The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea have the same source. Why are they so different?
The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea are different because of their location. And because of this, these seas become a metaphor. In fact, have you ever noticed how often in the Bible, water is used as a symbol or a metaphor?
Water can represent an obstacle overcome and time of transition. For example, think of when Moses parted the Red Sea and the children of Israel walked to the other side.
Water can represent purification, in baptism for example.
Water is often a metaphor for the source of life itself. Maybe the best example of this is when Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. John 4:14 NLT
But there’s a really important water metaphor in the Bible that is not mentioned directly. It’s when you understand the geography of the Holy Land, that it becomes really obvious.
Geography creates a metaphor
There are two great seas in the area; the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. If you have even been there in person, or even if you’ve just seen pictures of these two bodies of water, you can’t help but notice the complete difference between the two locations.
The Sea of Galilee is teeming with life. Plants and animals thrive in and around it. The Dead Sea, on the other hand has no life in it and the landscape surrounding it is barren and desert-like.
The interesting thing is that they are both supplied with water from the same source, the Jordan River. Why is there such a difference?
It’s because of the geography. The Jordan flows into the Sea of Galilee in the north then flows out in the south. As the Jordan descends toward the Dead Sea, there’s quite a drop in elevation. In fact, the Dead Sea is about 1,300 feet or 400 meters below sea level.
The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on the earth and that means the water that flows into it has not place to run out. The only way water gets out of the Dead Sea is through evaporation.
Inflow and outflow
And this is the reason the two seas are so different. Fresh water comes into the Sea of Galilee and water flows out, taking with it silt and minerals. But since there’s no outlet for the water in the Dead Sea except through evaporation, all the minerals and sediments that flow into the Sea have no place to go. And they have accumulated over thousands of years, to the point where the water cannot support life.
So, where’s the metaphor for life in all this?
A life that if vibrant and full of healthy activity has inflow and outflow. You receive and you give. You take in resources and use them, then you get rid of what’s unnecessary. There’s a balance.
But a life that only takes and never gives, or a life that is always acquiring things but never getting rid of the excess, the unused, or what’s leftover, and never takes out the trash, either literally, figuratively, or emotionally, eventually will become stagnant and like the Dead Sea with no evidence of life.
There are some very good examples of both these in the Bible.
Nabal and the Dead Sea model for life
We’ll start with some examples of people with the Dead Sea approach to life.
The first one that comes to mind is Nabal, the husband of Abigail. David sent some of his men to ask Nabal for some food. The prevailing culture in the land was to show hospitality to all those who needed or asked for it. Nabal completely ignored that sense of hospitality and had no inclination at all to share his abundant resources with David and his men.
You can read the whole story in 1 Samuel, Chapter 25.
Nabal was a very wealthy man. To provide food for David and company would not really have depleted his resources. Nabal just didn’t have a generous heart. He was selfishly holding onto everything, like the Dead Sea holds onto the salt, silt, and minerals that flow into it.
Over time, Nabal gathered more resources, but since there was no outflow of these resources to benefit others, Nabal became even more greedy and more selfish. Things did not end up very well for him.
When Abigail told her husband that she gave food to David and his men
Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. 1 Samuel 25:37 NIV
Ten days later, he died.
Sounds like the Dead Sea to me.
A man, his barns, and the Dead Sea
Jesus tells a short parable of a man who also just received things with no outflow of his wealth or resources to help others.
And he told them this parable: The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God. Luke 12:16-21 NIV
What would have happened if this man had more of a Sea of Galilee attitude? He probably would have found ways to share some of his surplus harvest with others, or at least he could have sold it in the market place. But he kept it all for himself.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with keeping what you need. But it seems like Jesus is implying that this fellow doesn’t plan to work for many years. He’s not even going to be a contributing member of society. He’s just thinking about himself.
And, once again, that attitude leads to death.
Spiritual death
Now this was just a parable, so death here could be literal or it could be metaphorical. There are lots of people who are technically alive; they have a heartbeat. But they are “dead,” so to speak, spiritually.
In fact, Paul talks about this metaphorical death. He says,
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 KJV
I love the New Living Translation of this verse:
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 NLT
So, to have a Dead Sea mentality is not healthy. It’s not life giving. It’s an invitation for death, either literally or figuratively, to come to you.
Isaiah and the Sea of Galilee way of life
Fortunately, the Bible also has lots of examples of people who have the Sea of Galilee approach to life.
I’m thinking of Elijah. God obviously gave him rich spiritual resources, revealed things and spoke to him. But Elijah also freely and frequently helped people. There was inflow of inspiration from God and outflow of this inspiration to people.
Here’s just one example. Remember when God sent Elijah to be cared for by a widow in Zarephath? It was a time of drought, of lack. People were holding on to the little they had. God told Elijah ,
“Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?”
As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’ ”
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:9-16 NIV
And at some point after that, the woman’s son got sick and died. Elijah prayed and the boy was brought back to life.
You can read this whole story in 1 Kings 17:17-24.
Talk about a Sea of Galilee attitude, where there’s inflow and outflow! Elijah did not withhold anything in what he gave to this widow.
Givers need to ask for help
Now I just want to point out one more detail about Elijah. He was definitely a giver, but when he needed something he asked for it. He asked the widow to bring him some water and something to eat.
This is really important to remember if you are a giver. You can’t always be in give mode. Sometimes you need to replenish yourself and there are times that means asking someone else for help.
He is the epitome of Jesus’s desire of his disciples
Freely you have received; freely give. Matthew 10:8 NIV
One of the interesting things about this story is the Elijah empowers the widow to give, even when she doesn’t think she has enough resources to share with anyone.
Have you ever felt like the widow at Zarephath and didn’t think you had any time, money, or resources to help someone else? I have certainly been there. But when God gives you an opportunity, don’t be afraid to do what you can, however little it may seem. The simple act of giving allows life to spring forth. Withholding creates your own little personal Dead Sea.
Joseph and the Sea of Galilee way of life
Another example in the Old Testament of someone who always gave, was Joseph. God blessed him with talents and abilities. Even after his brothers sold him as a slave, he gave freely of his talents to Potiphar, his master.
When he was falsely accused of attempted adultery by Potiphar’s wife and put in prison, Joseph found favor in the sight of the prison warden, and was able to be of service.
So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. Genesis 39:22 NIV
If Joseph had had a Dead Sea mentality, he would have been full of resentment, not been cooperative, and not offered to be of any help to the warden of any of the prisoners. But because he had a Sea of Galilee attitude, he gave freely, under whatever situation he found himself.
In the end, God put him in a place of authority where he gave even more freely. He helped prevent the populations of Egypt and the surrounding countries from starving during a seven year famine. The more talents, wisdom, and opportunities God gave Joseph, the more Joseph gave to others in return.
In the New Testament, the obvious example of someone with a Sea of Galilee attitude is Jesus. There are too many examples to mention. I encourage you to think of one that is meaningful to you. His whole life was one of listening to and receiving inspiration and directions from God, and giving freely to the people.
But there are a couple of examples in the New Testament that I mention briefly.
Ananias and the Sea of Galilee approach
The first one is Ananias when he went to talk to Saul.
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. Acts 9:10-15 NIV
Ananias was not too happy about being asked to go see Saul. But he had been given a task and then he followed through with it. He went to Saul, gave him encouragement, healed his blindness, and baptized him, the very person, who just a few days before had been a staunch enemy of the followers of Jesus.
That required a lot of Ananias. He gave his whole heart to obeying Christ. He didn’t hold anything back. This is definitely an example of Sea of Galilee thinking.
What if God asks you to do something that doesn’t make sense?
Have you ever felt impelled by Christ to do something you didn’t want to do? What if Ananias had not gone to Saul? Well, I guess God would have sent someone else. But Ananias would have known the rest of his life he had not been obedient.
He would have seen all that Saul did to preach the gospel and he might have had to struggle with a great burden of guilt for not being obedient.
I know, that’s not in the Bible. But just put yourself in Ananias’s shoes and think of how things happened and how things would have been different if he had held back and not given his support to Saul.
If God asks you to do something that seems like Ananias being asked to go to Saul, it’s okay to have questions and concerns, just as Ananias did. But you can find it in your heart to give freely in whatever way God asks you to.
Dorcas is a giver
One more quick example I want to mention. It’s just a short little vignette in the book of Acts. It’s the story of Dorcas, also known as Tabitha.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. Acts 9:36-41 NIV
This is a perfect example of someone who gave freely to others. Dorcas totally had the Sea of Galilee approach to living. And the ultimate result was that she was restored to life.
Jesus’s balance of receiving and giving
Now I said I wasn’t going to mention any examples of Jesus giving, but there is one thing I want to point out. And it has to do with finding the right balance between receiving and giving.
Some people give more than they are willing to receive and end up depleting themselves and not getting what they need.
Jesus obviously gave freely of all he received from God, but he gives us a really important example to follow. He makes sure he has time alone with God to receive all God has to give him. Sometimes Jesus got up very early in the morning, just to pray. (See Mark 1:35 below) Sometimes he stayed up all night praying. (See Luke 6:12 below) He knew he needed to receive whatever messages and guidance God had to give him. Then he gave freely to the people.
Jesus found a perfect balance of receiving and giving. And so can we.
We can follow his supreme example of the Sea of Galilee approach to life in our personal lives, at work, at church, in whatever situation we find ourselves.
If your life ever feels stagnant
If you ever feel like your life is stagnant and isn’t going anywhere, or if you feel like you have nothing to give, I hope you’ll remember some of the Bible characters we talked about today and the difference it made when they gave freely or withheld their talents, abilities, and resources.
I love this verse
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
The Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea don’t have a choice as to how the water comes in and goes out of them. But you and I do have a choice.
Be a cheerful giver. And I would add, be a cheerful and grateful receiver. You probably already are.
It’s not about the amount of resources you are given or how much time or money or effort you give. It’s about the gratitude for and generosity of God’s love that overflows in your heart to bless those around you.
Photo Credit: Jayson Boesman, unsplash.com
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
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Bible References
John 4:14 NLT
14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.
1 Samuel 25:37 NIV
37 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.
Luke 12:16-21 NIV
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.
17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.
19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Romans 8:6 KJV
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:6 NLT
6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
1 Kings 17:9-16 NIV
9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.”
10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?”
11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.”
12 “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”
13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.
14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land.’ ”
15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.
16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
Matthew 10:8 NIV
8 Freely you have received; freely give.
Genesis 39:22 NIV
22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.
Acts 9:10-15 NIV
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem.
14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
Acts 9:36-41 NIV
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.
37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.
38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.
Mark 1:35 NIV
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Luke 6:12 NIV
12 Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
