His handiwork cries out
Thomas Tuchyna
Have you ever sat in class and wondered what your teacher was talking about? Did you find it difficult to grasp a certain new concept?
In general, we are accustomed to seeing things from our own particular way or better said, from our own perspective. The way we see a new concept, or approach a new idea, depends on many different factors, in fact so many different factors that they are unique for each one of us. Just to mention a few would include things such as prior exposure to a similar idea, our attitudes towards new ideas, our personal inclination towards understanding things of a technical or linguistic nature, our nationality and cultural background, education, perseverance and many others.
When we come across a new concept, it is much easier to get our heads around it when it is explained in terms of an example that we are familiar with, that is a comparison. Other words for such comparisons are allegory and parable. God’s word contains many allegories and parables in both the Old and New Testament. A parable or allegory is a relevant illustration that is written in the language of the day to assist in a more vivid presentation of the truth to the mind.
I once heard a preacher say that even a broken piece of glass cast ashore by the waves, can be used to illustrate God’s grace and to preach a message of salvation.
Jesus used the parable of the mustard seed to teach about the remarkable growth of the kingdom of God (Matt. 13: 32-32). The parable of the unmerciful servant to illustrate the gospel law of forgiveness (Matt. 18: 23-35), and the lost coin to show to us his unusual love for sinners (Luke 15: 8-10) among many others. In addition to parables, Jesus used allegories of the wine and its branches (John 15: 1-8), houses built on the rock and on the sand (Matt. 7: 24-27) and the old and new wineskins (Mark 2: 22), just to mention a few.
When Jesus was approached by the Pharisees that he should stop his disciples from rejoicing and praising God, for the good work that he has done, he answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these keep quiet, the stones would immediately cry out.” (Luke 19: 40).
In our day, we have an increased understanding of science and technology, medicine, economics, law, language, art and literature, parts of which can be used as interesting examples to teach scriptural truth and to bring glory to and to lift up the name of Jesus. We too can praise God in our day and give him glory by using relevant examples to make more vivid the essential bible message of salvation to those around us.
It would certainly be interesting to see stones cry out the glory of God, but there’s no need for us to keep quiet having many reasons to glorify God, for we read “ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. ” (Ps. 19: 1). The little known or unfamiliar word of God can be made familiar by the use of examples, so watch out for articles on x-rays, transportation, power, cloud formations, toolboxes and more in the coming issues.
