Psalm 78:2

Psalm 78:2

Parables reveal hidden things

In 2 Chronicles 29 we read of the reign of the godly King, Hezekiah. After they endured years of drifting away from the Lord God, under his predecessors, Hezekiah sought to restore faith and order and righteousness to his people and the land of Israel. The Temple had been closed for years, he re-opened it, purified it and consecrated the building and its sacred objects afresh. Sacrifices were offered, trumpets and musicians played, and everyone knelt down and worshipped. We read in 2 Chronicles 29:30, “King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So, they sang praises with gladness and bowed down and worshipped.”

Asaph was not just a Levite musician and songwriter then; he was also highly regarded as a sage and a prophet! (Seer) In Matthew 13:34-35 today’s verse is quoted in a completely different context, “Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.””

Let’s just get this straight! The psalmist, Asaph, has been elevated to such a place of importance in the Scriptures that he is credited with being the first to describe Biblical events using parables, so much so, that Jesus Himself adopted this way of teaching. Asaph was a forerunner of the Christ!

I was brought up on the simple statement, “A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.” However, many of those who listened to the earthly stories of Jesus, did not have a clue about the heavenly meaning! The Son of God had to sit down with His disciples and explain the stories even to them. Let me suggest then, that parables are indeed stories from everyday life, accounts of events and common occurrences that anyone can identify with. The “heavenly meaning” however can only be understood by those who take time to sit at the feet of the Lord and receive revelation by the Holy Spirit. Let’s change the simple definition to, “A parable is an earthly story that conceals a spiritual truth that can only be understood by revelation!”

I wonder what Asaph is going to tell us and what will be revealed? 

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