BAPTISM: WHERE OUR HOPE BEGINS (Part 3)
Posted on August 10, 2024 by Patrick Shabi with an estimated reading time of 5 minutes
Last updated on August 29, 2024
Mikveh - A new meaning (Part 3)
The first time that mikveh is used in the Bible is in Genesis 1:10, when “God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas.” According to many online sources, including Strong’s Concordance, the word “gathering together” used in this verse is mikveh and means “a collection.” Most online sources, such as Blue Letter Bible, and various Hebrew sources like Mikvah.org, define mikveh as “a collection [of waters]” due to the word’s strong and repeated connection with water. Throughout the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), the Chronicles of the Kings, (1st and 2nd Chronicles and Kings), and the Books of Wisdom (Job, Psalms, and Proverbs) we see mikveh used in a similar way to mean “a collection [of water].” We see a noticeable example of the usage of mikveh in Leviticus 11:36:
“Nevertheless a spring or a cistern, in which there is plenty of water, shall be clean, but whatever touches any such carcass becomes unclean.” (Leviticus 11:36)
This verse is referring to the cleanliness laws found in the Old Testament and when something should be deemed clean or unclean. Notice that a collection of waters (or, as the verse says, ‘plenty of water’) is always clean. Throughout the early books of the Old Testament, we see the same imagery being conveyed of mikveh as it relates to water. However, as we progress through the Old Testament, we see mikveh used in a different and interesting way. In Ezra, we see a clear example of the different way mikveh begins to be used. At the end of the verse, Shekaniah is recorded as saying,
“…we have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the people of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this.” (Ezra 10:2)
(Note: although Ezra is near the beginning of the Bible in most versions, Ezra was written after the exile of Israel from the land by the Babylonians, closer to the writings of the major prophets).
At the time this book was written, the people with Ezra clearly understood they did wrong against God with their actions. However, with all their work in restoring the Temple and Jerusalem, the remark of “now there is hope in Israel in spite of this” is a peculiar usage of mikveh in this context. Why is mikveh, previously only used to mean “a collection [of waters],” now being used in a context to mean “hope?” Jeremiah gives us a more striking example of mikveh being used in this new manner and relates this word directly to God. In order to gain the proper context for what Jeremiah is talking about in these verses, we will begin with the preceding verse,
“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do it for Your name’s sake; for our backslidings are many, we have sinned against You. O the Hope of Israel, his Savior in times of trouble…” (Jeremiah 14:7-8)
Similar to the verses we read in Ezra, these verses in Jeremiah talk about the iniquities and sins that the people have committed against God. Moreover, similar to Ezra, Jeremiah also incorporates this new meaning of mikveh by calling God “The Hope (Mikveh) of Israel.” This is not a one-time occurrence either, as Jeremiah also makes use of the different meaning of mikveh again later on,
“LORD, You are the Hope (Mikveh) of Israel; all who forsake You will be put to shame.” (Jeremiah 17:13)
According to the Blue Letter Bible and various online sources, the Old Testament already had a word for “hope” that appears 32 times. This word is tikveh, meaning “an expectation” or “to hope for.” This discovery and the preceding verses related to mikveh prompt several important questions. What does it mean that God is the Mikveh of Israel and, therefore, our Mikveh, as Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 14:8? Why does mikveh change from “a collection [of waters] to “hope” rather than employing “tikveh?” Moreover, what connection does mikveh have to the concept of baptism?
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