The Waters of Shiloah

The Gospel plan is interesting. We can choose our water. It's quite fascinating to see how water is portrayed in scripture.

Water left to its own devices follows the course of least resistance. It lays low and runs downhill lacking any kind of structure. Uncontrolled, water can do severe damage. One can become immersed in water and even drown. It represents chaos. During Creation the waters had to be "gathered together unto one place" to cause the dry land to appear (Genesis 1: 9). 

In a scriptural context, water won't stand, except in two passages. During the exodus the waters were a wall, allowing the children of Israel to pass through on dry land (see Exodus 14: 22), echoing the Creation process in that dry land becomes necessary. Later the children of Israel would have to pass over the Jordan to get to the Promised Land, and the waters stood up like a heap (Joshua 3: 16-17).

Water can be still and lifeless, unless it becomes "living water" as promised to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4: 10, 14). In some cases water represents divinity. When Jesus performs the miracle of changing water to wine, it becomes a representation of His premortal nature as a spirit Being, with the water representing spirit, and the wine becomes a representation of His blood, and His mortal role. Thus, the Word is made flesh (see John 1: 14; 2: 1-11).

The Lord offers a special kind of water. He speaks of the "waters of Shiloah that go softly" and contrasts it with "the waters of the river, strong and many." These other waters "come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks" (see 2 Nephi 18: 6-7; Isaiah 8: 6-7).

Shiloah in the Old Testament becomes the Pool of Siloam in the New Testament. The name means "sent" and the translated word in the New Testament comes from the Greek word apostello meaning "one sent forth." It applies to the Savior but can also refer to others sent forth, or sent away, on a divinely-called mission.

At the waters of Shiloah, or Pool of Siloam, Jesus heals a man born blind. Jesus "spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing" (John 9: 6-7). As He "spat on the ground and made clay," it echoes the Creation when "there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2: 6-7).

The waters of Siloam are soothing, comforting, and provide cleansing and healing effects, allowing us to see things we have not seen before. This is at the heart of temple ordinances, particularly the initiatory ordinances.

The world moves in a fast current. The forces are "strong and many." In such a river it's easy to be swept away as the waters consume many and the rivers run out of their banks, and out of control. 

Lives can become turbulent, and currents of addiction and compulsion sweep many of us away, carrying us down the path of destruction where we can drown in the depths of hell (see 1 Nephi 12: 16).

For one who has been rescued from the raging river, blessings of eternal hope, comfort and healing, provided by living water, are never taken for granted.

Such was my experience yesterday in the holy temple of our God, as I was there with my wife, son, and daughter. It was a feeling beyond description, as I felt somewhat swept away and carried into the arms of His love.