Category: Bible

Symbolism in the Bible

Have you ever read some of the passages in the Bible where it talks about Heaven and you knew that the words used were not sufficient for the full description? Where it seems like the writer is just using the best words that he can find to make what heaven is like somewhat understandable?

Two weeks ago at church I preached about Heaven. I taught through the descriptions in Revelation 21 as to the beauty and splendor of that wonderful place. I know the author, John, used wording that was understandable. But we have often heard people say that words cannot fully explain what Heaven will be like. The symbolism that John used in those verses surely pale in comparison to the actual beauty of Heaven.

This last Sunday I preached about Hell. In preparation for my message I skimmed through an excellent resource that I have kept since my college days. It is a doctrines book written by William Evans, Great Doctrines of the Bible. In this passage he is talking about the literalness of the use of the word “fire” to describe Hell (page 262).

It is an accepted law of language that a figure of speech is less intense than the reality. If “fire” is merely a figurative expression, it must stand for some great reality, and if the reality is more intense than the figure, what an awful thing the punishment symbolized by fire must be.

I thought that was an appropriate paragraph to describe the awfulness of Hell. Conversely, everything John writes about Heaven can be seen in the same light. That all the wonderful thoughts and imagery that the words used to describe Heaven conjure up in our minds, it is but a small descriptor of the reality of God’s home.

Praise team

Ever been to a church with a Praise or Worship team? I am not going to argue the goodness or badness of it, I just want to give some thoughts on the subject. Though, in doing some quick reading, I did come across an idea that I like which carries great validity.

But first, why did this come up?

I was at a church tonight that has a praise team. I have been there a few times before. In general I do not like their style of music, but the pastor is a friend and he is having special meetings this week. So I went. I saw something though that I often see with these praise teams. A couple of the singers were singing and swaying and screwing up their faces like they were “working up” the emotion to praise the Lord.

Do they sing like that when they are not in front of the congregation? I have seen it some times. I have spent many hours on the platform of churches during song services and I have to say I have seen some people working up a sweat with their facial expressions…but rarely. In a church of 400 there might be one, or three. But on many praise/worship teams there are usually a couple or a few who look like they are putting on the best performance their high school acting classes could teach them.

Why? Why do you have to sing differently when everyone is looking at you than when no one is looking at you? Who are you singing for? To praise God or to be seen of men? I admit that you should at least look like you are excited to be alive and be used by God, but should you go over board on that?

Now back to my reading and a response to the issue.

There are two legitimate arguments that I can think of right off that would warrant having more than one song leader. One is that there is biblical precedence for having congregational music led by more than one voice. You see in the Old Testament, on a couple of occasions, where the congregation of Israel was lead by selected priests in music. Not just one person leading, but a group of people leading the worship in song.

The second argument for having a team of song leaders is so that you can more easily harmonize the music. If you have one song leader, then you hear one voice. How many of you know the melody line of every song in the hymnbook, but do not know any of the other parts of harmony? It happens. Especially when you have just one leader.

That brings us to the potential need to have a team of song leaders. You are lead in worship by a group which can provide the harmony to the congregation thus enabling them to sing a more pleasant praise or worship to the Lord. It used to be called a choir and worked for many many years without the showboating or other issues that seem to be introduced into the church by a small group praise/worship team.

Was the choir such a wicked thing that we had to throw it out?

Two snowflakes alike?

SnowflakeI don’t want to have to say “I told you so,” but I have been saying this for years. Apparently there has been a study released saying that it is possible that there would be two snowflakes exactly alike…a proposition I have long held.

Some people have held to the fact that there are no identical snowflakes as if it were a religious doctrine. Those in the religious community often even use that “fact” to show that God has made us all different. I strongly believe that God has made us as individuals and he knows us intimately, even if we choose not to know him. But, snowflakes are not people.

I feel justified.

Rats in India

I remember a few years ago talking about this same problem. People in India are starving because the rats are eating all of the rice before it can be harvested. If I remember correctly the problem before had to do with the rats eating the rice out of the warehouses.

But, since rats are deified in the Hindu religion, you cannot kill them. The rats are allowed to live and prosper while people are dying of starvation. I imagine the economy in this region is also affected greatly.

This was brought to my mind because of a story I heard on Mission Network News this morning. Here is an excerpt:

Mizoram and Manipur sees to be the hardest hit states. The Chief Minister of Mizoram is a Christian and ordered that all rats be killed. However in neighboring Manipur, the chief minister is a Hindu. “Killing rats is psychologically difficult for many Hindus since rats are actually deified in the Hindu religion. The elephant god of prosperity if [sic] often portrayed as riding upon a giant rat.”

Pudaite says Manipur’s rice harvest has been especially hit hard this year. “They thought they were going to have a wonderful harvest this year. And then, the farmers went to their rice fields to harvest and over night the rats had devoured all of their harvest.”

My God tells me to not make any images or worship anything besides Him (Exodus 20:3-5). He also says that man was made to have dominion over the plant and animal kingdom (Genesis 1:27-30).

When you step outside of the laws that God has lain down for us, you have a world that falls out of proportion. You have people worshiping rats and allowing the rats to eat the food intended to keep human families alive. You have more value placed in the life of a rodent than on the life of a starving child.

Fortunately, the God I worship is merciful enough to allow those who worship Him help those who do not. There will be lives saved through this crisis because Christians from around the world are willing to make sacrifices on behalf of unbelievers whom they have never met.

Bibles for the World is distributing rice in the region in Jesus name, but Pudaite says they also did something else. “We provided the Bible in their language, for every family that did not have the Bible in their home. It’s a tremendous opportunity to share the love of Christ.”

Funding is needed. Bibles for the World would like to distribute more than one-million Bibles this year. Coupled with that is the need for purchase rice. “Bibles for the World has established a special relief fund. All the donated money will be used to buy rice, which our co-workers in India will distribute to the people.”