Pictures: A Simplified Way of Knowing God and Understanding the Bible

By Brad Young

Children's books are almost always picture books. When there is any uncertainty or confusion regarding the story line, children can look at the pictures for clarification. The pictures not only help to hold their interest, but they can also simplify what might otherwise be a complex and complicated narrative.

God is continually engaged in the lifelong process of teaching His children. Knowing how helpful and useful picture illustrations are in the learning process, He has provided us with hundreds of them. These pictures have been graciously provided not only to hold our interest as His Word is being taught but, more importantly, to also simplify what might otherwise be a complex and complicated passage of Scripture.

In the first section of the book, we look at pictures developed by God from the material realm. Many of the elements of creation were intended by God, not only to make physical life possible and sustainable but also to speak to us about spiritual reality. What is visible to us in the material realm explains the invisible. We discover in this section how light, darkness, water, thirst, sowing, reaping, and fire are picture illustrations designed to help us know our creator and better understand His purpose for our lives.

In the second section of the book, we look at various New Testament doctrines and then turn to the people and events of the Old Testament for picture illustrations that clarify the teaching. It has been said that for every New Testament principle, there is an Old Testament illustration. We will see why this may very well be true.

In the third section of the book, we look at what the New Testament teaches about the person of Jesus Christ and about God's plan of salvation for the world. Each picture illustration taken from the people and events of the Old Testament is a priceless masterpiece.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886852738

Book preview

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Pictures

A Simplified Way of Knowing God and Understanding the Bible

Brad Young

ISBN 979-8-88685-272-1 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88685-375-9 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88685-273-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Brad Young

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Photo Album I

Light and Darkness

Water and Thirst

Sowing and Reaping

Fire

Photo Album II

Pride and Arrogance

The Rapture

Spiritual Warfare

Photo Album III

Christ in the New Testament

Abraham and Isaac

The Passover

The Bronze Serpent

The Kinsman Redeemer

The Sign of Jonah

About the Author

Introduction

Abraham Lincoln said, There are no bad pictures, that's just how your face looks sometimes. Giles Perez said, I don't trust words, I trust pictures. Andy Warhol said, The best thing about a picture is that it never changes even when the people in it do. Eudora Welty said, A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.

Some people have better memories than others, but everyone is capable of forgetfulness. Forgetting can be a blessing or a curse. Forgetting can be a blessing if, after we have dealt with a painful past and the wounds have healed, the memories don't have to keep filling our minds and tormenting our souls. Forgetfulness is a curse when we forget some of the most important lessons we have learned or the knowledge we have gained about the most important issues of life. Roger Kingston said, A camera is a save button for the mind's eye. I may forget some of the details of what I saw with my own eyes but that is ok if I have a picture to refer back to. The pictures that God provides us with are a safeguard against the problem of forgetfulness. The pictures that God provides us with are life changing and even lifesaving reminders. These pictures can serve as reminders of what makes life good or bad, what makes life worth living or not.

Books for young children are normally pictured books. When their vocabulary is limited, and they are having difficulty understanding the story as it is being read to them, they can simply look at the pictures. The pictures fill in the gaps for them and add clarity. Our Heavenly Father provides pictures for His children as well. He wants His children to have a clear and complete understanding of everything we read in His Word. The pictures God provides us with fill in the gaps in our minds when our understanding of His nature and His plan for mankind is unclear or incomplete.

Most people are familiar with the age-old adage, A picture is worth a thousand words. This simply means that complex ideas or multiple ideas can often be simply conveyed by a single still image. A picture can be a more effective form of communication than written or verbalized words.

The phrase, A picture is worth a thousand words, was popularized by an advertising agent named Fred R. Bernard in 1921. He gave credit for the concept to a Japanese philosopher, but a Printers Ink publication in 1927 reported that it was a Chinese proverb traced back to Confucius. Bernard's wording was, One look is worth a thousand words. The form most recognized today, One picture is worth a thousand words, was first put in print by a newspaper editor, Tess Flanders, at the turn of the century.

A Cambridge computer lab decided to do a study to determine the accuracy of this popular concept. The result of the study was that a picture is actually worth precisely 84.1 words. Whether a picture is worth a thousand words or 84.1 words, it does appear that a picture is worth something.

It is commonly accepted that it is more effortless to recognize and process pictures than words and that pictures are easier to recall. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS) examined the neural correlates of memory for pictures and words. It was determined that the encoding of pictures takes place in a different part of the brain from the encoding of words. The study confirmed that humans have a remarkable ability to remember pictures, an assertion that neurologists had been making for decades. It has been shown that people can remember more than two thousand pictures with at least 90 percent accuracy even with short presentations. The study determined that our excellent memory for pictures consistently exceeds our ability to remember words.

God created the human brain. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that God has provided mankind with thousands of pictures to make the knowledge of God and of His plan for the world easier to comprehend and to recall. An image truly can, at times, convey knowledge and meaning more effectively than words.

Giving me verbal directions on how to get to my desired destination could get me there. However, because of the fear of memory lapse, I would have much greater peace of mind if someone would draw me a map that I can see with my eyes and refer back to if necessary.

There may be a certain frustration level when the person I am trying to explain something to doesn't understand. I might find myself spouting off another old adage, Do I need to draw you a picture? Although I might say those words sarcastically or cynically, a picture might be exactly what is needed. The equally frustrated listener might be thinking, Yes, actually that would be very helpful.

When learning a trade in the classroom, lectures are necessary, but watching an experienced professional do the work is equally, if not more, important. Whatever confusion the student is having in the classroom might be easily resolved by watching a live demonstration. What was lacking with the hearing was provided with the seeing.

God has given us much to see in the physical/material realm to clear up any confusion that might exist from the reading or the hearing of His Word. God is spirit. God is invisible. Some say they can't believe in something they can't see. One response, among many possible responses, might be that God has shown us who He is and that He has provided us with numerous visible images to look at that we might know Him. We encourage people to look at the pictures that God has placed before them in the physical realm in order to understand the spiritual realm. That which is invisible will be revealed to them.

The heavens are telling the glory of God. Their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor are there words. Their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their utterances to the end of the world. (Psalm 19:1–4)

This passage of Scripture is stating that there is an inaudible message from God to mankind in the creation, the material realm. Notice the words telling and declaring in verse 1. Notice also that there is no speech, no words, and no voice is heard in verse 3. However, the line (the message) and the utterances (inaudible) have gone forth to all the world, verse 4.

God has a wealth of knowledge to reveal to the world about Himself through creation. Day to day is pouring forth speech. Night to night is a perpetually flowing stream of knowledge. All day long and all through the night, God is revealing Himself to the world, not through what we hear or read, but through what we see.

For those of us who do not have enough faith to believe that matter created itself or that something came out of nothing or that design can exist without a designer, we begin looking to the creation to understand the creator. As we begin looking at what has been made, we begin hearing the inaudible voice of God speaking loudly and clearly to us about the Maker.

The other pictures that God has provided for us in the physical realm to better understand His nature and His plan for mankind are found in the people and events of the Old Testament. It has been said that for every principle taught in the New Testament, there is an Old Testament picture to illustrate it and to explain it. I have come to believe that this may very well be true, which will become evident in the second section of the book. Section two consists of the people and events of the Old Testament that provide us with picture illustrations of New Testament teaching. Section three consists of the people and events of the Old Testament that provide us with pictures of Christ and of God's plan of salvation for the world. We will consider these three sections to be three separate photo albums packed with pictures of God, each one worth more than a thousand words or at least 84.1.

When we ask the question, Do you get the picture? we want to know if the listener fully understands what we are saying. This is why the word seeing is often substituted for the word understanding. When we say, Yes, I see what you mean, we are metaphorically saying, Yes, I understand what you mean. We are not talking about what we see with our eyes but rather what we understand with our minds. These two words, seeing and understanding, are used interchangeably because so often it is seeing that brings understanding.

God has been faithful to show us more than enough pictures to make it possible for us to have a good understanding of His Word, His nature, and His plan for mankind. As we focus our attention on this material realm and as we familiarize ourselves with the Old Testament, it will be as if we are flipping through invaluable photo albums that God has placed in our possession. As we do, we may hear the still, small voice of God speaking to our hearts and asking us this simple question, Do you get the picture?

The Scriptures quoted in this book are predominately from the New American Standard translation of the Bible. I fell in love with this translation when it was first published in 1973. The love affair continued through all forty-seven years of ministry and has not waned in my old age. In order to remain in compliance with all NASB copyright restrictions, the Scriptures quoted in the last two chapters of the book are from the New King James translation of the Bible. Those quotations are clearly labeled NKJV. And now, let us open our first photo album.

Photo Album I

As stated, the pictures in Photo Album I consist of pictures developed by God from the physical realm to help us understand spiritual principles and spiritual reality.

Light and Darkness

An omniscient God cannot be taken by surprise. There is nothing that would cause an all-knowing God to say, I didn't see that coming. God did not discover, after He created the world, that He could use the different features of creation to represent spiritual reality and to convey spiritual truth. For example, when God created light and darkness, He did so with a twofold purpose, one being more important than the other. God created light and darkness not only to benefit man in his physical existence but also more importantly to speak to man about spiritual things.

Since the spiritual and the eternal are far more important than the material and the temporal, the more important reason for creating light and darkness is the spiritual significance. The spiritual symbolism of light and darkness was not an afterthought, it was intended. God wants the world to know that just as there are physical realms of light and darkness, there are also spiritual realms of light and darkness.

Where we spend eternity is far more important to God than where we spend a comparatively short amount of time. What better way to speak to the world about the eternal kingdom of light and the eternal kingdom of darkness than to provide picture illustrations in the physical realm? Since physical light makes physical life possible and sustainable, the picture that light provides us with is worth at least these eight words, Spiritual light makes spiritual life possible and sustainable.

We all learned about photosynthesis in school, the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. We learned that this process converts light energy into chemical energy which can be released to fuel the organism's metabolic activities. In simplified language for children in elementary school, plants use sunlight to make their own food so they can grow. These plants are necessary for the survival of animals. We also know that this process produces oxygen which is necessary for the survival of both animals and humans.

God tells us that He is light (1 John 1:5), that His Word of truth is light (Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 6:23), and that Christ (Messiah) is light (John 8:12). If we say, Lord, what exactly do you mean by that? the response might be, Look at the picture. The spiritual energy of the light of God, His Word, and His Christ make spiritual life possible. We see the connection between life and light. In Him was life and the life was the light of Men (John 1:4). Just as physical life on this earth is not possible without physical light, spiritual life, eternal life, is not possible without spiritual light.

When we come to God through the truth of the gospel of Christ, the light energy of God produces spiritual life within us. As we abide in Christ and in His Word, the spiritual food we need to survive and grow spiritually is produced. This spiritual light energy fuels our souls that we might live godly lives and produce spiritual fruit for His glory. The picture of physical light and the process of photosynthesis helps us to understand the Scriptures that teach us about spiritual light. We get the picture.

In Genesis 1:3–4, we read, Then God said, ‘Let there be light and there was light.' And God saw that the light was good and God separated the light from the darkness. God spoke light into existence. This is true for the light created in verse 3 as well as the light that emanates from the sun, moon, and stars created in verses 14–19. The light spoken into existence in verse 3 emanates from God Himself. In both cases, He separated the light from the darkness. It is significant to note that we do not read of God creating the darkness, but only of separating the light from the darkness.

Psalm 104:20 says, You appoint darkness and it becomes night. This is important because of the spiritual symbolism that God would assign to light and darkness. The light was to represent God in all His radiance, truth, and righteousness. Darkness was to represent all that is evil. Since no evil dwells with God (Psalm 5:4), and God cannot be the direct source of evil (James 1:13), therefore, we do not read that God created the darkness but rather appointed the darkness. This reminds us that God has chosen to allow evil to exist for this present time. Just as God appointed the darkness but did not create it, He allows the evil in the world for now but is not the source of it.

One of the important pictures that God provides us with in the material realm of light and darkness is this reality: Darkness can only exist in the absence of light. We all know that light is more powerful than darkness and, without exception, drives out darkness. The picture gives us the answer to the problem of good and evil.

Evil can only exist in the absence of God. God is light, and wherever God is, evil is driven out. The further a person moves away from God, the more capable that person is of evil. The further a nation moves away from God, the more capable that nation is of evil. When a person or a nation begins to seek after God, draw close to God, and walk in the light of the truth of His Word, the light of God and His Word begins to drive the evil out of that person or that nation.

There is no evil in the kingdom of God because that is where God dwells, and God is light. In the new Jerusalem, there is no need for the sun or moon, for the glory of God has illumined it and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations walk by its light (Revelation 21:23–24). This means that during the millennial reign of Christ on the earth, the light the world needs emanates from the Holy City, which is illumined by God Himself. In the daytime, for there is no night there, its gates will never be closed (Revelation 21:25). There will be no such thing as nighttime or darkness in the New Jerusalem because that is where God dwells, and God is light.

When we look at this picture and contemplate the existence of light and darkness in the physical realm, we know what to do about the spiritual darkness in our lives and in our culture. When I am sickened by the evil things I say and do, and I don't want to be that person anymore, I don't have to figure out a way to change myself. I don't have to waste time trying to figure out a way to drive out the darkness. We never waste time trying to drive the darkness out of the room. We never stand there screaming at the darkness and cursing it. We do not begin waving our hands and flailing with our arms to drive out the darkness. We simply turn on the light. The light, without exception, drives out the darkness as light is more powerful than darkness. In the same way, the evil in my heart, which manifests itself in deplorable behavior, is the problem of spiritual darkness.

Man's wisdom and man's strength are not the answers to a spiritual problem. I don't need to waste my time with humanistic psychology and self-help seminars. The answer to the problem of spiritual darkness is spiritual light. I need to come to God through Christ and begin abiding in His Word. This spiritual light is more powerful than the spiritual darkness within me and will drive it out every time.

The same is true for our nation. If you haven't noticed, we have a rather ominous problem with evil in our society. There is more violence in our nation than we ever dreamed possible. Our minds are confused, and our hearts deeply grieve over the multiple murders committed daily in the cities across the country. God explains through the prophet Hosea how this can happen.

For the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns and everyone who lives in it languishes. (Hosea 4:1–3)

We have informed God that we don't want Him or need Him anymore. We have removed God from education, from science, from politics, and from the public square. Therefore, there is no knowledge of God in the land. God will not stay where He is not wanted. Darkness thrives in the absence of light. Is it any wonder that evil multiplies exponentially the more defiant we become toward God? We turn off the light and then wonder why we are in darkness.

The evil in our hearts and in our land will only be driven out when the spiritual light of God begins shining brightly again. Until America turns back to God, we will be waving our hands and flailing with our arms in our feeble human efforts to eradicate evil. It is not that difficult to understand spiritual things when we look at the pictures.

The scriptures come alive to us when we look at the pictures.

The night is almost gone and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, and not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." (Romans 13:12–14)

To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to turn on the light which will always drive out the darkness because greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world (1 John 4:4).

Giving lip service to God does not mean that we are dwelling in the light. I may profess to believe in God, but until I lay aside the deeds of darkness, I am still dwelling in the kingdom of darkness. The physical realm of darkness is intended to be a reminder and a picture illustration of a place called outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12). That is not the eternal destiny that God wants for anyone.

Those who are cast into outer darkness will know that it is what they chose. They will know that time after time they refused to come to the light when they had the opportunity. They loved the darkness; they chose the darkness; therefore, they may have the darkness.

This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. (John 3:19–20)

We feel sadness in our hearts when we see a blind man feeling and groping his way along because he is in darkness. We can relate when we are in a pitch-black place, feeling and groping our way along. We can relate and empathize when we bash our head or shin or toe on a wall or piece of furniture simply because it is dark, and we can't see where we are going. We can relate and empathize when we stumble and fall bruising or breaking something, knocking over a table, making a mess out of the room as we curse the darkness.

Could we have a better picture illustration of spiritual darkness? Jesus said,

For a little while longer the light is among you. Walk while you have the light that darkness may not overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. (John 12:35–36)

If I am not sure I know exactly what that means, I can simply look at the picture. Suddenly, it becomes clear. When I get tired of the stumbling and falling and the brokenness and the unnecessary pain and making a mess out of my life, I make a decision to come to the light. I make a decision to come to Christ so that I no longer have to walk in spiritual darkness. The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving (2 Corinthians 4:4). I make a decision to give my life to Christ because I am tired of living my life as a blind man, and He is the only one who can give sight to the blind.

If I feel great sadness for the blind man, then that sadness is multiplied a thousand times over for the one who is spiritually blind and in danger of spending eternity in darkness. There is a sense of urgency to reach that one who can't see where he is going, and we are only allotted a certain amount of time to make our decision to come to the light. For a little while longer the light is among you.

There are numerous addictions that destroy people's lives. The Biblical terms for those addictions are chains, shackles, bondage, slavery, and captivity. These terms describe life in the realm of spiritual darkness. This is the very purpose for which Christ came into the world.

There were those who dwelt in darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners in misery and chains because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most-High. Therefore, He humbled their heart with labor. They stumbled and there was none to help them. They cried out to the Lord in their trouble. He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bands apart. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness and His wonders to the sons of men for He has shattered the gates of bronze and cut bars of iron asunder. (Psalm 107:10–16)

Many of us know what it is like to be in a very dark place. Many of us have known the anguish of addiction and in desperation cried out to God. Like the psalmist, we too know the unspeakable joy of Christ coming into our lives, breaking our chains, and driving out the darkness. This is why we come together on a regular basis to give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness and His wonders to the sons of men. This is why we sing His praises from the bottom of our hearts because He has saved us not only from the darkness of this world but also even more importantly from eternal darkness in the world to come.

We have a better understanding of the Scriptures when we look at the pictures.

There will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt but later on He will make it glorious by the way of the sea, on the other side of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Thou shalt multiply the nation, Thou shalt increase their gladness. They will be glad in Thy presence as with the gladness of harvest as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (Isaiah 9:1–3)

What was the great light that would shine on a dark land so that there would be no more gloom for her who was in anguish? The prophet explains in verse 6, For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Notice, the son was not born, He was given. The child (the Christ child) would be born in Bethlehem, and His goings forth would be from long ago, from the days of eternity according to the prophecy of Micah 5:2.

This is why the child's name would be Mighty God and Eternal Father. The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 tells us that a virgin would give birth to a son and that His name would be called Immanuel, which means God is with us. He would be God in human form, God incarnate. So the child would be born, but the eternal Son would be given. This is why Jesus said, Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. The Jewish religious leaders responded, You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham? (Jesus, then, would have to be two thousand years old. No wonder their incredulity.) Then Jesus hit them with this bombshell, Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am (John 8:56–58).

They took up stones wanting to stone Him for blasphemy, but they should have been expecting such statements from their Messiah when He came into the world. They knew from their own Scriptures that His goings forth would be from the days of eternity. They knew from their own prophets that the names of the child who would be born and the son who would be given were to be Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Immanuel. They knew that their Messiah was referred to as God in Psalm 45:6–7, Thy throne O God is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee with the oil of joy above Thy fellows. The psalmist tells us that God has anointed the Messiah as king and calls Him God. It would not, then, be surprising for the Messiah (Christ) to take the divine name, I Am, and apply it to Himself. That is only blasphemy if it isn't true.

Who is this eternal Son of God? He is the Son spoken of in Psalm 2:7–12.

I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to me, Thou art my Son, today I have begotten Thee. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as thine inheritance and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence, and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

The child who would be born is the eternal Son who will one day rule and reign over the earth in truth and righteousness, for the government will rest on His shoulders. However, He would first have to come and fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 53. He would be pierced through for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being would fall upon Him, and by His scourging, we would be healed. He would be cut off from the land of the living for the transgression of the people to whom the stroke was due. The righteous one would justify the many as He would bear their iniquities according to the prophet Isaiah.

He is the Son spoken of in Proverbs 30:2–4.

Surely I am more stupid than any man and I do not have the understanding of a man and have not learned wisdom. But I have knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has wrapped the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name or His Son's name? Surely you know.

It is okay if I am not an intellectual, if I am not a physicist, or if I am not one of the world's most brilliant philosophers. If I know God through His Son, I will have all the wisdom and knowledge I will need to live a rich, rewarding, fulfilling life here in this world and throughout eternity.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and Godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:2–3)

Everything I need for a beautiful and blessed life now and forever is the result of knowing God and His Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, the one who confesses the Son has the Father also (1