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Guide us, O thou gracious Savior.
Guide us.
Grand Despair and.
We are. We are.
Riding.
All the swear by heart.
Oh God.
Oh God, sweetness.
Of life.
God blessings us. Come on, the Lord is in you. Touch everybody.
May we also sing the first verse.
And verses four and five of #168.
168 versus 1.
4:00 and 5:00.
The annoying.
No sign will appear.
Lord, for thy sailors and the sky.
So.
So.
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So.
I know there were a few verses in the end of chapter 10.
That weren't yet yesterday.
What if we're going to try to?
Follow Bob's exercise. Maybe we should go on Chapter 11. Is that suitable?
Suggested that we go on to the part about the Lord's Supper. I had thought that might be helpful to go through the first part of the chapter, but I leave that to my brethren too. And what the need is.
Appreciate.
That the Lord guide us says to that.
Looks like there's two reading meetings today.
Might be profitable to start from the beginning of the chapter.
Good.
And just try not to get hung up on the first two or three verses.
First Corinthians, Chapter 11.
Be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that you Remember Me in all things, and keep the ordinances as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.
Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered dishonour at his head, but every woman that prayeth her prophesis with her head uncovered dishonor with her head, for that is even all one, as if she were shaved.
Where's the woman be not covered? Let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, for as much as he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.
For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head.
Because of the angels. Nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord.
Whereas the woman is of the man, Even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God.
Judging yourselves? Is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair?
It is a shame unto him. What if a woman have long hair? It is a glory to her.
For her hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seemed to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. Now in this that I declare unto you, I praise you not that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse.
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Or first of all, when you come together in the church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it.
For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When you come together therefore into one place. This is not to eat the Lord supper, for any eating everyone taketh before other his own supper, and one is hungry and another is drunken. What have you not houses to eat, and to drink in, or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not?
What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.
That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. When he had given thanks, he break it and said, take E this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup when he had stopped saying this cup is the New Testament in my blood.
This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lords death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself.
Not discerning the Lord's body for this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
Or if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world.
Wherefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, carry one for another, and if any man hunger, let him eat at home. They come not together under condemnation, and the rest will I set in order.
When I come.
There was an older brother under whose ministry I sat for a number of years.
Who used to categorize some of the things that we have before us in Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 in this way, and it was an easy way to remember them.
He said, as we had yesterday in chapter 10, we have the Lord's Table.
In Chapter 11 we have the Lord's Supper.
And between those two, and in connection with them, of course, we have three things. And in the English language they all begin with an S.
First of all, separation, and we had that yesterday.
Then we have submission.
And finally, sobriety.
All very, very important.
And the Lord brings them in here in connection with both his table and his supper. I would only make a bit of a suggestion relative to what Bob said and relative to what our brother Jonathan said.
We have about an hour left in this reading meeting, and this afternoon's reading is a short one.
And there is so much in this chapter in connection with the Lord's Supper. I would just politely suggest, and I think it's already been hinted at, that we not get bogged down in the details at the beginning of this chapter to the detriment of considering what our brother Bob had on his heart, namely the Lord's Supper, because there is plenty there. I believe that would really be for our hearts and for edification.
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Would you agree with that, brother Bob?
Yes, I like to make this comment as well when we were talking yesterday about the Lord's Table.
As we mentioned yesterday, it's not Jesus's table, it's not Christ's table, It's the Lord's table. It's the place of authority. He has authority at his table. It's not my table, it's not the brethren's table, it's the Lord's table. And So what we have in the beginning of Chapter 11.
Is recognition of the order that God has set in creation to recognize the authority that He has designated. And we do that according to what we have in the first verses of this chapter. And I I agree with you, Bill, we can go on, but I think the young people especially need instruction as to why.
The sisters cover their heads and I would like to say that in the beginning of this chapter he's not talking about assembly meeting until we get down to verse 20. And there he says when you come together into one place, that's assembly meeting.
And he says this is not to eat the Lord's Supper, because there they were doing it in a disorderly fashion. And so he gives instruction.
How it is to be done from verse 23 on in this chapter. But I think it is important to see that there is a recognition not only when we are assembled together, but at any time we pray or prophecy that there here is an order. The angels are watching us, brethren, and they see.
In the church, the manifold wisdom of God, they don't have the Holy Spirit.
To instruct them in the things of God. They have the church to see and they are watching us. They see the sisters have a covering on their heads doesn't say their hair, but on their heads. Why is that It is to recognize God's order of authority. And so we have that in verse three. To begin with would have you know that the head of every man.
Doesn't say every brother, every man. This is something that was established in creation is Christ. The head of every woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Isn't that interesting? Even Christ as a man recognizes his.
Place of of being under the authority of God.
And so God is the head of Christ. Christ is the head of the man, and the man is the head of the woman. That's the order of God's authority. And if we want to have order in our assemblies, it's important to recognize God's order.
I could just make a suggestion. I hate to turn this back to the chapter before, but I'm just looking at the number of verses in the last part of chapter 10 that have to do with the care of the sheep.
You spend almost as much time in Chapter 10 concerned with the care of the sheep, and as we take up this question or this, this teaching in Chapter 11.
We should do it with the Spirit that was shown in chapter 10, the care, the conscience.
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We should be gentle and we should go out of our way.
To be concerned for the need and I just I'm not trying to refocus our attention.
But as we take up this teaching, let's just remember that we may not all be at the same place in our understanding and we need to have a love and a gentleness and a care for the for those in the assembly.
Bill, and maybe you have some comments you'd like to make on those verses?
I think we covered it yesterday. I think that they're there. Those are very important verses.
For the the development of the sheep, not everyone is going to be in the same place in their conscience. There is a place for personal faith. Personal faith has to do with one's conscience. And so Paul is very gentle. He's he's very, he's willing to go way beyond.
His own liberty.
To make sure that there's.
There's the ability for souls to be brought along as they develop. So I just, it's amazing that in this subject, which is quite an important subject, you have such a space that is devoted to the care of the sheep.
I agree with you, Brother Phil. I'd like to read the last three verses of the last chapter.
Whether therefore, ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. It's not our setting ourselves forward, brethren, it's having God's glory and focus.
Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God.
We have that sensitivity beyond those who are brethren, Jews, Gentiles, and then those that are brethren are under the Church of God. And then verse 33, even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my known profit, but the prophet of many, that they might be saved.
That verse was read in Romans yesterday. Even Christ pleased not himself. We live in a culture, brethren, where self pleasing is glorified.
That is not Christianity. Even Christ pleased not Himself what you are doing. Are you doing it to please yourself?
Your own thoughts or are you doing it to please others? And so we need to have that in view. That's very important.
At the same time, I say God gives us the norms in his own precious word, and we can't set them aside for it. This is what God has established, that there is headship and creation and in our culture, especially in the United States of America.
It is being given up the difference between a man and a woman, and it's led to severe.
Confusion to teach in children in their young days that they can switch sexes is is the the.
Highest form of child abuse. Terrible what has been done because we don't recognize God's order in creation. The Lord help us.
Like to quote a verse that first probably will see what's this have to do with the subject.
The foul shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.
And believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
The most significant and most important change that's involved in life itself is when I come to that point.
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That I recognize a person, Jesus Christ, as Lord.
One who has has already said authority.
More than authority though, to get the full sense of it. I couldn't give the full sense of it. But for my own heart, he's had.
He's the one that I look to, to guide and direct with authority all the affairs of my life. I didn't know that. I didn't recognize that relationship.
Until that verse was fulfilled, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord.
And believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved.
Chapter 10. Chapter 11. That is before us.
Is not simply what we got to do sort of idea that misses the point. The point is I am now under the headship of an individual and under that headship I look upon it as a privilege to seek his guidance, his direction and.
To have that respect.
And that honor given to him in the relationship that I now know with him.
And so it's the Lord's Table, and in that Lord's Table there is the acknowledgement and the recognition.
Of his place.
We don't come there as a democracy. We don't come there for us to give our own view on this and that and the other subject. We come there to recognize our head.
And follow it.
We trust.
Sometimes that when we trust that all the times that whatever participation is taking part in this meeting right now is a participation not with liberty to say whatever's on your mind, but rather to recognize that there's someone who is directing by the spirit what is being said according to the perfect knowledge and will.
And what is our place? Our place is to say yes, Lord, and respond accordingly to it. And so we didn't establish the idea of a table.
The head chose to have one.
We didn't decide.
How, if you will, in ourselves, His honor was to be known and respected and followed. But the beginning of Chapter 11 gives us the understanding of how He has chosen for us to outwardly express according to who we are and what our place is in the body, to how we express.
His headship, his place, his honor, and consequently, if it touches our hearts properly, then we're going to respond to it, Not as AI got to do it, but we're going to respond as a privilege given. We go on in this chapter as to the remembrance of the Lord. And so it follows in the same character. It's not just a supper.
I had supper last night and I'll say it was just a supper.
I had breakfast this morning and it was just a breakfast. But when I sit down on the Lord's Day morning, I partake of what's not mine. But I thank God for the privilege of partaking of what's his the Lord's Supper.
And so we do. I'm going to make one more comment on yesterday.
And respect to the whole subject, that is.
Very humbling.
To my own soul, at least.
I had occasion to know a brother quite well. We used to come into the book room.
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And.
Share Christ together.
For sometimes an hour or two at a time, that particular brother was a laborer and another group of brethren.
I believe with all my heart that I'm where the Lord is in the midst.
That brother, I would say, equally believed with all his heart that the Lord was in the midst where he was.
But both of us.
Good walk.
This illustration we can enjoy the Lord together.
We could embrace his brethren in Christ.
We could talk about weakness and opportunity, but we also recognize this.
He and I could enjoy the Lord together and walk down the street on a Lord's Day morning.
And come to the end of a street.
And he turned left.
To remember the Lord.
And I turn right.
Could either of us say that the Spirit of God told him to turn left and me to turn right?
Could we charge the Spirit of God with division?
If he could rightly turn left and I could turn right, we would have to say the Spirit of God.
Was a source.
Of our behavior, and consequently of division in a practical sense, in the body of Christ. I say it, brother, because we ought to be humbled.
By being part of something that is to be to the glory of the Lordship of Christ that has been before the world badly spoiled. May the Lord help us.
To take up these things humbly.
And with a sense of our own weakness and failure, often to maybe do the right thing, but not the right spirit.
I want to thank.
Of how the Lord told Peter and John in Luke 22 to go and prepare.
Us the Passover.
And the next question they put to the Lord Jesus is where wilt thou that we prepared? And that I believe shows submission. And the Lord explicitly told them what to do.
And that just gives me great joy to realize that the Lord, he doesn't want to confuse us. He wants to lead us in a plain path.
And so the Lord said, when you go into the city, there's going to meet you a man with a pitcher of water.
And so it was, and so they go, and they found it tells us as the Lord had said. Well, why would it be any the otherwise? It's always as the Lord has said.
And so they asked another question.
Starts with.
Where? Where is the guest chamber?
And.
They're shown where to go, and again it's as the Lord had said. Now I asked myself.
You know, do I have a good attitude about submitting to the Lord?
And Brother Phil is speaking about how we don't see always the truth all at once.
But I really appreciate in Job chapter 34 and verse.
32 Now this is a good attitude. I think it's an attitude that we all.
Ought to have, and this is Job 34 and verse 32. That which I see not teach thou me.
If I have done iniquity.
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I will do no more.
Here is one that's acknowledging he doesn't know it all.
And sometimes we meet up with people like that and we get the impression that.
They seem to think they know it all, and you present to them the truth of God.
And it's water off, it ducks back. It seems to go in one year, not the other.
And but then we do find those that have a teachable spirit and that is so beautiful to see. And when we're willing to submit to the truth of God, we find that it sets us free. It sets us free from ourselves.
From the world.
I often think of.
How Darby, you know John Nelson, Darby, you could say lower thy feet. Lord Jesus, this is the place for me. Here have I learned deep lessons.
Truths that have set me free, free from myself, Lord Jesus, free from the ways of men. The chains of thought that once found me never shall bind me again. Not but I love. Lord Jesus conquered this wayward will, but for thy love constraining.
I had been wayward still.
And we all know.
I shouldn't say all. Most of us know what the Lord told us.
If you know these things, happy are you if you do that. But what I'm saying is that if there is confusion about where.
Is the Lord's table. Where should I go to sit down where the Lord is?
If I have confusion about this.
It's not the Lord's fault, it's my fault I got a problem. And I believe that there is that submissive spirit the Lord will teach us and show us where he would have us to be.
Where he is, that is where we want to be.
And if Peter and John had gone to a different room in the guest house, there might have been a table there.
And they might have sat down there, but.
The Lord Jesus would not have showed up at that table.
But where the?
Submitted to his direction.
There the table was, and there the Lord Jesus showed up.
So submission, it's it's, it's not easy in the flesh. We want to do our own will. We're stubborn.
It's not a good attitude.
As believers, it says we walk out the Spirit and not after the flesh. And I was thinking this morning of the happy time that we had here together, called it a praise and a prayer meeting, and surely praise and worship went up. If I went around and asked each one what they thought of the meeting this morning, I'm certain they would say that they were overjoyed. I remember we did it last year and it was the first time I'd ever been in such a format as that and it was quite exciting.
And I'm certain too that each one was filled up.
With joy, as we sang those hymns and read those verses and praised Him, gave worship. But what we have here is an order of things in divine worship, a sense in which we can come together in a way and bring glory and honor to Him. And that was the verse that Phil brought out. And I was looking at the same at the end of chapter 10. Whether therefore ye or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. And in speaking to a young man between the meetings this morning.
You know, it was determined through simplicity that.
I think of that verse. If so be you've tasted that the Lord is gracious. If each one of us have tasted that from the Lord Jesus Christ and we have been filled up with him, our hearts are full of Christ.
Should be the very natural thing as a believer. It should be our our own nature as a believer to do these things. You said if you know these things, happier you if you do them. And so it shouldn't be a work to submit. It shouldn't be any work to try to figure it out. He's written it out plainly for us to see. And he says, do it. And we say somebody already said it. Yes, Lord, that should be the response of our heart as a true believer in the nature of crush.
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Submission and dependence are painted by this, well, by Satan, as a sign of inferiority. They're not.
The most perfectly submissive and dependent man that ever walked this earth was our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Was He inferior and be blasphemous to suggest that He was? He is our perfect example and as Bob has indicated, there is an order given here. This is not just about submission as being the woman's role. We as men have a place of submission to our head as well.
And our failure in that submission has led to far more destruction in the Church of God.
Then I might suggest the woman's failure in her submission.
Division. Where does it come from? It comes from.
Those that are in a place of administration responsibility, failing to submit to the lordship of Christ.
But the question in this chapter is why the physical?
Representation of that submission. Why should the woman have a physical representation of that submission on her head when the man doesn't? Well, that's not true. The man also is to have a physical representation of his place in that order which God has established. He's not to have his head covered. And this subject came up in a cottage meeting in our local assembly recently.
And.
I must admit I'm ignorant of these things, but it was appointed out to me that it is very common in this present day to see preachers on YouTube.
And other social media standing forth, preaching with their head covered. And I, I, I, I quite frankly was stunned.
You know, that which is physical and outward doesn't seem like it matters much in the world in which we live. But you know when First Corinthians 7 says.
There end of chapter 6. Rather every in verse 18, every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. You know, we are made-up of spirit, salt and body, and it's easy to spiritualize everything.
And take away all outward signs of our Christianity. That's what we like to do by nature. We don't like to stand forth and.
Appear different in the world in which we live. It's human nature. But we have spirit, soul and body. And God is just as interested in our spiritual condition, the condition of our soul and also our bodies. What we do outwardly with our bodies is just as important to Him as those other three. There is an order there. There is an order, spirit, soul and body. I don't want to get the order things out of order, but God is.
Concerned with what we do.
Outwardly with our bodies, someone also suggested within. Isn't that just a religious thing to have your head covered?
You know, it's very easy to dismiss the things of God by labeling them. We can label things.
Well, that's just tradition, and yes, we have to examine the traditions. By the way, the word used in verse two keep the ordinances literally. In the Greek paradoxes, which means a handing down, it means tradition.
There are traditions of men which we must judge them for what they are. There are also things that God is handed down to us that we had to take heed to. We can't just label things because we want to get rid of them. The apostle James, well James probably the Lords brother, takes up in his epistle.
The outward walk of our faith. And he uses the word religion. Religion in itself is not an evil word. Religion, in the context in which James uses it, is simply the outward presentation of our faith. And that's what James is all about. James is begging the question, will the real Christians stand up? Who are you? Why can't we see you? Where's the evidence of your faith in your life? Show it outwardly. That's the subject of the book of James. And so he touches on religion.
The outward presentation of our faith before this world. It does matter to God these things, but nothing doesn't matter to God. It also says in this chapter that one that acts outside of the order in which God has created us as men and women. And this is very broad subject. Now, as Bob hinted at, not any dishonor of God, but the dishonor of themselves. They dishonor themselves.
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Observation 22nd in the how they they went under the Lord's direction.
In the 11Th verse.
We want to say the master set under thee, where is the guest chamber?
We're actually with my disciples.
And I think if we're when we're looking.
At the remembrance of the Lord.
It's good to keep in mind that it is a guest chamber.
Because as we have in our chapter.
He says.
Until he come.
This remembrance of the Lord that we have the privilege of partaking of here in this world is a temporary thing until He calls us home to be in heaven with Him. It's a guest chamber. We have the privilege of being gathered around our beloved Savior, but it's a remembrance that will no longer be needed when we're at home with Him in heaven. And if we keep that in our minds that it is a guest chamber.
It is for this time we keep our focus on the head in heaven. I think that will help us.
In understanding the importance of the remembrance of the Lord here on this earth, but remembering that it it is a remembrance for now, for this time to keep.
Our affections on Him until He calls us home. And we should keep our focus on the head which is in heaven, and remember that it is now just a temporary thing, as dear as it is to our hearts. It's for the sea in this world and will no longer need it when we're united with Him in heaven.
Very nice to see in mocks, golf tournament, bus and then new translation.
Says.
It's a mock chapter 14, verse 14. I'm going to read it from J&D. And wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, the teacher says where is.
My guest chamber. My guest chamber. It is his guest chamber, not ours.
The word submission and the carefulness in which it needs to be used.
I don't believe the Lord Jesus ever needed that word.
To look at him.
His the word of the Lord Jesus was I delight to do thy will, Oh my God.
He knew no will but the will of God as a man, and it was his perfect delight to do that well.
As a result, as a man, he had no will of his own in that regard, when it was with respect to God.
The.
Situation. The condition with us is different because we have flesh in US, and because we have flesh in us, we have a will in that flesh which is in opposition to God.
But if we want to do the will of God.
And what's before us or anything else in life, and it's broad in every application.
We have to act properly in the Newman.
And not in the flesh. And if we're acting in the Newman, there's no issue.
Of having to use the word submission.
Because submission has the thought in it of being restricted from doing something that I want to do.
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And therefore I have someone else that's telling me they have authority over me and I can't do what I want to do.
But that lowers the truth.
That is not the proper really encouragement to do the will of God.
In the new man, we too can say, I delight to do thy will, Oh my God.
And consequently, as we have in these verses, in these chapters, I believe a more edifying way of seeing it is our Lord gives direction with authority.
And the Newman delights to follow it.
And if there is the flesh at work in us, then we're going to start thinking about submission because it involves will. And so I would encourage that we look to our Lord as Lord to give us direction and do so with authority, and that we respond to it in the new man.
Perhaps we can go through some of these verses here because.
You just have a short time to the end of the meeting and we'd like to get to the Lord's Supper next meeting. But notice again verse three, brethren.
I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ and the head of every woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying doesn't say merely in the church or in assembly meeting, but this is at any time praying or prophesying having his head covered.
Dishonorous his head, which is Christ.
Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head, for that is even all one, as if she were shaved.
Is there any woman like here down here that would like to have their head shaved?
Well, it would be better to put a covering on your head than to have your hair shaved.
For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. And if it be a shame for a woman to be a shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head.
Or as much as he is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man.
For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man for this.
Cause Ought the woman to have power or a symbol of authority on her head?
Because of the angels.
Remember, brethren, the angels can never sin. If they sin, it's automatic condemnation forever.
And they look and they see.
Mankind disrespecting, not recognizing, like Don was saying, the authority.
Of the Lord Jesus in our lives, and that authority should be willingly recognized.
Oh, brethren, what a privilege to do that. And so anytime we pray or prophecy, the man uncovers his head, the woman covers her head. And so sometimes people say, well, the woman is not taking part in the meeting. That's true. But when she sings, she's prophesying.
And first Chronicles chapter 25, the first verses, you'll see that the singers prophesied. How did they prophesied By singing. I think that's beautiful, brethren. And so it should be something that is willingly done and and respected brethren. This is the question of God's order in in creation. And so it's a privilege to do it.
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And so it's a matter. I say this sometimes, brethren, which is more serious?
Dishonor Christ or the woman to dishonor the man. To me, it's far more serious for us as men to dishonor our head because our head never makes a mistake. We in our place of headship over the woman. Do we ever make a mistake? Plenty of times.
And so it's far more serious, brethren, for us as men in this situation. And like Brother Nicholas saying, you see sometimes.
In singing and we have to recognize that they're not instructed in what we understand the truth of God to be. And so we should be careful not to be over critical, but to recognize at the same time this is God's order.
So you're saying that?
Bob Debt for a man to cover his head.
When praying, her prophesied is really to be covering up Christ.
To dishonor Christ.
Yeah, well, that's black, black print on white page. I mean, it's very clear. So then in verse.
Three, where it speaks about the head of the woman is the man we're talking about the 1St man, is that the.
Or is that not exactly the right thought? It doesn't say a brother, it says a man, and I take it that it is God's order in creation.
Am I right?
I think that's correct because in Galatians 3IN new creation there is neither male nor female, but we're still tied to the old creation. At the same time we're part of the new creation. So with respect to the old creation, God has an order and we're to display that, and that's for His glory, that we would display His order and create in that old creation that we're still tied to, but we're also part of a new creation and all those distinctions disappear. So the brothers and sisters have an equal status.
In the assembly and new creation no difference, but is being tied still to the old creation. There are things that are for God's glory, Christ's honor that were to display. I want to touch on take this opportunity to jump in Bob. I want to look at two other Old Testament scriptures because there's a beautiful aspect of things maybe we don't often touch on in connection with the sisters hair given to hers, a veil and then that additional covering.
On her head, she's praying or prophesying and those scriptures, first of all, Numbers chapter 5.
Won't read them all in Numbers chapter 5 we get God's direction to Israel under the law. If a man was jealous of his wife if he suspected his wife of infidelity, but there was no proof there was a trial that could be had and he was to bring her to the priest and there are a number of things that were to be done when he brought her she was to have.
An offering for her and numbers five and verse 15 and then.
He would The priest in verse 16 shall bring her near and set her before the Lord.
The thing I want to notice in all the things that are done here is verse 18. And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and uncover the woman's head.
Why her husband had no confidence in her.
And so she was to uncover her head.
That sign of her place of subjection and submission to him, she was no longer in his confidence.
The church is never, never out of the confidence of Christ. The church is never suspect in the eyes of Christ. And so the sisters with their covered heads give a testimony to that fact that the church is ever, ever in his favor, never suspect by Christ. He always has his arm around her.
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The other one is in Numbers chapter 21 and there there are directions given if a woman is taken captive.
And a man would take her and bring her to his house to be his wife.
And Deuteronomy 21 and verse.
11 And see us among the captives, A beautiful woman, and has desired her. And now it's hammer to thy wife. Thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head and pair her nails, and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from offer, and shall remain in line house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month. And after that thou shalt go in unto her, and she shall and be her husband, and she shall be.
Thy wife.
For a period of time she was to have her head shaved. She was no longer under the authority of her father, she was not yet married to a new husband, she was not under the authority of the man in that sense, and she was a captive. She gives expression in the shaved head of being in a place of *******.
Brethren, we are not captives.
Were espoused to Christ and that.
Hair given to the woman as her bail is expressive of that place. We're not in ******* we're not under law. We're espoused to Christ. He's our husband in that way. And so the the covered head and the hair is a veil give expression to the place in the affections.
Of Christ and the care of Christ under his headship that the church has, and it's a testimony to the angels of God.
Order of nature when we go back to Genesis.
God says it is not good for man to dwell alone.
I will make a help meet for him.
And so he creates the man and the woman.
But in the greater sense of it.
God was thinking about his Son becoming a man.
And in making his son take that place, and sending his son to take that place in manhood.
He said it's not good for men to dwell alone, and so in his heart that man will remain a man.
In manhood, for eternity. And so he says I'll get a help meet for him.
You're part of it.
You're part of the helpmate.
You are the bride of Christ.
You're part of his body.
And when we take up what's here in this chapter and in its broader sense, there is for him as a man.
The proper place that he has even as man.
As that in relationship to his wife, to be this bride as the head, it's to his respect and his honor that she be in that place to him.
We also have the word Lord to give it to us, the sense of it. But when we take up things like this, it's important to see that.
In the sense that that's why it is.
With respect to the man and the woman.
Because it's God looking at his Son as man and saying what is the proper place of him with respect to the woman.
And then we have the figure or the truth of the church brought in. And so it's important for us to recognize it is of nature. But it's of nature in respect to the fact of the sun becoming a man and as such as a man. He then takes his place as we have it as Christ to God, because God is in, as in God had supreme.
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There's no such thing as God being in relationship to anything else except in absolute authority and supremacy. And yet the Lord Jesus, in becoming a man, God wants him to have the honor and respect.
Supreme over all things, but as man, and I believe that what's embedded, if you will, in this teaching.
Has that truth at the very bottom of it and if we miss it, then we start getting involved in a whole lot of other things that lower the foundation that it's.
Important that we honor the one who has man is to be given the place over all things, creation itself as well as us.
There's 14.
Not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him, but if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her.
For her hair is given her for a covering and if you'll notice in the margin of my Bible, and I think it is in many Bibles, covering is in the margin of ale. It's a different word than is used in the first part of this chapter when it says a woman should cover her head. It's not the same word. Yes, the long hair is a covering or is a veil.
But scripture speaks of something besides that covering to cover your head.
Doesn't say cover the hair, it says cover the head. It's given to her for a covering. But now notice verse 16. Before we close, brethren, Finneyman seem to be contentious. We have no such custom, neither the churches of God. In other words, this is what we recognize and understand.
And that there's somebody that wants to be contentious. That's not the custom that we have.
Jeremiah 7 There's an expression.
Cut off a hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away. And how would I have taken from that? Is this. The outward signs are so important, but the inward reality that the sign is a testimony to is what God is looking for as well. And with Jerusalem they had the outward sign, but they didn't have the inward reality of submission and subjection to Jehovah.
Said well then get rid of the outward sign because there's no inward reality. And so we don't want to forget that inward reality of what those signs are a testimony to and our individual lives as well as in the assembly.
I think that's so important, Brother Steve. And would you agree that we get the same picture in the valve, the Nazareth, where if he broke that vow by allowing defilement into his life?
No one might know about it, Maybe he touched a dead body or something like that, and he could do it without anyone else having seen it. But he was not allowed then to wear the outward sign of a Nazarite without having the inward he had immediately to take to cut his hair and start over again. Same thought, isn't it?
We say #100 and 15115.
Yeah.
Joy and words for peace forever.
Just in connection with a lot of what we've had before us. And the first verse is in Genesis 25. Just like to read them. No comment.
Genesis chapter 25.
I'm sorry, Genesis chapter 24.
In verse 65.
For she had said unto the servant.
What man is this?
That walketh in the field.
And the servant had said.
It is my master.
Therefore she took a veil.
And covered herself.
The Book of Joshua, chapter 5.
Joshua, chapter 5.
And.
We'll just read verse 14.
And he said nay.
For those but as captain of the host of the Lord and my now come.
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Joshua fell on his face to the earth.
He did worship.
And said unto him.
What saith my Lord unto his servant?
And the captain of the Lord supposed said unto Joshua.
Loose thy shoe from off thy foot.
For the place where on thou standest is holy.
Joshua.
So.
We pray our God loving Father, we are so thankful once again for the time that Thou has given us together to be here.