The Bible Made Simple
Lesson 6
Thy Teeth are as a Flock of Sheep
DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURE
Bible verse: Song of Solomon 6:6
“Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep
which go up from the washing,
whereof everyone beareth twins,
and there is not one barren among them”.
2. Locate KEY WORDS in the verse : 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :
(usually nouns or “real things”) (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)
Substitute the Spiritual meaning for each Real Object and then paraphrase the main (Spiritual) thought:
Paraphrase: Song of Solomon 6:6
Your teeth are like __________________ (sheep)
Who have been ___________________ (washed)
And everyone has _________________________ (beareth twins)
And there is not one __________________ (barren) among them.
2. Locate KEY WORDS in the verse : 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :
(usually nouns or “real things”) (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)
| SHEEP | God’s people | |
| WASHING | Cleansing from sin | |
| BEARETH (Twins) | Labor to bring someone to Spiritual birth (conversion) | |
| BARREN | Spiritually childless or no converts (unfruitful) |
Substitute the Spiritual meaning for the Real Objects and then paraphrase the main (Spiritual) thought:
Song of Solomon 6:6
“Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof everyone beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them”.
Your teeth are like people (sheep)
Who have been cleansed from sin (washed)
And everyone has Labored to convert someone (beareth twins)
And there is not one who has been unsuccessful in converting someone (barren) among them.
The Clean and Fruitful Sheep
Song of Solomon 6:6 “Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof everyone beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them”.
PHYSICAL
Let’s think about this verse in the real or physical world first.
1. “Teeth are like a "flock of sheep” – a persons teeth are positioned close together. A flock of sheep stay close together.
2. When you look at a person’s teeth, each tooth has a twin. “Everyone beareth twins”, in the text each sheep bears twins.
3. Teeth are white. Most sheep are white.
4. Teeth get dirty and need “washing” or cleaning. In the text the sheep are washed. Sheep are actually “dipped” or immersed by running them through a trough like tank to wash or clean them.
SPIRITUAL
1. What does a sheep represent spiritually?
A sheep represents a person. Jer.50:6
The sheep needed to be washed or immersed. So, like sheep, people need to be washed or immersed or baptized so they can be spiritually clean.
2. What else is special in the verse about the sheep?
“not barren” – “gives birth to twins” Barren means to have no children, So “not barren” would mean to have children or baby sheep.
3. What does a “child” or “baby sheep” represent?
A new convert or spiritual baby.
4. Each “tooth” has a twin and each sheep has a twin. So, each “sheep” or person will go and teach another person and make a convert for Jesus.
In Lesson 4 about the Old and New Garment we learned that we must give our life completely to Jesus and be converted.
In Lesson 5 about the Old and New Wine Bottles we learned that we must be converted before we will accept Doctrinal truth.
Now, Lesson 6 is teaching us that we must be baptized (washed) and then go and teach others or make converts for Jesus.
The Woman in Travail
Bible verse: John 16:19-22
19 “Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?
20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.
21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you”.
What does a “woman in travail” or a woman about to give birth to a baby have to do with Jesus “going away for a little while” and then returning?
Find the Spiritual meaning of the Key Words or Real Objects and you will discover the Spiritual meaning of the “Acted Parable”.
***
2.Locate KEY WORDS in the verse : 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :
(usually nouns or “real things”) (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)
| WOMAN | ||
| TRAVAIL | ||
| BABY, CHILD | ||
| BORN |
John 16:19-22
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world”.
Paraphrase:
A Church when she is in labor to bring people to conversion hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as spiritual birth or conversion occurs, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man has been converted or “born again” into the Church.
Summary : Thus, Jesus was trying to tell His disciples, through the means of the “Acted Parable”, that He had to leave them and return to Heaven, but while He was gone they had “work to do”, to labor with people and bring them to conversion and into the Church.
INTRODUCTION: The following study shows that Jesus did not put His “private interpretation” on the real objects he used in His parables, but rather, He “searched the scriptures” to determine their spiritual meaning.
The Bible clearly tells us that Jesus was “in all things… made like unto his brethren”. (Heb.2:17) He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham“. (Heb.2:16) Thus, Jesus did not use His Divinity for Himself, but would have had to grow up and do things as an ordinary man would do. This means that He would have had to study the Scriptures like an ordinary man would have to do in order to understand them. The Bible tells us that the knowledge or wisdom that Jesus possessed was progressively obtained.
“And the child (Jesus) grew, and waxed (1) strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: And the grace of God was upon him”.
“And Jesus increased (2) in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” Luke 2:52
From Strong’s Concordance:
(1) Waxed #2901 Increase, be strengthened
(2) Increased #4298 To advance, to grow
God already has all knowledge and wisdom. He doesn’t “increase in wisdom” as the Bible stated about Jesus, Thus, Jesus could not have been using his divinity or “God nature”, but rather he was using his “human nature” as he learned and then taught.
By the age of 12 years old (Luke 2:42), Jesus already had an “astonishing” understanding of the Scriptures (Luke 2:47).
His understanding of the scriptures was far different than the PhD’s in religion of his day. (Luke 2:46,46) (Matt.7:29).
Jesus said:
“The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11) How did Jesus know that? By comparing the Old Testament Scriptures.
Seed
Psalms 97:11 “Light is sown for the righteous…“.
Psalms 119:105 “Thy word is… a light into my path”.
Eccl.11:6 "In the morning sow thy seed”.
CONCLUSION
“Light” is sown, But “light” is the Word.
Therefore, the word is sown. Also the “seed” is sown.
Therefore, the “seed” is the Word which is sown. Just as Jesus said!!
Thus Jesus compared Scripture with Scripture in order to determine the spiritual meaning of the real objects in the parable.
The Bible Made Simple