"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 KJV
SEEK [seek]
verb (used with object), sought, seek ○ ing.
1. to go in search or quest of:
to seek the truth.
2. to try to find or discover by searching or questioning:
to seek the solution to a problem.
Seek means to go on a quest for something, or to discover by questioning. Notice the word "questioning." Many people will read the bible and take it for face value without questioning why something is worded the way it is, or what the context behind the verses are. This is where a lot of Christians will begin to halt their growth and knowledge of God because questioning the bible and God's word had somehow become a taboo. There are many different scenarios I could use to explain this but I'll stick to something simple.
Everyone knows of Mary Magdalene, Martha's sister.
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'
'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worries and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:38-42
Without the context, one might simply look over these verses and determine that Mary was a lazy girl who left all the work to her sister while she fawned over Jesus, but that is far from the case. Historically, sitting at one's feet was what one did if they were learning. In this case, that is exactly what Mary was doing.
"To sit at someone's feet meant, quite simple, to be their student. And to sit at the feet of a rabbi was what you did if you wanted to be a rabbi yourself. There is no thought here of learning for learning's sake. Mary has quietly taken her place as a would-be teacher and preacher of the kingdom of God." -N. T. Wright, Luke For Everyone
Rereading Luke 10 with the added context in mind gives the story of Martha and Mary a new meaning. (As a side note, if you have not heard of N. T. Wright, I highly recommend looking into his "For Everyone" series. He breaks down the verses in the bible, adds context to them, and helps explain why certain parts were mentioned and how they are important.)
In the famous 1 Corinthians 14:34, Paul says that women should be silent in church. But earlier in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, he says that woman can pray and prophesy in church if dress appropriately. So which is it? Well, it's both.
During the time when these letters to Corinth were written, there was a severe disrupt in the church. Unlike our services now where you come in, sing worship songs, and listen while the pastor preaches, the churches in Corinth had no order and were chaotic. People spoke in tongues, prophesied, and preached over one another. So why was verse 34 included? Verse 35 hints at women being confused and that they should wait until they are home to ask their husbands instead of interrupt church service for it. That helps shed light that some women would become confused and distract their husbands and male peers from the service - chaotic as it was - to understand what was happening. In short, their timing for questioning was terrible.
Overall, the message was for everyone, as noted in verses 26-31 and 39 and 40.
"What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word or instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two - or at the most three - should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 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... Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy... but everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." 1 Corinthians 14:26-31
If women were not supposed to speak in a church, or prophesy, why then would Jesus allow Mary Magdalene to sit at His feet?
Bishop Ida B. Robinson
God Himself told us to seek Him and to search for Him. How then could we ever possibly do such a thing without questioning? It is not wrong to question the bible, or question why God has instructed us one way or another on certain things. By questioning what the bible says, we open the door to knowledge. We free ourselves from the chains the enemy has coiled around us to keep us from reaching our full potential, and from truly seeking God which is exactly what the devil wants.
To seek God means to question, to read, to listen, to understand the root of specific words and to look at the bible as, not only a Holy text, but as a book with wealth of knowledge waiting to be deciphered. Jesus spoke in many parables, so why would the bible be written in a way that means exactly what it says?
x.
God bless, lovlies.
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