03.25. 1. Statement Of The Law Of Recurrence

1. Statement Of The Law Of Recurrence As the word, recurrence, indicates, we may expect this principle of scriptural interpretation to involve the record of an occurrence of an event and the repetition of the account. A thing occurs and then, if it is repeated, it recurs. It is by repetition that we learn things. We must have experience after experience in order to appreciate or to understand fully certain things. The adage that practice makes perfect is true. Advertisers realize the importance of this principle. An advertisement inserted in a paper once is practically money lost. If it is repeated at least three or four times, results begin to come. This is what advertisers have told me, and I have tried and learned by experience that this is true. The Lord understands human psychology and knows that a thing must be repeated time and time again in order to make the proper impression upon the human mind. It is therefore in accordance with this principle that the Lord has adopted the principle of the law of recurrence.

I might set forth this fundamental by calling attention to an artist who is painting the portrait of one who is posing for his likeness. After the artist has properly arranged his lights and shades and after he has posed his subject to his liking, he can do in a very short time what he terms "blocking out the portrait." It is impossible for one to maintain the proper pose and the correct attitude and expression of face for a long period of time. The artist, therefore, after he has posed a person properly, can very quickly transfer the likeness to the canvas. But the mental strain upon the person posing cannot endure indefinitely. He therefore can maintain one pose only a very short time. A second sitting is necessary. At this time the artist, after having posed his subject, will add new details that were not shown at the first sitting. He will likewise bring out more clearly certain features that he put on the canvas at first. In somewhat the same way the prophets "blocked out the portrait" at the first "sitting." Then they went over the portrait at a subsequent sitting and added new details and brought out more clearly the things given at the first sitting. We must now examine the Scriptures to learn the value of this principle and see its importance.