THE BIBLE MADE SIMPLE
Volume 2
William T. Barrett
© 2007
Lesson 9
1. Opening Prayer
2. Consider the Context to determine the subject.
Matt.6:28-33 The Lily
1Cor.2:7-13 Eye hath not seen
3. The Acted Parable of 1 Samuel 17:1-51
David and Goliath
4. Treasures of God’s Word
5. Closing Prayer
“The Bible with its precious gems of truth was not written for the scholar alone. On the contrary, it was designed for the common people; and the interpretation given by the common people, when aided by the Holy Spirit, accords best with the truth as it is in Jesus. The great truths necessary for salvation are made clear as the noonday, and none will mistake and lose their way except those who follow their own judgment instead of the plainly revealed will of God”. 15
“They had the word of God in their hands: but the traditions which had been handed down from generation to generation, and the human interpretation of the Scriptures, hid from them the truth as it is in Jesus. The spiritual import of the sacred writings was lost. The treasure house of all knowledge was open to them, but they knew it not. God does not conceal His truth from men. By their own course of action they make it obscure to themselves”. 16
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Consider the context to determine the subject
Matthew 6
28 “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the filed, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Where withal shall we be clothed?
32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth, that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”.
What is the Main Subject?
The main subject is clothing that God wants to give us! We can’t work for it. It is a gift from God. The Spiritual Clothing that He wants to give us is His Robe Of righteousness!
Isaiah 61:10 “…My soul shall be joyful in my God for He hath clothed me with the garment of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness…“
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1 Corinthians 2
7 “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear head, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual”.
The Main Subject is :
The hidden wisdom of God or the deep things of God which are in the Bible, but can only be understood as the Holy Spirit teaches us as we compare Scripture with Scripture or “spiritual things with spiritual”.
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DAVID
and
GOLIATH
An “Acted Parable”
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“Acted Parable” of DAVID and GOLIATH
(1 Samuel 17:1-51)
4 “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span:
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am I not a Philistine, an ye servants of Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me:
9 If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, then we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us:
16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem:
20 And David rose early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to fight, and shouted for the battle.
26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
32 And David said to Saul, let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine:
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth:
37 David said moreover, the LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine…
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sank into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth”.
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1. Read the story and Think about the Physical
There was a man named Goliath from Gath, who was much stronger Physically than any of God’s people. He challenged them to send one man to Physically fight with him. All the people were to be the servants of the one who won the ___________ contest. For forty days Goliath tempted and taunted and challenged. A young man named David, from Bethlehem, a shepherd, accepted his challenge. With the help of God, David used ______________ stones to_________________ strike the forehead of Goliath and __________________ defeat him.
2. Read the story and think about the Spiritual
There was a man named _________ from ________, who was much stronger Spiritually than any of God’s people. He challenged them to send one man to Spiritually fight with him. All the people were to be the servants of the one who won the ______________ contest. For forty days __________ tempted and taunted and challenged. A young man named __________ from Bethlehem, a shepherd, accepted his challenge. With the help of God, _________ used ________________ stones to ______________ strike the forehead of________________ and _______________ defeat him
3. Identify the “Actors”
a. Who they are
b. Who they represent
c. On the side of good or evil
Actors Represents Good / Evil
Goliath Satan Evil
David Jesus Good
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Goliath
Reasoning from context and Bible
Goliath means “Exile” #1555 Concordance
Satan was “exiled” from heaven Rev.12:7-12
Goliath was from Gath which means “winepress”
Spiritually “winepress” means Justice and Judgment
Rev.14:19,29 – Isa.63:3,4
Satan was from Heaven – Land of Justice and Judgment
Goliath tempted for 40 days (1 Sam.17:16)
Satan tempted Jesus for 40 days (Mat.4:1,2)
Goliath wanted to fight “one man” to enslave all.
Satan wanted to fight Jesus to enslave all men.
David
David means “Loving Friend” #1730-32 Concordance.
Jesus is our most Loving Friend (He died for us!)
David was a Shepherd (1Sam.17:15)
Jesus is called “The Shepherd of Israel” (Gen.49:24)
David was born in Bethlehem (1Sam 17:12)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Mat.2:1)
David defeated Goliath with a Physical stone as is struck him in the forehead. (1Sam 17:49).
Jesus defeated Satan with Spiritual Stones (10 Commandments) as He overcame Satan’s mind with Scripture (Mat.4:3,4).
4. Paraphrase the “Acted Parable” and Think about the Spiritual
There was a “man” named Satan from the land of Justice and Judgment, who was much stronger Spiritually than any of God’s people. He challenged one man named Jesus to fight with him Spiritually. All the human race were to be his servants if he won the Spiritual contest. For forty days Satan tempted and taunted and challenged Jesus. But Jesus from Bethlehem , “The Shepherd of Israel”, met his challenge! With the help of God, His Father, Jesus used the Ten Commandments written on tables of stone, to Spiritually defeat the mind of Satan!
Thus, the “Great controversy” between Christ and Satan as an “Acted Parable”.
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THE TREASURES OF GOD’S WORD
“In his lessons Christ sought to reach the understanding through the actual occurrences and events that take place in this world. Instruction of the highest value is given in the parables by which Christ illustrated the spiritual character of his kingdom. The Great Teacher used the things of nature, to reflect the wisdom of the Creator. Human life in all its bearings is similar to nature.
Nature and human life obey the commands of God. They answer to his majestic, wonder-working power.
And he who created the world and made the lofty mountains, who opened the fountains of the great deep, who formed the mighty rocks and the lofty trees, has given man power to appreciate these wonders of earth and heaven, power to understand the lessons, drawn from them by Christ. But human intelligence could never have originated these lessons, and neither can man understand them only as God by his Holy Spirit sanctifies the observation.
When the mind is freed from perverting influences, it can receive and understand these lessons.
The field containing the treasure represents the word of God. As the treasure was found in this field, so by earnest searching, treasure is found in the Scriptures.
If men had closely, earnestly. continuously studied God’s word, making the Bible its own commentator, the key with which to unlock Scripture, they would have been as much astonished at the golden treasures revealed as was the man who found the treasure in the filed. But men have departed from God’s great lesson book, and their senses have become confused.”
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William T. Barrett
Bible Made Simple Ministry
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