BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusનમૂનો

Like a lion’s roar, the fury of a king strikes bone-chilling terror. The spouse who’s always picking fights, persistent as a leaky tap, wears down the marriage. And riches piled up through deceptive schemes will vanish like fog in a strong wind. These are a few examples of the poetic metaphor found in today’s reading.

As you’ll learn in the video, metaphor invites us to experience ideas with imagination and often emotion. Some biblical metaphors make intuitive sense to modern readers. You’ve probably seen mist evaporate on a hot day and heard the nagging drip … drip … drip of a water leak. But other metaphors are more confusing outside of the Bible’s ancient context.

Take Proverbs 21:31, for example: “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.” Most 21st-century readers associate horses with ranches, racetracks, and rodeos, so it’s more challenging to connect the dots and see the basic idea of this proverb.

However, in the ancient Near East, armies commonly used horses in warfare, to terrifying effect. Just imagine how 1,000 pounds of hooves and muscle barreling toward you at a full gallop would feel! A horse-drawn chariot was the ancient equivalent of an armored tank. Early readers, then, would have understood this proverb as a reminder to trust Yahweh, not human military might, for success in battle.

Metaphors do more than just add poetic flair. These images invite us to feel the Bible’s words at a visceral level—and let this wisdom form us from the inside out.

Reflection Questions

• Compare Proverbs 20:27 to 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. What do these two passages reveal about the connection between the spirit (and Spirit) and God’s wisdom?
• Meditate on one or two metaphors from today’s reading. How does the concrete image help you understand the associated abstract concept?