In the Bible, “dry” often signifies an absence of water or moisture, symbolizing barrenness or desolation, as seen in the descriptions of drought or dry land. Additionally, it can represent spiritual dryness or a lack of vitality in one’s relationship with God (e.g., Psalm 63:1).
Scripture
6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made.
7 and sent out a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth.
8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground.
9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him.
10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.
11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth.
12 And he waited yet another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out.
Biblical Meaning of “Dry” Explained
The concept of “dry” in the Bible extends beyond the physical absence of water to encompass profound spiritual themes, such as desolation, barrenness, and a yearning for divine presence. In the context of the natural world, dryness occurs frequently in descriptions of drought-stricken lands, such as in Isaiah 35:1, which states, “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom.” Here, the imagery contrasts dry, lifeless terrain with the transformative joy that God can bring, suggesting that through divine intervention, even the most desolate places can become vibrant and fruitful. This connection highlights not just the physical state of the land but also God’s ability to restore and rejuvenate.
On a spiritual level, “dry” signifies a state of spiritual barrenness or longing for God. Psalm 63:1 articulates this sentiment well, with the psalmist expressing, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” This metaphor of dryness illustrates a deep yearning for the fulfillment and life-giving sustenance that a relationship with God provides. It draws a parallel between physical thirst and spiritual longing, emphasizing that just as water is essential for physical survival, so too is a vibrant relationship with God essential for spiritual vitality. Ultimately, the biblical notion of dryness often serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity of seeking God, who alone can quench the deepest thirsts of the human soul.
The notion of “dry” in the Biblical context can also be seen in stories that highlight the consequences of disobedience or a rejection of God’s ways. In the prophetic literature, dryness may symbolize spiritual barrenness resulting from sin and lack of adherence to God’s commandments. For example, the plight of the Israelites during their years in the desert after leaving Egypt serves as a stark illustration of this theme. Their physical and spiritual dryness during this period reflected not only the harsh desert conditions but also their struggle with faithfulness to God. The scarcity of water in these narratives often symbolizes a lack of divine guidance and blessing, indicating how their disobedience led to a profound sense of spiritual desolation.
Moreover, the metaphor of “dry” is often found in wisdom literature, where it evokes the emptiness that accompanies a life devoid of righteous living. Proverbs, for instance, speaks of how the way of the wicked leads to a “dry” existence, contrasting this with the flourishing life found in following God’s wisdom. Such passages point to the idea that a life disconnected from God results in spiritual barrenness, while drawing close to Him replenishes the soul. In this light, “dryness” is not merely a physical state but serves as a powerful metaphor for the soul’s condition, suggesting that vitality comes from a relationship with God and adherence to His guidance, leading to a life that flourishes like a well-watered garden.
Spiritual Thirst and Longing
In the Bible, the concept of “dry” often symbolizes a state of spiritual thirst or longing for God. Just as a dry land yearns for rain, individuals may experience a deep desire for spiritual fulfillment and connection with the divine. This metaphor highlights the human condition of seeking sustenance beyond the physical, emphasizing the need for spiritual nourishment that only God can provide.
Judgment and Desolation
The term “dry” can also signify desolation and judgment. In various biblical contexts, dry places are associated with barrenness and the consequences of sin. When a land is described as dry, it may reflect a state of abandonment or divine judgment, illustrating the stark contrast between life and death, abundance and scarcity. This imagery serves as a warning about the spiritual and moral implications of turning away from God.
Transformation and Renewal
Additionally, “dry” can represent a state of potential transformation and renewal. In biblical narratives, dry bones or dry land can signify a situation that appears hopeless or lifeless. However, these dry conditions often precede divine intervention and restoration. This theme underscores the belief that God can bring life and renewal even in the most desolate circumstances, offering hope and the promise of new beginnings.
How to Overcome Desolation Through Faith and Community
Overcoming desolation can feel like an insurmountable challenge, but as Christians, we are reminded that our faith and community are powerful tools in this journey. When you find yourself in a dark place, lean into your relationship with God through prayer and scripture; His promises are a source of hope and strength. Remember, you are not alone—reach out to your church community or trusted friends who can walk alongside you, offering support and encouragement. Sharing your struggles can lighten the burden and remind you of the love and grace that surrounds you. Together, through faith and fellowship, we can find light in the shadows and experience the transformative power of God’s love, which can turn our desolation into a testimony of resilience and hope.
Bible References to the Meaning of “Dry”:
Exodus 14:21-22: 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Joshua 3:14-17: 14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,
15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest),
16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho.
17 And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.
1 Kings 17:7-16: 7 And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him,
9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.”
10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
11 And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.
14 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’”
15 She went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days.
16 The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Psalm 63:1-5: 1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips.
Isaiah 35:1-7: 1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6 Then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
7 And the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
Jeremiah 17:5-8: 5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.
Ezekiel 37:1-14: 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones.
2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.
3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.”
5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’
12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
13 And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people.
Joel 1:10-12: 10 The fields are destroyed, the ground mourns, because the grain is destroyed, the wine dries up, the oil languishes.
11 Be ashamed, O tillers of the soil; wail, O vinedressers, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.
12 The vine dries up; the fig tree languishes. The pomegranate, palm, and apple, all the trees of the field are dried up, and gladness dries up from the children of man.
Matthew 12:43-45: 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.
44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.
Luke 23:28-31: 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’
30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’
23 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.
John 4:13-14: 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Revelation 16:12-16: 12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.
13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”
16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.