Psalm 119:1-24; Jer. 37:3-21; 1 Cor. 14:13-25; Matt. 10:24-33
Jeremiah prophesies that even though the Chaldeans have withdrawn from the siege of Jerusalem, their withdrawal was only temporary, they would come back and would overthrow Jerusalem. As he is leaving the city, going to his ancestral home, he is stopped and accused of going over to the Chaldees, becoming a traitor. The accusation is accepted as possible since he has prophesied that they will indeed be victorious in their endeavors. He has not prophesied “for” the Chaldeans, he has spoken the word of the Lord in the matter. For his loyalty and faithfulness to the Lord he is beaten and imprisoned until the king secretly sends for him to inquire of the Lord through Jeremiah. Fortunately, he is released from prison but is still under guard. Sometimes doing the work of the Lord does not bring earthly rewards or blessing.
Jesus encourages the disciples to live for eternity. He does not promise them earthly blessing, in fact He promises earthly hardship if they are faithful to Him. We are to set our sights on the heavenly reward knowing that in this life there will be difficulty and rejection just as He suffered. The only truly faithful and righteous man who ever lived was crucified on a Roman cross, the world wants no part of such things or such truth. We are so attached to earthly things we don’t want heavenly things. We love the creation more than the creator, we love knowledge more than life. It is a sad reality of this world and the brokenness caused by sin that those who reject the world’s system and the world’s wisdom will be outcasts at best and hated at worst.
The gift of prophecy is for the church and for the building of the kingdom. Apparently tongues have always been somewhat controversial in the church and here Paul speaks to the matter that tongues are of limited benefit to the kingdom. What the church and the world need are those who will speak intelligible truth about the world and about God. The Gospel is the important thing and if the world cannot hear the Gospel it cannot believe the Gospel. Tongues are a gift of God, primarily for the believer, so that we can exalt Him beyond our own capacity of language, so that we can join in intercession when words fail us. They are not, however, the be all, end all of the gifts the Spirit gives to us. We need truth.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
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