Lesson 3610

 (Lesson 3610)(11-21-21) Acts 2:5-12

    “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?”

    As was mentioned in yesterday’s quote, todays lesson is a continuation of the narrative as it discusses the ensuing events of that day of Pentecost.

     First we should establish why all those men had gathered together. They had come to observe Pentecost, a traditional day of celebration among the Jews. Pentecost was a day of thanks to God  for the first part of the wheat harvest. It was also a day of thanksgiving to God for His deliverance of the Jews out of Egyptian captivity.

    In today’s part of that narrative, wherein the miracle of “tongues” is said to have occurred, men from many different nations and languages reasoned how they were able to understand a man speaking in a totally different language than their own. As I have said before, I don’t believe, as some strongly contend today, that Peter and the others spoke in some garbled new language that no one had ever heard before. Instead, I believe that the miracle was in the ears of the listeners. I believe that the Holy Spirit of God empowered, every soul who heard the message of the day, to hear the words that Peter and the other apostles spoke, in their own language.

    The most important part of the lesson, aside from how it was accomplished, is the fact that God enabled the news of His amazing, saving grace to be spread over a wide area. 

    We should all pray that such a miracle should come to our own ears so that we can better hear the precious word of God today.~

NOTE: The events of that great and glorious day will be further discussed tomorrow.