In the book “Body Language in the Bible” we discus three different ways nonverbal communication occurs in Scripture. Many examples of body language are historical stories of people who communicated through their appearance, actions, and positions. The second type of examples is contained in instructions, warnings, and parables. These lessons include descriptions of nonverbal communication to emphasize and enhance their meaning. The third way nonverbal communication is used is in prophecy.
Weeping and mourning provide good examples of all three
types of nonverbal communication found in the Bible. Historical
people in the Bible wept for the loss of friends and family with real, literal
tears and cries of anguish. There are also
several passages in the Bible which use weeping in combination with instructions and warnings about pride, evil, and self-righteousness. Many Old Testament prophecies state certain cities or nations would certainly mourn
due to their rebellion against God.
Here are some examples of weeping and mourning for each
of the three different types:
Historical
After Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery they
dipped his tunic in blood and showed it to his father, Jacob. Notice how Jacob responded to the apparent death
of his beloved son.
So Jacob tore his
clothes, and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many
days. Then all his sons and all his
daughters arose to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said,
“Surely I will go down to Sheol in mourning for my son.” So his father wept
for him. (Genesis 37:34–35, NASB)
Instructions, Warnings, and Parables
Both Jesus and James warned the proud and those who
relied on their own self-righteousness that their laughter and joy would turn
to sorrow. Using the description of
weeping in their instructions helped people to relate to the dangers of pride
and its painful consequences.
“Woe to you who are
well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn
and weep.” (Luke 6:25, NASB)
Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let
your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble
yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:8–10, NASB)
Prophecy
In this prophecy spoken against Tyre, notice all of the
nonverbal sounds, actions, and displays that are associated with the judgment
of God. Instead of directly saying, “This
is going to be bad and hurt a lot,” God uses descriptions of sorrow and
suffering to convey the severity of the judgment.
“And they will make
their voice heard over you And will cry bitterly. They will cast dust on their
heads, They will wallow in ashes. Also they will make themselves bald for you And
gird themselves with sackcloth; And they will weep for you in bitterness
of soul With bitter mourning. Moreover, in their wailing they will take
up a lamentation for you And lament over you: ‘Who is like Tyre, Like her who
is silent in the midst of the sea?’”
(Ezekiel 27:30–32, NASB)
Whenever you find nonverbal communication in the Bible, whether
it be clothing, sounds, actions, or the expression of emotion, look to see
which type of body language you have found.
Is this an example of a historical
person showing their emotions or intentions through their physical
appearance? Or, is this an instruction that is given to the people
which includes some type of physical description to help them better understand
the lesson? Or, perhaps you are reading
a prophecy that uses a visual description to help the listener understand the
magnitude of the judgment ahead. In each
case, the inclusion of a physical description helps us as students to gain
valuable insight into the richness and depth of truth found in God’s Word.
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