From a netfriend/priest:

Would you care to make some comment regards Holy Water? (i’s origin, use, purpose, etc..)

The use of water amongst God’s people is ancient and approved by God. We can trace this history of how water was used by a quick overview.

Let us note water is a created substance, created by God and was part of the creation which was announced as being “good”. From the very instant of creation the bible tells us that the Holy Spirit deemed fit to use and bless water for use to bring liofe and new life, for example:

In the creation story we read that “The Holy Spirit hovered over the waters and brought forth life from the seas. A point frequenty ‘forgotten’ to be quoted by my brothers the creation scientists is that the Bible says even “bird life” was brought forth from the waters as well as fish and all that swims in the sea.

“20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” Recent translations have tried to hide the subtle point this verse alludes to.

So from the very beginning the Holy Spirit chose water as the means to bring forth life on the earth.

Water was commonly used in the rites of the Jewish people for washings and cleansings, these were rituals that were required to prepare to mee with God. There are very many references to water and washing, and whilst they refer to bodily cleansing, there are also many hints to an inner cleansing, especially the baptism of the Christian which was foreshadowed in these washings.

Exodus 29:4-5

4″And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. 5Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod.

Here we see those to be made jewish Priests to God were first washed.

But this washing was not a simple ritual but a command of God with a serious threat attached to it: Accordingly a seperate and complete bronze laver (baptistry) was constructed near the taberbacle and those approaching God -had- to wash or risk death…..

Exodus 30:18-20

18″You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.’

Naaman the leper. Naaman was a Syrian general with leprosy, He was told by the prophet Elisha to wash in the Jordan 7 times and be healed. Naaman objected saying his own waters should be enough (a hint of rejecting God’s way) but a servent girl (who represents the Church)

told him to obey the prophet which naaman did and was healed. It was not for nothing that Naaman was told to go only to the River Jordan to be baptised as this was the very river that Jesus was to be baptised in as well.

2 Kings 5:9-11

9Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

Naaman obeyed and was healed.

Christian priests (anglican, catholic, eastern and oriental orthodox)

all wash their hands before they approach the Christian altars reciting this verse:

Psalm 26:5-7

5I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked. 6I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O LORD, 7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Every morning and evening orthodox recite Psalm 51 in their prayers which begins thusly:

Psalm 51:1-3

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.”

The washing is a prophecy of baptism.

Ruth: Ruth was a convert to God’s people and her story is one of love and acceptance of another culture and people of God. But Ruth’s story also points to what the church would do with converts in the future time:

Ruth 3:2-4

2Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.”

Now here we see reference to a winnowing floor, washing, anointing and a best garment-all used of course in a literal sense with Ruth, but, surprise surprise this also points spiritually to -exactly- what the Church does with a convert. John the baptist called the people of God a threshing floor that jesus was coming to with His winnowing fork in His hands, new converts are baptised (living water), then anointed…Holy Spirit and then a new garment is placed on them-white, meaning new in Christ-regenerated. So here again water is integral to new life.

Living water: The Bible often makes reference to living water (which is water infused with the Holy Spirit) for example:

Jeremiah 2:12-14

12Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid; Be very desolate,” says the LORD. 13″For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

Here God refers to the rebellion of His people by rejecting His way and attempting to replace them with their own ‘waters’ which are termed as not living and broken cisterns.

An early church document called the Didache (teaching) has a small paragraph on baptism and states specifically that the baptised should be brought to “living water” and there baptised. people often confuse this as ‘moving’ water like a river yet we all know baptisms are valid in tanks of water? So why the reference to living if not moving water? and how can water simple acting with the law of gravity moving from one elevated position to a lower one deem it living anyway? No, the reference in the Didache clearly refers to the Biblical reference of living waters which is enfused with the Holy Spirit of God for new life. Jesus our Lord referred to this water when He said:

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

In the beginning and announcement of the Christian era what do we find? water again being used to announce the Messiah…

John the baptist baptised in the river Jordan. Christ came to him to be baptised and the Holy trinity was proclaimed by the event, Father speaking from heaven, Holy Spirit descending like a dove and Jesus being called my Beloved Son. John knowing who Jesus was said…You should baptise me! The jews even knowing that baptism was to be a sign of the Prophet, messiah or the One to come, challenged John the baptist saying…”Why do you baptise, are you the One who was to come?”

So even amongst Israel the prophecies were known that the one who comes baptising was the Messiah, but they confused the announcer/forerunner with the Messiah.

It is said by the church fathers that when Jesus our Lord was baptised in the river Jordan that He sanctified -all- water on the earth in a special way as He is God. Thus water was enfused in a way by Him.

Of course when the apostles came into every land they baptised people into “living water” water which had been blessed with the Holy Spirit for purification of sins and regeneration of new life.

We continue this to today.

Water is and can be made holy because God the Holy Spirit sanctified it. God the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, blessed it and was baptised into it, and God the Father demanded sanctification of His people throughout time to approach His holiness.

Time and space do not permit for me to refer to Ezekiels “rivers of water” that came over him in a prophecy of baptism, of Noah’s flood and how St peter said that eight souls were baptised -into Moses- and were saved by water, and of the eternal new heaven and earth where ‘living rivers’ come from the east out of the temple and water the whole people of God forever.

Holy water is Living water, water the Holy Spirit has infused, blessed and is given for our healing, sanctification, forgiveness of sins, regeneration into new life, The Christian Church has always used and retained holy water. This was thrown out by moderns assuming some wrong concept of it. Unfortunately.

Peace and grace.