Word Pictures

“Look at what you hear.”

For the past few years, my Biblical studies have been heavily influenced and guided by a desire to understand the Bible in the way it was understood around the First Century CE. I want to see how it fits together like Peter and Stephen and Paul saw. I want to have a fire in my heart like John the immerser. And, more than anything, I want to read and live out the Text like my Rabbi, Yeshua and be just like him.

This way of pursuit has radically changed my filters. Where before I read merely to find applicable content (which made much of the histories, genealogies, laws, and prophecies of the Old Testament seem incomprehensible or inconsequential), I now read for context. Before, I thought “the devil is in the details”; now, I see God there.

For example, reading Matthew 11:28-30 for applicable content doesn’t do much for me. I come away hearing that Yeshua gives rest, but not knowing how to get it. Why would he brag on his humility? What is his yoke? How do I encourage my weary friends who need rest? What do the previous paragraphs matter? I’m perplexed, so I move on…

On the other hand, reading the same passage for context reveals just how applicable his words are. Context reveals that “I will give you rest” is not an original statement, but a quote. Just before God reveals His glory to Moses, who is weary of his burden of leadership, God says, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” This is the same Moses who lead and taught Israel as a prophet who heard from The Lord face-to-face. And, this aspect of his leadership is mentioned shortly after the Torah boasts of Moses’ humility.
The phrase “you will find rest for your souls” is also a quote by Almighty God. Spoken through Jeremiah to the nation of Israel in Jerusalem, the phrase is uttered in the midst of a prophecy of wrath and woe. The people are unrepentant; the leaders are greedy, placating liars; a foreign army will overrun the land; the people will mourn “as for an only son”.

In Matthew, we hear Yeshua denouncing unrepentant cities and claiming to be the only Son to truly know the Heavenly Father just before he gives a polarizing invitation. He claims God’s words as his own (which could be taken as a claim to divine authority), then attributes to himself the same qualities attributed to Moses, to whom “I will give you rest” was first spoken. Could it be that Yeshua is claiming to be a prophet like Moses? He offers to lead people into God’s Kingdom in the midst of a Roman occupation. And, he says all this in the vernacular of a rabbi, whose way of interpreting and living the Text was called his yoke.

Now, the context has revealed some applicable content. Yeshua gives rest to those who are repentant, who are willing to follow the Text as he taught, who believe in their heart that Yeshua is the Messiah, the prophet like Moses. He gives no formula for obtaining this rest, no 12-step program. He simply invites us to trust him. All of this is gleaned by reading in context.

Changing the way I read (from content-first to context-first) has significantly altered my approach to the Text to my great pleasure and advantage. For instance, now that I look forward to my reading time, I read more. Consequently, I have gained a more broad understanding of how Scripture fits together and have even been motivated to share what I’ve learned. Evangelism is no longer a compulsory drudgery; now, it’s a natural part of sharing my interests and discoveries.

Especially influenced is my expectation in approaching God’s Word. I expect to enjoy the Text because it’s more like a conversation than a code decryption, though there are hidden pearls to be found. I expect to have a more reliable interpretation that, in the words of Prof. Gordon D. Fee,

“brings relief to the mind as well as a prick or prod to the heart”- Gordon Fee [1].

This pursuit, this changing of expectations has led to some interesting discoveries. On approaching and interpreting the Text in its context, one discovery stands out more than any of the others: pictures.

Thinking in pictures

According to the personal anecdotes of Ray Vander Laan a.k.a. RVL [2], Westerners and Easterners tend to approach the Bible differently because they think differently. Western thinkers tend to think according to the patterns established by Greek philosophers and commentators who made much of conceptual distinction. Because of this, Western thinkers tend to approach ideas primarily with logic and definitions. An idea “makes sense” if it can be logically derived. They default to considering variables and characteristics. To be clear, this method of approach is not a bad one. It lends itself to precise discussion and incredible organization. It provides a means for understanding historical events with bullet points and diagrams which are much more conducive to sorted lists. But, as with any system, there are disadvantages.

The “a priori” logic and order comes at a price. If my experiences with Christ-professing church-goers is an accurate reflection of the general state of things, that price is awe.

What about Eastern thinkers? What’s different? According to RVL, people who “think Hebrew” don’t think in the abstract; they always think in the concrete with pictures. An idea “makes sense” if it agrees with experience and history. This method of approach proves much worse for organization, but much better for revealing the richness of contextual relationships between ideas.

The distinction between the Eastern and Western methods of approach is especially clear in answers to questions.

Were I to ask Western thinking believer, “How do I know that I can rely on God to provide for me?”, he might say something like, “Has God abandoned you so that you don’t have people who love you? Has he left you without food or shelter or clothes? If the God who doesn’t change has been your provider before, He will be your provider again.”

If I asked an Eastern thinking believer the same question, he might say something like, “Who is your Shepherd? Does a sheep need to doubt his Shepherd?” Or, he might say, “Who is your Refuge in times of trouble? Will your Refuge collapse and cave in? Who is your Shade? Will your Shade suddenly expose you to the dangers of the environment?” Or, he might say, “Aren’t sparrows sold for mere pennies in the market? Yet, not even one of them falls to its death apart from the will of your Father. And, even the hairs on your head are numbered. So don’t worry; you’re worth at least as much as some sparrows.”

Do you see the difference? I don’t mean read the difference (or if you are listening, hear the difference). I mean, do you SEE the difference?

It’s a picture. The most immediate benefit of “thinking Hebrew” is getting to see what you hear. This is why Yeshua says, after describing God as an eccentric Farmer who sows seed everywhere instead of just on the “good soil” and describing revelation as a lamp on a stand,

“Look at what you hear.”

The complex idea of God as someone who wants to share His Word with whomever will listen is contained in the picture of God as a Farmer. And, the power of the picture demands more consideration and response. What kind of Farmer sows seed on the road? Why would He do that? What kind of farmer sows seed before the soil is ready? Isn’t he concerned about being wasteful? If he has a good grasp of cost and benefit, why is He so extravagant?

The picture settles your mind and unsettles your heart. It leaves you asking “how” and “why”. It pulls you in with awe that would be lacking in a formulaic outline. I love that.

When you read your Bible and wonder why it don’t match my translation, note that most English translations say something like, “consider carefully what you hear,” or, “pay attention to what you hear,” which misses the point of concrete thinking. The Greek supports the “Look at what you hear” idea with the word βλέπω (blepo) that denotes a sense of mentally visualizing or gazing in every instance of its use.

If this isn’t already jumping out at you, I invite you to read through the Gospels and see if Yeshua speaks in abstract concepts or in pictures. Can you mentally visualize his sermons? Look at what you hear!

Let’s do a quick exercise. Take out a piece of paper (or the computer in your pocket) and jot down 5 or 10 short answers to this question: What is God like?

(Don’t read further until you have finished.)

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Finished? Ok, lets compare answers. A few years ago, before I had started learning to “think Hebrew”, I would have had this “Western thinker” list:

God is –

1. Loving
2. Just
3. Powerful
4. Awesome
5. Terrifying (to His enemies)
6. Good
7. Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent
8. Creative
9. Understanding
10. Praiseworthy

All of those things are true. Scripture resounds with the truth of those attributes. However, I can’t see them. Now, I default to the more Hebrew way of describing God. Here is an “Eastern thinker” list of unique pictures from the Psalms:

God is –

1. My King [Psa 5:2]
2. My Shield [Psa 7:10]
3. My Strength [Psa 18:1]
4. My Rock, My Fortress, My Stronghold [Psa 18:2]
5. My Shepherd [Psa 23:1]
6. My Light [Psa 27:1]
7. My Hiding Place [Psa 32:7]
8. My Song [Psa 118:14]
9. My Shade [Psa 121:5]

These descriptors bring to mind specific pictures. When I see a lone tree in a parking lot or when the sun is hidden behind a cloud, I remember that God is my Shade. When I’m hiking or climbing outside, I remember that God is my Rock. When I walk into my house, I remember that God is my Refuge and my Fortress.

The picture is something concrete that you can hold. More than that though, the picture is a relationship.

Now, we see the second advantage of thinking in pictures: there’s room for you in them. Even the devil can say, “God is good and awesome and powerful and loving.” But, only the believer can say, “God is MY King and MY Rock and MY Shepherd.”

God is mine. If you believe, He’s yours too. And, I am under the impression that, if you more often see Him in pictures, you will more often remember and live out His Word.

Look at what you hear…

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Sources:

• [1]: The test of good interpretation is that it makes good sense of The Text. Correct interpretation, therefore, brings relief to the mind as well as a prick or prod to the heart.” – Gordon D. Fee, ‘How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth’, Ch.1
• [2]: The teachings of Ray Vander Laan have been indispensable to me. His understanding of the Scriptures and passion in their presentation is infectious. Also, many of his sermons/lectures are available for free.

Referenced Scriptures:
[Mar 4:24, Luk 8:18], [Mat 11:28-30], [Exo 33:14], [Num 12:8], [Num 12:1-9], [Jer 6:16], [Jer 6], [Jer 6:26], [Mat 11:20-30], [Deu 18:15-20], [Act 3:17-26], [Psa 102:25-28, Mal 3:6], [Psa 23], [Psa 59:16], [Psa 121:5], [Mat 10:29-31], [Mar 4:3-8,14-20], [Mar 4:21-23], [Psa 5:2, 7:10, 18:1-2, 23:1, 27:1, 32:7, 118:14, 121:5]