Monday: Your Daughters Shall Prophesy
WEEK 8
MONDAY
YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY
Acts 21:8-9
The fact of women receiving the Holy Spirit on the same basis as men made Paul lay down this basic principle: “There is neither Jew nor Greek [race distinction]; there is neither slave nor free [social distinction]; nor is there male and female [sex distinction], for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28)—“nor is there is male and female”—that is the new attitude.
Peter took this attitude immediately when he saw women had received the gift as the men:
In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy
Your young will see visions.
Your elders will dream dreams.
Even upon my servants, men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18)
“All people” included women, and “daughters will prophesy.” Here prophesying means not to foretell events but to forth-tell the good news. And this wasn’t for particularly high-class women but women of all classes—the maidservant at the bottom of the social ladder included.
It is strange that Paul with this background would order that “women should be quiet during the meeting.” He could do it only by adding: “just as the Law says” (1 Cor 14:34). He turned back to the Law for this unchristian position, for the gospel had a different one. In the new order the “daughters” were to prophesy.
In my last book, Growing Spiritually, I dealt with “Mary” as an amazing example of growing spiritually. In a crisis she saw she could possess and be possessed by the Holy Spirit. After a night of struggle she went to an early Communion and found herself like a glass jar being slowly filled. When the teacher of this important conference did not come, she was asked to take the Bible hour. She took it without batting an eye—effortlessly, powerfully. One of the other speakers said, “She took this group by storm.” She did it without trying.
It was an example of a “daughter” prophesying. All question of male and female was gone. The Spirit was speaking through her, and we could but listen and respond.
O Lord, we thank you for wiping out all distinctions based upon the extraneous. We are distinct if we speak from you distinctly—no male and female. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: The Spirit is seeking instruments of his power, seeking regardless of sex.