World Water Day 2025: What Are 7 Uses Of H20 In The Bible?

This image represents World Water Day as a drop of H20 enters a larger body of water. — This image represents World Water Day as a drop of H2O enters a larger body of water. |Image courtesy of Herbert Goetsch on Unsplash.

Introduction

World Water Day & Glacier Preservation

Did you know World Water Day is March 22?

Water is a necessity that affects every aspect of our lives. Yet, it is a resource we unintentionally waste and take for granted until it becomes inaccessible.

Therefore, on December 22, 1992, the United Nationals General Assembly adopted a resolution making World Water Day official. The first official celebration began on March 22, 1993.

World Water Day advocates for responsible water usage and access to safe water for all people. This day also highlights the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

According to UNESCO, World Water Day 2025 will emphasize glacier preservation. Preserving glaciers is important because they are a natural freshwater supplier that supports

Agriculture.
Industry
Healthy ecosystems
Climate regulations
Protection from natural hazards.
Drinking water resources.

Water-Related Fun Facts

Along with providing humans with drinking water resources, preserving glaciers is essential since they hold 70% of the earth’s fresh water.

Interestingly, humans only use 1% of the water on earth. This is because 97% of the earth’s H20 is too salty to use and 2% is trapped in glaciers.

Other water-related fun facts state

Water is known as H2O because this element comes from 2 hydrogens and 1 water.
Humans can only survive a single week without water.
75% of both a living tree and the human brain is water.
H2O regulates the temperature of the earth and the human body.
Ice floats in water because it’s lighter than its liquid form.
Each person uses about 50 gallons of water daily.
The water humans use today is the same H2O present when Earth was formed.

Water Usage in Scripture

Present in the Beginning

Genesis 1:2 supports experts’ claim that water was present when the Earth was formed. Verse two also says God’s spirit hovering over the dark waters proving his eternal existence.

The creation account also proves God is the creation’s creator since he’s the one who separates the waters. These boundaries allow heaven, earth, land, and sea to be established within the first two days of creation.

Additionally, scripture says springs replenish the land before humans were made and a river watered the Garden of Eden. Unfortunately, humanity’s sin led to humans having to work and toil for the necessities God freely gave before the fall.

Consequently, obtaining water became a chore requiring people to draw water from wells to drink and care for animals.

Spiritual Uses

Along with physical uses for H20, the Bible uses water to emphasize spiritual meanings. One example is David’s longing and thirst for God in a dry land where water is inaccessible.

Here, David is comparing his spiritual desire for God to the thirst he was experiencing in the wildness of Judah. Both his spiritual and physical thirst comes from the weariness of life’s trials.

Interestingly, Jesus addresses the spiritual thirst of the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s well. He does this when mentioning how drinking from the well will only temporarily satisfy her physical thirst (John 4:13-14).

Jesus then compassionately exposes the woman’s sin to address her need for living water only he can provide. This living water refers to a quenching of thirst that only the Holy Spirit can fulfill.

Once the Samaritan Woman spiritually understands Jesus’s identity, she tells her community. They then believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior because they witness him for themselves (John 4:39-42).

In addition to acknowledging Jesus as living water, the Bible also uses H2O for baptism. Baptism is a public declaration symbolizing an inward regeneration done by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus receives baptism to exemplify an instrumental part of the salvation process where the Holy Spirit confirms him as the Son of God. The Book of Acts also highlights the growth of the New Testament Church as people repent and receive baptism.

Divine Trials & Destruction

While baptism symbolizes a new spiritual life, water is also a part of God’s plan in trials and destruction. Scripture reveals this when Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream about a future famine (Genesis 41:1-32).

After receiving the interpretation, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of developing a plan that helps Egypt survive the seven-year famine. God sends this natural disaster to prove Joseph’s character, appoint him governor of Egypt, and restore his family.

Though God uses a lack of rain for good, Genesis 7:1-24 shows he can use a flood to bring destruction. He does this by wiping out the entire earth (except Noah’s family) due to their extreme wickedness. Thankfully, God makes a covenant with Noah to never flood the earth again.

In addition to a destructive flood, God also uses water to send plagues. One instance involves God contaminating the Egyptian’s water supply by turning their rivers, ponds, and streams into blood (Exodus 10:14-25).

God then causes an unusual hail storm to rain down on the Egyptians. Both plagues occur to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from captivity but he does not oblige.

3 More Purposes for H2O

Miracles, Authority, and Compassion

Consequently, Elohim sends three more plagues before appears to relent. Yet, God hardens Pharaoh’s heart to prove he alone is the Lord.

He does this by miraculously creating dryland in the middle of the Red Sea so the Israelites can escape. God then allows the sea waves to destroy the pursuing Egyptian army destroying Israel’s adversaries.

In the New Testament, Israel’s Messiah miraculously turns water into wine to preserve a wedding in Cana.

Interestingly, Jesus demonstrates humility through this miracle only demonstrating his power to the wedding servants. This is because he understood it was not time to reveal his divine identity.

Along with revealing his ability to perform miracles, Jesus also uses water to demonstrate his authority over nature. Jesus reveals his authority by commanding a storm to cease, walking on the sea, and empowering Peter to do the same.

Unlike Peter, Jonah experiences God’s power over storms and seas in a negative yet helpful manner. God sends a storm, compels sailors to toss Jonah into the sea, and has a whale swallow him. God does this to help Jonah stop being stubborn and proclaim a message of repentance to the Ninevites.

A message of repentance is also necessary for individuals who fail to demonstrate compassion to the needy. This is because the decision to withhold or give a drink to the needy reflects how people treat Jesus (Matthew 25: 34-46).

Scripture emphasizes Jesus’s concern for the needy by telling the story of a rich man in hell pleading for a drop of water. The rich man spends eternity trusting in his wealth and not comforting Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).