Paul’s Blog: Not All About Rabbits

“…For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give my thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. …” - Ephesians 1:15-23

Paul the apostle wrote this to the church in Ephesus some time after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I think it is a good prayer for people to pray for each other, so that everyone could have a spirit of wisdom and knowledge of the Father, who is God who created the whole world and everything in it and is in control of everything, and to have eyes that can see God’s work in the world and see past the obvious things.

What is the hope that the Ephesians were called to?
What are the riches of his inheritance?
What is the immeasurable greatness of his power?

I think these questions are still relevant to everyone today. Some of what Paul wrote there is conditional ‘in the saints’ ‘toward us who believe’. I think the answers can be found in the bible, in our eperience of living in knowledge of god, and we will see our hopes fulfilled by God at the proper time. What is it that you hope for? What is it that we can and should hope for because God has promised it?

I think Paul starts to answer about the greatness in the next part. The same power that raised Christ from the dead, which is more powerful than anything on earth, above any authority here. That is the same power God can use for the good of people who believe in him, and he promised it because he said “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” - John 6:40. This means that even though everyone dies, the people who believe in Jesus, will be ‘raised up’ and given new life when Jesus returns to earth, which he will.

Verse 26: saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Verse 27: Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

‘Diligently listen to the voice of the LORD’. Perhaps he would have more to say to me if I diligently listened. And to do right in his eyes, because he sees everything I do. I dont know how relevant the Egyptian thing is but probably best to avoid that considering the context of the verse. ‘I am the LORD, your healer’ Praise God!

I think it is interesting that God provided 12 springs of water. There were 12 tribes of Israel right? So that would help prevent fighting over water and that sort of thing.

Also you can see God testing them by saying that, in verse 25 and then in 16:4 where he gives them bread from heaven for them but says only to gather enough for one day each time, to test them to see if they will obey and walk in his law. This is before he gives them ‘The Law’ in chapter 20 onwards. Even in chapter 20, verse 20: ‘Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you,that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin” ‘

Any thoughts? Comments welcome.

-Paul

(Clipart from Clipartheaven.com)