Beyond the Imagery
Have you ever been doing your Bible study and come across a section of verses that seem to belong more in a poetry book? While the writers of the 66 books in the Bible would often use poetry to describe a meaning, simply open to the book of Psalms or Song of Solomon to see, these verses are often hard to understand and as such it is easy to want to skip over them. However, when you come across these verses I would ask that you take a moment to pause and think about what the imagery is trying to describe, allow me to show you what I mean.
4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters;
the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
Proverbs 18:4
In this verse we have two descriptions of bodies of water, the deep water and the bubbling brook. When you think of deep water it often conjures up images of dark depths where it is difficult or impossible to see the bottom. Often deep waters bring to the forefront of the imagination of what could be lurking in the depths. Deep waters are often seen as untrusting. With this understanding, it is interesting that the words of a man’s mouth is described as deep waters. It brings to mind that the words of man are often untrusting or there is more than what is being said. This is corroborated in scripture.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
Lies more than speaking what is right. Selah
4 You love all words that devour,
You deceitful tongue.
Psalm 52:2-4
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.
10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
James 3:9-10
We can see how mistrustful the mouth of man can be and so it is like the deep waters where we can not see what is beneath the surface.
On the opposite side of this, there is the bubbling brook. This imagery often makes the reader think of a calm stream, it is often peaceful and gentle. And so is wisdom. Wisdom is described as shouting in the street, in the square, the noisy streets, and the entrance of the city gates (Proverbs 1:20-21) wisdom is there for everyone but few take the time to seek it. So the next time you come across a section of scripture that is based more on imagery, I ask that you take a moment to think of what it is describing. Then see if you can apply that image to what is being said in the verse.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex