It is in this frame of mind that we approach these `dark sayings' in

the fear of the Lord to learn their `secrets'.

In Matthew 13:35 the Lord quotes from Psalm 78:2 in relation to His

speaking in parables, and therefore we may expect to find some help in that

Psalm to guide us to the right understanding of the purpose of parables.  The

heading of the Psalm is `Maschil of Asaph'.  The Hebrew word maschil is from

the word sakal, which means, `to look at', `to scrutinize', and the term

maschil means, `an understanding arising from a deep consideration' (Neh.

`Give ear, O My people, to My law:

Incline your ears to the words of My mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable:

I will utter dark sayings of old'.

The remaining portion of the Psalm is a rehearsal of the history of

Israel from Moses to David, showing the inner reasons of their failures.

Take for example verses 9 and 10:

`The children of Ephraim, armed, carrying bows,

Turned back in the day of battle'.

`They kept not the covenant of God,

And refused to walk in His law'.

From this we may infer that a parable urges us to consider deeply the

ways of God with His people, and to look for the hidden causes, and workings

which are veiled from the eyes of the uninstructed.

That a parable has some connection with a secret, a reference to

Matthew 13 will prove.  There for the first time in the New Testament do we

read the word `mystery' or `secret' and there for the first time occurs the

word `parable'.  Further, the Lord Jesus translates the words, `I will utter

dark sayings of old', by the words, `I will utter things which have been kept

secret since the overthrow (katabole) of the world' (Matt. 13:35).

The first parable of the Bible is one which concerns the people of

Israel in relation to their separate calling as a distinct nation and

peculiar people:

`And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath

brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come,

curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.  How shall I curse, whom God

hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?'

(Num. 23:7,8; so also 23:18; 24:3,15).

In Hebrews 9:9 and 11:19 we find the word translated, `a figure'.  A

parable and a proverb are much alike.  The parable of Matthew 15:13 -15 might

be termed a proverb.  Indeed the word translated `proverb' in Luke 4:23 is

really `parable'.  The words, `Physician, heal thyself' are called in the

original a `parable'.  That a `proverb' carried the same hidden teaching as