Comments for August 31

v.13 - in using the words 'wash and be clean', Naaman's servants were referring to Lev.13:6,34,58 where the words are used in the law concerning leprosy. Did they know these passages? or was this God putting the words into their mouths that Naaman might have the opportunity to make the connection at some later date? Why did God effect this cure on Naaman if it was not that he should become a faithful believer? (v.17,18)

Whilst the maid advised that Naaman should go the prophet v3-4 the king of Syria sent to the king of Israel v5-6. Thus we see that the king of Syria expected that there would be agreement between the prophet and king in Israel. Doubtless there was in Syria. The priests of those lands had a big influence over the people. Not so in Israel. This nation which should have been an example to the rest of the world Deuteronomy 4:6-8 however they did not even match the standards of the nations around them in this respect, let alone live up to the high standards of their God.

v.8 - As we read we find constantly that God's prophets had some very difficult tasks to perform, which often put them in a position of arguing with authority, as on this occasion. This carried with it a great risk to life.

5:7 The king of Israel's response 'am I God' highlights that he had no faith nor any time for Elisha who he knew was a prophet of God.

HUMBLE YOURSELF

Naaman arrived at Elisha's door. He was anticipating all the fanfare of a real miracle worker. No doubt there were magicians in the palace of Aram, and so Naaman's idea of what a miracle worker should be was influenced by what he had already experienced. So when Naaman stood at Elisha's door and there was no fanfare, no great man, no magic potions - nothing out of the ordinary at all, Naaman got upset. He was told by a servant to go and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman's status was insulted. Being one of the top men in Aram, he had now been instructed by a servant to go and do something ever so simple in Israel's river. Naaman was furious. The expectations of this great man had been dashed, and the way he felt he had been treated was humiliating. However, to be cured, Naaman had to go through with this humbling process. When he had humbled himself enough to accept his instruction, Naaman was cured.

Like Naaman, we all suffer with leprosy - the leprosy of sin. There is no magic cure for sin, and the cure that has been provided does not cater for our status or pride. Instead we need to humble ourselves before our God, confess our sin and allow his mercy to wash us clean through baptism.>

So Gehazi thought he could deceive Elisha - that is God - Elisha was a prophet of God. Gehazi must have been troubled that the gift was carried before him (5:23). I suppose it was a little like 'some men's sins go before them' (1Timothy 5:24)

 5:11,15  Notice the shift in attitude of Naaman. In :11 he 'thought' he knew how the prophet should act. But in :15 he has learnt that God does not act like he anticipated - but he 'knew' that Yahweh was God.

V.14 Naaman's gift of cleansing was free. The healings of Jesus were also without charge. The offer of life made to us costs us nothing in cash or goods. Freely we have received, freely we should give

If yesterday's chapter spoke of the Jews, then today's story if of Naaman, a gentile.  God had led him (2Kin 5:1) against Israel.  This is the same as Rom 11:11-32. The branches (= Jews) were broken off, to allow the gentiles to come in.  Naaman had leprosy, or sin.  This was washed away in the Jordan, and Naaman's "flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child".  In the Kingdom, we "shall be changed".
Our sins, and the marks and scars we have accumulated in our life will be removed. This really IS a picture of us gentiles being admitted to Christ's kingdom.

V.18 Rimmon, the god of Syria (Aram), is a contraction for Hadad-rimmon. Hadad was the god that had control over everything. He was considered a storm god, thus showing power and might. The Syrian leaders took the title Benhadad (son of Hadad) to show supreme power and rulership. But, Hadad was also considered a sun god, having control over agricultural bounty. Rimmon, in Hebrew, means pomegranate. Therefore Hadad-rimmon was the sun-god of late summer, responsible for ripening the pomegranate.

The woman of Shunem had not been comfortable with Gehazi.2Kin 4:26 and that being her reason for not telling him her true feeling. If so her suspicion, of his dubious character, proved to be true.  Gehazi was an opportunist who was easily tempted by temporal gain.  However, that gain was short lived, as the prophet, by the power of Yahweh, uncovered Gehazi's deceit.  The burden of sin (leprosy) was placed upon him as due punishment. 

Sin, as we know, leads to death (Rom 6:23).  All opportunists fail to see that Yahweh cannot be fooled (Mark 4:22).  We have plenty of examples in the scripture to show us the folly of this kind of action - for example: Achan (Josh 7:20,21); Judas (Matt 26:14-16); Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-4). 

Let us not give up our hope of eternal life by acceding to worldly things.  Let us, rather, remain true to the values of Yahweh and not be dissuaded by temporary gain (Matt 6:19-21).

5:9  Naaman ‘stood at the door’ as did the woman - 2Kin 4:15  but, unlike the woman, Naaman was more interested in himself than the things the prophet said.

V.1 A leprous person, under the Law, had to be separated from the community as long as the infection persisted (Lev 13:45,46). 

In other cultures, this restriction did not apply.  And so, Naaman was allowed to function at a high level (commander of the King of Aram's army) while bearing the disease.

5:13  Baptism is not a ‘great thing’ in the sight of men. Naaman wanted to prove his commitment to the prophet’s instruction by showing himself to be strong. Washing in Jordan showed his submission to the words of the prophet. In like manner baptism is an act of submission – not an act of great human strength.

V.1 Naaman (meaning pleasantness) was the commander of the Aramean army. The Arameans were alternatively called Syrians and their most important city was Damascus. Their origin comes from Aram, the son of Shem and the grandson of Noah (Gen 10:22,23).

And so, the Arameans had a link to Israel. One of their greatest contributions to the Near East was their language, Aramaic. Aramaic, a Semitic cousin to Hebrew, was the lingua franca of the area in the time of Christ.

5:5-6 Isn’t it interesting that the king of Syria, though a mighty threat to Israel, still recognises that Yahweh has the power to heal.

Vs.11,12 The great man Naaman was angry and full of pride.  He considered the Rivers Abana and Pharpar, (known today as Barada and Awaj), better than the River Jordan, in which he refused to bathe.  However, after hearing his lowly maid, the great man humbled himself, bathed in the river Jordan, and was cured.  Do we accept direction from those whom we might not consider our equals?  Do we stand on pride, or are we prepared to humble ourselves?

ORDINARY THINGS, EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS

No one had to do anything outstanding throughout the whole episode of the healing of Naaman. While it is one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible, it was also one where everyone involved played a relatively small part. A little slave girl was the first player in the story. She was no one special and did nothing outstanding. Yet her faith in God and in the prophet in Samaria and her wish expressed to her mistress began a chain of events that resulted in Naaman's healing.

Elisha didn't do anything outstanding either. His was a simple matter of instructing his servant to tell Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan. There were no sacrifices, no show of calling on God, circles on the ground, potions or magic words. It was all quite ordinary.

Naaman's task was all to simple too. "Wash and be clean," he was told. I wonder if he expected twelve great tasks, or to take some marvellous medicine. But no, it was almost too simple for Naaman and he nearly refused to do it.

When Naaman was healed, no gifts were given or taken because when God gives grace, he gives it freely. It seems that Naaman learned his lesson because instead of offering to build a magnificent temple or some other great thing, he humbly asked for two mule loads of earth so that he could worship Israel's God on Israel's soil.

God rarely asks us to do great things. Instead he asks us to practice an outstanding faith in everyday ways.

5:2 Doubtless the Hebrew girl had not viewed her captivity as ‘of God’ however she was in the right place at the right time to speak to Naaman about the God of Israel. Of course she was not compelled to say anything – it was her conviction that the God of Israel could help that moved her to speak

V.2 The little girl who was carried away captive was insignificant in herself, as countless little girls had been carried away captive through all the incursions recorded in the Bible.

However, Yahweh can use the weakest, most insignificant person to bring about His will.  Such was the case of this little girl, who would be the instrument to turn the commander of the Syrian army to be peaceable towards Israel (Psa 8:2).

V.5 In the KJV, it seems that 6000 pieces probably meant 6000 shekels of gold.  In the Jewish system of weights and measures, a shekel could vary between 9 gm. and 17 gm. If we take the average of 13 gm., then the total value for the gold, by today's prices, would be $2,608,320. The value of the silver, at $29,568 per talent, would be $295,680. What would be the value of ten changes of raiment - who knows?

Vs.23,26 Two talents of silver (= $59,136) could have bought much in Elisha’s day. The Spirit tells us that Gehazi had already thought about what he was going to buy with the money.  Even if Elisha allowed his servant to retain the two talents of silver, Gehazi, as a leper, would not be able to realize his dreams (1Tim 6:10).

For us, let us not be poor watchmen who are greedy for gain (Isa 56:11). Instead, let us be content as we are and trust Our Heavenly Father (Heb 13:5).

5:1 The events associated with Naaman and his healing should have taught Israel that God was not only concerned with Israel but also with faithful gentiles. It required Jesus to make this point – Luke 4:27 – and then the people did not like it!

 2Kin 5:1 - as Michael Parry noted in his  2007 comments, "Naaman" means "pleasantness" - perhaps God, overlooking Naaman's leprosy, saw something "pleasant" in him. Peter Cresswell in his 2001 comments noted Lev.13 where incurable lepers would be put outside the camp as leprosy was a symbol of sin (unwashed sin isn't allowed in the kingdom).  2Kin 5:2-4 - this young slave girl demonstrates God's ability to use the humblest among us as instruments to spread the Gospel, that a symbolic sinner would recognize his need for a covering for sin, and that God preaches the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile (Luke 4:25-27). 2Kin 5:7 - a young slave girl has more Godly knowledge and faith than the king of Israel. 2Kin 5:9-13 - Elisha is somewhat like Christ providing direction and instruction in salvation; vs 9 Naaman is at the door of Elisha's house which is somewhat like Christ being the door to the kingdom (John 10:7,9); vs 10 belief and burial in water cleanses from sin and leads to newness of life; vs 11 Naaman like many today had preconceived ideas he had to overcome; vs 13 Naaman was encouraged to be obey and we should similarly encourage our brethren and associates also. 2Kin 5:14-17 - vs 14 Naaman humbled himself and was baptized being dipped "seven times" (some believe "7" indicates spiritual perfection, God's seal or covenant number.), Naaman's sins were figuratively washed away; vs 16 we don't serve God as a means to financial gain; vs 17 Naaman wants to make an acceptable offering to God (Exo 20:24). 2Kin 5:18-19 - confession of sin (should this read as past tense as Elisha then says, "Go in peace"?).

2Kin 5:20-27 - Gehazi may echo some of the Jews resting in the Law, resenting the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles; also we have a Gentile saved and a Jew being cast off; to covet the riches of the world is to court the judgment of God.

5:15-16        The blessings of God cannot be bought. It is as simple as that.

 2 Kings 5 -

5:10     Naaman was a leper. The law required a leper be sprinkled ‘seven times’ – Lev 14:7 –so  the association with the cleansing of the leper and baptism are associated in the way that Elisha commanded Naaman to dip himself seven times in Jordan.

5:3-4   It seems as if the comments of the Hebrew maid were said privately, maybe to another servant. It was only because another passed her comment on that Naaman was healed. So we see that the maid was simply expressing her faith in God to her fellow servants, or so it would seem. How often do we talk in such a matter of fact way about our faith?

Questions about Naaman

It's probably an obvious point to make, but note in 2Kin 5:1 that Syria is at war with Israel and Naaman is the captain of Syria's armies. This should colour how we view the whole event. Was Naaman safe in Israel? How far did he have to travel to get to Elisha and back again? What did Gehazi and Elijah think when they saw him arrive? Had the girl in v2 lost anyone in her family by Naaman's soldiers? When Naaman returned home was he still active in the war on Israel? Would he have released the girl as an act of thanks to God, or did she have nowhere else to go?

5:1    “but he was a leper” can be taken in a number of ways. It could be taken to be a derogatory comment about Naaman. If so we can learn from that.  He had skills and authority. However some might have denigrated him simply because he was a leper. How often do we form judgments about others on the basis of their appearance or health? 

5:17-18            Naaman was already in a servant master relationship with the king of Syria. As such he could not change that relationship. However he understood the compromised position he was in and seeks to minimise the effects of the situation he was in.  Thus we see that Naaman had a degree of spiritual insight.  Are we so careful to minimise compromising situations that we cannot escape?

5:8      Clearly the king of Israel had no concept of miracles and God working in the lives of men and woman. However Elisha sends a message to the king. Now the outcome was that Naaman the Syrian was cured and became a worshipper of God. However a primary benefit, if it had been seen by the king, was that God was still at work amongst the kingdom of Israel.

5:8      Clearly the king of Israel had no concept of miracles and God working in the lives of men and woman. However Elisha sends a message to the king. Now the outcome was that Naaman the Syrian was cured and became a worshipper of God. However a primary benefit, if it had been seen by the king, was that God was still at work amongst the kingdom of Israel.

5:17       In requesting earth Naaman is demonstrating that he understands God’s requirements about altars – Exo 20:24. Because he wanted to sacrifice to Yahweh according to His requirements.

5:7      When the king of Israel acknowledges that only God can kill and make alive he is, maybe unwittingly, quoting Deut 32:9.

THE WHITE-WOOLED LAMB

Following on from my "Bread From Heaven" comment yesterday, we see the Word was not wasted, but was given to Naaman the commander of the army of the King of Syria (2Kin 5:1-19) and the Canaanite woman (Matt 15:21-28). The latter's child also was healed from that very hour, much like the Shunamite’s son in the previous chapter (2Kin 4:32-37). She needed not to wash her hands before partaking of the Bread of Life, for her heart was already contrite and humble and well-pleasing to her Lord and Creator.

Naaman is described as “a great and honourable man", "but he was a leper.” Leprosy in Scripture is often seen as an outward symbol of sin: a disease which brings great pain, disfiguration, and corruption of the flesh; and whoever is leprous is marked as unclean. The first instance of this is in Exo 4:1-7, So it was Moses believed that “the LORD God of his fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, had appeared unto him.” It was by this faith that he put his hand in his bosom when commanded, and when drawing it out found that it was leprous – “as white as snow”; and it was by this faith again that he obeyed the Word of God when he was commanded to put it in his bosom again, and it was “restored like his other flesh”. By this faith, he was healed. 

When faithless King Jehoram of Israel received the message from Ben-Hadad that Naaman was to be healed, he became exceedingly distressed and tore his clothes. Again, much like Gehazi, no prayer was given; and thus there was no hearing on the Lord’s part. Instead he complained, saying to those about him: “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy?” Assuredly, if he had an ounce of faith, Naaman would have been healed without the intervention of Elisha. Instead of tearing his clothes, Jehoram should have humbled himself and drawn near to God in heartfelt and repentant prayer. It is evident King Hezekiah learnt from this historical mistake in 2Kin 14:14-37. 

It was the Word of God spoken by Elisha’s messenger that caused Naaman to be healed. He was told to wash in the Jordan seven times (seven meaning completeness); and it was promised unto him that he would be healed; and not only healed, but that he would be clean also. Little did Naaman perceive that the Word spoken to him meant that he would be clean before the LORD God of Israel – that he would soon be converted and known as a good and faithful servant for the rest of his life. He merely wanted to be healed of the physical affliction. That was all he expected; and he thought this gift given by the grace of God could be bought with silver and gold. Yet we know, as Peter writes in 1Pet 1:18-21, that we are not “redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold,” “but with the precious blood of Christ,” as of a white-wooled lamb “without blemish or spot” who was the living bread from Heaven. 

What Naaman expected did not happen; for he believed that the cleansing work would be done without faith on his part; and he thought Elisha would come out and wave his hand and call on the LORD; and after he had received the instruction from Elisha’s servant, he even reasoned with himself, saying, “Surely the rivers of Damascus could cleanse me! Are these not better than all the waters of Israel?” 

But he was without understanding, as a babe without milk. It was to be a sign unto him: assuredly God could cleanse anyone wherever they dwelt, whether it was to be in the Jordan in Israel, or the rivers of Damascus, or elsewhere in Europe or Asia, or even in the deep places of the earth or in the heavens themselves – indeed, nothing is impossible for our benevolent creator who formed the Heavens and the earth and gave life abundantly to all; but Naaman was first to understand that the truth and the only way of salvation was to come from the Lord God of Israel. There was no other way. No other water could cleanse him. No other doctrine could remove his sin. No other belief could save him. 

“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” Jesus’ words again echo through Scripture (John 14:6-7). “No-one comes to the Father except through Me.” He was the living embodiment of the Word of God, who Himself was baptised in the river Jordan, who said to the Samaritan woman at the Well of Jacob (John 4:1-26): “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Nothing has changed. Though there are numerous religions and philosophies and principalities in the world that may lead us away from the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the simple truth is this: this is the only way to life eternal. There are no other options. The path is straight and narrow; and there are few who find it in faith. 

So it was Naaman obeyed the Word of God, and much like Moses, came to believe in the “God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” He was cleansed not only of his physical affliction of leprosy, but also of his sin before the Lord. He was forgiven for his iniquities, and the sin was not imputed to him any longer. Thus the words of Isaiah can be seen, where the LORD says (Isa 1:18-19): “Though your sins be as scarlet, I shall make them as white as snow, though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool, if you are willing and obedient”; and so we can see the description of the leprosy for both Moses and Gehazi (that was “as white as snow”) is pointing forward to this cleansing brought about by Jesus, the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world”, who taught that we should forgive those who trespass against us not only seven times, as if it were a written commandment which we ought to track, but rather “seventy times seven” – therefore meaning completely and unconditionally, as God through Christ loved us and has forgiven us for our sins. 

It is no mistake after this cleansing that Naaman’s flesh is recorded as being “like the flesh of a little child,” (2Kin 5:14; for this points forward to Matt 18:1-5 where Jesus set a little child amidst the disciples, saying: “Unless you are converted” (like Naaman) “and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What then became of faithless Gehazi? Too eager was he to receive the promises spoken to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Too impatient was he to wait on the LORD, and to put his trust in Him. Too reckless was he to remain a trusted servant of Elisha the prophet. He had the character of Judas Iscariot. He pursued Naaman, overcome with greed for the wealth of this world, forsaking his own calling to salvation and life. The very things he sought became his downfall, for in taking the talents of silver and the garments from Naaman, the leprosy spread to him; and Elisha declared: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And so it was Gehazi went out from the presence of Elisha “leprous, as white as snow" (2Kin 5:20-27). 

5:19-24 Gehazi’s actions are sheer greed. But did he expect that Elijah would not know what he had done? Even if God had not revealed it to Elijah he would have seen the garments and been aware of the money in due course anyway, it would seem.

5:1 We are told two things about Naaman. One about his relationship with his master – he was “a great man” but the other thin is far more important he was “honourable”. The fact that this is linked with the fact that God had given Israel to the power of Syria implies that even in battle he was not simply a victorious warrior but must have shown some compassion to those take captive.

5:20 “But Gehazi …” is a sad introduction to a man who had not been influenced sufficiently by the time he spent with Elisha. Whilst he had seen the miracles that Elisha had performed and heard his words he was still driven by greed. In this respect his behaviour is seen later in Judas Iscariot. Being with a faithful servant of God is not sufficient. One has to also be influenced by their teaching. Lip service is easy. Commitment is a different matter.

5:2 his unnamed Hebrew girl showed the spirit of Christ in loving her enemy. Her unbounded faith led her to speak of the God of Israel to one who was instrumental in taking her captive. It is easy to do good to those who love us but a totally different matter to do good to those who persecute us.

5:24 One wonders what Gehazi thought he would do with these Syrian items. Surely they would be recognised as “foreign”. He is rather like Achan – Josh 7:21 - who hid the Babylonish garment he took form Jericho

THANK YOU One of the greatest qualities on Naaman that we can all learn from is the fact that he returned to Elisha after his healing to say thank you.

If your prayers are anything like mine, they tend to be dominated by requests ... please help ... please give me ... please lead ... please grow ...  please be with ... and on it goes. But even when I am feeling thankful, my thankfulness still does not outweigh my requests.

Naaman, a Gentile, an enemy of Israel, and a man who at first probably didn't even believe in Israel's God, came back to say thank you. How much more should we, who know God, who have been saved through the blood of his Son,who have had multiple prayers answered and seen multiple blessings in our lives, how much more should we turn back and give thanks to God? After all, without God in our lives, like Naaman with leprosy, we are as good as dead.

So instead of continuous prayers of "please," let's dedicate ourselves to some thankfulness.

v1 But he was a leper.

The one word leper negated everything that goes before it in this verse. No matter how high, noble and accomplished we might be in this age, we are all doomed to the grave. Hence we should get right with God now because everything else is just stamp collecting.

v2 the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel

Presumably she was orphaned by these marauding groups. She was young and alone in a foreign country that hated Israel - and she was placed in the service of the household of Syria's leading soldier! Surely she would have felt bitterness towards her captors and would secretly rejoice that Naaman was now so ill.

Not so.

She showed respect and compassion and was the person who first alerted Naaman to Elisha. Naaman must have been a leader who cared about his subordinates that they responded with such goodwill. Even Naaman's servants called him "My father" (v14) suggesting he was a likeable leader.

v10 And Elisha sent a messenger to [Naaman]

Elisha did not meet Naaman till after the miracle had been performed. Elisha was playing down his involvement - he wanted God to be at the centre, not himself. And Naaman was grandstanding thinking he should be the centre of attention (cp v11) but received a diplomatic snub in return. No wonder he was angry and felt humiliated at having to wash seven times in what he considered an inferior river. Naaman's pride had to be removed before he could be healed.

v15 Then he returned to the man of God

Naaman could have just gone home to Syria from Jordan without seeing Elisha. Instead he made a very public testimony to his discovery of faith in God. He was a man who followed through on the evidence. Elisha refused payment knowing that payment would have compromised the fact that God freely gave the miracle.

By contrast, Gehazi dissembled for profit (v22). Gehazi reduced the miracle to a transaction - Naaman was paid to be healed. God honoured the transaction - Gehazi received payment for the removal of the leprosy. So Gehazi received the leprosy from  Naaman in return for money. Gehazi was a rich leper!

v19 "Then [Elisha] said to [Naaman] 'Go in peace'"

Elisha did not condemn Naaman's request that his attendance at a pagan temple be overlooked. I suspect that Naaman returned to Syria and soon after retired from his job as commander of the Syrian army. His faith was incompatible with his job. Where is the evidence for this possibility? The next chapter sees the king using the army to fight Israel again (6:8, 24). This would have heavily involved the commander of the Syrian army - a position once occupied by Naaman. When his plans are frustrated, the Syrian king suspects that there is a mole in his inner circle who is advising the king of Israel of his plans (6:11,12). If Naaman were still commander of the Syrian army he would have been the most likely suspect, given his newfound faith in, and worship of, the God of Israel. Naaman is not only not a suspect but he is absent from the record.

Naaman probably retired and, in his early retirement, devoted himself to the worship of God within his new, small Syrian ecclesia.

5:8  So we must presume that someone in the king’s court was aware of Elisha and sent a message to him. If that is so then we must also conclude that the servant who sent the message believed that Elisha had the power to heal a gentile. The “young made” that had been taken captive also had a faith in Yahweh the God of Israel. So we must conclude that even under a godless king there were still some – a remnant – in the northern kingdom who were still faithful to their God despite their circumstances.

v.4 describes a situation to which we can relate in our own time. There is within our western world an increasing falling away from the principles and practices associated with true worship, though it seems that elsewhere there is still a lot of new interest. We must be careful not to be taken away captive along with the rest - captives to the Babylon of our present godless society. Notice that Zion is mentioned (and in 2:6) - assuring us that it really is the people of God that have gone away. We too are in Zion (Heb 12:22), so we should take heed to the warning that it can happen to us too.

v.1 The book of Lamentations is, in part, an Acrostic. Notice that chapters 1,2,4 each have 22 verses. Chapter 3 has 66 verses.
The first letter in each verse in chapters 1,2,3 begin with consecutive letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3 differs in that verses 1,2,3 beginning with the first letter of the Hebrews alphabet and verse 3,4,5 the second and so on.
This is an aid to memory. As you read the book consider the metre of the book.

Chapter 5 is not acrostic, even though it does have 22 verses - the number of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet.  

v.15 - Jeremiah knew from his own experience of the desire of God to preserve those that fear Him. What an awful time he must have had observing the evil ways of God's people regardless of his prophesying.

Jeremiah reminds Israel that their captivity has come because of their sinfulness. He does this by making many quotations from the curses of Deuteronomy 28

Notice also the quotation from Psalm 79 (Lam 1:10 The heathen … sanctuary quotes Psa 79:1) we noticed a number of links with this Psalm when we were considering the prophecy of Jeremiah.

A BURDENSOME YOKE Guilt weighs us down. When we sin and have not confessed our sins and have not been forgiven for them, we can feel like the weight of the world is pressing down on top of us, driving us to disappear, playing on our minds and on our bodies until we feel we cannot go on. Jeremiah seemed to feel the same way when he said, "My sins have been bound into a yoke; by his hands they were woven together. They have come upon my neck and the LORD has sapped my strength. He has handed me over to those I cannot withstand." Jeremiah's sins felt like a yoke that bore down on him, exhausting him and sapping the life strength from his bones. The burdens they gave him seemed to constantly demand more and more strength.
But we don't have to bear the yoke of sin. It does not have to drive us into the ground to die. Through Jesus Christ that yoke can be removed and instead we can put on his yoke, the yoke of forgiveness and love. "Come to me," Jesus said, "all you who are weary and burdened, an I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Cast off all your burdens and put on the yoke of Christ today!

:10 they should not … congregation quotes Deuteronomy 23:3. Deuteronomy 23:3 is speaking about the Ammonite and Moabite not being able to enter the congregation of the Lord. It is speaking of what one might call 'membership' of the family of Israel. One would hardly think that invasion by the Babylonians would be of the same order. The fact that the prophet, quoting Deuteronomy 23 makes this likeness indicates the degree of sorrow that this would bring to Yahweh. Israel have defiled His temple and as a consequence the nation is defiled and has brought about the violation of the command in Deuteronomy 23.

1:10 'The heathen ... her sanctuary' quotes Psa 79:1 which continues Jeremiah's use of this Psalm. We saw  that in the prophecy of Jeremiah this Psalm is used extensively.(Jer 10:15, 14:16, 23:1, 34:20)  If you have marked up your Bible you will see the links to the Psalm.

V.6 "her beauty is departed" The priestly garments of Aaron and his sons were given them "for glory and for beauty" Exo 28:2. The beauty which they represented was the beauty of righteousness and holiness. This type of beauty had departed from the promiscuous daughter of Zion; she no longer maintained the "ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" 1Pet 3:4

V.1 Jeremiah laments over a city (Jerusalem) that had lost its king, and had now become a widow, by the hand of Babylon. 

Contrast this with the boast of the latter-day Babylon as being a queen and not a widow (Rev 18:7).  This arrogance will be met with destruction and perpetual widowhood (v.8).

V.8 Jerusalem (Judah) is represented as a woman, a wicked adulteress, who has forsaken her true husband (Isa 54:5;, Hos 2:2). Like the unclean woman, under the law separated from the people (Lev 15:15)

The Book of Lamentations is accredited to Jeremiah, although no direct mention of him is made.  Certainly the tone of the work and the historical context would point to Jeremiah as the author. Lamentations consists of five poems of mourning (each chapter is one poem). 

 Chapters 1-4 are acrostic, which means that a letter of the (Hebrew) alphabet, in order, begins each sentence (i.e. aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet begins line one; bet, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet begins line two etc.). 

Chapter 3 differs slightly in that the same letter of the alphabet starts three consecutive lines rather than just the one (i.e. aleph begins the first three lines etc.). 

One of the saddest things Jeremiah records and weeps over, is in Lam 1:3. “Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction [or trouble].” Judah couldn't cope with being God’s special people. The nation, led by many of the kings, just gave in to local pressures, and went after false gods.

1:6  Jerusalem had not just become desolate. It was a consequence of her harlotry (Isa 1:21)

V.1 All the pains associated with widowhood were Judah's. An absences of God's visible presence, favour, and protection; truly a feeling of helplessness.Joel 1:8

1:2,21 In verse 2 the prophet lament Jerusalem’s fate, in verse :21 Jerusalem laments her own fate.

1:8 In saying ‘Jerusalem is removed’ Jeremiah is echoing the word of Deut 28:25 and the sentiments of that area of De 28. Judah have gone into captivity as a consequence of their Godless behaviour.

V.11,19 - V11 "meat to relieve the soul" (KJV) or "food to keep themselves alive" (NIV) [the Hebrew word for "soul" KJV or "themselves" NIV is "nephesh" (5315) its primary meaning stands for creature, a breathing creature man or animal. It is variously rendered: self, person, creature, life, soul, etc.] - V19 "they sought meat to relieve their souls" (KJV) or "they sought for food to keep themselves alive" (NIV) [again the Hebrew word is "nephesh" for "souls" (KJV) or "themselves" (NIV)]. This passage along with the definition in Strong's, clarifies the word soul. Hungry souls simply means hungry people.

Vs.7-9 It is easy to read this account of the fall of Jerusalem, in a flat, un-engaged manner.  But, let's  go beyond the words to feel the agony of the situation. 

The Babylonians had laid siege to the city.  People were slowly starving.  As the siege continued, people lost their values as moral decay set in.  Desperation drove them to murder.  Hunger forced them to cannibalise their own weak and defenceless children.  Calloused consciences gave them licence to ravage their families and neighbours, in every way.  Wretched behaviour was the norm. 

Look beyond the words and picture the devastation.  The kind of incident described by Jeremiah happened again in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD; and it will happen again to Jerusalem, in the end times, before Jesus saves His nation (Zech 14:2).  

But, all the behaviour that we read about concerning Jerusalem is going on in the world at large.  What does this tell us about human nature? The scriptures tell us that it cannot be trusted: for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth (Gen 8:21).  But, for us, we know that it is better to trust in Yahweh (Psa 118:8;146:3).

1:9 Notice Jeremiah speaks of ‘my’ afflictions. He identifies with the fall of Jerusalem even though he was not responsible for her fall.

V.1 The authorship of the book of Lamentations is accredited to Jeremiah.  In fact, some commentators believe that the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations were originally one book.

Books were originally written on scrolls. And when one book immediately followed another, it was easy to lump them together.  In any event, in Judaism, there is a recognized collection of five books called the Megilloth  (which means scroll).  These books are: Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Ruth, and Esther.

V.13 With his isolation, Jeremiah felt a sense of desperation.  He complained and vowed that he would not represent Yahweh any more. But, he could not contain himself, because the Word of Yahweh burned within him (Jer 20:9). 

When we have low spots in our lives, do we pick ourselves up and move forward, because the Word burns within us, and cannot be contained? (2Tim 2:9).

Vs.18-20 Jeremiah was in turmoil, because he felt that he did not put in enough effort to dissuade the people of Judah and Jerusalem to turn from their sins and be saved.  His concern for his loneliness and sense of desperation was counted by Jeremiah as rebellion, which he felt took away from any valuable effort to reform the people.  Jeremiah was truly repentant of his perceived rebellion.

Jeremiah could in no way change what Yahweh had already deemed would happen, but this genuine servant of Yahweh felt somewhat responsible. What a fine example for us to follow in our dealings both inside the ecclesia and out.

Jeremiah could not change Yahweh’s will regarding the fall of Judah and Jerusalem.  But, Yahweh had given Jeremiah a task for his learning, faith, and growth. This is something for us to ponder. 

Are we ever involved in a task about which we become frustrated because we see that our efforts don’t seem to change matters? Well consider the following story:

One day, Yahweh asked a man to push on a huge boulder.  The man set to and pushed. Faithful to Yahweh’s command, the man applied all his strength to try and move the boulder.  Day after day, he strained and sweated as he dug into the ground and shouldered the boulder.  But with all his efforts, the man could not budge the boulder. 

After quite some time of applying himself daily to the task, the man became disillusioned at his apparent lack of success.  Then, the man spoke to Yahweh, in his despair, and said that he had faithfully applied himself day after day to move the boulder, but without success.  He felt like a failure. 

Yahweh replied, but I did not ask you to move the boulder, I asked you to push on it.  Now, look at your arms, legs, and shoulders.  See how strong and well developed you have become.  That is what I wanted to see.

Let us think about Heb 12:6,11.

1:12 Jeremiah laments the fact that the nations round about are not sorrowful at the overthrow of Jerusalem.

1:4     That the feasts were now ceased should have been a sorrow to Israel as it was to Jeremiah. This attitude contrasts markedly with the people in the days of Amos – Amos 8:5-6

1:16   It is evident that Jeremiah was severely distressed at the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Babylonians despite the fact that he had repeatedly said it would happen.  In this he contrasts markedly with Jonah who was dismayed that the men of Nineveh repented  - Jon 4:1-2. How do we feel about people who have not accepted Jesus? Are we seeking their salvation, or do we view them as a lost cause who we would not want to associate with in our fellowship tougether?

1:3    that Israel would dwell among the heathen and find no rest is one of the many quotations from Deuteronomy. This one is from Deut 28:65

1:6   Jeremiah laments that Jerusalem’s beauty is departed. The contemporary prophet in Babylon reflects on the departing beauty – Eze 16:13

When the writer uses "I" or "me" in this chapter, he means Jerusalem, not himself. He is speaking from the point of view of Jerusalem in her days of anguish. For example:

"The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men:" Lam 1:15

 

FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR CHILDREN

It is always a bit scary when you read the consequences of action in the Bible, and put yourself in the picture. One of the verses I read this morning was this one, about Jerusalem: "The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe." (Lam 1:5).

As a parent with four beautiful children, I am very aware of my tendency to sin. It is one thing to affect my own salvation, and to face the consequences of my own making because of my sin, but consequences actually go further than that. The parents in Jerusalem sinned and were given grief because of their sin, but it was their children that were carried away captive and who face the consequences of the sin of their parents.

I don't want that to happen to my children. I expect you don't want that to happen to yours either. We need to do all we can to overcome sin, to repent and be forgiven. We need to minimise the effects of our sin on our children.

Let's not indulge for our own sinful pleasure - even if we are willing to pay the price, but instead stay faithful to God for the sake of our children.

1:11     Israel had given all her “pleasant things” to the nations round about as bribes to stay their oppression.

1:7     Too late Israel remembered all the blessing that God had given her. When the kingdom is established some will be “thrust out” – Luke 13:28 – who did not appreciate God’s blessings. May that not be our fate when Christ returns. May we appreciate the blessings now and so order our lives accordingly.

1:1,2, 4:2          The recurring “how” is the voice of sadness and despair. The prophet laments the disaster that he had prophesied would happen to Jerusalem.  The captivity by the Chaldeans.

1:5     In saying that “her adversaries are the chief” Jeremiah is inspired to remind his audience of the word of the curses in Deut 28:43.

1:12      can we identify with Jeremiah’s sorrow? Israel are astray from God and His name is not glorified by them. Paul – Rom 9:3 – was so distressed by Israel’s blindness that he wished he could be accursed, and by implication that they would be saved.

1 as we read Lamentations try to enter into the feelings of the prophet Jeremiah. He prophesied from the good years of Josiah right up to the fall of Jerusalem in the days of Zedekiah. He spent some 30 years being reproved for his words and had his warnings ignored. Now, sadly, his words have come true. And so he laments. If Jeremiah lamented try to imagine how God felt.

1:3 In saying that Israel was captured “between the straits” seems to be a reference to the way that the men of war who fled from Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonians – 2Kin 25:4.

1:18 That god is righteous in taking Judah captive is seen in the way that the prophecy – Deut 28:41 – was fulfilled. Yahweh kept His word, though it was not pleasant for the nation of Israel.

1:2 The way in which Jerusalem’s friends have forsaken her is like the prodigal son –Luke 15:14-15–but sadly Jerusalem never came to her senses. The captivity was to teach the nation that they needed to turn to their God who would pardon them if they repented.

1:12-14 Jeremiah is lamenting the downfall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Chaldeans. He laments here the consequences. But who is  the “my” and related words? Is he personifying Jerusalem as a person who is lamenting? Or is he describing his own feelings? Or are they God’s feelings who inspired Jeremiah to write?

Actually it could be all of those.

God had feelings as did Jeremiah about the destruction of Jerusalem. The question we should be asking ourselves is are we depressed at the fact that Jerusalem is still trodden down of the gentiles – Luke 21:21-24?

v.6 - the word 'revelation' does not refer to things that were hitherto not known but have been revealed to an individual by God, but rather to the enlightening of others by the discussion of that which you have found in your studies of the word - revealing things that are hidden in the word, but nevertheless accessible to any student. It is used of the inclusion of the gentiles (Luke 2:32 - lighten, quoted from Isa.49:6 60:1-3). All these things are manifest in the person and life of the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal.1:12)

v.5 'But rather that ye prophesy' catches the feelings of Moses which we saw in Num 11. In Corinth, as already said when commenting on chapter 13, the brethren were concerned with tongues. One presumes for self gratification. Hence Paul discusses the merits and demerits of tongues and interpreters and edification.
Notice the way 'edification' is stressed in 1 Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 8:1 10:23 14:3 4 5 12 17 26. Notice that in this list of all occurrences of the word all but two of them occur in chapter 14.
Tongues, without an interpreter, did not edify, prophecy did. Now we should appreciate that prophecy extends beyond speaking about the future. It encompasses exposition of the Scripture also. In a way it encompasses, in its effect at least, the purpose of our exhortation or Bible class.
The word unlearned in verses 16 23 24 is speaking of one who has not got the gift - see the R V margin.

So, continuing the theme of unity, Paul explains that the use of the gifts should be for the edification of the ecclesia (:5, 12, 26) which is the basis for :40 doing things 'decently and in order'. This is not a Victorian value based structure but rather there are spiritual values at work.

'Decently' 2156 is translated 'honestly' Rom 13:13
'order' 5010 is found in Hebrews 5:10

Edification is the prime objective of everything that should be done in the ecclesia (:5, 12, 26). So we must have this in mind whatever we do or say.

Q: Do you think this chapter applies in our day and age, now that the Spirit Gifts are no longer with us? We tend to use 1Cor 14:40 quite often when justifying the structured way in which we order our Sunday services. Is it right to do so, considering the context?

Q: What do you think "prophesying" refer to in this chapter? In v6 it is evident that it is not the same as a "revelation". A: Use a concordance if you have one to check where else these words are used in the new testament. Does the context of these passages reveal what the individual words mean?

14:9  Uttering words 'easy to be understood' was not just a need in the first century. It is needed today also. In the first century it seems that there were those who wanted to impress with their words.

V.39-40 Paul shows great balance and wisdom as he closes this chapter. "Wherefore covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues", the finally as a concluding thought, "Let all things be done decently and in order"

Vs.34,35 In this day of women's liberation these verses might seem hard to take.  Recently, churches of Christendom have been ordaining women priests in ever-increasing numbers. 

It is not surprising, therefore, that worldly trends have crept into the ecclesias.  Some have even suggested that sisters give prayers and officiate at meetings - not to mention that head coverings are not necessary. 

We must listen to what the scriptures are trying to tell us about the status of women (sisters), and although it might seem archaic, we must comply. 

The world thinks that our beliefs are anachronistic anyway. Who cares! The world is headed for doom; we are headed for eternal life.  Let us not compromise our chance of life by being sucked into the world's way of thinking.  

14:13  It is evident that speaking in tongues was coveted. Nor surprisingly really as it would cause a stir when someone spoke in tongues. But an interpreter is necessary! So the gift of tongues, on its own, is valueless. So even with the gifts of the spirit the unity of believers with different gifts is taught.

V.28 It is clear from Acts that the gift of tongues was the ability to speak in foreign languages and not the unintelligible mumbo-jumbo that is acclaimed by some (Acts 2:3-6). 

Nevertheless, speaking in a foreign tongue was of no value to the ecclesia, as a whole, unless an interpreter was present to explain what was being said. 

If an interpreter was not present, then the one who wished to say something in a foreign tongue was obliged to be quiet.  The object then, as today, in the ecclesia was to permit all present to be uplifted by what was being said. 

14:23 Whilst we do not have the spirit gifts today the principles can still apply. In this case we learn that it is pointless speaking deep, profound, words if they cannot be understood. Better is it to be clear and to the point and understood than not understood – 1Cor 14:19

Even though we do not possess gifts of the Spirit today, there is exhortation for each one of us in this chapter. The many, or the few talents that each one of us have been granted, are not to be misused as it appears that the Corinthians did. The warning can go further, these God given gifts must not be ignored.

V.16 When a communal prayer is given, and understood, the congregation should assent to it by saying Amen (Psa 106:48).

V.26 First century brethren had Holy Spirit gifts and, today, we do not.  Nevertheless, the same attitudes and desires to build up the ecclesia should apply.

14:16 If the ‘unlearned’ is to say ‘amen’ at the ‘giving of thanks’ so should we be able to hear the ‘amen’ from the ‘learned’ at the end of public prayers?

14:5 In emphasising teaching above speaking in tongues Paul is reinforcing the point of the order of value of the gifts that he has already laid out – 1Cor 12:28-29

V.5 Speaking in tongues (Gr. glossolalia) meant speaking in foreign languages.  It does not mean speaking in some unintelligible utterance as some would suppose. 

V.18 The fact that Paul had the gift of languages is demonstrated in Acts when he spoke to the Roman captain in Greek (Acts 21:37), and then switched to Hebrew for the Jews (v.40). 

Vs.34,35,37 Paul instructs women to be silent in the ecclesia. This instruction had the authority of the Lord.

14:14  Notice that speaking in unknown tongues could be ‘unfruitful’. The use of a spirit gift did not of itself guarantee that a benefit would flow from its use.

SUNDAY MORNING

Sunday morning. Sleep in. Get up late, rush through breakfast and bundle the family through the door so we won't be late for church. Someone has forgotten something so someone gets out of the car, unlocks the house, races through the house to do the forgotten chore or retrieve the forgotten item and back into the car. Stress levels rise. Children don't feel like going. You are late and catch every red light on the way. Finally you arrive - late. Sneak in the back. Heads turn as you arrive. You can't concentrate. Stand up, sit down, listen to prayers, sing hymns, speaker drones on, final prayer and rush out before talking to anyone to get home early. Your religious duty is done for another week.

It is not supposed to be a time of stress. Sunday morning should be the time of the week when we both encourage and are encouraged. If we don't feel strengthened and encouraged by our gathering together as a community of believers, we probably need to do more encouraging ourselves. It may help if we start by getting up earlier to give ourselves time to prepare.

Paul described to us what we should be doing when we meet. He said, "When we come together, everyone has a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." (1Cor 14:26)

So next Sunday let's go prepared with a word or action of encouragement that we make sure we share while we meet with our fellow believers. In doing this we will also reduce the stress. Let's take the time to prepare, and use the hour or two when we meet together in the way it was intended to be used.

14:23  that Paul could say ‘and all speak with tongues’ indicates that there was some sort of competition going on between the believers.

14:15 Singing with understanding echoes the Psalmist's words – Psa 47:7

14:27,29         The ‘two or three’ echoes the principle of witnesses – Deut 19:15

1Cor 14:34  Women were forbidden to speak in the assembled company that constituted the ecclesia. The apostolic command expressed here by Paul was not a local issue, peculiar to Corinth. Paul gives this inspired directive, addressed in the plural, “women to keep silence in the churches…”.  The directive was therefore applicable to all ecclesias.

They were to observe this instruction in order to be “under obedience as saith the law.” The Divine curse put Eve under the rule (or power) of her husband (Gen 3:16). Before the fall of mankind, there was harmony between the God and his creation. Adam and Eve, enjoyed fellowship in the presence of their creator in garden of Eden (Gen 3:8).  

The condemnation of Adam begins with the charge that he had listened to his wife. She voiced a commendation to him to eat fruit from the forbidden tree. Adam should not have listened (1Tim 2:12-14). Eve had exercised authority over her husband (Gen 3:17) in the place where they enjoyed fellowship with God.  This is one reason why women were not permitted to speak in the ecclesia during the breaking of bread service. However there were other occasions when spirit guided women were permitted to speak, see 1Cor 11:5.

14:22   In saying that tongues were not for the benefit of unbelievers we appreciate that there is little point talking to those who do not know the gospel by using jargon that we are familiar with but is completely unintelligible to those who are uninitiated in our thoughts and ideas. 

SUNDAY MORNING

It seems that in the early church, when the people came together on a Sunday morning or whenever they met, many came prepared with something to say that would encourage others.

As Paul was giving instruction on how to have an orderly gathering, he said, "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.  And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged." (1Cor 14:29-31).

Most of us only have one speaker to listen to on a Sunday morning, and as we are told, we should weigh carefully what is said so that we can be sure it is right with God's word. But just because we may never get a chance to speak to everyone does not mean that we speak to no one. We can still go prepared to encourage other people - the person in front of us, beside us, behind us, the one who walks out the door at the same time as we do. Be prepared to instruct and encourage someone else while you are there. You might make a world of difference to them.

So let's prepare now, so that when we next meet with other believers we will be ready to pass on a word of instruction or encouragement.

14:12  We have seen in previous posts that the word “edify” and its variants are used extensively in this chapter. One aspect of its relevance to us is this. When we go to meet with fellow believers do we expect that we will benefit from our meeting together? Or do we also consider how others might benefit from our presence? Do we plan to be able to contribute so that others will benefit?

14:1     In saying “follow after” the inspired Apostle is indicating that there is a way that can be seen which is to be followed. It can be seen in the “worked examples” in Scripture. Hopefully that can be reinforced by living examples who we can follow amongst our fellow believers.

1Cor 14:34-37

“Let your women keep silence in the churches [ecclesia]: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law…”

Silence is the Greek word, sigao, # <4601>, “to keep silent…” (cf. 1Tim 2:11-14). A careful examination of the term reveals that the context identifies the nature of the silence under consideration (1Cor 14:35).

“Do not overlook the fact that God has included in the Scriptures, for the instruction of His children, all down the ages, the thoughts and meditations of women—to wit: Miriam’s song, Deborah’s song, Hannah’s prayer, Lemuel’s mother’s counsel to her adult son, and Mary’s song. This consideration alone should make you pause before refusing fellowship to an ecclesia because it sanctions a brother using or reading a Scriptural address written by a sister. The apostolic prohibition (1 Cor. xiv. 34-37; 1 Tim ii. 11-14) relates to sisters raising their voices, in speaking or teaching in public assemblies—here they are to be silent. It is quite possible, as brother Roberts has said, to go to extremes in this matter—unscriptural extremes.” Christadelphian Family Journal, August 1931

This reminded me of a case where a brother was not permitted to read any further exhortations a sister wrote once the ecclesia became aware of it! This was just one out of many other instances that revealed this ecclesia operated in a totally unscriptural manner. Is this to become a matter of fellowship now too? Apparently, some have refused fellowship on this very ground! How tragic!

This reminds me of the lyric to the song Blowin’ In The Wind, in which a verse states:

“…Yes, and how many years can some people exist

Before they’re allowed to be free? Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head

And pretend that he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

These are valid questions and I cannot answer them, as they relate to these individuals who prefer to shackle others contrary to the Word of God (cf. Rom 16:17,18).

14:12  There was nothing wrong in wanting to use the spirit gifts that were manifest in Corinth. But care had to be exercised that they were used to edify the believers, not elevate the status of the one with the gift.

1Cor 14:37,38

“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. But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.”

“In the execution of his mission Paul exhibited the same qualities as faithful Moses—humility, patience, compassion, firmness, endurance, fearlessness. ‘Follow me,’ says Paul.

As a law-giver Paul gave commandments concerning matters upon which Christ had not spoken, such as those in the 1^st epistle to the Corinthians. These were to be regarded as from Christ (1Cor 14:37). But the apostle contradicted or abrogated nothing which Christ had commanded (Matt 28:20). Paul was jealous for his Master’s teaching, and stressed the fact that he had the mind of Christ (2Cor 2:16).”

A.T. Jannaway, September 1927

14:21  The “law” where it was written is Isaiah 28:11. So we presume that the Corinthians should have been aware of the prophecy of Isaiah and its significance to their faith.

14:17 Those of us who pray on behalf of others in meetings together should always be aware of those sharing our prayer. Our prayer should not be an opportunity to show how eloquent we are. Nor should it try and cover every conceivable thing. Rather the words we speak should focus on exactly why we are saying the prayer.

14:1 “follow after charity” is the link between this and the previous chapter. The chapter division is totally arbitrary. The apostle Paul goes on in this chapter to show how that “charity” is shown. It is not in helping in things like soup kitchens. It is seen in the way that one believer behaves towards another in particular in respect to the use of spirit gifts in the first century. Whilst the spirit gifts are not available today the principles still are relevant. We should not elevate ourselves but should elevate God and His son.

14:2  We might imagine that speaking in unknown tongues was seen as some status symbol in Corinth. Maybe a counterpart in our experience can be seen in verbose prayers which say more about the one voicing the prayer than it does about the reason for the prayer. If we were to always remember that we are speaking to God without fellow believers listening and assenting we might be more circumspect about what we actually say.