God’s Word Is a Mystery!
Understanding God’s Word, the Bible: God’s Word is a Mystery!
God the Holy Spirit Is The Means by Which “Parables” and “Dark Sayings” Are To Be Understood
In Psalm 78:1&2, God calls upon all believers to, “Give ear, O my people, [to] my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings* of old:”
Yet immediately thereafter only a straightforward Biblical historical account is provided!
Why is that?…It is because the historical account itself is a parable (or “riddle” or “allegory”), and it is therefore also an “Historical Parable“…which points to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ throughout time and space! And it was most certainly not written to be “plainly” understood!
In Proverbs 1:5&6, we read, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.” And in Psalm 49:3&4 we read, “My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.”
In 1 Corinthians 2 (the whole chapter) we learn more of the means of understanding God’s Holy Word, the Bible:
a) in verse 2, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”
b) in verse 5, “that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.“
c) in verse 7+8, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew:…“
d) in verse 10, “But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.“
e) in verse 13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.“
f) in verse 14, “But the natural man (everyone in the unsaved state) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“
In John 6:63 we read, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.“
e) in verse 13, “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual.“
f) in verse 14, “But the natural man (everyone in the unsaved state) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.“
In John 6:63 we read, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.“
Remember, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus always spoke in “parables.” In Matthew 13:34 we read that:”All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret*** from the foundation of the world.” (and this is a reference back to the prophetic statement we find in Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”)
Moreover, dear reader, please be aware that Job also spoke in a parable, as we are told in both Job 27:1 and Job 29:1. And a careful spiritual scrutiny of Job Chapter 28 makes clear that Job was serving as a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ in that parable precisely as crafted by God the Holy Spirit.
And before we leave the Book of Job, we should also take a look at Job 32:8, that reads in the King James English translation as, “But [there is] a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.“ Man is a living being with the spirit of life that goes back to Genesis 2:7, “¶And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.“ The original Hebrew word that is translated into English as both “inspiration” and “breath” is the same word, נְשָׁמָה (nᵊšāmâ)H5397. So what Job 32:8 is really saying is that man has the spirit of life as a physical living soul, but, and only if, someone is given The Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost from God Almighty can they then also have “Understanding”, and by implication, Eternal Life. This also brings to mind what we read in John 20:21&22, “¶Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:“
Jesus ONLY Spoke in Parables to the Multitudes
Matthew 13:34, “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:“
Jesus explained to His disciples why He spoke only in parables to the multitudes. In Mark 4:11&12, we read: “And he said unto them, Unto you (the elect) it is given to know the mystery** of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without (the non-elect), all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.“(God reiterates this explanation in Isaiah 6:9&10, John 9:39&40, and Acts 28:26-28… PLEASE read these verses to see the perfect reinforcement that they provide). The companion study on the hearing ear and seeing eye is helpful here as well.
* From the Hebrew word חִידָה (ḥîḏâ) H2420 (also used as dark sentences or speech) meaning “hard question, riddle, enigma, or puzzle,” and is synonymous with the word “proverb” or “parable”. But “parable” itself is derived from Hebrew word “mashal” which has the meaning of a “metaphorical adage requiring mental action.” Ezekiel 17:2 tells us that a parable and a riddle are the same, “Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;“
** Note that in the New Testament, “mystery” derives from a Greek word μυστήριον (mystērion) G3466 that means something that is hidden, secret, a mystery, a hidden purpose or counsel of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men, but plain to the godly. Something which imposes silence by shutting the mouth. Note how this ties in with Ephesians 6:19“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mysteryG3466 of the gospel,” and Colossians 1:26 “[Even] the mysteryG3466 which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:“
*** The word “secret” here derives from a Greek word κρύπτω (kryptō) G2928, that means “to conceal or hide”.
Conclusion
The conclusion of the matter is, only if (by the grace of God, alone) we have the Holy Spirit indwelling in our hearts (because we are called and chosen by God, and are therefore spiritually raised from the dead…and hence are “born again” by the Spirit), then our spiritual eyes and ears can be opened to the hidden Truth of God (in concurrence with being given the necessary faith hope and love and the desire to be obedient to Him!). Because that Truth is of God, and about God…then “spiritual” discernment (not carnal, earthly, human) is required. In Romans 7:14 we read, “For we know that the law (the whole word of God, the Bible) is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.“
Therefore, only if we are being guided by God the Holy Spirit, as a Gift according to God’s Sovereign Will and Good Pleasure, and by God’s Grace Alone, using the process of prayerfully searching and comparing scripture with scripture (comparing spiritual with spiritual) within the context of the whole Bible, can the veil be removed, such that we can begin to see Jesus Christ and His work of salvation for His people that God has inextricably interwoven throughout all His word, the Bible. Jesus really is the Child of Promise and The Way, The Truth, and The Life. May all who read this be as the Greeks in John 12:20&21 that came up to the feast to worship and say, “we would see Jesus.”
And please, dear reader, never forget that “Salvation is of the Lord” (Please see the study of Jonah), and “salvation” means being saved from the just penalty for one’s sins, and that penalty would, apart from salvation, require an eternity in Hell come Judgment Day.
POSTSCRIPT
We know from other studies that Jesus opens the book and Jesus closes the Book, so likewise God gives different spiritual gifts to each of His chosen according to His Own Will. But it is all to God’s Glory and our collective benefit as we read in Ephesians 4:11, “¶And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
Explore posts in the same categories: Bible Studies
Bereansearching Bible Studies 
Leave a comment