Download figure of speech—lesson 6

Today’s lesson is about how the concept of figure of speech factors
into our day-to-day lives and our understanding of God coming in the
flesh in the form of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:14-16
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
One of the best ways to communicate a complex truth is by using
“Figure of Speech.” It’s an image or portrayal of what you are trying to
say.
The purpose of a figure of speech is to increase our understanding
and to facilitate the communication process.
There are 9 ways the scripture reveals truth by the use of figure of
speech.
1. Allegory - An allegory is a figure of speech that uses symbols
to express truth. Symbolism is figure of speech using the
representation of one thing by another thing. Often a symbol
is used in place of an abstract idea or concept. The Bible is rich in
its use of symbols. Jesus as a lamb. Satan as a dragon. The
church as the Bride.
2. Typology - Typology is a figure of speech is when one thing in
the old testament is used to serve as an example of a higher
truth in the new testament. For example: The veil in the temple
was a type of the flesh of Jesus. The veil in the old testament
temple was not the literal flesh of Jesus but a figure of speech.
3. Simile - A simile is a figure of speech which uses the word
"like" or "as" to compare two dissimilar things. For example: The
Holy Spirit descended like a dove. It was not a literal dove but it
descended as a dove. The manner in which it came down was
in figure like a dove.
4. Metaphor - A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one
word is used in place of another. Noah’s flood and 8 people
being saved by water is a metaphor of baptism.
I Peter 3:20-21 “When once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein
few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a
good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.”
The point is that Noah’s family being saved from the flood waters
is a metaphor of baptism. It’s a figure of speech. Just like baptism
is also metaphor of being buried with Christ.
5. Personification - Personification is a figure of speech in which
an inanimate object is represented as if being a person or as if
possessing the attributes of a person. For example: the Psalmist
said, “Lift up your heads oh ye gates...”
6. Hyperbole - Hyperbole is a figure of speech which is
characterized by extravagant exaggeration. Job use this form
of figure of speech. “If only my anguish could be weighed and
all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh
the sand of the seas.” Job is attempting to describe the intensity
of his misery by comparing it to the extremely large number of
sand grains and the enormous weight of this sand.
7. Analogy - An analogy is a figure of speech in which there is a
likeness in one or more ways between things otherwise unlike.
For example: In Isaiah 8 an analogy used, the devastation of
Judah caused by the invasion of the king of Assyria is likened to
the power of a flood which destroys everything in its path. It is
important for us to recognize that this is not a literal flood, but
that the imagery of a flood is being used to describe the
effects of the invasion.
8. Parables - A parable is figure of speech used to illustrate a
moral truth in a profound way. God's purpose in the use of
parables was to give understanding to some but to confound
the minds of others. Parables reveal powerful truths and
mysteries which speak directly on such critical issues as
salvation and forgiveness. Jesus was able to communicate
timeless principles effectively using this type of figure of speech.
9. Irony - Irony is a figure of speech in which the intended
meaning of a statement is the exact opposite of what is
actually said. An excellent example of irony being used in
scripture is found in chapter 38 of the book of Job: "Then the
Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said . . . . Where were you
when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand ...
Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so
many years!
Now, If we interpret this verse in a strict literal sense, we would
have to accept as fact the idea that Job was born before the
creation of the earth and that he witnessed the creative process
and understood it fully. However, this conclusion would be false
because we can easily refute it from the Word of God.
You can see how effective the use of figure of speech is in
communicating truth.
Today’s lesson is about how the use of the term figure of speech
factors into our day-to-day lives and our understanding of God
coming in the flesh in the form of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:14-16
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible,
whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”
John 1:1, 14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God … 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Jesus is God’s figure of speech to the world.
Jesus is both the essence and representation of God to humanity.
He is God’s voice to humnaity. Not only did God use His WORD to
create the universe and the billions of galaxies of stars and planets, He
also came in person to walk this earth and make speeches that has
given mankind hope of eternal life.
This is huge!
“The Word (or Logos) became flesh.”
The Greek word Logos means “Idea, intelligence, concept”
There is more to this than we could ever imagine.
Jesus is the figure or the image of the invisible mysterious God.
He is the living Word incarnate. He the complex idea becoming
“Someone” we could understand.
Jesus is the ultimate figure of speech.
He is the icon that represents God’s communication with us.
He is the voice of God, the image of God, the word of God.
You say, “I already knew that, but what does this information have to
do with me?”
Here it is in a simple statement.
Jesus is not just God, He is God’s message to the world.
Jesus embodies everything God has to say to us.
What did Jesus do when he walked this earth?
He talked with people. He communicated with people. He loved
people. He was the ultimate preacher.
But in reality we are all preachers in a way.
We are all in the business of promoting Jesus by persuading people
with our words.
Never underestimate the power of words and how they are
communicated.
Here is a rule of thumb to use before you talk or say anything:
1. What is being said?
2. Why is it being said?
3. How should it be said?
Wether it’s a song, a conversation, a sermon, a sale, a business deal or
even talking to your children, it’s important to use this rule of thumb.
The secret to great communication is to connect with others to make
a difference in their lives and not just to make yourself look smart.
For example: The idea of communicating to my children is that I want
what’s best for them and I want their lives to head in the right
direction. It’s not about me being smarter or more advanced than
them. That’s not the message I want to send.
The message I want to send them is love. So sometimes in an honest
effort to help them understand what I’m saying, I must be my own
figure of speech.
I try to simplify it and give them the essence and embody it.
If you really want to change the world and make it a better place you
need to learn how to effectively communicate to people by winning
them over with a simple approach.
Maybe it’s a smile ... a warm tone ... a gentle and loving approach.
Maybe it’s a sincere attitude or just showing genuine interest in the
other person.
Sometimes the best way to communicate is to simply listen and be
aware of who you are talking to. The Bible says, “There is a time to speak
and a time to be silent.”
Just know when to keep your mouth shut and let others talk. The idea
is that everyone wants to be heard and if you are the only one doing
all the talking then the time will come that no one will want to listen
to you anymore.
The idea is to communicate with people, not just speak at them. There
needs to be a sort of dialogue between the speaker and his audience
—Even if it’s just one person. This is what Jesus was all about.
He came and spoke to individuals. Not just to the masses.
The reason that God decided to embody Himself as Jesus Christ was,
because He understood that humans are created beings that need to
be together.
God could have communicated to us through the thin air and his
voice could have communicated to us telepathically.
Instead he came in person. In a human figure.
Jesus Christ is the exact figure of God’s speech to mankind.
Jesus is the essence of everything God has to say.
He is the image of the invisible God.
He is the simplicity of great mystery.
You see, Christianity is a communication event. Christianity is simply
God’s way revealing himself to the world. The medium and message
are perfectly united.
This is powerful. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God.
Jesus’ very way of operating in the world is the revelation of God’s
message to humanity. It must remain simple.
We must never try to make it more complicated than it is.
We must beware of any attempts to corrupt it’s simplicity.
II Corinthians 11:3
3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve
through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ.
It is very important that anyone who wants to be effective in the
kingdom of God they must learn how to master the art of
communicating the Gospel of Christ in a simple and yet personal way.
This means to do more than speak the message but to actually
embody the message.
2 Corinthians 3:2-3
2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all
men: 3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle
of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit
of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the
heart.
Paul was saying, “Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by
just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it into human lives and it must
be exemplified to others.”
Your life needs to the figure of God’s speech to the world.
Your life needs to be a message to others.
Your life needs to communicate Christ to others.
People don’t always need to go to church to hear the best messages.
Rather, the best messages are those preached by people who are
living words of Jesus known and read by others.
Check this out!
Being the Church is two fold:
You are both the preacher and the temple
This may surprise some, but God doesn’t live in this church building.
This building was created by human hands. God doesn’t live in
anything created by man.
Man-made buildings
Man-made organizations
Man-made religions
God doesn’t live in anything created or designed by man.
Acts 7:47-49 47 But Solomon built him an house. 48Howbeit the
most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the
prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what
house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my
rest?
Many people come to church because they think that God lives at
church and many times they become disillusioned by what they may
or may not feel when they get to the church building.
People have turned their church building into an idol and somehow
they have come to believe that the building itself is sacred.
Acts 17:23-25 23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I
found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is
Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; 25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he
needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all
things;
This is huge!
God’s icons or figures through which he represents Himself is our
human lives. We are his mouth, his hands and his feet. We are his body.
We don’t own ourselves.
In order to Be the Church and to communicate God’s timeless truth a
person must understand what it means to be the temple.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 19 What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Many people forget what this thing is all about.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross he purchased our lives with his
blood in order to live in us and through us.
He wants to speak through our lives.
You are not your own. You are the message and medium of Christ.
You are God’s figure of speech.
But you have to be intentional about what your life is preaching to
others and how you can glorify God in your body.
What does it mean to glorify God in our bodies?
It means to be a living, breathing icon of God’s message to the world.
To speak, to share, to give, to exemplify, to model, to articulate the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
There is a reason why Jesus came as a little baby and not as some
ethereal spirit hovering over the water. He was hungry and thirsty; he
had people touch him and he touched people.
The awesome mysterious God of the universe became known of man.
People could see him, touch him, observe him and understand him.
And the only way he could do that was to speak their language, eat
their food and follow their customs.
When he communicated to them it was not with high sounding words
and complex terminology. No!
Instead he told parables. Have you ever counted all the parables that
Jesus told? He told 57 different parables.
What is a parable?
The Bible dictionary says, “The parable conveys to the hearer religious
truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the dull and
uninspired it is a mere story, “seeing they see not,” while to the instructed
and spiritual it reveals the mysteries or secrets of the kingdom of heaven.
Thus it is that the parable exhibits the condition of all true knowledge.
Only he who seeks finds.”
A parable is like a figure of speech. A figure of speech is a use of
symbolic or metaphorical language to convey an idea.
Here is another example of God using a figure of speech in the classic
sense,
Deuteronomy 32:9-10 9For the LORD's portion is his people;
Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. 10He found him in a desert land,
and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he
instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.
When God says that his people are like the apple of his eye. it’s a figure
of speech that illustrates a powerful point. The point is that he will
protect them.
Wikipedia says, “Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of
expression, or clarity.”
To those with a genuine hunger for God, a parable is both an effective
and memorable vehicle to convey divine truths.
Our Lord’s parables contain great volumes of truth in very few words
—and His parables, rich in imagery, are not easily forgotten.
So, then, the parable is a blessing to those with willing ears.
God gave you a mouth to use for more than just putting food into.
He wants to use your voice in a personal way to change the world. But
your voice doesn’t need to be smooth and your speech doesn’t have
to be eloquent.
Exodus 4:10-11 10 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never
been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to
your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." 11 The LORD said
to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or
mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the
LORD?”
We need to remember that it is God who gives us the ability to
communicate effectively to others.
You need not be intimated or feel like no one will listen.
Never underestimate the power of your voice and how it can make a
difference.
Wether it’s speaking to one person, 10 people or 100 people it’s
imperative that we understand the importance of three things:
1. Know Your Material
2. Know Your Audience
3. Don’t Be A Know-it-all
1. Know Your Material
If you don’t know your material and if you are not well versed then you
don’t have a right to even have an opinion, much less speak to others
about what you know little of.
Jesus didn’t just know his material when he preached to others—He
embodied the material. He owned it.
The secret to knowing the material you want to share is to own it.
To live it. To exemplify it.
Anytime we preach something we do not practice, it comes off as
insincere or maybe even a bit hypocritical.
To be effective at any level of communicating with others we need to
embody the truth we are proclaiming.
In other words, it’s impossible to proclaim truth unless who you are
matches up with what you say.
The content of your speech may be 100% truth but if your character is
not consistent with what you are saying then it will not resonate with
your audience.
Anytime we do not embody honesty then everything we say is
canceled out by hypocrisy.
The surface truth is overshadowed by the inner lies.
It’s not what you say that counts, it’s how you live.
The greatest communicators are people who are honest and selfeffacing. They are people who are real through and through.
Always practice what you preach.
Before you stand up as an authority on any subject be sure that you
have covered all the bases. Be the figure of your own speech. Become
the example. The illustration. Let your life be a simple paraphrase of
what you say. Don’t just mouth the words, live the words.
2. Know Your Audience
If you don’t know your audience then how can you even be sure that
what you are saying is relevant to where they are in life or it will go
over their heads.
In Acts 8 when Philip spoke with the eunuch in the desert, before he
preached anything he had to know his audience. He had to find out
what the man had been studying so he could meet him where he was.
He asked him a question in order to get into his world.
Too many times our speaking can be a exercise in futility because we
don’t know our audience. We sometimes just like to hear ourselves
talk.
The secret is to ask questions. To find out about your audience.
3. Don’t Be a Know-it-all
One of the quickest ways to turn people off is to act like you know
everything.
Wether you are talking to a co-worker, your spouse, or an audience of
people always be humble.
Jesus was one who truly knew it all but he didn’t come across as a
know it all. He personified humility.
Even Paul admitted that he had not arrived and that there was more
to learn. There were things he had yet to learn.
The problem with many Christians is that they think they know more
than others and this leads to pride.
Hopefully you see that everything you have experienced up to this
point in your life is not enough. You need more. You don’t know it all.
Maybe I should say it this way. In order to grow in knowledge and to
communicate God’s message you must never think you have God
figured out.
For that last few years I have been on a quest for more of God but
before I could go any further I had to realize how much I didn’t know.
Through the word of God I can see my personal flaws and
shortcomings. I can see how small I really am.
I see that there is nothing in my flesh that I can brag about.
I am amazed at what God has revealed about Himself and about me.
This is what we all must do if we want to experience more of God and
communicate God’s message. But please understand you may
discover things about God that will surprise you.
I realize, this is what scares many people. They don’t want to
experience a crisis of faith because they are afraid that it might require
them to change their way of seeing things.
This is why so many people are content to live with low expectations.
Their expectations of God never grow.
I want everyone here to understand that if you love God and love
truth you have nothing to be afraid of. You will not be deceived.
Paul underwent a powerful change that could only be explained
through God’s power and love.
Paul met the Jesus on the road to Damascus.
From that point on Paul had a change in his system of beliefs about
God and beliefs about himself.
This is powerful.
I wonder if you would be that willing to completely change your
religious assumptions and presumptions.
Paul said in Phil 3:7
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
When Paul spoke of his gain, he was referring to his religious
credentials his spiritual performance.
So after showing that he could beat the Judaizers at their own game,
he revealed that it was simply the wrong game.
What if you discovered that the religious viewpoint you had all of your
life was wrong? What if you discovered that what you were zealously
pursuing and religiously defending all your life was not correct?
Would you be willing to change? This is what Paul did.
Despite his great qualifications, Paul had come to regard them as loss.
Loss is singular.
The whole of his accomplishments falls under one heading—loss.
Wow! This is Powerful!
Most people do not have this kind of courage or humility.
When Paul understood that all his accomplishments were nothing
more than garbage in comparison to what Christ did, it caused him to
become a follower of Christ.
Phil 3:8-10
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ.”
Paul regarded everything as loss when compared to knowing and
gaining Christ.
He said he considered it, “dung.” What is dung?
This is figure of speech, (dung, manure, or excrement) is a serious way
to describe his past religious accomplishments. He was saying that his
human attempts to gain favor with God but were as worthless as a pile
of manure.
(Verse 9)
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Notice Paul’s desire is to be righteous. Not the “manufactured
righteousness from a religious system of rules.”
Because no amount of self-improvement, discipline or religious effort
can make anyone right with God.
No one can be saved by his or her own righteousness.
Not even Paul, with all of his credentials and accomplishments.
It’s all dung. It’s all a loss. It’s manure. The thing that he used as the
figure of speech to sum up his life was “excrement.”
You see, Paul wanted to be found living out a righteousness not
defined by the Law but through faith in Christ.
He wanted to embody the message of Jesus Christ
The truth, that he would one day be with God in eternity transformed
Paul’s life.
Phil 3:10
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his
death.”
To know Christ is more than knowing facts or doctrine about him. It’s a
personal relationship and growing experience with Him.
It’s more than talking about him. It’s experiencing him and modeling
him and His message of the cross before others.
Paul wanted to experience as much of Christ as he could in order to
develop Christ-like character.
This is called a cruciform—a desire to be shaped by the suffering of
Christ.
Paul is saying that he had not fully grasped all of the meaning of Christ
in his life. Even though he had been following Jesus for a few years, he
still expected more and knew that there was more for him.
Paul saw the Christian life as a figure of speech.
Are you the figure of God’s message to the world? Does your life speak
of His ways and his truth?