Psalm 76

WEEK 8                                                Psalm 76

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

God is strong and powerful. He is to be feared. When is he to be feared? When he is angry. When shall God arise? He arises to save the meek!

The meek? Yes, the meek.

All through this psalm, God is said to be feared and how great he is but who does he defend? those who are meek. Those who the mighty among men despise and abuse. God doesn't arise in judgment because he is mean but to defend the meek. He is coming to bring judgment not just because people have disobeyed him, but to save those who are meek, the helpless, and the oppressed. God is going to bring judgment because to allow the oppressor to go free further abuses the downtrodden. To say it as this psalm does God brings judgment to save the meek. 

Psa 76:1-12
(1)  To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song of Asaph. In Judah is God known: his name is great in Israel.
(2)  In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.
(3)  There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.
(4)  Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.
(5)  The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands.
(6)  At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
(7)  Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?
(8)  Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,
(9)  When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
(10)  Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.
(11)  Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.
(12)  He shall cut off the spirit of princes: he is terrible to the kings of the earth.

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Judges 20

WEEK  8                                               Judges 20

TUESDAY  Reflections

I would like nothing more than to skip over the last few chapters of Judges. Ruth which took place in the time of Judges is a great story of love and commitment. The period of the judges doesn’t end with Ruth. Alas, we need to look at these last two chapters specifically chapter 20 to see what has happened to the people who God delivered.

 

There is much to be amazed at here. First, only after a great tragedy does Israel rise up against the evil going on in their midst. Second, I am saddened that the Benjaminites are, not only, living in disobedience to the law of God but decided to defend those who had committed this horrible crime. Finally, though God told Israel to go into battle, they lost the first two days and only on the third day Israel finally received the victory.

 

One can try to guess why the Lord didn’t make the battle easy for Israel, but the truth is we don’t know why. It was clear God wanted them to fight, and God could have made the victory easy, but that wasn’t what God did. I have heard a few guesses as to why, but at the end of the day it comes down to faith. Do you believe God even when the battle goes against you? Israel wasn’t sure after the first two defeats, so they asked God again, but I noticed when they got the word from God, they went out again in spite of what had happened the day before.

 

Are you willing to keep fighting if God asks you too? Even if you are losing? Because remembering this, no matter what happens now, we know we ultimately win.

Jdg 20:1-48
(1)  Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpeh.
(2)  And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
(3)  (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpeh.) Then said the children of Israel, Tell us, how was this wickedness?
(4)  And the Levite, the husband of the woman that was slain, answered and said, I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.
(5)  And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me: and my concubine have they forced, that she is dead.
(6)  And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel: for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.
(7)  Behold, ye are all children of Israel; give here your advice and counsel.
(8)  And all the people arose as one man, saying, We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.
(9)  But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
(10)  And we will take ten men of an hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch victual for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel.
(11)  So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
(12)  And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you?
(13)  Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel:
(14)  But the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
(15)  And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
(16)  Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss.
(17)  And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
(18)  And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.
(19)  And the children of Israel rose up in the morning, and encamped against Gibeah.
(20)  And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin; and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.
(21)  And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.
(22)  And the people the men of Israel encouraged themselves, and set their battle again in array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.
(23)  (And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until even, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother? And the LORD said, Go up against him.)
(24)  And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.
(25)  And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.
(26)  Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.
(27)  And the children of Israel enquired of the LORD, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
(28)  And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
(29)  And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.
(30)  And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.
(31)  And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel.
(32)  And the children of Benjamin said, They are smitten down before us, as at the first. But the children of Israel said, Let us flee, and draw them from the city unto the highways.
(33)  And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.
(34)  And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore: but they knew not that evil was near them.
(35)  And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
(36)  So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.
(37)  And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.
(38)  Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
(39)  And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.
(40)  But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
(41)  And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed: for they saw that evil was come upon them.
(42)  Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness; but the battle overtook them; and them which came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.
(43)  Thus they inclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them, and trode them down with ease over against Gibeah toward the sunrising.
(44)  And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men; all these were men of valour.
(45)  And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.
(46)  So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour.
(47)  But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.
(48)  And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city, as the beast, and all that came to hand: also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

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Judges 19

WEEK  8                                             Judges 19

MONDAY  Reflections

I have never watched an episode of the series Game of Thrones. I have heard it is overly sexual and overly violent (the few clips I have seen and what I have read tends to make me conclude that this fantasy fan is going to pass on ever watching it). This being said, the next two chapters in Judges if made into a graphic movie would probably tie it or perhaps exceed it. Everything that is happening is disturbing.

A Levite (the man of God, HA! maybe not) which we have to guess is a horrible husband go to get his wife who has run away. They stay in a very unsafe Israelite village. The husband throws his wife to the crowd to save himself and then he cuts her to pieces to get everyone's attention.

What is this doing in the Bible? It's telling what happens when the people of God try to live their own way, without Godly leadership. It's a very ugly picture.

Jdg 19:1-30
(1)  And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah.
(2)  And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah, and was there four whole months.
(3)  And her husband arose, and went after her, to speak friendly unto her, and to bring her again, having his servant with him, and a couple of asses: and she brought him into her father's house: and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.
(4)  And his father in law, the damsel's father, retained him; and he abode with him three days: so they did eat and drink, and lodged there.
(5)  And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart: and the damsel's father said unto his son in law, Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way.
(6)  And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
(7)  And when the man rose up to depart, his father in law urged him: therefore he lodged there again.
(8)  And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart: and the damsel's father said, Comfort thine heart, I pray thee. And they tarried until afternoon, and they did eat both of them.
(9)  And when the man rose up to depart, he, and his concubine, and his servant, his father in law, the damsel's father, said unto him, Behold, now the day draweth toward evening, I pray you tarry all night: behold, the day groweth to an end, lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and to morrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home.
(10)  But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came over against Jebus, which is Jerusalem; and there were with him two asses saddled, his concubine also was with him.
(11)  And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites, and lodge in it.
(12)  And his master said unto him, We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger, that is not of the children of Israel; we will pass over to Gibeah.
(13)  And he said unto his servant, Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah, or in Ramah.
(14)  And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.
(15)  And they turned aside thither, to go in and to lodge in Gibeah: and when he went in, he sat him down in a street of the city: for there was no man that took them into his house to lodging.
(16)  And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.
(17)  And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city: and the old man said, Whither goest thou? and whence comest thou?
(18)  And he said unto him, We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim; from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man that receiveth me to house.
(19)  Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.
(20)  And the old man said, Peace be with thee; howsoever let all thy wants lie upon me; only lodge not in the street.
(21)  So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses: and they washed their feet, and did eat and drink.
(22)  Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.
(23)  And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them, and said unto them, Nay, my brethren, nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly; seeing that this man is come into mine house, do not this folly.
(24)  Behold, here is my daughter a maiden, and his concubine; them I will bring out now, and humble ye them, and do with them what seemeth good unto you: but unto this man do not so vile a thing.
(25)  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
(26)  Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.
(27)  And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way: and, behold, the woman his concubine was fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.
(28)  And he said unto her, Up, and let us be going. But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up, and gat him unto his place.
(29)  And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the coasts of Israel.
(30)  And it was so, that all that saw it said, There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt unto this day: consider of it, take advice, and speak your minds.

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Jeremiah 17

WEEK  7                                               Jeremiah 17

SATURDAY  Reflections

I have enjoyed reading history and the history of war specifically. I have noticed an idea which seems to be universally shared: "You don't know how you'll react to battle until you’re in it." Yes, you can prepare and train and this may help but there is something which happens inside a person in battle. Sometimes they respond just like they have been trained. Others are captured by fear and freeze or run. Others rise to levels of courage which nearly sound like they are in myths. I say all this to say I have to agree with Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

 

There is an answer, God understands it. "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10). God knows what is really happening. He knows if action can't be helped or if it is a deliberate choice. The other side of this is that he rewards rightly. We can misjudge. We don't know the inside, which is why judging someone's intent and destiny is left in God's hands, not ours.

 

This is the Old Testament equivalent of Jesus' words not to judge. It is also a promise that God is just. He is fair and He can be trusted.

Jer 17:1-27
(1)  The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars;
(2)  Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills.
(3)  O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders.
(4)  And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
(5)  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(6)  For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
(7)  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
(8)  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
(9)  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
(10)  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
(11)  As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.
(12)  A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
(13)  O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.
(14)  Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
(15)  Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.
(16)  As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.
(17)  Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil.
(18)  Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.
(19)  Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
(20)  And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:
(21)  Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
(22)  Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.
(23)  But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.
(24)  And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;
(25)  Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever.
(26)  And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD.

(27)  But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

Ruth 3

WEEK   7                                               Ruth 3

FRIDAY  Reflections

When we examine Ruth chapter 3 Naomi is pushing Boaz and Ruth into a place where a decision needs to be finalized. Ruth, trusting her mother-in-law, and Boaz's honor, goes out and puts herself into a place where she could be branded an outcast forever if Boaz rejected her.

 

Some scholars want to make Ruth's uncovering of Boaz's feet into an act of seduction. They want to hint that Ruth seduced Boaz and more than his feet were uncovered. Conservative scholars point to the fact that in ancient times servants would sleep at the feet of their masters. This makes Ruth's actions a sign of submission and a plead for protection to Boaz, her kinsman-redeemer. It is sad some would see this act of trust and humility into something dishonorable, especially when the whole of the book says that Ruth and Boaz are people of honor.

 

In the end, Boaz sends Ruth to Naomi with a promise of redemption and provisions.

Rth 3:1-18
(1)  Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
(2)  And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
(3)  Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
(4)  And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
(5)  And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
(6)  And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
(7)  And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
(8)  And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
(9)  And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
(10)  And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
(11)  And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
(12)  And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
(13)  Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
(14)  And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
(15)  Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
(16)  And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
(17)  And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
(18)  Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

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1 Corinthians 14 You may not need to read this.

WEEK 7                                         1 Corinthians 14

THURSDAY  Reflections

Much has been written on 1 Corinthians 14. The debate on unknown tongues isn't going to be settled today but I will give my interpretation. First and foremost, every Christian needs to begin with the command in the first verse, "Follow the way of love!" Spiritual gifts may be great but as we have seen in the previous chapter without love they are worthless. If we can't discuss this subject in love then silence would be best.

 

I grew up in the Pentecostal/charismatic traditions of seeing tongues in this chapter as supernatural utterances. After much study, I have changed that and believe this is referring to languages unknown to the hearers but known to the speaker. I also see no reference to a prayer language anywhere in this chapter or in the rest of the scripture. I don't believe "praying in the spirit" (the single proof text) means God can't use your native tongue.

 

There have been many arguments also over women speaking in the church. Verses 34 and 35 many scholars believe isn’t Paul saying women shouldn’t speak (he gave the guidelines for them to earlier in the book). Paul is actually repeating the argument others are making to which he replies, “Did the word of God come from you.” To say it another way, he is saying “Do you think you’re God?” 

 

However you interpret this chapter, what can NOT be denied is that God expects a church service to be done decently and in order. This doesn't mean everything has to be scheduled ahead of time, but there is a system and order to the way things are done (verse 40). We may not all agree on what that order should be and in most areas, it doesn't matter, so let's relax and follow after love. Love means we don't have to get our own way (1 Corinthians 13:5). 

 

1Co 14:1-40
(1)  Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
(2)  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.
(3)  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
(4)  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
(5)  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
(6)  Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
(7)  And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
(8)  For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
(9)  So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.
(10)  There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.
(11)  Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
(12)  Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
(13)  Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
(14)  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
(15)  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
(16)  Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
(17)  For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
(18)  I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
(19)  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
(20)  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
(21)  In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
(22)  Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
(23)  If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
(24)  But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
(25)  And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
(26)  How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
(27)  If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
(28)  But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
(29)  Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
(30)  If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
(31)  For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
(32)  And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
(33)  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
(34)  Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
(35)  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
(36)  What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
(37)  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
(38)  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
(39)  Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
(40)  Let all things be done decently and in order.

Photo by Aidas Ciziunas on Unsplash