The Bible is full of pictures.
Now, illustrations — whether they are symbols, metaphors,
or even when they come in the form of full-blown parables — are not
reality, and it does us good to keep that in mind. They are useful snapshots in
which we may catch glimpses of ourselves, of God, and of spiritual truths we
might otherwise miss. To ensure we don’t, God has given them to us in a form we
can easily process and relate to, one which often stirs an emotional reaction
that can bring us to repentance, awe, appreciation or some other good state. For
example, Nathan’s story about the
poor man’s ewe lamb drove David into a righteous rage ... until he
realized the story was all about him.