An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Literary Devices

(Psa 104:5 KJV)  Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.

(Proverbs 19 also read)

As I read this verse or this chapter, I became aware that this is a poetic device.  The author of this is waxing strong on his creative imagination, trying to express the depth of his God’s glory.  He works overtime.  Since I tend to not like poetry, I got a little bit bored.  But then I saw this first and remembered what John Lennox had to say, about a literal view of creation.

He said that there was a time in history when Christians accepted the idea that the Earth did not move in space.  I think he quoted a different verse that says that more specifically but here you get an indication of the idea.  He said, with greater understanding of the physical world we live in, we came to realize that the Earth rotated around the sun, and that it did move.  With a greater understanding we were going to see that this was a literary device, trying to tell us something about the nature of God and his creation.

So? Read with discernment. Keep in mind that if modern authors can come up with things like hyperbole, that God is quite capable of doing the same thing.  Don’t limit him to your own boundaries. 

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