The Bible Made Simple

                                                                Lesson 7

                                             Thy Tongue of the Sucking Child

                                         DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURE

Bible verse: Lamentations 4:4

“The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them”.

Think about the Physical:

Young (Physical) children are (Physically) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Physically) feed them.

Think about the Spiritual:

Young (Spiritual) children are (Spiritually) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Spiritually) feed them.

***

2. Locate KEY WORDS in the verse : 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :

(usually nouns or “real things”) (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)

                                           OVERING HIDDEN TREASURE

Bible verse: Lamentations 4:4

“The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them”.

2. Locate KEY WORDS in the verse 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :

(usually nouns or “real things”)         (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)

Think about the Physical:

Young (Physical) children are (Physically) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Physically) feed them.

Think about the Spiritual:

Young (Spiritual) children are (Spiritually) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Spiritually) feed them.

Substitute the Spiritual meaning for the Real Objects and then paraphrase the main (Spiritual) thought:

The _____________________________________ (sucking child)

is thirsting for ________________________________ (milk)

The ___________________________________ (young children)

asks for ______________________ (bread)

but no one will __________________________ (feed him bread).

(break it unto them)

**link to answers***

(Answers on page 66)

The Parable of:

“The Salt Of The Earth

(Matt. 5:13)

13 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”

In order to determine the (Spiritual) meaning of this parable we will have to “Compare Scripture with Scripture” to determine the (Spiritual) meaning of the real objects (salt).

(Spiritual) Matt. 5:13

SALT = Gods’ People 13 “Ye are the salt of the earth”.

(Spiritual) Leviticus 2:13

SALT = Gods’ Covenant 13 “...neither shalt thou suffer

 the salt of the Covenant of

 thy God to be lacking from

• thy meat offerings with all

OR thine offerings thou shalt

 offer salt”.

(Spiritual)  Deu. 4:13

SALT = God’s LAW       13 “And He declared unto

(Ten Commandments)         you His Covenant, which

                                            He commanded you to

                                            perform, even Ten

                                           Commandments; and He

                                           wrote them upon two

                                           tables of stone”.

So, the Bible says that “Salt” represents both

God’s People and God’s Covenant or Law.

***make into a table***

God is	The Law is	God	Law
Love	Love	I John 4:8	Rom.13:10
Eternal	Eternal	Gen. 21:33	Ps. 111:7,8
Unchangeable	Unchangeable	James 1:17	Matt. 5:18

ee
	1
		2
			3
				4

The character of salt is shown by its ”savour“. Similarly, the character of God is shown by His Law.

Faithful                         Faithful                                I Cor.1:9                          Ps. 119:86

Righteous                 Righteous                               Jer. 23:6                          Ps.119:172

Spiritual                    Spiritual                                 I Cor.10:4                          Rom. 7:14

True                              True                                     John 3:33                           Ps. 19:9

Just                               Just                                      Deut.32:4                         Rom. 7:12

Pure                              Pure                                    I John 3:3                            Ps. 19:8

Perfect                        Perfect                                  Matt. 5:48                           Ps. 19:7

Holy                              Holy                                      Isa 5:16                            Rom. 7:12

Good                           Good                                    Luke 18:19                           I Tim.I:5

Thus, when the Bible says that “salt” represents God’s Law, it is saying that “salt” represents God’s character. Similarly, when the Bible says that “salt” represents God’s people, it is saying that “salt” represents the character of God’s people.

In the parable the salt had lost its “savour” or lost its “character”. Since salt represents God’s people, (ye are the salt), then the parable is saying that Christians can lose their “character” just like salt can. Since God’s Law represents God’s “character”, when Christians stop obeying God’s Law, they stop representing God’s "character”! They no longer should be called ”Christ“ians because they do not represent the “character” of Christ. They have lost their “savour”!

Conclusions:

1. The literal meaning of the lost "savour,” when used to describe the salt means to “become insipid.” The dictionary defines "insipid” to mean something that is weak and characterless and applies the meaning to both food and persons.

2. The (Spiritual) use of the word "savour” describes how Christ’s sacrifice and offering of Himself for us is as a “sweet smelling savour” to God. Then the Bible compares the "witness” that we give of the knowledge we have of Christ, to being a “sweet savour” to God.

Summary of Conclusions:

When Jesus described the salt and said "Ye are the salt” and then went on to say that “if the salt have lost his savour,” it was good for nothing, He was Spiritually saying:

Paraphrase:

You are like salt. When salt loses its "savour” it becomes "insipid” or "weak” and loses the "character", that salt is known for, which is to permeate and influence and change whatever it is put into. If it doesn’t do this, then it is good for nothing but to be thrown out.

Similarly, you like the salt can become "insipid” or weak and lose the "character” that Christians are known for, which is to witness about Jesus with their mouth and to represent Him in character by the actions of their life. If Christians don’t do that, they are good for nothing but to be “cast out”.

                                    DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURE

Bible verse: Lamentations 4:4

“The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them”.

***

2. Locate KEY WORDS in the verse : 3. Discover their SPIRITUAL MEANING :

(usually nouns or “real things”) (by using the BIBLE WORD PICTURES)

Think about the Physical:

Young (Physical) children are (Physically) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Physically) feed them.

Think about the Spiritual:

Young (Spiritual) children are (Spiritually) thirsty and hungry and no one will (Spiritually) feed them.

Substitute the Spiritual meaning for the Real Objects and then paraphrase the main (Spiritual) thought:

The newly converted Christian (sucking child)

is thirsting for basic Bible study (The Gospel) (milk)

The more mature Christians (young children)

ask for more advanced Bible study (bread)

but no one will teach them the Bible (feed him bread).

(break it unto them)

This verse teaches the importance of continued Bible study after conversion and the hunger and thirst that exists because people are not being taught how to study the Bible by their leaders.