I have to admit, I enjoy a good figure of speech. Things like aphorisms fascinate me and usually make me chuckle. By aphorism I mean a pithy quote wrapped in homespun wisdom. Take for example, that fella there is like a ‘hen on a June bug’ when it comes to solving a problem. In other words, he’ll be tenacious and get it done. You likely have heard about the guy that is ‘all hat and no cattle.’ He’s the fella that puts on a good show, but at the end of the day cannot deliver the goods. One of my favorites is, ‘That dog’ll hunt.’ In three and a half words you get the picture. In my mind I can see a bird dog on point and ready for the flush. The bird dog is doing what bird dogs do best…they hunt. However, some bird dogs look like bird dogs, but they don’t know a chukar from a skunk. When using that phrase the listener understands that whatever is being spoken of is going to accomplish it’s intended purpose. Aphorisms are like that. They bring an earthy and unpretentious (and often humorous) truth to light.
The Bible often uses simple language by analogy to get our attention. They are figures of speech…aphorisms of a sort. There are a couple that have caught my attention this week. There’s a story in the Old Testament about the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 18. In the telling of the story, Yahweh’s prophet is showing the impotence of a false god, and in an earthy and less than winsome manner he begins to taunt the worshippers of the false god. The writer says, “And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” The prophet’s pointed analogy makes the incisive statement, ‘Perhaps your god is going to the bathroom.’ A bit crude, but he makes an excellent point. When comparing the one, true God with anything else, the false gods may as well be indisposed. Truly, false gods are no god at all. I appreciate the plainspokenness of the prophet. He had a point to make and he didn’t waste any time gussying up his language because the true God’s reputation was at stake. Perhaps there’s a lesson for us all here.
The second example is from the New Testament letter of Jude. Jude is a short note filled with pithy wisdom and warnings about false teachers. Jude gets after the false teachers by using pointed figures of speech. Here’s what he says about them, “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” (Jude1:12-13) By way of analogy and hyperbole Jude calls the false teachers out. He uses figures of speech that are relatable and pointed, and he exposes these dangerous persons by using highly effective language. Here’s what he calls them – hidden reefs, having no fear, shepherds feeding themselves, waterless clouds, swept along by winds, fruitless trees, twice dead, uprooted, wild waves, and wandering stars. In both examples, Elijah and Jude have spoken plainly using figures of speech to make important points.
With rare exception the best way to say something is without equivocation or nuance. Let your yes be yes, and let your no be no (Mt. 5:37). Plainspokenness, when talking about important matters such as the character of God and the danger of false teaching, is critically important in a day when language and its plain meaning have been tortured and twisted. And, that dog will hunt.
- DJM
April 2024
