Fluid Dynamics

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

Psalm 24:1-2

When I read these two verses for the umpteenth time I was taken a back. Verse one is something I've quoted repeatedly over the years. Verse two wasn't as familiar and that's what got my attention. How can the earth be founded on water? Only solid when frozen, water, given the right conditions evaporates and vanishes into thin air. In the original Hebrew the words seas and waters refers to active bodies of liquids. How does God build on such a fluid, ever changing foundation?

I have no idea.

Man builds structures on water. In order to achieve any degree of stability these need somehow to be anchored to terra firma. These verses make me wonder if there are things about our world we haven't discovered yet.

According to Genesis, at one time our world was all water. Dry land appeared later in response to God's command. Maybe our world isn't all we believe it to be. This wouldn't be the only time God has defied our established rules of science.

Every living thing needs water. As part of His design God takes sea water and makes rain which nourishes plant, animal and human life. It also percolates down into the underground aquifers providing drinking water. Rain falls on creeks, steams and rivers which flow back into the seas. Water is the foundation of life and the biggest component of the human body. Take away food and we can exist for extended periods of time. Take away water and we're soon dead.

Water symbolizes the Word of God.

“In the beginning was the Word,” John 1:1

This sounds a lot like the description of our world in Genesis. Just as everything is dependent on water in the natural realm, Hebrew 1:3 declares, “The Son is the radiance of God's being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” It appears that God's Word is the firma that holds our terra together.

As believers we're blessed to have God's word in a variety of formats including direct communication with Him. His Word needs to be the bedrock of our lives – period. Like the seas and the waters of Psalm 24, God's Word isn't stagnant or static. It never changes but it doesn't stay still. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as “living and active.”  God said, “it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it,” Isaiah 55:11.

God's Word is earth’s and all creation’s foundation. If spoken words framed and continue to develop a universe as complex as ours, would earth's real foundation being water be so far fetched? Maybe not.

photo: wikipedia