Isaiah 41:18 (NKJV)
I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
I will open rivers in desolate heights,
And fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
And the dry land springs of water.
Words like "water" and "wilderness" (or in the Hebrew, "mayim" and "midbar") occur often throughout the Bible. When used in conjunction they would have been very evocative to the ancient mind.
What pictures come to your mind when you think of wilderness? Maybe something like this?
Mountains, as far as the eye can see, with no human habitation in sight? Where I grew up, that was the wilderness.
As for water in the wilderness, maybe one would think of something like this:
a small mountain lake, or this:
a rushing waterfall.
While not everyone is from the Rocky Mountain region, a good many people have been there or have at least seen pictures. While these pictures might not be the ideal image of "water in the wilderness" for everyone, I imagine that most of the English speaking world would agree that those words fit the pictures above.
It's a problem.
These don't come close to the image an ancient Israelite would have at the words "mayim ba'midbar." If we are to properly understand the intent of the Biblical authors (who wrote in a language very much tied to the land) we must understand the land where they lived and the imagery they wished to evoke by the words they used.
The Hebrew word translated as "wilderness" can also be translated as "pasture land." That evokes a bit of a different image in the mind of most Americans. Maybe something like this:
a field full of lush, green grass. Or maybe even something slightly less lush, realizing that things do dry out in the summer:
Are these the images David would have had as he wrote Psalm 23? Would he have pastured his flock in fields like these?
In the summer, the "midbar" that David would have known looks something like this:
and in the winter you might be lucky enough to see it looking like this:
Prime pasture for the flocks of sheep and goats that frequent this area.
What about the "still water?" The "pools of water in the wilderness?" Maybe this:
a clear, quietly flowing river? Maybe a small lake or pond?
Think again. When you think of green pastures and still waters, when you think of pools in the wilderness, think of this:
In America, we live in a land of plenty - plenty of water, plenty of grass, plenty of everything. Israel is, in many ways, a harsher land. Life can be hard. A little pool of water and a little bit of grass is a great gift from God. It is enough to say, "I shall not want."
