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Revision as of 14:54, 13 August 2022

Mustard seed [∞]


File:Mustard seed.mp4

Discussion

The Greek word for 'mustard' is sinapi. The Hebrew word 'sinapir' אסנפר thorn sounds very similar to awsone 'hurt' אסון and api 'anger' אפי . Is it plausible that this is word-play pointing back to the seed of the woman? [1]

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
It could be said that Jesus was the least [1] of all of the seeds of woman since he served us all on the cross. [2][3]
  1. ↑ ▸ ± Mr 4:31 [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
  2. ↑ ▸ ± Lu 9:48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
  3. ↑ ▸ ± Lu 22:27 For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

The seed of the woman had a bruised heel. [1]

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Great herb [∞]

Discussion

The nature of a riddle is that you don't know the answer from the riddle, but you discern the riddle from the answer. The answers to the riddles come from scripture.

The mustard seed [1] grew to be the greatest herb. [2]

  1. ↑ Mustard seed
  2. ↑ ▸ ± Mr 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

We need additional information:

1. Herbs were given to men to eat. [1] This is an error, but we will run with it and then correct it to see the process of interpretation. Can you find the error?
2. Eating is a metaphor for learning. [2]
  1. ↑ ▸ ± Ps 104:14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
  2. ↑ ▸ ± De 14:23 And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

One of the clues that the mustard seed represented Jesus was that he and it were both the least of all the seed. Jesus was the least because he served us all. The seed grew into the greatest herb, which was given to man to eat. What is the greatest thing that man can eat? The body of Christ.[1]

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Lu 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

We conclude that he became the great teacher.

However, when we apply close reading rules, we catch the error. It does not say that the herb was given to men to eat, but to serve men. Though our first conclusion was a technical error, it was nonetheless true. Jesus was a teacher. Upon closer examination, the riddle is clarified. Now it can be said that his service is referenced in both parts of the riddle.

He not only taught us about the cross, but he taught us about 'bruising our heel', or making the instincts of the flesh weak in order to be obedient in the Spirit. [1] This was teaching by example. He served us, by overcoming his desire to not die, and fulfilled the Father's will on the cross.

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Mt 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou [wilt].

The Rules for interpretation [1] were applied to clarify the teaching. Scripture is the source of all the answers. Not our memory, doctrinal interpolations, tradition, history, etc.

A child could have noticed that originally it was said that the herbs were given to man to 'eat, but that the scripture did not say that. Where did it come from? It wasn't a total fabrication. Everyone knows that herbs can be eaten. So it was 'penciled in' in our mind to make sense of the riddle as it was examined more closely in each pass. It wasn't heretically wrong, it just wasn't precise; which further digging corrected.

  1. ↑ Rules for interpretation

The Greek, undoubtedly would call someone a heretic, and doctrinal battles would ensue, if they had ever recognized the riddle to begin with. Studying the mystery is a collaboration.

In Greek studies, they say it is a collaboration by asking "what does it mean to you?". In these studies, we share in the observation of what it says by close reading.

Great tree [∞]

Discussion

The parable [1] progresses from the seed, which represents Jesus in the event of his birth [2], to the herb, which also represents Jesus in the event of his life [3] and then to the tree , which we can safely say also represents Jesus, and the event of the cross.

  1. ↑ Parallel parable - mustard seed
  2. ↑ Mustard seed
  3. ↑ great herb
The Hebrew word for 'tree' is ets עץ also means 'the flesh ע of the judge (the righteous man) died ץ.

Jesus has pointed backwards now to Ge 1:11, 12 [1][2] He references the seed, the herb and the tree and is giving a commentary on it. It would be fulfilled by him.

Please notice that this is a reference to the cross on day 3 of creation, and man was not created until day 6. It displays God's love that he had a plan to reveal himself to us through Christ and the cross before he made man.

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Ge 1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. [{grass: Heb. tender grass }]
  2. ↑ ▸ ± Ge 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.

If we use Greek methods of interpretation, we must read Ge 1:11,12 literally. They determine that God literally made grass and herbs with seed and trees with fruit which had seed. However, the purpose of scripture is not to give us a history, though it does. It's purpose is to reveal the invisible Father through the Son [1]. If we miss the son in it, we have missed the point. [2]

  1. ↑ ▸ ± Mt 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].
  2. ↑ ▸ ± Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
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