I want to continue the thoughts that I was exploring a couple of Nuggets which touched so many of you. Well actually it was Tania’s story I told that touched you I am sure, but the topic is a very important one. This time I am going to take you deep into the world of Deeper Bible and do something I have never done before:- share something from Deeper Bible 601. I have a principle that I operate on across Deeper Bible that I don’t share anything from a deeper level with a group working at an earlier (shallower) level. But I am about to break that rule outside of Deeper Bible.
I am going to share with you the notion of word pictures in the Bible and the word picture of Stones which I use in the Experiencing the Bible module at the Deeper Bible 601 level. This is done in a hands-on way normally in the session but I won’t be doing that in this Nugget. I am not at the point of being able to do that in an interactive way yet and won’t be able to until the 601 series is videoed next year. [The Lord willing and Coronavirus a thing of the past.]
However I want to try something new this morning. I am not going to give you a long preamble but rather dive straight into it. Firstly, I will explain briefly about word pictures in the Bible in conjunction with allowing God to speak to you in a right brain way. Let me explain both of those concepts before we begin. Word pictures and right-braining come from the Fifth Session of the first level of Deeper Bible 101:5.
Word Pictures
The Bible is full of word pictures. A word is used to conjure up an image or concept in our minds and then is attached to a context. For instance “snow”. Snow has many properties as we all know. The Eskimos have 25 different words for snow. Well I guess as a geographer that is not strictly true. What they have are 25 different words for the forms of precipitation they are familiar with: snow, sleet, rain, slurry, hail etc. The power of using word pictures is that we have to know the particular property of snow that is in focus in the mind of the creator of the word picture. To the Eskimo it is important to have 25 different words for “snow” because they need to know the property or quality of the snow that is in focus. Is this snow (read precipitation) firm enough to stand on? Is it suitable for building igloos? Is it drinkable? Etc etc twenty-five times over.
What then is the focused property of snow in these verses?
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
Isaiah 1:18
“His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.”
Matthew 28:3
Surely in the first it’s the purity and in the second it’s the brightness or dazzling nature of snow. As you will learn in Deeper Bible 101:5 we have to work out the point of comparison in order to be able to work out what the speaker or writer is meaning when using a word picture.
Right Braining
We are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made as Paul Brand and Philip Yancey demonstrated in their classic book of that title. God has made us with two hemispheres of the brain which function differently and yet can replicate themselves in times of brain damage in order to make up for lost function on the other side of the brain. Not only that but we all have the ability to use our brains in both of these ways. Yet some of us are more left than right brained while others are more right than left brained.
In Deeper Bible I show you how to use the right side of your brain to pick up on what God is saying to you in ways other than logical, reasoned, analytically structured words. Welcome to the world of hearing God speak in word pictures.
Now to the point of this Nugget: The Stephen Stones and The David Stones
The Stephen Stones
Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. [NLT]Acts 7:57-60
English Proverb: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.”
- How do you react to the Proverb above?
- Is it true? Has it been true for you?
- What were some of the words hurled at Stephen?
- What words have been spoken over you in the past that have affected you?
- Do they still hurt?
- Are there words spoken to you or over you, which create a reactive response in you to this day?
- What verbal triggers exist in your life which carry over from the past?
- How do you deal with such reactions?
- Can you recognise behaviours in you which are triggered by past “stones” hurled at you?
The David Stones
He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine.
1 Samuel 17:40
Spend some time meditating on this verse.
- Why do you think David took five stones?
- What do those five stones represent?
- What would be written on them if they were to be named?
- What are the 5 keys for you to defeat the giants in your life?
- Ask God to speak to you and tell you what you need to do to overcome your giants.
- God tell me the key to me gaining victory over ______________ ? Be Specific
- Are there other issues I need to address?
- What are the weapons I need to use against each issue?
The Stephen Stones are in grammatical case terminology (don’t worry about the technical term) the recipient or patient role or case. The David Stones represent the subject or actor role in a sentence. For some of us we may have been involved in hurling the Stephen Stones (the actor or the perpetrator). We will need to deal with that and ask forgiveness of God and if possible the one we hurt. But throughout our lives we endure the Stephen Stones as undergoers or those who bear the pain of the stones hurled at us. To gain victory in the areas of our lives where satan has used pain, neglect and abandonment or words spoken to impair us. We need to be given the key in the David Stones we need to hurl at our enemy. Our enemy is not flesh and blood. DON’T RETALIATE! “Don’t repay evil for evil. But rather overcome evil with good”. Ask God to give you the key David Stone to use in your case in order to defeat the stronghold that has you bound.
There is much to be explained about the significance of the Stephen Stones and the David Stones but you won’t fully understand until Deeper Bible 601. I am taking a risk in sharing in the way I am today. But I believe God has prompted it.
Now in closing let me share another woman’s story in brief.
All her life she felt unloved and abandoned, as a child by her parents and later by her husband. After hearing me share on these concepts she told me. “Ian do you know what I do to feel loved?” I had no idea, I could only imagine. Then she said, “I go into our shared walk-in wardrobe and I take one of my husband’s long-sleeved shirts and I wrap the arms around me.” I had tears in my eyes looking at her. I don’t think I had heard as sad a story as that one. It touched me deeply in that moment. How must it have affected and be affecting her still?
I then told her, “You need to know the key to breaking that stronghold over you. The key is in the David Stone that you hurl at the enemy of your soul. I believe the name on the stone you must hurl is “Loved by God”. But first you have to get into the place of believing it. When you know that you know that you know, you are loved by God, you can hurl the David Stone “Loved by God” and gain victory.
Remember Nikē in Greek means “Overcomer”, “Victorious”, “Victory”!
But to achieve that victory in the Spirit you need to stand in the place and walk in the way of believing it! Only those who have done Deeper Bible to Level 601 can fully understand what I have just written. Or those who have broken through to the point of hearing God pronounce over them their victory and the name on their white stone. For the others of you I am aware that you are left with many questions. That’s ok. Questions are good as long as we continue to ask them and break through to the point of revelation and victory. Please talk to me, write to me. I would value your input at this point. I have done or attempted something I have never done before. That is to share something out of Deeper Bible that really belongs in the depths but to share it prematurely. Did it work or not? Talk to me.
If you’re wise you will realise you have more grappling to do with the concepts I have outlined above. When we do this in Deeper Bible 601 we take two full sessions (4 hours) to work our way through the concepts in a right-braining way. I don’t expect what I have done above to be sufficient in and of itself. You will need to grapple some more and ask questions of the LORD. That’s ok. That’s what He wants you to do.
“Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Jesus
Matthew 11:28