I love learning new things, especially when it can shed light on Scripture.  In one of my small groups in class, Bruce Jacobson shared some information I found particularly interesting.  He gave me permission to share it with all of you.  Bruce is a protein biochemist and systematic theology student.  His wife is a fiber artist.

In Jeremiah 13, God tells Jeremiah to take linen cloth and hide it in a cleft of the rock.  God also specifies that he is NOT to “dip it in water.”  God doesn’t want the linen cloth to get wet.  After “many days,” God asks him to go back and get the linen cloth.  Jeremiah does and notes that it was “ruined” and “good for nothing.” (Jer. 13:1-11)  At first reading, this doesn’t mean a whole lot to most of us.  It didn’t to me.  But then, I don’t know a whole lot about linen cloth.  Bruce, however, does.  His insight sheds light on this passage making it both interesting and applicable to us today. Bruce explains:

Unlike most fibers, linen is stronger when wet. Dry linen is relatively fragile. Because I have recently been following the image of water as Torah, the instructions to Jeremiah hold a symbolic meaning to me as well. The people of Judah, in denying God and God’s word have become dry and fragile.

Some commentaries suggest that the linen rots while in the cleft. However, linen is remarkably durable and resistant to microbial decay (this is why it is used in money). I’d like to suggest another interpretation.

Another characteristic of linen is that it is non-elastic (opposite of spandex). This manifests not only in lack of stretchiness, but in a fragility when bent or folded because the individual fibers break. If one accepts that Jeremiah would have to fold or scrunch the linen undergarment to place it in the cleft, a likely result is that it broke along the folds.

Also, since my wife spins, I am tuned to the communal strength gained by spinning individual fibers together. Uniquely, linen must be wetted when spun for the fibers to adhere without breaking. Fine linen is spun in hot humid environments and the fibers immersed in hot water while spinning.

Let me add one more important piece of information that you probably do know: water is life-giving and is essential for life; we can only survive three days without it.

Now, let’s look again at the story.  God tells Jeremiah to take DRY linen cloth and hide it in a rock cleft, only to discover days later that it is ruined.  Keeping in mind that we need water at least every three days to survive, and the Torah (Scripture, or God’s Word) was often referred to as water, we may first conclude that this is a visual image symbolic of our need for hearing and receiving God’s Word at least two to three times per week (every three days), to prevent us becoming fragile or spiritually dead.  Next, we might note that, like linen, we’re stronger when we are “woven” together in community.  We need to be in fellowship with other Christians, soaking up God’s Word and working together in relationship.  Finally, I would like to stretch this metaphor to say that we may need more water… more of God’s Word… when we are asked to bend so we can remain flexible.  When do we need to bend?  When there is change or when we must compromise to work well with others.

The idea of water as a spiritual life-giving substance should not sound completely foreign.  Water is used in baptism for new life, and Jesus said, “To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water’ will flow from within him.” (John 7:38)  Read John 4:1-26, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally!

Annie
Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4%3A1-26&version=NRSV