JEREMIAH 34-35:In yesterday's reading, Jeremiah bought a field according to the Lord's instructions. Under the circumstances, that seemed a futile thing to do. He prayed, and the Lord used the situation as a backdrop for wonderful promises to the nation of Israel.

In chapter 33:3 we heard a frequently quoted verse which says,

Jer. 33:3 NLT Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Please do NOT rip a verse like this out of context and then boast that you have become a prophet like Jeremiah. There are some wonderful verses in God's Word that we should be very careful about 'claiming' as applying to us. See what the 'remarkable secrets' 'about things to come' are by re-reading that chapter!

I highlighted a verse earlier in Jeremiah where the coming Righteous King was named, 'The Lord Our Salvation.' In yesterday's reading it was the city of Jerusalem that is so named.

Jer. 33:16 NLT In that day Judah will be savedand Jerusalem will live in safety.And this will be [Jerusalem's/its] name:'The LORD is Our Righteousness.'

There is no conflict in this. The Lord is emphasizing something! Keep it in mind.

PROVERBS 4a:Proverbs 3 extolled the virtues of Lady Wisdom and ended with various nuggets of wisdom. Here are verses that stood out to me from that chapter:

NLT Prov. 3:21 My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment.Hang on to them,…24 You can go to bed without fear;you will lie down and sleep soundly.25 You need not be afraid of sudden disasteror the destruction that comes upon the wicked,26 for the LORD is your security. …

1CORINTHIANS 12:Yesterday's chapter has two clear parts.

NLT has given this helpful section heading for the first section of chapter 11, verses 2-16: Instructions for Public Worship. The section includes Paul's instruction about head coverings for women in worship services.

I think it behooves us to pay attention any time an apostle becomes emphatic or vehement in his language. Verse 16 is a case in point:

1Cor. 11:16 NLT But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God's other churches.

I therefore feel that we cannot just write off what Paul was saying as no longer relevant because it seems not to fit in our culture. Yes, this section certainly is discordant with our modern culture. But I maintain that this should make us pay closer attention to it. God's Word consistently shows that our Creator wants men and women to have different roles, not just in worship services, but in marriage and in life itself. Beside the God-designed role-differences between men and women, note that Paul gives another reason for his instructions: Angels are present and watching our public services. What angels think about the roles of men and women has probably not shifted to fit our modern culture.

For anyone who thinks that verse 15 means that long hair can substitute for the 'covering' Paul intends in the previous verses, please see the footnote found for that verse in the NET.

The second section is the often-quoted teaching about the Lord's supper. My opinion is that 'honoring/discerning the body of Christ' in 11:29 is about recognizing the symbolism of the Lord's body in the communion elements, not about the united and universal church as the 'body of Christ'.

The Lord's Supper should never be allowed to become a routine event. I have visited a church where communion was taken without explanation, like serving oneself coffee and doughnuts at a buffet while everyone else is singing. Instead, the Lord's supper should be a solemn, dignified, and thought-provoking time. Beware that failure to give proper respect to the Lord's body and blood can cause the church to come under the Lord's discipline, which according to verse 30 can result in physical weakness, sickness, and even death.

NLT Translation note:1Cor. 12:29 Are we all apostles? [No.] Are we all prophets? [No.] Are we all teachers? [No.] Do we all have the power to do miracles? [No.]

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.