What Was Taken Will Be Restored
Before we examine what is seen or eventually revealed, we begin with what is spoken. Scripture repeatedly brings us back to words: who speaks, what is said, whom we believe, and what we follow.
But hearing does not necessarily mean understanding. Someone may hear the words and witness the events without recognizing what is taking place. The disciples themselves sometimes understood afterward. — John 2:22; John 12:16
Have I heard what Scripture says—or accepted an explanation without examining it? When understanding does not come immediately, am I willing to keep listening?
God Speaks, and Light Follows
“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” — Genesis 1:3, ASV
Notice the order: God speaks, and light follows. John begins with the Word, then speaks of life and the light of men. The light shines in darkness. These passages bring the Word, life, and light into our examination together. — Genesis 1:3; John 1:1–5
This gives us a starting point for the study. Before deciding what an appearance means, we must pay attention to what God has spoken.
What is guiding my understanding—the Word I have examined, or what something appears to be?
Which Voice Are We Following?
In the garden, the serpent questions what God has said, contradicts the warning, and presents another account of what will happen if the woman eats. The action follows an encounter with words. — Genesis 3:1–6
The account also identifies Adam’s listening. God addresses him as one who listened to his wife’s voice and ate from the tree concerning which he had received a command. The Hebrew שָׁמַע — shamaʿ concerns hearing or listening; here, the surrounding actions show that Adam acted upon what he heard. — Genesis 3:17
This matters because hearing a voice and following its direction are connected, but we should still examine each part. What was said? What instruction had already been given? What did the hearer do?
Jesus likewise connects hearing with following when he describes his sheep hearing his voice and following him. — John 10:27
Does a message agree with what God has spoken? Have I examined its direction, or does its appeal make me willing to follow it?
The question reaches beyond whether a speaker sounds confident or familiar. The serpent’s words offered something desirable, but the desirability of the offer did not make it faithful to God’s instruction. — Genesis 3:4–6
Returning to What Is Written
When Jesus is tempted in the wilderness, he repeatedly responds with Scripture. The account also shows the devil citing Scripture, making it important to examine how a passage is being used—not merely whether someone quotes it. — Matthew 4:1–11
A quotation can be presented alongside a direction we still need to test. We must consider the surrounding passage and compare what is being proposed with God’s instruction.
Am I examining the use of Scripture as carefully as I examine its words? Could a familiar verse be used to lead me toward something it does not instruct me to do?
This is why the Word must remain central as we follow the study. We are examining what is spoken, how it is received, and the response it produces.
The Seed and the Fruit
Jesus directly identifies the seed in the parable of the sower as the Word of God. The explanation then distinguishes the responses of those who hear it. Hearing occurs, but what follows is not the same in every case. — Luke 8:11–15
Another parable describes growth in stages: the blade, the head, and then mature grain. The harvest comes when the crop is ready. The planting and the harvest are distinguishable parts of the account. — Mark 4:26–29
Could something already spoken be developing before its fruit becomes visible? Am I expecting immediate recognition where the passage describes growth?
Jesus also speaks of a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying before bearing much fruit. We will return to this as we examine Christ, the offerings, the woman, and those who follow. For now, the distinction between the grain and the fruit it produces belongs in our study. — John 12:24
These seed passages should be compared with attention to their individual explanations. Each contributes to our examination of what is given, what is received, and what develops afterward.
Understanding After the Event
When Jesus speaks of destroying the temple and raising it again, those answering him refer to the temple’s construction. John explains that Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said and believed the Scripture and his word. — John 2:19–22
The words preceded their later understanding.
John records another instance in which the disciples did not understand at first. After Jesus was glorified, they remembered that the things written concerning him had been done to him. — John 12:16
If the disciples could witness something without initially understanding it, should we assume that seeing an event always means recognizing its significance? Could an explanation we already hold keep us from looking again?
Jesus also speaks of the Holy Spirit teaching and bringing his words to remembrance. This connects what was spoken with later remembrance and understanding. — John 14:26
These accounts give us a reason to examine prophecy carefully. They show that recognition can follow an event. We must preserve the difference between the words spoken, the event witnessed, and the understanding that follows.
The Relationship Before the Household
Our earlier studies brought us to a progression we will continue examining: Christ as Head, the joining of the two, the one new man, and the household developing in one Spirit. In that study, we distinguished the completed union from the wider household being built; we will retain that distinction as we follow the connections here. — Ephesians 2:14–22
This brings us to the woman and her relationship to Christ. Her preparation, cleansing, covering, and presentation must be examined alongside the roles of those who follow. Christ’s care and the preparation for presentation are central to that examination. — Ephesians 5:25–32
Psalm 45 describes the royal woman and the virgins following her. Revelation describes the Lamb’s wife making herself ready and receiving fine linen. Later, the Spirit and the bride speak the invitation to come. — Psalm 45:13–15; Revelation 19:7–8; Revelation 22:17
Who is being prepared? Who follows? What is given, and to whom? Does sharing in a relationship mean every person holds the same role?
We will examine those questions without automatically merging the woman, those following her, and the developing household. The distinctions are part of what we need to hear before deciding what we see.
What Have We Heard—and What Will We Follow?
The garden brings us to competing words and the consequences of following them. Jesus directs attention to hearing his voice and following him. The seed passages bring the hearer’s response and the development of fruit into view. The disciples’ experiences show why remembrance and later understanding also matter. — Genesis 3:1–6; John 10:27; Luke 8:11–15; John 2:22; John 12:16
Am I willing to examine a voice I have trusted? If a passage challenges my understanding, will I give it careful attention—or dismiss it because it does not fit what I expected?
As we continue, we will follow the connections involving the wilderness, nourishment, Wisdom, the anointing, the woman, and what is given by YHWH (יהוה). Hearing, seeing, and revealing will remain connected, while each passage contributes its own details.
We begin by listening carefully to what is written—and examining what our response reveals.
Threads to Follow
The garden and competing voices: The two trees, the serpent’s words, and the consequences of listening. — Genesis 2–3
Hearing and following: The Shepherd’s voice and the response of his sheep. — John 10:1–27
The wilderness: Temptation, Scripture being quoted, and Jesus’ response. — Matthew 4:1–11
Seed and growth: The Word received, the condition of the hearer, and the harvest. — Luke 8:4–15; Mark 4:26–29; John 12:24
Remembrance and understanding: Words spoken, events witnessed, and recognition afterward. — John 2:19–22; John 12:16; John 14:26
Wisdom’s invitation: Calling, teaching, building her house, and preparing food. — Proverbs 8–9
The woman in the wilderness: Being brought there and spoken to at the heart. — Hosea 2:14–15
A famine of hearing: Seeking the words of YHWH (יהוה). — Amos 8:11–12
Joining and distinct roles: The union, the woman, those who follow, and the developing dwelling. — Ephesians 2:14–22; Psalm 45; Revelation 19–22
The books were opened…
🌿Studies by Maria Emilia ~ 🗺️ Continue exploring: Visit Bible Books to find studies organized by book of the Bible, along with related studies and links.
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