Jesus prayed before and after he walked on water in Matthew 14. He went up on the mountain to pray before the storm on the sea which happened around 3/4 am (the forth watch of the night). He appeared walking on the sea to His disciples. I have often wondered why? He could have just commanded the storm to cease from the shore after all He is/was God. He could have immediately popped into the boat. He chose to walk on the sea, I believe, to show us all something. I believe everything in the text is meaningful. During a bible study recently I realised that there is a link somehow to Noah’s Ark and Jesus walking on water. Noah’s ark was covered in Pitch, which means ‘covering or atonement’ (Kaphar/Kopher/Kippur) and it floated on the sea, saving humankind. I did a little research myself and wondered if Jesus had some kind of ‘covering’ or ‘atonement’ in the walking on the sea story. I found that prayer was His ‘covering’, He prayed on the mountain beforehand, and afterward the people who touched the hem of His garment and everyone was healed. The ‘hem of His garment’, in Matthew 14, is believed to be His tallit which as a Jewish Rabbi, he would have worn; this was a prayer shawl. It is interesting to me that the story specifically indicates that all the people touched the edge of His prayer shawl and were healed. Could this be the ‘covering’ trajectory link to the Noah’s ark narrative? Could there be a deeper meaning to the walking on the sea story. That it shows us clearly in pictorial form that Jesus is the saviour of the world and that He, like the ark of Noah, is the vehicle to bringing calm in all storms, healing to all sickness and that the covering is His prayer for us and our prayer to Him? He is our prayer covering.
There is also a deeper aspect to all this which is linked to the Ark of the covenant, which if you study the word chiasms in the text is linked to Noah’s ark also. The covering on the ark of the covenant was gold in contrast the the sticky dark pitch of Noah’s ark and also it had a lid with a crown and two glorious winged cherubim covering the lid. There are many layered coverings in the text which also I think is part of the mystery of all these stories. The same word kippur/kaphar/kopher is used in the passages denoting the ‘coverings’ on the ark of the covenant and Noah’s ark. The ark of the covenant unlike Noah’s Ark and the passage of Jesus walking on water, is not in a storm. The future chiastic trajectory pattern 1. storm of Noahs atk 2. dwelling of God with man of the covenant ark 3. Storm when Jesus walks on water 4. dwelling with God now and in future. This pattern shows us the future in the text. There is another ‘Ark of the covenant’ type ‘happening’ which is covered in shiny golden glory, which is in contrast to the previous ‘covering’: Jesus came as son of man but now He and His bride come as Son of God and dazzling bride. It’s truly glorious. This is shown us in the revelation of Jesus in Revelation 21:2; and is a Holy City, a royal nation belong to God: The Bride of the Messiah Jesus herself. Those who love Jesus, follow and obey Him, are called according to His purposes and who are full of His word and Spirit are going to be the City/Bride ‘coming down from heaven’ to a new earth. They are God himself with mankind corporately dwelling in perfect unity together. A holy nation belonging to God. I believe we are going to be that bride together one day and will walk in The revelation of who we are in the oneness with/of/in Jesus. There is also a sense of if we see it we are able to be in it which is faith. This is part of the revelation of who our messiah is, let us have faith to know that He and we are ‘one’ as He prayed for us in John 17. We are covered in His powerful blood, love, peace and wholeness.
Be covered and walk in and with His glory and grace. Be blessed.
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