Is It Foolishness or Faith? Part 1

What if

1. … Someone told you to hold up a stick from a tree as you stood at the edge of the ocean; and as you lifted it above your head, the ocean waters would recede before you? Would you gather all your friends and relatives to watch you perform this unimaginable feat? Not only this, but would you tell them that they would immediately be able to walk across the bed of the ocean on dry soil?

2. … You lived in Chile’s Atacama Desert where rain has never been recorded and someone told you to build a boat three stories high with an area of 21 basketball courts? This was because the land in and around your home is soon going to flood with waters that will submerge the 13,000 feet-high surrounding Andes Mountains.

3.. … You were born with an incurable disease that would bring current and eternal torment to you—today and forever—but you were told someone would die to cure your disease, totally healing you from any physical pain or torment?

sick girl young and in whieel chair older

Would you believe these people? Perhaps not. Foolishness, you might say. However, these scenarios are given as examples to introduce you to what the Scripture calls similitudes or figures. These examples are given to help you to carefully consider what, on the surface, may seem as foolishness or unjust directives; yet, they are similar to ones given by God to His chosen servants.

Perhaps, there are even some life challenges you have had to face which you feel have been unjust or foolish. Many accounts in the Bible may seem foolish, not because they are, but because we have not studied beyond the immediate context. Thus, we come to a wrongful, skewed conclusion of God’s intent.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

So foolish was I, and ignorant … Psalm 73:22

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. 1 Corinthians 1:27

Consider the “foolishness” of the first example above, but put it in the context of the calling on Moses’ life. For Moses, was the lifting of his rod foolishness, or was it a monumental test of his faith; that is, to prove his faith?

It was this man of God, Moses, whom God chose to lead the Israelites out of bondage. As he stood with the Red Sea before him and the Egyptian army closing in on the Israelites from behind, God spoke:

But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Exodus 14:16

Would you direct millions of people (men, women, and children)

to walk into the opened sea bed?

Consider the “foolishness” of the second example above, but put it in the context of the calling on Noah’s life. For Noah, was the building of an ark foolishness, or was it a monumental test of Noah’s faith; that is, to prove his faith?

What would you do if God got fed up with the sin throughout the land today; that is, people refused to turn from sinful lifestyles, and churches had lost their “saltness”? They were … marrying and giving in marriage … Matthew 24:38 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Psalm 50:18 Millions were murdering innocent unborn children in the womb, and … every man did that which was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25

Matthew 24:38 and image of adulterous marriage

Because of man’s hard-heartedness, suppose the LORD came to you and told you to build a huge boat three stories high in your front yard where all your friends and neighbors could observe your strange behavior. And even worse, suppose there had never been any rain in your country. Would you do it? Here’s what God told Noah:

… the earth is filled with violence … I [God] destroy them [the people] with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood … The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits … And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. Genesis 6:13-17

Noah and wife with animals and ark in background

Consider, the “foolishness” of the third example above, but put it in the context of asking Jesus to die to “heal” your sins.

What would you do if you knew today is the last day of your life? Not only that but you are living in a lifestyle of sin (a figure, example, or similitude comparable to the disease described in the third example above) from which you need to turn/repent, or you would spend an eternity in torment. You open your Bible to the verses below:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 Believing in Jesus includes repentance: turning from sin and following the teachings reflected in the Bible. For example, those who are living in adultery must stop committing adultery:

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. Luke 16:18 Little children, let no man deceive you … He that comitteth sin is of the devil … 1 John 3:7-8 Committeth means an ongoing, habitual sin.

Those who have hatred in their hearts must forgive/repent/reconcile. (This includes covenant husbands and wives who do not love one another.) God cannot dwell in a heart filled with hatred, unforgiveness, or malice. He considers hatred to be a form of murder as defined below:

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20 Brother, in this context, refers to all people.

Jesus on cross with drops of blood overlay

But IF we walk in the light [life absent a lifestyle of habitual sin] …

the blood of Jesus Christ … Cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:7

Before proceeding, please take the time to read Genesis 22:1-19.

Here’s a “test” question for you. Which of the two Scriptures below test your faith more? Do you question one more than the other?

Genesis 22:2 and John 3:16 with images of Abraham sacrificing Isaac and Jesus on cross

I don’t know about you, but I have felt it was “unfair” for God to put Abraham to such a test; that is, to sacrifice his son. I have also wondered how Abraham, a father who dearly loved his “only” son, could obey such a command. However, after researching Old and New Testament Scriptures, I discovered clear insight to correct my wrongful misunderstandings. This included both my misunderstanding of the command of God for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and also Abraham’s immediate response to not only obey, but to obey with no questions or hesitation.

God’s “ways” for perfecting faith are revealed through the life of Abraham.

An important treasure I discovered is that Genesis 22:1-19 serves as a similitude or figure for the most important series of events in the New Testament: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There also is insight for us to learn how God teaches those who desire to learn through the study of His Word (the Bible). The Word teaches through repetition, subtle language structures, and expressive word types which link the Old and New Testaments. It is through examples such as those recorded in Genesis 22 where we can observe how “perfecting faith” was culminated in the life of Abraham. Abraham is spoken of as being faithful numerous times in both the Old and New Testaments.

The LORD develops faith in those who choose to trust (obey) Him. Understanding God’s ways can help us to avoid incorrect Biblical interpretations and pitfalls that can hinder our spiritual growth. Let’s start to examine this journey of faith with the study of a couple of words introduced above that may or may not be new to you, similitude and figure.

What is a similitude?

A similitude, or figure as it’s sometimes called, is an action, circumstance, or experience to illustrate a future event or to reference something familiar. God’s tempting of Abraham, as recorded in the twenty-second chapter of Genesis, is, among other things, a similitude referencing a future event. That future event is the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Below are some Scriptural examples of similitudes and figures as they are used in the Bible:

Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female. Deuteronomy 4:16

They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox … Psalm 106:19-20

I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets. Hosea 12:10
God is reminding the Israelites through every possible example, illustration, and analogy, and through many prophets, that He has warned them to turn from sin. Yet, sadly, they refused.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Romans 5:14

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac … Accounting that God was able to raise him [Isaac] up, even from the dead; from whence also he [Abraham] received him in a figure. Hebrews 11:17-19

How God Teaches Us

It’ s helpful to review some additional basic principles. First, we must understand that the sixty-six books of the Bible are not individual, unrelated writings by men who decided they would record some historical events. Instead, what we hold in our hands is a supernatural collection of events “written” by God.

God is beyond the dimension of time; therefore, He was able to inspire more than 40 holy, uniquely different men, over hundreds of years, from different parts of the world, to record HIS Scriptures. Miraculously, these Scriptures do not conflict one with the other. They, instead, affirm, and give us additional insightful cross-referenced information. That’s why God warns us not to tamper with the Bible.

The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. Genesis 22 is an important example to illustrate these two statements. Through a study of Genesis 22, we can witness the importance of studying both parts of the Bible, those books in the Old Testament and those in the New Testament. The LORD gives us His lesson plan to help us understand how He reveals Jesus Christ and His plan of redemption for us.

Whom shall he [God] teach knowledge? and whom shall he [God] make to understand doctrine?

The Answer:

them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. [Those who study as workmen show themselves approved unto God and will be given understanding of doctrine.]

How this is done:

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:9-10 We do not learn God’s precepts without consistent, serious STUDY

Thus He instructs us to:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Principles to grow our faith

There are priceless treasures encompassed in our Bible to build our faith, especially through the life of Abraham from whom we can learn how to mature in our faith. It is this man that God repeatedly called faithful. Abraham’s life can give encouragement to us:

when we feel our faith is weak;
when we fail;
when we think God is taking too long to answer prayer.

Abraham, like many of us, grew impatient with God’s timetable. Abraham, like many of us, made some egregious errors as he was maturing in his faith. Abraham was given many opportunities over decades of trials to build his obedience to, and faith in, God.

So let’s prepare to continue on an exciting journey to study how the life of Abraham provides insight (a similitude or figure) for each of us from which we can extrapolate valuable faith-building principles.

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. Galatians 3:7 … IF ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. John 8:39

This teaching is halted here to give you time to digest the above information before proceeding to Part 2 of this teaching: “Is it Foolishness or Faith?” Please do not overlook the importance of studying the building of the faith of Abraham. There are almost 300 references to this man (Abram/Abraham) encompassed in the Old and New Testaments.

Is It Foolishness or Faith? Part 1

Published by judith on June 6, 2020June 6, 2020