Welcome back, everyone, for another deep dive. This time, you've given us a pretty interesting collection of sources all about axes in the bible.

Yeah. Should be fun.

But we're not just talking about chopping wood here.

Right.

We're gonna be digging into what these tools actually meant to the people who use them.

I think we might uncover some pretty surprising stuff about, you know, wisdom and skill.

I think so too. What really stood out to me when I was looking at these sources Oh. Is that there isn't just one word for acts in the Bible.

Oh, yeah. That's a great point. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, actually, it lists 9 different terms. 9.

9. Wow. Yeah. I guess they took their axes pretty seriously.

They did. Yeah. Yeah. And a lot of these terms, they refer to very specific types of axes. Like, you've got garzon

Yeah.

That usually describes a large axe, like the kind you'd use for, you know, some heavy chopping. But then you've got quartum, and that's more like an adze. Like an adze. Yeah. Kinda like an axe with a curved blade. You know what's interesting? They still use Aziz today. Carpenters in Syria still use them.

Oh, wow. So it's for more like delicate woodworking.

Exactly. Yeah. It's like think about the difference between, like, a lumberjack's ax and, like, a sculptor's chisel. Totally different tools for different jobs.

Right. So we're seeing right from the start that the ancient Israelites, they had this whole vocabulary for axes They did. Which tells us how important these tools were in their daily lives.

Absolutely.

But the sources you gave us go way beyond just talking about the physical tool itself. They really dive into, like, the symbolism of the axe.

They do.

Especially in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Yeah. Ecclesiastes chapter 10 verse 10 uses this really powerful image of a dull ax. It says, and I'm paraphrasing here, if your ax is dull, you're gonna need a lot more strength to get the job done. But skill skill is what brings success.

Okay. So on a practical level, like, we all know a sharp ax makes the work easier.

Absolutely. Way more efficient.

But it feels like the verse is going deeper than that.

Oh, it totally is. It's like it's connecting that physical sharpening of the ax Yeah. To sharpening our mind.

It's like if our thinking is dull, if if we aren't prepared, if we don't have the skills Right. We're gonna have to work way harder to get anything done.

You got it. And that's where wisdom and skill come in. They're like the sharpening stone for our minds. They help us work smarter, not harder. And, you know, what I love about this metaphor is it's so concrete, like, we can all picture and act Totally. And it connects that image to these, you know, kind of abstract concepts of wisdom and success. It makes them way more relatable.

Yeah. It's not just some vague saying about being wise. It's something you can really grasp.

Exactly.

Speaking of grasping things, I stumbled across something pretty interesting about axes in the bible. You know, the Hebrew word, barzal.

Yeah. Barzal means iron. Right.

Okay. But according to the encyclopedia, it's used sometimes where it seems like it's actually talking about an axe.

That's really interesting. Makes you wonder if maybe iron axes were around earlier than we thought.

Yeah. Kind of a little archeological puzzle there.

I love it.

But getting back to that wisdom in Ecclesiastes, you know, one of the sources you sent, the axe's dull parable. It takes that whole idea of the dull axe and applies it to needing to constantly work on your skills. Yeah. Always sharpening them.

Right. And that is so relevant for us today.

It is.

Doesn't matter what you do. No. You can't just sit back and think you've got it all figured out.

You gotta keep getting better.

Gotta keep honing those skills.

So how do we know when we've become a bit dull? What are, like, the signs that maybe our axe needs sharkening?

Okay. Well, think about it this way. Are you finding yourself struggling with things that used to be easy?

Oh, yeah.

You know, are you putting in more and more effort but not seeing the same results? Or maybe you just don't feel challenged anymore.

Or, like, you're just not as effective as you used to be.

Exactly. Those are all signs that maybe it's time to focus on some still development.

Yeah. Some tough questions to ask ourselves there. But okay. So let's say we are feeling a little dull. What can we do about it? How do we sharpen ourselves?

Well, the article talks about a few things. One is deliberate practice, like, really focusing on your weaknesses and putting in the work to get better.

Okay. So not just going through the motions. No.

No. No. It's about being intentional. And then getting feedback from others is huge.

Oh, yeah. That's important.

Because they can see things that we might miss.

Right.

And then, of course, never stop learning. Always be looking for ways to expand your knowledge and skills.

Makes me think about those amazing craftsmen described in the Bible.

Oh, yeah.

Like, Bezalel and Oholiab.

Oh, right. The ones who were chosen to build the tabernacle.

Yeah. They were incredible.

Yeah.

They had such an amazing level of skill and dedication.

Oh, absolutely. They're a perfect example. And, actually, the Acts as Dole parable talks about them

Yeah.