THE PARABLES
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In order to give subtlety to the simple; to the child knowledge and thorough thought. The wise man will hear
and increasingly acquire, and a man already become discerning will gain in capability to guide.
For putting a distinct meaning into a proverb or an enigma; into the words of the wise and their intricate
sayings;
The fear of the Lord is the main knowledge, a wisdom and a discipline that fools despise'.
It is in this frame of mind that we approach these `dark sayings' in the fear of God 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 the parable.
The heading of the Psalm is `Maschil of Asaph'. The Hebrew word maschil is from the word sakal, which
means, `to look at', `to scrutinise', and the term Maschil means, `an understanding arising from a deep
consideration' (Neh. 8:8). The title of the Psalm prepares us for deep instruction:
`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'.
Why?
`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 in 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;
24:3,15,20).
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 did the `parable and dark sayings' can be seen by referring to John
16:25,29:
`These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you
in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father'.
In the Old Testament we have `type', in the Gospels we have `parable' and in the Epistles we have
`doctrine', as the more prominent features. The parables lead us to contemplate the hidden causes of the failure
of Israel in relation to the kingdom and look forward to the time when all will be put right.
The first occurrence of a word very often decides its fundamental meaning. The first occurrence of the word
parable in the New Testament is Matthew 13:3. It follows that chapter wherein culminated the rejection of the
Messiah by the people in the land. He had been heralded as their Messiah and King. He had vindicated His
claims by the fulfilment of numerous prophecies, both with regard to His Person and His works, and in chapter