Metaphor

There are a lot of metaphor terminology floating around in the Bible nd when people talk abut the Bible.

A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. a thing regarded as representative or symbolic of something else, especially something abstract.

The Hebrew Bible abounds in metaphors and other figurative speech. So there is and importance of their study for the interpretation of biblical texts. But there is a reason for them and no amount of study will guarantee your understanding.

• 2 Timothy 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

But if you unmoor the symbol or move it out of place instead of clarifying you will confuse.

The purpose of biblical parables was to actually keep people from understanding the kingdom. There are several reasons for this but first we must understand that the kingdom of God is revealed not by flesh and blood but by the Spirit of God writing in your hearts and minds.

One of the ways you know people are not getting inspiration is that they seem to confuse the metaphor and the parables so that they misinterpret the symbols. One of the ways you know they may be getting it is that they do not confuse these things so that they do not fit together in the whole text.

The reason they are not getting it is because to know and understand you must go into the dark chambers of your heart and allow the light to be turned on.

There are many things we do not want to see about ourselves but we must. When we try to be doers of the word we will by our nature come into the presence of our sins. They will bubble up in our face. To see and understand and hear God in our hearts we must learn to be quiet in our minds.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

When we are still we can allow ourselves to hear God in our hearts and in our minds.

The Bible uses the words left and right in reference to seats of government and duties of people.

The right hand is the hand that holds a sword, carries the power to wield authority and administer justice while the left hand or the sets on the left side is often for alms or charity and of course mercy. The right and left hand of the law is justice and mercy.

So when the apostles desired the right and left hand seats in the kingdom they were asking for control over these two jobs in government, justice and mercy.

While a government may have both law enforcement and charitable welfare duties in truth every judge or jury has both the duty of ministering or administering justice and mercy.

If a couple walks down the street arm in arm the women might be on the left by custom and in some cultures they did that so that his right hand would be free. But to make things like that rule would unmoor the symbol especially for left handed men.

We must always remember that these thing are representative or symbolic only. The people have their own left and right hand. They have them to use to fulfill all the duties of society imposed by God.

The people have their own duty to God and must use their own left and right hand to perform that duty if they are to remain free in a state of nature.

Every man and woman should attend to justice and mercy in all that they do.

Every family as the first body politic must attend to the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Law includes justice and mercy and faith includes the probity that spurs us into action.

Most governments are instituted by men although God instituted the power of man to create governments. But Church was instituted or established by Christ.

The Church is the Bride of Christ. Christ is the king and one with God the Father.

So what is the role of the Church in the governing of man?

The Church is one form of government but it cannot exercise authority one over the other but it is to be a Benefactor of the people and provide a Daily ministration.

I have actually heard people suggest that the church, meaning the ministers, are the servants of the people. While the Church should serve the needs of the people in a way that strengthens the people. An “Elder” or head of the family is not the “representative husband” of the Bride of Christ.

The people are the Children of God not the husband of the Church.

The Church has been trusted with a job of Pure Religion in the world.

The Church is not a Sovereign entity but a Sacred entity. It does not make law but it is not of the world.

Are there any questions?