Figures of Speech

Acrostic
By John W. Schoenheit

The ability to communicate with words is one thing that sets mankind apart from all other creatures. God is the Author of language, and no one has ever used language as precisely as God does in the Bible, including His use of figures of speech, of which there are more than 200 varieties in Scripture.[1] When most people say, “a figure of speech,” they are speaking in general terms of something that is not true to fact. However, genuine “figures of speech” are legitimate grammatical and lexical forms that add emphasis and feeling to what we say and write. In the Bible, God uses figures of speech to emphasize things that He wants us to see as important. Many people who read the Bible never think to ask themselves, “How do we know what God wants emphasized in His Word?” God uses figures of speech to put emphasis where He wants emphasis, so it is important that we recognize and properly interpret the figures of speech in the Bible. Knowing the figures of speech God uses in the Bible helps us to understand the true meaning of Scripture and enables us to more fully enjoy its richness.

The figure of speech we are going to study in this issue of The Sower is Acrostichion, or, in English, Acrostic. The Greek word Acrostichion comes from akros (“the extremity;” thus the beginning or end), and stichos (a row), and thus an Acrostichion is when letters are used at the beginning or end of a number of lines. The letters can be the letters of the alphabet, or can spell a word or phrase. When each successive letter of the alphabet is used, the acrostic is referred to as “abecedarian.” Even short acrostics generally do not happen accidentally, and so the sections of the Bible that are acrostic are clearly the work of God to call our attention to those particular verses and what they are saying.

One famous acrostic is why one of the ancient symbols for Christianity is the fish. The first letter of these Greek words, “?????? (Jesus) ??????? (Christ), ???? (God’s) ???? (Son), ????? (savior),” spells ?????, (ichthus), the Greek word for “fish.”

Psalm 111 is a perfect acrostic in Hebrew. The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, and Psalm 111 has 22 lines in the Hebrew text, and each of them begins with the next successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Psalm 112 is also a perfect acrostic in Hebrew. It is no coincidence that Psalm 111 and 112 are placed together. Psalm 111 focuses on Yahweh, giving Him praise and honor, while Psalm 112 focuses on the person who fears Yahweh and how he is blessed.

Psalm 119 is the most famous acrostic Psalm in the Bible. It is well known for being the longest Psalm in the Bible, but it is not as well known that it is acrostic. There are 176 verses in Psalm 119, which is 22 (the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet) times 8. Each stanza of eight verses begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, beginning with aleph (the first letter) and ending with tau (the last letter).

Proverbs 31:10-31, the verses that extol the virtuous woman, are acrostic.

There are more acrostics in the Bible, and not every one of them is “perfect,” having all 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order, and furthermore, not all of them reproduce the alphabet. Psalms 9 and 10 are two halves of an acrostic, completing one thought, but the acrostic is not “perfect” as is the acrostic in Psalm 111, for example. Actually, Psalms 9 and 10 are just one psalm in both the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament made about 250 BC, and in the Latin Vulgate version. In the Hebrew text, Psalm 9 starts with aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and Psalm 10 starts with lamed (pronounced “laam’-ed”), the twelfth letter, the letter that starts the second half of the Hebrew alphabet. E. W. Bullinger points out in his book, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, that Psalms 9 and 10, more than just being about sinful people in general, describes the Antichrist, the man of sin, and the times in which he lives (which is actually easier to see in Hebrew than in English). It is likely that Bullinger correctly surmises that the acrostic is imperfect and broken on purpose, reflecting the imperfect and broken condition of the world when the Antichrist rules the earth and the imperfect nature of the Antichrist himself.

When figures of speech such as Acrostic occur in the Bible, English readers must rely on marginal notes and sometimes a good study Bible to reveal that fact, because what can be easily seen in Hebrew or Greek cannot usually be reproduced in English.

The first time you dared to taste it, the taste was like? Name one fruit and then elaborate

Suspected LAPD Killer Found $8,000 And Returned It To An Oklahoma Church In 2002

by Furious on February 10, 2013 in News

“’It’s an integrity thing,’ Chris Dorner told Enid News and Eagle. ‘I didn’t work for it, so it’s not mine. And it was for the church.’”

The military stresses integrity. It is apparently a lesson learned well by two Vance Air Force Base students.

An Enid church is a little richer today thanks to the integrity of Lt. Andrew Baugher, a Marine student at Vance, and Ensign Chris Dorner, a Navy student pilot.

The two were driving into Enid Sunday afternoon when they spotted a bank bag in the middle of the road.

After turning around, they picked up the bag and found it contained nearly $8,000. They promptly took the bag to the Enid Police Department.

Suspected LAPD Killer Found $8,000 And Returned It To An Oklahoma Church In 2002

The money belongs to Enid Korean Church of Grace, 724 W. Randolph, and the bag contained $7,792 in cash and checks.

“I thought it was a wallet. We turned around and found it was a bank envelope,” Baugher said. “We opened it and found plenty of cash in there.”

Baugher said the pair did not know if the money was lost or stolen, but took it to the police department.

“I thought it was a piece of cardboard,” Dorner said. “When we passed it I thought it was a large purse and turned around.”

When the two opened the envelope, they saw the checks and the church’s deposit slip.

Not everyone would have returned the money, but Baugher and Dorner said “it’s an integrity thing.”

Both were taught honest as children, and integrity is stressed in their military training.

Baugher grew up in Ankeny, Iowa, a small town north of Des Moines, and was raised in a church.

Dorner was raised by his mother in La Palma, Calif., in Orange County. Both men learned the value of honesty as they were raised.

“It was just the right thing to do,” Baugher said. “I have loan payments it could have taken care of.”

Baugher said he learned the pastor of the church had placed the bag on top of his car and it fell off.

Baugher, a Marine, is a member of the Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training program at Vance. He hopes to fly an F-18. Dorner, a Navy officer, hopes to fly SH-60 helicopters used for search and rescue and in special operations.

“The military stresses integrity,” Dorner said. “There was a couple of thousand dollars, and if people are willing to give that to a church, it must be pretty important to them.”

He said it was “a little scary” having that much money in front of him.

Dorner said his mother taught him honesty and integrity.

“I didn’t work for it, so it’s not mine. And it was for the church,” he said. “It’s not so much the integrity, but it was someone else’s money. I would hope someone would do that for me.”

Both students received telephone calls Sunday evening from a church member, whose name they could not understand.

One phrase they did hear was, “God bless you. Thank you.”

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/lapd-killer-found-8000-and-returned-it-to-an-oklahoma-church

Captain Who Helped Fire Chris Dorner Hasn’t Left the House, in Fear for His Family
Added by bowatkin on February 10, 2013.
Saved under News
Tags: article, Captain Phil Tingirides, Christopher Dorner, family

Captain Phil Tingirides was the chair of a panel that decided to fire fugitive former police officer Christopher Dorner. Dorner explains exactly what the panel did and why we should be suspicious of their motives. The captain has stated that he is in fear for his family and is refusing to leave the house. If you read the article below and the excerpt from Dorner’s manifesto, it does indeed appear that there is good reason for Dorner to be upset with the panel for making a decision that could seriously be called into question.

See for yourself:

Captain Phil Tingirides, 54, chair of the three-member “Board of Rights” that stripped fugitive murder suspect Christopher Dorner of his badge in 2008, has not left home since the manifesto became public and is afraid for not only his safety, but for the lives of his wife and six children, reports the OC Register.

“This month, it will be 33 years on the Los Angeles Police Department. I have had a number of threats and very rarely do I take them seriously,” Tingirides said. “In this case … I’m taking it very seriously. … I recognize I am susceptible to his violence.”
Dorner details why he is targeting Tingirides in the lengthy manifesto:

I later went to a Board of Rights (department hearing for decision of continued employment) from 10/08 to 1/09. During this BOR hearing a video was played for the BOR panel where Christopher Gettler stated that he was indeed kicked by Officer Evans (video sent to multiple news agencies). In addition to Christopher Gettler stating he was kicked, his father Richard Gettler, also stated that his son had stated he was kicked by an officer when he was arrested after being released from custody. This was all presented for the department at the BOR hearing. They still found me guilty and terminated me.
What they didn’t mention was that the BOR panel made up of Capt. Phil Tingirides, Capt. Justin Eisenberg, and City Attorney Martella had a signigicant problem from the time the board was assembled. Capt. Phil Tingirides was a personal friend of Teresa Evans from when he was her supervisor at Harbor station. That is a clear conflict of interest and I made my argument for his removal early and was denied.

Run From The Cure: How Cannabis Cures Cancer And Why No One Knows

Cannabis sativa hemp, the miracle plant, contains the cure for cancer and other ailments
By Rick Simpson – Friday, March 7 2008
My name is Rick Simpson. I have been providing people with Hemp Oil medicines, at no cost, for about three years. The results have been nothing short of amazing. Throughout man’s history hemp has always been known as the most medicinal plant in the world. Even with this knowledge, hemp has always been used as a political and religious football. I want this knowledge out there for everyone to learn! Watch the documentary Run From The Cure to understand more about using cannabis as a cure for cancer and other medical problems!
The current restrictions against hemp were put in place and maintained, not because hemp is evil or harmful, but for big money to make more big money, while we suffer and die needlessly. Look at a proposal such as this; if we were allowed to grow hemp in our back yards and cure our own illnesses, what do you think the reaction of the pharmaceutical industry would be to such a plan?
Many large pharmaceutical companies that still exist today sold hemp based medicines in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. They knew then what I have recently found out. Hemp oil if produced properly is a cure-all that the pharmaceutical industry can’t patent.
To learn more about my and hemp oil, visit www.PhoenixTears.ca and watch the documentary Run From The Cure. Below the posted videos you will find more studies and research about cannabis curing cancer!

Rick Simpson outside court, 2007
RUN FROM THE CURE: A Film By Christian Laurette
After a serious head injury in 1997, Rick Simpson sought relief from his medical condition through the use of medicinal hemp oil. When Rick discovered that the hemp oil (with its high concentration of T.H.C.) cured cancers and other illnesses, he tried to share it with as many people as he could free of charge, curing and controlling literally hundreds of people’s illnesses… but when the story went public, the long arm of the law snatched the medicine – leaving potentially thousands of people without their cancer treatments – and leaving Rick with unconsitutional charges of possessing and trafficking marijuana!
Canada is in the middle of a CANCER EPIDEMIC! Meet the people who were not allowed to testify on Rick’s behalf at the Supreme Court of Canada’s Infamous Rick Simpson Trial on September 10, 2007… INCLUDING A MAN WHO WAS CURED OF TERMINAL CANCER USING HEMP OIL!

Eighteen-year-old Moya Williams was left stunned recently when she learned Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) had named her, a Jamaican living in the Cayman Islands, its top performer worldwide in travel and tourism.
As a result of her outstanding performance in her exams last June, Moya just over two weeks ago received the ‘Top in the World’ award from CIE, the world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for students up to 19 years old.
According to CIE, more than 9,000 schools in more than 160 countries are part of its learning community.
Williams, who grew up in Westmoreland and left Jamaica less than a decade ago, studied AS-Level travel and tourism at the Cayman Preparatory and High School in the Cayman Islands.
“This was the first time the programme was being introduced to the school, so we had no students above us who we could ask for help, so I didn’t know what to expect,” Moya told The Gleaner.
“I basically had to seek help from my classmates, so I had no interest in doing the course at first. However, I was convinced by my friend and I decided to take the course.”
She added: “I used every opportunity I had to study and I really had to push myself, just so I could take in everything. I constantly went over my notes just to keep up and I guess it paid off.”
Moya is no stranger to success, having received 11 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects with grades one and two. She shared that when she received the news of her latest achievement, it took a while to digest.
“I was in the assembly and the principal said somebody here has received the highest award in the world, so my friend and I started calling names of persons in the class who we thought were eligible and then I heard my name,” she explained. “I was so shocked! It took an hour to sink in because I really wasn’t expecting this,” she said.
During that celebration assembly at Cayman Prep and High on January 17, Moya was presented with her Cambridge ‘Top in the World’ award by Shomari Scott, Cayman Islands director of tourism, and Dianne Conolly, tourism training and development coordinator.
Moya’s mother, Karen Williams, was still in awe when she spoke with The Gleaner. She said though she knew her daughter was a disciplined child, she did not anticipate such a high honour.
“Moya is a focused girl. She knows when it’s time to be serious and when it’s time to play and I knew she would do well, but to receive the highest award in the world, words really can’t explain how I am feeling!” said the ecstatic mother.
“I am really overjoyed. She has made us here very proud and also her family in Jamaica. Whenever clients come in, I just begin to tell them and I show them the letter because I’m just so happy,” she continued.
Karen, who left Jamaica for the Cayman Islands in 1990, returned home when she was expecting her bundle of joy. Moya then spent her early years growing up with her grandmother and aunt in Westmoreland before joining her mother in Cayman seven years ago.
Reflecting once more on her achievement, Moya encouraged students to be focused and never forget the importance of hard work.
“You have to work for what you want, it cannot be overemphasised. Make the best of every opportunity so that when you look back, you won’t have any regrets,” she said.