Gifts Have Rules - 1 Corinthians 12-14

1 Corinthians 14:13 (ESV)

Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.

The Corinthian believers were very much into the sign gifts.  Tongues and prophecy were their muse.   Paul is writing to give them instructions on how to use these gifts.   He has already outlined many principles for them to follow regarding tongues, but the above adds one more instruction.  

Paul realizes that an unknown tongue is just that, unknown.   He instructs them to, therefore, pray for someone to interpret. His point is that what good is it if they can speak in an unknown tongue and there is no one to tell you what the tongue said. 

Our modern day tongue movement would do well to follow this rule.  The Corinthians were into the experience of tongues.  Who would not want to speak, in the Spirit, in a tongue they didn’t know? That is first hand miracle experience.  But that also does not edify or convey anything that can glorify God, if there is no one to interpret the tongue.  

Paul gives them this instruction, like each of his tongue guidelines, to make sure the tongue gift is used in a way that glorifies God, edifies the Body and points others to Christ.  Paul has spent the last three chapters writing about how the gifts are numerous and for the purpose of glorifying God and make the Body work.  A gift like tongues can do that.  But it can also draw attention to itself.  That is not the point of any gift.   If tongues are for today they still have to follow the guidelines of yesterday.   

From Ignorance to Battle Cry - Mark 9-10

Mark 9:30-32 (ESV)

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

This is about as plan as you can tell someone about the future resurrection.  Yet, the disciples still did not get it.  Why?  Well, think about the thought.  We consider the resurrection the pinnacle of Christianity and grew up knowing about it.  They had never even heard of a resurrection from the dead.   Note what happened after the transfiguration scene a few verses before this:

Mark 9:9-10 (ESV)

And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

John recorded their confusion this way:

John 16:16-17 (ESV)

“A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”

Remember, Mark was not one of the disciples.  He is probably recording Peter’s (and other disciples) version of these events.  It will not be until they see Jesus’ empty tomb that all this comes together.  

John 12:16 (ESV)

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

The resurrection is the keystone of our faith.  At first it was not understood by those told explicitly about it.   They will come to know it.  It will be their battle cry.   So, too, ours!

Jars For Glory or Drunkenness - Jeremiah 12-16

Jeremiah 13:12-14 (ESV)

“You shall speak to them this word: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”’ And they will say to you, ‘Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will fill with drunkenness all the inhabitants of this land: the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will dash them one against another, fathers and sons together, declares the LORD. I will not pity or spare or have compassion, that I should not destroy them.’”

Jeremiah is in the midst of conveying God’s word (His wrath) to Israel.   He is telling them that God has offered them everything, but they have rejected Him.    

In the above paragraph we read an opening statement that is heard by the people as a ridiculous statement to make.  God says, 

 “Every jar shall be filled with wine.”

The people respond with,

“Do we not indeed know that every jar will be filled with wine?’ 

Their response is one of sarcasm.   They know what wine jars are for.  But this is God’s illustration.  They were to be jars for His glory. That was His point of putting them in the land.   But they instead turned His glory into disobedience.  So, now He is going to fill them to the point of being drunk.  They want to follow false gods and disobey Him, so He will accommodate.  This is something equivalent to Paul’s statement to the Romans:

Romans 1:24-28 (ESV)

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

This is what God is doing for Israel because of their disobedience.  When He created us as jars for HIs glory and we reject that, God gives us up to the desires of our flesh and we are consumed (drunk) by it and the consequences of it. 

From the Top to the Bottom - Job 29-30

Job 30:1-8 (ESV)

“But now they laugh at me,

men who are younger than I,

whose fathers I would have disdained

to set with the dogs of my flock.

What could I gain from the strength of their hands,

men whose vigor is gone?

Through want and hard hunger

they gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation;

they pick saltwort and the leaves of bushes,

and the roots of the broom tree for their food.

They are driven out from human company;

they shout after them as after a thief.

In the gullies of the torrents they must dwell,

in holes of the earth and of the rocks.

Among the bushes they bray;

under the nettles they huddle together.

A senseless, a nameless brood,

they have been whipped out of the land.

To better understand the above verses of Job we need to take a quick glimpse at the preceding chapter.   In chapter 29 Job is remembering his high status in life, before Satan attacked him (Job 1-2).   Job had it all. He had family, fame and, most important to the contrast of chapter 30, high respect.  He had status and significance among the people of the land.   Then trauma impacted his life.  Now, as he states in the above passages, he is mocked by even the lowest of the land.  As we read the passage we might have an unsettling of our own sense of moral outrage at Job’s attitude.  Remember, this is the Job that God said in the beginning of the book that he was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil (Job 1:1).     God said this three times in the first two chapters (Job 1:1; 1:10; 2:3).   Yet, as we read Job’s above words, now it would seem that Job is quite arrogant, bias and certainly possessed some societal scorn for those who were less than he was.   However, it might well wise to consider a few things before we cast doubt on Job’s character, especially since only God knew his heart.  

1.  We must never forget when reading Job, past chapter 2, that this man is in deep despair and turmoil.   This does not give him and excuse to now act corrupt, but his lens has changed significantly.   In these two chapters he is just making a comparison trying to figure out why he has gone from respect to ruin.   He wants to know why he has fallen from the diadem of the elite to the disdain of  dregs.   When we are in trauma  we simply want to know what just happened.  

2.  We must remember that the days of Job, societal class was a normal function of the community.  This does not dismiss the thought of  bias or class warfare, but it does explain Job’s innate perspective on it.  Just as slavery in the time of Paul was accepted, didn’t mean Paul accepted it.  It simply meant it was part of society and the lens by which all lived.  Undoubtedly in Job’s day, as in ours, there were those less fortunate.  Some by the act of God (Proverbs 22:2).  Some by their acts of their own foolishness (Proverbs 21:10).  

3. Lastly, to Job’s point, he was now less than he was.   He is, yes, writing about those who he would have never even associated with, but he is doing so to demonstrate his fall, not their weaknesses.   Job has gone from the top to the bottom, in a moment. He is simply making the point that those who would have never been in his circle are now mocking him to their delight in their circus.  This also speaks of their lack of character.  They see before them a man to be mocked, not someone to shown mercy.   Those of low character, no matter the reason, remain of low character.  Job has a reason to speak the way he does (although we would all prefer we could be better in these situations).   They do not.   They simply want to mock the man who was above them to now elevate their own status above him.  The adage don’t kick a man when he is down, comes to mind. 

Proverbs 24:17-18 (ESV)

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the LORD see it and be displeased,  and turn away his anger from him.

Don’t Seek Revenge- Psalms 42-44

Psalms 43:1 (ESV)

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause

against an ungodly people,

from the deceitful and unjust man

deliver me!

We’re not sure who wrote this song. It appears between the two sections of psalms that are attributed to King David (3-41 & 51-72).  It may still be David’s prayer.  His situation in life certainly fits the theme of the song. 

Apparently the writer is being attacked from someone. The attack is unjust. Because God holds the balance of justice, the writer appeals to God for vindication.

This is our take away. We are not to seek our own vengeance, we are not to look for vindication through our own means. Peter outlines this in his book to the church:

1 Peter 3:8-12 (ESV)

Suffering for Righteousness’ Sake

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For

“Whoever desires to love life

and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

and his lips from speaking deceit;

let him turn away from evil and do good;

let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Paul tells the Roman Christians the same thing:

Romans 12:17-21 (ESV)

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Our appeal for vindication needs to come to God. We are evil and therefore our vindication will carry a measure of evilness, of unfairness. We simply want to get back at people. God is the God of justice. When He vindicates us, He does so with perfect justice. He balances His wrath with His grace. When we vindicate our ourselves, we only have wrath. The next time you need vindication turn to God. Not to self.

Fear Costs You and Others - 1 Samuel 21-25

1 Samuel 22:18-19 (ESV)

Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.

David is on the run from Saul.  Although he was promised by God, through Samuel, to be the next king, he is running.  Saul has tried to kill him twice.  Who wouldn’t run?   Yet, in his fear he was making mistakes.  He stopped at the Tabernacle and ate the Showbread and took the sword of Goliath that was kept there.  A guy named Doeg the Edomite was there, as well.   This is where the story becomes a tragedy.   

Doeg wanted to impress Saul.  Saul needed a fool to do his evil work.  They become the perfect evil pair.   However, Doeg and Saul are only acting out of their heart of evil.  It is David who put them in this situation.  We need to see the lesson here:  Our fear and running from God costs others their lives.  

Men, women, children and priests were all killed because David ran in fear.  Notice what he, himself, says about this, once he hears the account:

1 Samuel 22:22 (ESV)

And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house.

Our lack of faith has more ramifications than on our own walk with God. It can impact those around us.   Never think that disobedience by fear is only damaging you. It is not.  Our fear costs others.  A good example of this is Jonah.  He ran from God in fear and the sailors lost all their cargo.   

Our lack of faith produces fear. Our fear brings havoc into the lives of others.  

Don’t Let Sin Blind You - Exodus 5-8

Exodus 8:16-19 (ESV)

The Third Plague: Gnats

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The third plague brought on the Egyptians in general and Pharaoh specifically, was gnats.   The Hebrew word can be translated many ways and one was gnats and the other is mosquitos.   Both were plentiful in Egypt.  

The interesting thing about this plaque is that God was creating something different out of the dust of the earth. In the first two plagues He turned water to blood and multiplied a known animal, the frog.  Here God takes dust and makes it into a pesky little animal that would bite and bother the Egyptians.   

Here the Egyptian magicians have finally met their match.  They can’t produce gnats or mosquitos out of dust.  Here they are willing to at least confess this is god-like.  They are still not ready to give glory to Yahweh.  The translation of their phrase can simply mean this is the finger of a god.   

Pharaoh still won’t listen.   Even though his own magic team was now confessing this was quite different, he is not willing to humble himself before Yahweh.   Even though a miracle is performed in front of him, he will not submit to God. Like the religious leaders later would not confess that Jesus was the Son of God, despite, His miracles, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.  Man wants a miracle to believe in God but still won’t submit to God when they see one.  This is the hardness of man’s heart.  Sin keeps man from seeing the glory of who God is.  Satan has truly blinded their eyes:

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Don’t let sin cause you to miss seeing the power and glory of God.