Is God's Control Over the Sea Permanent or Temporary?
In this article, you will learn how Psalms 33:7 contradicts Job 38:8-11, Jeremiah 5:22, Revelation 21:1 and Genesis 8:2. Find the translations at the bottom of the page..
The Bible presents a complex and sometimes seemingly contradictory view of God's relationship with the sea. Psalms 33:7 portrays God as so powerful that He can gather the waters of the sea, much like someone collecting valuable treasures to be stored in a safe space. This image emphasizes God's control, suggesting that just as you might organize items in a box for safekeeping, God can manage the immense oceans with ease.
However, other scriptures offer different perspectives. In Job 38:8-11, God is described as setting boundaries to the sea, akin to putting a lid on a jar. This portrayal is about containment rather than the act of gathering described in Psalms. It suggests permanence in God's control, indicating a boundary that cannot be crossed, much like a penned boundary that keeps livestock within a pasture.
Similarly, Jeremiah 5:22 states that God established sand as the boundary for the sea, offering a different metaphor for the divine interaction with marine forces—this time, suggesting a permanent, unyielding border rather than a temporary gathering.
In Revelation 21:1, the sea itself is absent in the new creation, conflicting with the idea from Psalms 33:7 about the sea being an entity God manages. Here, the sea's disappearance implies a fundamental transformation, raising questions about the nature of divine control when the sea no longer exists.
Genesis 8:2 describes God closing off the waters after the great flood, which contrasts with the gathering concept in Psalms. While Psalms appears to imply ongoing management, Genesis highlights a decisive act of containment.
These verses collectively invite reflection: Is God's power over the sea an act of temporary stewardship or permanent establishment? Each passage offers a unique lens, framing God's interaction with nature in multiple ways, challenging readers to ponder the breadth and depth of divine authority.
| # | Verse | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Psalms 33:7 | He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. |
| 2. | Job 38:8-11 | Or [who] shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, [as if] it had issued out of the womb? |
| 3. | Jeremiah 5:22 | Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? |
| 4. | Revelation 21:1 | And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. |
| 5. | Genesis 8:2 | The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; |