Inspiration # 8

UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

Men have sought to understand the Bible in many ways.
Some have thought to find the meaning by reading it like a newspaper and wonder why they can’t understand it. The truth is, God intended that it be STUDIED.
2 Tim 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Others have tried to use it like a ouiji board. They hope to find direction for their life by blindly opening the Bible and pointing to a passage. I heard a story of a man who tried this and the first passage read,
Mat 27:5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Thinking there must be a mistake he tried again and the result was,
Luke 3:11. let him do likewise.

An absurd story? Sure, but no more than one trying to please God in this way.
Some have thought to make every word literal in its meaning and have struggled with some of the symbolic passages
[Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.]

Others have taken the other extreme and have tried to spiritualize even the most mundane, everyday events found recorded there. I recall hearing a young man expounding on John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. As he proceeded, that napkin took on more and more significance until it almost overshadowed the empty tomb! [One thing this passage does prove to me, is that the so-called ‘shroud of Turin’ is a fake!]

The Bible is a book in which God has inspired His writers to use almost every literary device. There are metaphors, similes, symbols, types, parables, allegories as well as a great deal of simple, straightforward language. There are songs, poetry and prose. The Song of Solomon becomes even more beautiful when viewed as an opera. God has used all these, that He might make His will for mankind known.

Let us consider some of these techniques God has employed;
I. Similes. Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
This same word is in other places rendered, ‘compared’ and ‘like’.
A simile compares one thing to another in some way.
Ps 102:6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
Psa 102:7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
The Psalmist says he is LIKE these birds in their loneliness.

There are three possible applications of this passage;
1. David’s loneliness as he flees from Absolom.
2. Us - in times of trouble.
3. Christ, deserted by all men.

B. Song 1:9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.
The bride is compared to a team of horses! Denoting her preciousness. Horses had to be imported from India. Only kings and the very rich could afford them.
1. Solomon expresses his love.
2. Christ’s love for His Church.

C. Prov 25:25 As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.[Isn’t this a great description of the postings we receive from our service people?]
Isa 38:13 I reckoned till morning, that, as a lion, so will he break all my bones: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.
Isa 38:14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.
Note that in a simile one aspect or characteristic of something is used to describe one trait of another.

II. A Metaphor. These are slightly different in that the object itself stands for another. i.e. Isaiah said , he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, [a simile] while John said,
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Here, Jesus IS the lamb, a metaphor.
1. Song 2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2.Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Acts 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

III. A Symbol. Something that represents something else.
1. The cross represents the suffering of Christ.
2. The hand is often used as a symbol of God’s power.
3. The dove is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
4. In prophecy, a mountain is a symbol for a government.
5. The scepter is easily recognized as a symbol of royal authority.
6.Crowns and thrones depict rulership.

IV. The same object can sometimes picture different things.
The Wind- Jer 51:1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; In this case, the wind is the Medes and Persians who are to destroy Babylon.
John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. There can be no question that here, it shows forth the Holy Spirit.

V. TYPES are used to prefigure things that are to come later.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
A. Brass is a SYMBOL of judgment. The serpent is a Symbol of sin. Their use together in the brazen serpent became a SIMILE that was a TYPE of Christ bearing our judgment for sin.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

VI. A PARABLE is a truth illustrated by a fact. It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It is a story SIMILE.
Mat 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

VII. An ALLEGORY is a story complete in itself used to represent a fact. We might call it a STORY SYMBOL.
A. Judg 9:8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.
Judg 9:9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
Judg 9:10 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
Judg 9:11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
Judg 9:12 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
This is a portion of an allegory of the raising of Abimelech to the throne.

B. Paul uses the story of Sarah and Hagar as an allegory.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. The proper understanding of this allegory will help us to see the relationship between the Law of Moses and the dispensation of Grace under Christ.

C. We can use many Biblical events as ALLEGORIES.
The account of Paul’s shipwreck in Acts Chapter 27 is a wonderful ALLEGORY of life.
Allegories can be used to ILLUSTRATE Bible truth but NEVER to establish it.

Absolute

As the Thanksgiving holiday drew to a close I was trying to think of something about which to write for a new Home Page. Nothing came to mind that seemed pertinent, so I did what I often do in such cases; I laid the problem aside and waited for something to present itself.
While exercising my ‘trigger finger’ on the T.V. remote, I surfed across a group of ‘intellectuals’ discussing ‘theology’. I tuned in just in time to hear a woman theologian express, what was to her, an ABSOLUTE. I will paraphrase what she said, "absolutes are dangerous in religion, and that’s why fundamentalism in any religion is dangerous." In truth, the only thing really ABSOLUTE about her statement was its degree of error.

I will not dwell on the absolute errors of false religions, but there are some ABSOLUTE TRUTHS about which Christians must never compromise or doubt.

There is NO SALVATION outside of Christ.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

To reject Christ as the Son of God is to be eternally lost.
1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Christ paid the sin debt for EVERY man.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

I accept the fact of the resurrection along with Job, Paul and others, to whom this was an ABSOLUTE, which made life bearable.
1 Cor 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
1 Cor 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Cor 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

I really feel sorry for those who can't say, 2 Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Dogmatic? Yes, and proud of it. May we never be ashamed to be ABSOLUTE in our faith.

freddie