“For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people.” (Is 28:11, NKJ)
In this teaching we’ll deal simultaneously with the last two gifts of the Spirit, as they often go together: speaking in tongues and the interpretation of tongues.
In Acts 2:1-4 the story is documented of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit: “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The unbelievable time synchronisation of God is of utmost importance here. The first large Hebrew feast is Passover, and it occurred at the same time as Jesus’ death (John 13:1) – the Passover Lamb that was slain for us (1 Cor 5:7). Fifty days after the Passover, the Jews celebrated Pentecost, the feast of the first fruit (pentecost means fifty). Precisely on this day the Holy Spirit was poured out!
But why was this marvellous event characterised by language? Acts 2:6-12 tells of the amazing manifestation of language that day: “And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. They were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying one to another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’”
Yes, what could this mean, these many tongues and languages?
After God had handled man’s sinful dispensation with the flood that covered the earth, and Noah had cut a new covenant with God (Gen 8:20-22; 9:9), there still remained a group of people who demonstrated the characteristics that the serpent had placed on mankind. In Gen 11 the story is told of the time when the whole earth had one language and “one speech”. And, under the spiritual authority of Nimrod (Gen 10:10), the people of Babel began to take on the character of their leader. In the Hebrew paradigm, names almost always indicated the character and identity of a person. Not only is Nimrod named the father of the violent (Gen 10:8) and tyrants (Strongs), his name also means “rebellion” (Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions). And the reigning spirit of rebellion caused the people of Babel (in their striving after the pre-historic sin of Satan) to build their own belief system: “And they said, ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth’.” (Gen 11:4).
All that God builds comes from above (James 3:17; John 3:3 “born from above”). Everything that is fleshly, is from the earth. For this reason God split the tongue of the Serpent as a sign (which became manifest in dialect [i.e. how the tongue falls differently] as a visible demon-stration of this)! Babel means confusion – the tower of Babel became the tower of Babble.
God created by speaking. Adam reigned through his tongue. Jesus is called the Word. He says: “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt 12:37). From the time of Babel onwards the separation of language has been a curse that has shown man’s self-willedness and rebellion.
But on that Pentecost day God let His Spirit come down in tongues of fire onto their heads FROM ABOVE and they began to speak in other languages! Now, under the guidance of the Spirit of God and not under the control of the spirit of Satan (the spirit of rebellion and violence), a new dispensation of unity is introduced into the history of mankind.
The prophecy of Is 28:11 has come true: “For with stammering lips and another tongue he will speak to this people.” With this “strange language” God brings to mankind the language of His grace, His ancient language. There is a return to the language of the Promised Land, “the language of Canaan” (Is 19:18). Zeph 3:9 became true at Pentecost: “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.” And this happened so that Rom 15:6 could become true: “That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
To speak in tongues is thus not a coincidental gift that accompanies baptism with the Holy Spirit – it is the “binding” into Christ – the Living Word – through language. The Words He speaks to you are “mouth to mouth” (Num 12:8) and they are words of spirit and life (John 6:63). His promise in Ex 4:15 become true: “And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and I will teach you what you shall do”.
To speak in tongues makes Deut 30:14 a reality in your life: “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.”
Indeed we can thus just ask, as Simon Peter did in John 6:68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Empowered with far more than just the languages of men and angels (1 Cor 13:1), you can, with your multi-coloured mantel of languages on your tongue, become an active co-worker to Is 51:16: “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.”
- Sela: Investigate the deeper meanings of the Old Testament Pentecost feast and how each aspect thereof is fulfilled in the new covenant.
- Read: Ex 5 & 6; Ps 55 & 56; Matt 25 & 26
- Memorise: Matt 25:42-45
