On 1 Corinthians 11 argues for the biblical mandate of head coverings for women and the uncovered head for men during public worship, emphasizing God's established order in creation and the church. The message explains that the head covering is a symbol of a woman's subjection to her husband and a reflection of God's order, drawing parallels to the veiling of angels before God and the historical context of Corinth. It contrasts this with the modern trend of men adopting feminine characteristics, such as long hair, which is presented as a sign of rebellion and effeminacy contrary to God's design. The sermon concludes by asserting that obedience to this biblical instruction, though controversial, is a matter of pleasing God and reflects a deeper spiritual commitment, not salvation itself.
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First Corinthians chapter eleven. Now, some ladies knew what I was going to speak on tonight. They'd say, here comes a can of worms. Well, it's in the book. And so we're going to have to speak on it. And I thought you would take it. Not for me. I'm not reading a book I wrote. I'm reading the Bible. and somebody, some people likely don't know the sort of subject in the Bible, but it's here. And when you take up a book, the Book of Corinthians, as we've taken up many books in the Bible, you can't dodge any of it.
You can't skip it. Well, I can't preach on that because someone will get their feelings hurt if I speak on that or someone will get offended. You can't do that when you handle the Bible. You're going to take up a book. take it up verse by verse so you don't pay around and tamper and trifle with the Bible. If God puts something in here, he intends for us to look at it, to understand it, and practice it if we're going to please him. So let's read verse one of First Corinthians eleven. 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 to know, have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Now we spoke on that last Sunday night, the head of Christ is God, the head of Man is the Lord Jesus, and the head of the woman is the man. And we referred to how the Lord Jesus could say, I and my Father are one, showing his equality with the Father.
And he also could say, the Father is always with me, showing companionship, but he says, my Father is greater than I. showing that Christ, although not inferior to God, was subject to the Father. And that's the order the Lord gives us in his Bible. And it's for us to accept it. Now to reduce it into something very simple. It's simply this, that I am one with Christ. I'm in Christ. He's in me. And second, he is with me always. even unto the end of the age.
Now, because that is my wonderful position and privilege and joy, simply means if that I can't dictate to, I'm to be subject to. That's the point. And so because of such a Savior as we have and knowing what he thinks of us and how he loves us, it's up to us to simply bow to what he tells us. God says, this is my order, in the deity, in the church, and in the home. Not inferiority, but subject to an order that I have given. Now, verse four. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head.
But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonor for her head. For that is even all one as if she were shavings. For if the women be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, 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 women 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. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman, but all things of God. Judging yourself, is it calmly that a woman pray unto God uncoven? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is ashamed unto him?
But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her, for hair is given her for a coming. But if any man seemed to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." So tonight I'm going to speak on hair, women's covering. Does God pay attention to things like this? I think it's a wonderful thing. instead of criticizing, I think it's marvelous to think that the great God of the universe is so intimately interested enough. Concern about how we wear our clothes and what we look like, whether we have hair properly, according to the standard of nature, or otherwise.
I think God is very much concerned about how Christians look, how they behave, And the only way you're going to know what the inner hidden motives of a man or woman's heart is is by their outward behavior. And there are lots of things in the Bible that we can't see but adjust to the thought that an almighty God is interested in that little detail. God is a God of detail. He sees the sparrow fall. He closed the lily. And He's given instruction in this passage in the church in Corinth. as to how we behave in the church. And we're going to get into that.
Now, I ran across this article by accident the past week, lying around my apartment for years, and I had never thought of reading it, and it's on this subject, and all my fifty years of being saved, I've never read anything quite like it. It was written by a doctor, and also a minister. And I think it's remarkable. He goes into the subject of hair. He says this, doth not even nature itself teach you that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him. First Corinthians, eleven fourteen, the current craze of male members of society who wear long hair is not the harmless fad that many assume.
It is a planned, calculated trend and one of the ghouls of communism to destroy masculinity in the American male creating unisex population of weakness. It degrades, stupefies, and victimizes our youth. Let each young Christian man ask himself the question, is it right? Does it please God and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ? It does not, for the Bible calls it a shame. Please check some facts. First, there is not one single proof that the Lord Jesus wore long hair.
The idea that he had long hair comes from a group of artists who never saw him and had little or no knowledge of the Bible. This is the same group that put wings on feminine-looking angels, although the Bible always refers to angels in the masculine gender. Only from the fourth century did artists paint him with long hair. The pictures in the catacombs of Rome all portray man with short hair, Christ included. It is mistakenly thought that he was a Nazarite. He was not.
He was a Nazarene, which simply means that he came from the town of Nazareth. History makes it clear that all Jews, except those with the Nazarite vow, wore short, trimmed hair. They were not to shave their heads, for that's a sign of sorrow. Nor were they to let it grow long. That's a sign of rebellion, as seen in the Jewish writings of the Talmud. The Lord Jesus would never contradict the clear principles taught by the Spirit in I Corinthians eleven fourteen. Nature here, and this is something I never knew.
Nature here means the regular law or order of God. The same word is used in Romans one twenty-six to describe the debased acts of men and women. These are against nature, and God uses this word to express his displeasure with long hair on men. Romans one also gives us a clear picture of the meaning of the word shame. In verse twenty-six it is translated vile affections. In verse twenty-seven it is translated unseemly. In verse twenty-four it is written as a dishonor, a shame, a timer is the Greek word, is translated dishonor, reproach, disgrace, offensive, vile.
It is often used in the Bible in connection with sodomy. The Bible condemns effeminate men. And I want you to notice, I know this is in the Bible, you know, I've been reading my Bible for fifty-two years. And we pass through this very verse, chapter six, of verse, chapter six, verse nine. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate. I hadn't thought of that.
And what's an effeminate person? It's a womanly man. Those they call sissies. They act like a woman. They're at that moment. And he says, such are not going to enter into the kingdom of heaven. God made man a male. He made man to have rugged characteristics the woman do not have. He says the honors be given to the wife is unto the weaker of us. But here's a man, he looks and walks and talks and acts like a woman. That's a feminine. And it's a disgrace to the creation of God.
Now that's what he's telling us right here. The Bible condemns the feminine men. They have no place in the kingdom of God. This word is defined as becoming womanish, having the characteristics of a man, a woman. Paul clearly states that a day would come when many men would leave their God-given role of masculinity and take on the characteristics of a woman. Men's clothing is almost designed, that is, to keep the society identically on the lines of feminine fashion and to present unisex symbols of a degraded manhood. Long here tells a story that drug addicts bragged that long hair is a badge of drug usage.
Somewhere it is a sign that they disapprove of American values and preach revolution and communism. Listen to the words of Jerry Rubin, the communist radical. He says, young kids identify short hair with authority, discipline, unhappiness, hatred of life, and long hair means letting go wherever we go our hair tells people where we stand on Vietnam Wallace campus disruptions and drugs we are living TV commercials for the revolution long hair is the beginning of our liberation from sexual oppression so you see hair has a message of it but you see that in your case it has no meaning they Then why the peace-shattering cries of anguish as frustrated parents insist you go to the barber.
In all my evangelistic travels, I have yet to find a single, victorious, obedient, spirit-filled, godly soul-winning, long-haired young man. Any long-haired male who is truly born again and informed should be ready for a haircut and return to godly manhood. Long hair on a believing male is a poor example. Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and purity. First Timothy, four twelve. The Bible clearly commands to abstain from all appearances of evil.
First Thessalonians five twenty-two. The connotations of long hair in this age is evil. Some shallow youth workers even argue that long hair helps them to reach others, but it is never right to do wrong in seeking to do right. To obey is better than sacrifice. Shall we wear the symbol of depravity, rebellion, and femininity? If you get your heart right, your will, you will want to wear your hair right. You will not want to look like the pro-communist, hippie, crowd, with their anti-American stance.
I challenge you to dare to be different from the lost crowd and present a neat, manly image that mirrors obedience and spirituality in looks, dress, and action, be a man, a man of God. Now, I have never seen that before. And I thought it was excellent, and seeing how I was speaking on this subject tonight, I was glad I ran across it in my library. Now, in taking up this subject, I realize that it's going to be a ticklish one, but nevertheless, one's all prepared for that anyway, when you take up some subject. People say you shouldn't speak on that subject because it's controversial. Well, so many men are avoiding scriptures because they're controversial.
They hardly have any sermons left. What Bible teaching isn't controversial? Take the inspiration of the Word of God. That's controversial. Some people say the Bible isn't the Word of God. And so that's a controversial subject. Would it be fair for me? Would it be honesty with me? Not to mention the inspirations of the Bible because it's a controversial subject. Or maybe someone in your audience don't believe that. No, I've got to preach what the Bible says. to take up the virgin birth is a controversial subject. Some say it's a biological impossibility for Mary to have had a child without a natural husband, not when you bring God into it.
And that birth of that baby in that virgin was the work of the Holy Spirit of God, yet there are men who would say Christ was illegitimate. and to preach that he was virgin born, well, that's a controversial subject. So we'll strike that one off. And also the resurrection. Well, that's controversial. And you can go on through the Scriptures. All kinds of controversial truths and teaching in the Bible. And if you're going to stop preaching anything controversial, you'll have very little to preach about. Anything from the Bible is controversial. for the natural man and the world they don't want it.
The devil's ready to contradict and criticize anything that's true and fundamental. And I know this passage of Iran tonight is controversial. I have one lady tell me right here in this town. She said, well, that's under law what you preach. And this was twenty years ago when I preached it. She said, it's under law. I said, where did I read from tonight? The Old Testament of the New Testament. I read it in the New Testament in First Corinthians, how could it be under law? And so she also said that, well, she said, in Christ, we're all one.
In other words, when we're in Christ, there's neither male nor female, born nor free. We're all one in Christ. There's no difference. As much as to say that God has done away with the sexes, He's done away with the age situation. We're all one in Christ, but I know she was married. So she didn't do away with the sexes. But in her mind she wanted to dodge the issue of what this chapter teaches. God is a wonderful God. He recognizes the different spheres of men. Now, for instance, he gives instruction to fathers. He gives instruction to husbands, to mothers, to children, to masters, to servants, to elders, to young men, young women, elder women.
He gives instruction to these various people as individuals. We know in Christ we're all one in Christ. We have the same salvation, the same righteousness. But in our daily life, in our home life, our church life, we are individuals. And this lady tried to get around this truth by saying, well, we're all one in Christ and neither male nor female. That's a subtle way to dodge the facts. Now, I realize that sometimes in life, married life is, especially, I presume, life can get quite spicy. and there's always some possibility of an argument.
Like I read recently of a husband, he sat down to read a book on nature, the wonders of nature. And after a while, when he finished it, after a few or three nights to do it, he turned to his wife, he said, Honey, he said, I never knew that nature was so wonderful. He said, I've discovered in this book that a man, if you read about what man is, he says, why, he's just a pigmy. He's insignificant. She says that woman don't have to wade through a book of four hundred pages to discover that.
So I presume my life that can get a little spicy now and again. But that's where... That's where the grace of God comes into control these things. And that's what this chapter is all about in chapter eleven. And so we'll try and get into it and see what we can get out of it. The Council of God has got to be preached all of it. We can't pick and choose. And this is included in all the Council of God that Paul said he was going to preach. And so we'll find in this chapter as we go through it some of the very important things.
I know some of the verses are a little sticky, but we'll take them up. I've never wanted to dodge the Word of God. Now you'll notice what it says in verse four. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. Now if some people, what they say is true, that Paul's talking about the hair here. It's the hair. It's just the hair. Well, if that's true, only a bald-headed man can pray. You know what it says in verse four? Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered. If you've got any hair up there, you can't pray.
If you're bald, you can pray according to that verse. Because if your hair is your covering, then you're disqualified, you've got a covering on. And he says here, if a woman has long hair, why, she's dishonoring her husband. And I think the whole secret of this passage is simply this. Paul is telling of something that a man takes off when he goes into that meeting, and a woman puts something on. And it's a prayer meeting and a meeting of ministry or teaching. Now he says, if you're going to such a meeting, he says, you men, take your covering off.
And you ladies, you put your covering on. Well, is that the case? That means what you're going to put on or put off must be something other than hair because you'd have to get your hair cut off before you came in and have a go before you go back to another meeting. It means that something, the covering, is something you put on and take off in a hurry. Of course, modern science has helped this argument because you can get a wig anytime. And people all the time, and you put the wig on when you go in and take it off when you come out, the men included. What would you people think if I walked up on the platform tonight, came in the door, and I had a hat on, and I walked down the aisle, you'd say, well, He's disrespectful.
Doesn't he have any respect, even to the lady? And I walk up on the platform, and I read my text and start preaching. You wouldn't hear a thing, I'd say, all you'd see is that hat. I was disrespectful, dishonorable. Well, haven't I, according to nature, haven't I, just much right, according to the privilege and the custom of the day, haven't I got a right to wear a hat of a warm suit? Yes, I can wear one, but it's disrespectful. The lady says, well, I can go without my hat. I don't want it. It'll spoil my permanent. And it's too much bother.
What does the Bible say? The Bible makes it plain here, and of course, two ladies who haven't heard this truth, maybe you didn't know it was in the Bible, and certainly you're not going to get it many churches. very very very very very very few men are preaching this today they're afraid they'll hurt the fair sex or maybe lose some friends and call the commotion in the church but here it is if something the men take off when they go into that meeting and it's something the women put off and you can't get away if it's just the literal hair the natural hair Then why would Paul take up fifteen or sixteen verses, arguing this point, that the women are to be covered and the men are to be uncovered, and then I would say, well, after all, just a hair?
Take it off, or put it on. It's up to you. No, he's teaching a principle here, and it's a very plain and it's an important principle. Now, I know this, verse five. But every woman that prayeth or prophesies, with her head uncovered. Dishonored her head, which is Christ, or it could be her husband. Now, there's something about this that if you do the history of Corinth, we've been trying to take it up in the past, Corinth was a very, very, very wicked city. All things were going on in Corinth.
As you know, the only women who didn't wear a veil... prostitute. That's the way a prostitute had of putting it up for sale. What would one of you men think if you lived in a situation like that and your wife went out on the street without her veil? She'd dishonor you as her husband and she'd dishonor the Lord too. And so when some of these prostitutes found Christ, they thought they could come into the church and still be unveiled.
And Paul's taking this subject up. He said that there's honor and there's grace for you to do such a thing. And so he speaks in verse five, and also verse six. I want you to notice verse six. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. Now it's all right for a man to be shorn or shaven, but not a woman. He says it's a shame for a woman to be like that. Here's the woman trying to be like the man, being shorn or shaven. And then the man wants to be like the woman and have long hair.
What kind of a situation in society we have today? Men trying to be like women, and women trying to be like men. And as anything I think is detestable, it's a womanly man and a manly woman. God wants the difference. I've seen many a man walk down the street. At least I didn't know it was a man until I got in front of me and took a good look before I knew it was a man or woman. Women should dress so we'll know their women. Men should dress so we'll know their men. Now, there were certainly a marked differences in the Old Testament and the Old Testament. In some ways, there was a similarity, but the woman always had a veil.
That's what distinguished the women in Bible times they had a veil. That's what he's talking about. They also had the hair, but over the hair they had a veil. Now he's telling you here, does not even nature teach you? Nature's given you an object lesson that a woman should be covered. This doesn't mean that she's inferior to man. It's God's order. And so here you find in this verse how the woman, if she's not going to be like a woman, and wear her covering then. She's going to be like the man. Get it all shaved off. Don't go halfway.
Don't stop with being shorn. Get it about the shoulder. Get it shaven. Make your head bald. Now, this is what the Apostles argued about, and the Amplify New Testament puts that as bareheaded. Shaved, let her be covered or left, or in other words, uncovered without cat on our head. And some of the translations bring out the very word hat. And why not? That's what the Lord's talking about when he refers to the man. And the man here, when they wore a covering, it was a little skull cap that they wore. I've got in Dutch War once in my life, making reference like this one time was a Bible study in Greenwood Hills, North Pennsylvania.
And this subject came up, and I don't know why they asked me to answer it. There was Mrs. Loaizo known to some here. They had a wonderful publishing house. And she had given Mr. Van Ryan known to some of you a big armful of lovely books that she treasured. And she had it in mind to give an equal number of books to me, except for one thing. Someone asked the question, well, if women are to wear the covering, What size is it to be? Well, I said you can have your choice. I said, you see some going around with something cocked on their left eye, a little thing over here.
Another is just about like an umbrella. If they sit behind them, you can't see it. They're going to dance around there, big old. Well, that was the end of my book, so that's just exactly what Mrs. Woodwise was wearing, one about two feet across. But if what the men have here was called a covering, It was only about that big. God recognized that as a covering. And so these things are going to go to extremes. I remember hearing about an old preacher. He was alive before when I was saved. I didn't get to hear him preach. But he was an old-timer, and he said, preaching at a big convention. At that time, the ladies had lots of these plumes and feathers in their big hats.
They got up on the platform. They said, if I were to close my eyes and walk down the aisle, my hands are out. I think it was in the chicken coop. So we can go to extremes in these things. And so the Apostle is pointing out the need for, in other words, carrying out the word of God and a decent behavior that's acceptable, first to God and then to man. Now I want you to get into this verse six. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head for as much as he is the image and glory of God. Now, that's the Bible. I didn't put that in there. But the woman is the glory of the man.
Now, notice verse eight. For the man, for the man is not of the woman, but the woman is of the land. What does that mean? The word from will help you there. For the man is not from the woman. The first man in the world didn't come from a woman. And the first woman in the world came out of man. Adam and Eve, and here's what you've got in your Bible, Genesis chapter two and twenty-one, and the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead of the off.
And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, he made a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Now that's what he's telling you in verse eight. For the man is not of the woman. The first man wasn't born from a woman. He was formed by God, and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And the woman came out of man. But God didn't breathe into the woman's nostrils the breath of life.
But there was life in Adam's rib. The same life that God breathed into Adam was in Adam's rib, and out of it God formed the woman. But you'll notice in verse nine, neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman was created for the man. Adam was created first. Now God says, I've looked at all my creations, the birds, The beast, all creeping things, and everything in nature has its mate. And he says, I'm going to make a helpmate for Adam.
Adam was alone. And so God made the woman and brought her unto the man. And he says, the woman was made for the man. Isn't that true? That's what it says there. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman was created for the man. For this cause ought the women to have power or authority on their head, that symbol of authority because of the angel. Why did he say that? Why did he say that? Do you know the angels who are in the presence of God looking down all the time?
The Bible distinctly says they veil their faces. The seraphins, the cherubins, they have six wings. With crane they cover their face before the throne. With crane they do fly. With crane they do speak. Here they are, the very cherubins, the angelic host. They veil their faces in the presence of God. And the angels are looking down on what a wonderful sight when the angels can look down to where a number of God's people are worshiping together, and they see that group carrying out the teachings of the Word of God, even to the ladies, veiling themselves in the presence of God.
And the angels are happy and glad when they see God's people on earth carrying out His Word and worshiping Him in the order He's given. And so he called the angels in. That's remarkable, too. Now notice verse eleven. Neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man in the Lord. In other words, Adam was not made for Eve benefit only. And but he's made for Adam's benefit. But God says, I want you to be for each other. I want you to enjoy each other.
have fellowship with each other. Because after all, I made your boat. I made Adam. I breathed into his nostrils the bread of life, and into the mouth of the breath of life. He became a living soul, and I took the rib, and I made a woman, so I created your boat. Both of you are my workmanship. Now he said I wanted to get along as a couple. And that's what he's talking about. who as the woman is of the man, even so is the man, also by the woman. But all things of God, God did it. Now he says you're for each other, and I want you to get along as each other. You're a complement to each other. And that's the order that we have here.
And the apostle is pointing out that when the people come together in the church service, he says the men remove their coverings. their hat taken off because you are the image and glory of God and you don't want to cover that and he says lady wear your veil or your hat still given it a symbol of your subjection to your husband for man was first formed in the women and he tells you over intimately one of the reasons why the women is to be subject is because she was the one who was tempted by the devil and brought sin into the work and he said a second sign is you're going to have trouble and sorrow and pain when you give birth to children uh...
when eve had sinned god told eve he says died in sorrow shall thou bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. Now this is God's order. It's not mine. I could see some of the women live listening in this audience tonight. I tell you, they wouldn't be smiling. But this is what the Bible has to say about this. It's not my thought, indeed. It's what the Bible teaches on the subject of God's order. Christ is subject to God and man is subject to Christ and the woman is subject to the man, especially in church order, in church service.
Another thing he's very plain on, he says, that women are to keep silent in the church. You'll find that when we get to chapter fourteen, subject of tongues. Women are to keep silent in the church. And also, again, in Timothy, the same thing is said. I suffer not a woman to teach nor usurp authority over the man. Not that God doesn't love the women as he much as he loves the men. Certainly he does. But God has an order, and he follows that order. For instance, take your Bible, sixty-six books in the Bible, every one of them written by a man.
I know of no instance in the Old Testament where God chose a judge a woman, judge, or a queen, or a king, by definite appointment. God chose a man every time because of certain weaknesses. In the time in which they lived, some assume that role. But God always has used the man in a place of authority. When the Lord Jesus called his disciples, he called twelve all men. He calls seventy more, all men, and all the elders and the deacons are in the masculine gender.
And down the church age for two thousand years, God has shaken this earth, this world by men. I know of no incident where God laid hold of a woman to do the work like Billy Graham has done on these other great men down the centuries that's always been a man. I think history as well as the Bible teaches you that God has given man that place of leadership. And I'm not belittling the women one minute, because I want to say when you think of men like Spurgeon and Moody in the Westlays, and I have a book at home with two or three hundred of the mighty men of God that God has used to treat the earth with revivals in the last two thousand years?
Wonderful men, not a woman in the bunch. But let me say this. We are behind all those great men like Luther starting the Reformation in Germany, Zwing, the Ministers, Salon, Rola in Italy, these great men. Behind these great men that God used was a woman. Although the first woman she came out of Adam, but when that got leveled off, all men since have come from a woman. That's the natural way they're born.
But in the beginning, as you're trying to point out here, Adam came first. The woman came out of Adam. But from then on to now, It means that all men come from the moon by natural generation. And behind these great men whom God has used, the hand that's rock, the cradle has moved the world. You say, well, don't women have any to do? I should say they do. They have plenty to do. And in God's place they can do wonderful things. I just thought this afternoon jotting down a few things that women can do.
You have the woman's place in the home as a wife. That's the first thing, a wife. Second, a mother of children. And that's what Adam said about Eve. He called her Eve, which means the mother, the mother of all living. So a woman, she's married to a man. She's equal as far as the love of God and the salvation of God is concerned. Yes, she's a wife, and she can be a mother. Furthermore, a help meet for him, a guide to the house, a companion, subject to him, a type of the church. But that's what Ephesians finds.
Seven things concerning a woman. Then the position in the church is to be silent in mixed audiences in order to please God. And also, she's not to exercise authority over the man. She's to be in subjection, as said the scriptures. And also, she's to wear a covering, a symbol of her place of subjection that God has given her. God gets a whole lot more from some ladies sitting silent in the meeting than he does some men on their feet, praying. If she's praying in the Spirit with a burdened heart like Hannah, the mother of Samuel, her lips moved, And she was so emotionally disturbed that, oh, Eli, said, you're drunk.
No, she said, I'm not drunk. She was so burdened for a man-child that God would raise up a man-child to bring Israel back to God. She was praying so intently that her lips moved. And she told Eli why her lips moved. She was praying that God would give her a man child. She got that man child, and that was Samuel, one of the greatest prophets the Bible ever had, recorded. Wonderful man, Samuel. And then when it comes to the woman's position in service, listen to these things, jot them down.
A woman is a homemaker. Now, you find that over in Titus II, III, and V, First Timothy... Five and fourteen, Romans sixteen, one, two, acts eighteen, one of three. In other words, she can be an instructor. She's one can help others. There you have the homemaker. What a homemaker a woman can be. I've gone into some homes and it's just like walking into my old home when mother was alive. There's a warmth there. There's a loving atmosphere. It takes a woman to make a home. A bunch of men would argue all the time. But here is a woman.
The influence of a woman in a home is wonderful, a homemaker. Not only so, the Bible speaks in Titus, two, three, five, of kindness. That's the second thing. Good works. That's the third thing. A private, personal instructor, as you have in connection with Apollos in the Acts of how Priscilla and Aquila, the wife and the husband, took this man in this gifted young man and instructed him in the home. I don't think she wore her hat in the home. That was her home life. And she could speak to whoever she wanted to. But when it comes in the church, when there's a mixed audience, you're carrying out the Word of God as the church, God, that's where the woman shows her subjection to the man.
Furthermore, a woman can give her a personal testimony. Say, why you say women can't preach what about Mary Magdalene? Wouldn't she the first one to break the news of the resurrection? Yes. Turn over to First Corinthians fifteen, and he lists some over five hundred witnesses of the resurrection, and Mary's name's not there. They're all men. God is very careful and jealous about how he carries out his order. All women won witnesses in first Corinthians fifteen are men. And yet Mary Magdalene was the first one to carry her news. So you can give your personal testimony, speak to the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, wherever you meet, witness for Christ.
And then again, a woman can give out tracks. We can lock them on the racks of the back. Give out tracks. That's a one of them. And women can sing, make a contribution in singing, in playing an instrument, and also in sewing. Think of the missionary activities. The women can do a lot of work in the missionary sphere, sewing, and also in giving. In my life, I don't know what I would have done with hand ministry, some exercise women. And Paul speaks of those women who labored with me in the Gospel. They made a wonderful contribution.
Paul gets the credit, but wait for the judgment seat, and God will bring in the women that labored with him, and they'll get their reward. Not only the giving, but think of the Sunday school work you can engage in, praying. My, how wonderful to find praying women. One time Spurgeon was asked why there was so much power in his preaching. And in his meeting, he says, come with me. He led him back behind the platform, and he opened the door, and here was a group of women prayed. That's the powerhouse, he says. Women can do a wonderful thing. Wonderful thing. Also bringing people to the meeting.
Bringing folks. That's the privilege of the women. Cooking. What we do is some of our get-together, we're for the ladies, doing the cook. What about writing? There have been some godly women who have written some wonderful things. They're staying in their place. Yet they're making their wonderful contributions. Here are fifteen or sixteen things that ladies can do. Great field among children. And after all, about eighty-five percent of the world's population are women and children. So ladies, you've got plenty to preach to. eighty-five percent of the population of the world you don't have to get on a platform like this God says I don't want that and after all it's God we have to obey and if he puts his will down in this book we better obey it whether we like it or whether we don't I wish that what God says about the elders and the deacons and the ministers in the Bible I wish that That was easy.
The qualification that God demands for men, I wished it was as easy as what the ladies have to do, put a covering on your head. That's pretty easy. And yet you can glorify God in. People think, well, that's a little severe. I don't see where it is. You know, you can generally judge the depth of a lot of this business. Today it's not the custom to wear a hat. Well, you see, if I wore a hat to church, the neighbors were peeping through the windows, you should go to hell. And you look sometimes if you're an oddball wearing a hat.
You let something come out of Paris, a new trend, and they're going to, in other words, they're going to plug women wearing hats. with different styles. And the trend catches on and sweeps all the world. You see, all these ladies wearing their hats. Well, it's the style. It is the style govern you in what you do or the Bible. Supposing the style is contrary to the Scriptures, what are you going to do? The style is today is you don't wear your hat. The Scriptures say you should. When I was a boy...
I never saw a woman in a church without a hat. She did it out of respect. She felt that was her place. Many a time I've invited an unsaved person to a meeting, she didn't hardly know what the inside of a church was. The first thing she said, well, I have to buy a hat. You don't have to, lady, but it would be nice if you did. Now this is what the Bible has to say about this subject. And I'm going to have to close now. But I say this. It doesn't have a thing to do with your salvation. Whether you wear a covering or whether you don't. But when you are saved, it indicates a whole lot.
Baptism doesn't save us. The Lord's sufferer doesn't save us. They're symbols. And wearing a covering on your head doesn't save you. You have to trust the blood of Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you be saved. You become a child of God now. God says, I've got an order among my family. And when they come together, I want the younger men to be subject to the older men. I want the younger women to be subject to the older women. And the older women to teach the younger women. You never read about old women teaching men. They teach the younger women. And he said, that's what I want.
and I want the men to take part publicly and audibly. The women sit in silence. He said, a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great pride. And he said, I want the men to take off their hats. I want the women to put theirs on. That's just that simple. Now, if God said that, why should we complain about it? Paul said, I want to say this. There's no such custom as an unveiled woman in the land, neither in the churches. The custom is that women are veiled unless they're prostitutes.
That's a strange thing. And the men are unveiled because they're the image and glory of God. That's quite simple. I hope you'll accept it in the Spirit I've given it. I have no intention of doing anything but help. And if you can counter what I've said with the Bible, I'll be very glad for you to show me where it's wrong. But if it's right, if God says it, and you can please God by doing it, do it. And God will give you peace and joy and a reward eventually. Shall we pray? Our Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come into thy presence.
We ask thy blessing upon thy precious word. We thank thee for it. Why should we be ashamed to wear something on our heads when the Son of God wore a crown of thorns that we might be saved? So we pray that thou hast given us this order for thy people to gather in, disregard it in so many places today, but still observed and honored by thee, and it delighteth thee, that my people obey. Bless thy word. Should there be any unsaved in the audience, they know not Christ, and these things are new to them. We pray they'll come to know the Savior.
And then by their inner attitudes manifest their behavior outwardly before the world, men may see our good work in glory by our Father, which is in heaven. We ask it in our Savior's name. Amen. Shall we turn to four, four, four? Him four, four, four. Next week we'll be in chapter twelve, so read chapter twelve, and come along. We'll be speaking on the parable of the body. Next Sunday morning, next Sunday night. Four, four, four. O teach us more of thy blessed ways, thou Holy Lamb of God.
And pick and root us in thy grace, as those redeemed by blood. Shall we stand and sing? Four, four, four. Four, four. Four, four, four. the holy land of God. And think this in truth has been my praise, and so believe my God. Oh, tell us all about thy love.
If anyone's not a Christian, and you have accepted Christ tonight, and you'd like to tell us about it. Publicly, we'll give you that opportunity, as we sing the last verse. Ingraves us deeply on our hearts, with that eternal thing, That we may in some small degree return thy love again.