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SOME STUDY GEMS:
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Attention
Mark 4:24 “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.”
The greek word for “take heed” is Blepo G991 – blepō, and is used almost in every chapter in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It means to give serious attention to, not just look – but see and seek, to discern (take things apart with your mind), gaze at, discover, really understand, weigh carefully, contemplate. It is like the example of looking in the mirror, when you walk away, do you remember what you saw or do you forget.
Another translation of this verse puts it this way, “Pay attention to what you’re listening to! Knowledge will be measured and given to you by the measure you give it attention. This is the way knowledge increases. Those who don’t understand and give attention, that which was given will be taken away.” There are so many things that could help us, if we just really pay attention and learn more about it. For example food, or love, or relationships. Most of us spend most of our hours at work, studying and improving that knowledge to help someone else (the companies we work for, for example). How many times have you read Scripture, and a year later when you read that same verse it is as if you read it for the first time? Are we really paying attention.. do we walk away from the knowledge (the seed that was just given), just to lose it and forget because we get so easily distracted and bombarded with other things around us. Yeshua was constantly warning.. stay awake, pay attention! This is also why half of the bridesmaids could not enter the wedding party, they got distracted and were not ready.
Illustrations and Parables
Mark 4:33-34 “And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.”
Yeshua spoke in Parables all the time! And if one didn’t read the old testament through, one would think Parables is a new testament thing, but it is not. We have made several posts on Parables, and how it is like a secret language, the way YHWH speaks and communicates, even through Prophecies with languages like spinning wheels with eyes and insects with iron teeth and crowns on their head.. it might seem very strange to the world indeed. In Luke 8:10 Yeshua says, “But it is given to others in stories. When they look, they don’t see, and when they hear, they don’t understand.” For the world, these stories are nothing but a story-book about Yeshua. Not everybody will understand, even if you explain it to them.
But Yeshua explained why He was talking like this, even the disciples had to learn the language and ask explanations. Which is what we can do to, when Parables, Prophecies or even Dreams doesn’t make sense, we need to pray and ask for guidance. Like the topic above, if we don’t pay attention, seek to understand, the seed and knowledge we’ve been given will be taken away.
