The metaphorical patterns in Scripture are a majestic network of hope, salvation, and the guarantee of God living up to His Word over thousands of years.  It is a discovery to notice it, a revelation to understand it, and a source of strength to study it.  Just as the seasons and the rainbow confirm to me the underpinnings of everything I believe, the other symbols of faith in the Creator God are the building blocks of a life of victory.

While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat,
Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. (Genesis 9:13)

Every dawn that brings a new day is not part of my worries.  I have no doubt in the evening about the dawn of the next day.  That’s for sure.  This happens without interruption and we scramble with clocks and calendars to express the light and dark hours in time measurements.

Think of the certainty of the seasons and the dawn and see every rainbow as the confirmation of every promise of God.  As sure as his covenant with the earth is his covenant with us.

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?  (Isaiah 40:21)

My refuge is the Word of the Lord.  Everyone needs a place to hide.  It is those “soft feathers” under the wings of the Almighty that the Psalmist knew so well.  (Psalm 17:8; 61:5; 63:8 and more)

He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.  (Psalm 91:4)

But where do we find the “fluffy feathers” of God’s faithfulness in practical terms.  To me, it is in the words that He speaks.  We have often talked about the power of words.  God speaks all of Creation in the making.  Every powerful and beautiful aspect of our earthly environment is a product of God’s words. 

And God said, is the beginning and end of everything, the source and the purpose of every single thing, including man.

Right there in the first chapters of Genesis, God speaks of seed, a metaphor that is used consistently.  Remember a metaphor always refers to something real. 

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bite him in the heel.

(Genesis 3:15,ESV)

We had already learned in Sunday school that this was the promise about Jesus.  Everything in the Old Testament was a preparation for the revelation of Jesus, the seed of the woman, whom John calls the Word of God.  Jesus was the Words of Creation, the point of life, the seed of God.

In Matthew 13, Jesus uses the metaphor of seed to explain the reception of the Word in the hearer’s life.  Twice he speaks of understanding or comprehending.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (13:19)

But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  (1:23)

To understand is to have insight, an intellectual process of grasping the scope of a principle or issue.  The rejection of the miracle principles of the Kingdom of God can only happen if a person has no understanding of their meaning. 

Understanding is a process of an intelligent train of thought that considers, meditates, reasons, studies, and then comes to a conclusion.  

In some cases, the word in the Bible is translated as progress or prosperity.  At 2 Kings 2:3, David encourages Solomon to obey the precepts of God so that he can move forward in all that he undertakes.  

There are even a number of Psalms that are categorized as Psalms that enlightens the reader with insight and imply progress. (Psalms 32; 42; 44; 45; 52; 53; 54; 55; 74; 78; 88; 89; 142)

It is always a blessing to make the effort to delve deeper into the Word of God and seek the fullness of meaning.  This was the very process that Jesus encouraged in his telling of parables.  It is those who lingered and asked questions, who understood the metaphors.  

Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (Daniel 10:12)

If we really understand, we will stand humble and trembling before the Lord.  He compliments the tender heart of the young King Josiah. 

But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Concerning the words which you have heard— ¹⁹ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke …  (2 Kings 22:18,19)

Here in Matthew 13, Jesus explains his parable at length after spelling out the purpose of parables to his disciples.  He encourages a learning process.  There are those who do not understand, with the understanding of a hard road on which the seed falls and is stolen again.

Yet there are those who hear and understand the Word.  The seed of the Word falls into fertile ground and bears fruit.  It is when the faithfulness of the promises of God is heard and understood, so that it is the seed given to the sower, becomes bread for the eater that we understand that the Word of God does not return void, but always, without exception, achieves the purpose for which it was sent.  (Isaiah 55:10,11)

The seed that bears fruit is when panic becomes peace, and tears of brokenness become tears of worship.  God will provide a way out.  He “plants” the seed in the divine process of life-giving promises guaranteed by his Resurrection. 

The “soft feathers” are where God’s voice, the words from his mouth, are heard.  This is the understanding that comes with spiritual insight.  

Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. (1 Samuel 3:8)

O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.
A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this.

(Psalm 92:5-7)

In Luke 2:49, another word for understanding is used.  It is sunesis in Greek which means an amalgamation.  It is the concept that intellectually argues a situation and comes to a conclusion – literally as the saying goes: putting two and two together.

The other aspect of understanding is phronesis which depicts the practical part of the mind while sunesis describes the analytical and discriminating part of the thought process. 

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (James 1:21) 

Evil steals the seed of the Word that should grow in us and bear fruit.  James encourages us to purify our souls with the Blood of Jesus and a simple confession of sin.  It will enable us to receive and understand the Word and experience deep deliverance.

How will we know we are hiding in the “soft feathers” of God’s wings if there is no opposition?  The Word is tested.  The evil one is always on hand to steal the seed.  It is our hearts of good ground, well wetted with tears of brokenness and worship that enable the seed to take root and fight evil.  

And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.  (Jeremiah 3:15)