moses and David, we were drawn to the Lord out of the sea of people. Do you remember what happened in Mark chapter 4 when the storm kicked the waves up and was threatening to sink the ship? Jesus "said unto the sea, Peace, be still... and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39). Because God drew us out of the waters too, when the distress of nations reaches its peak and the rest of the sea and waves roar all around us, we will have "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding [and] shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Knowing as Christians that our King and Saviour is preparing mansions for us New Jerusalem means no matter what "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
Amen.
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