In this issue of Chapter and Verse, I'd like to look at the topic of Paul's thorn in the flesh. This subject has been a thorn for many Christians as they try to fit many preconceived ideas as to just what Paul's thorn was. I have read so any different opinions, I could write a book. As we go to the scriptures, I believe you will clearly see what Paul's thorn was.
II Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
First of all, let's see what the verse is not saying. It doesn't say that God gave a sickness to Paul. However, that's what many people think. Whatever this thorn was, it came from Satan, not God. Furthermore it doesn't say God gave this thorn to Paul to keep him humble.
The Bible records that the purpose of this thorn was to buffet Paul.is the word kolaphizo from the Greek. The word buffet is the wordkolaphizo from the Greek. According to Strong's, its meaning is "1) To strike with the fist, to give one a blow with the fist, 2) To maltreat, treat with violence and contumely."
Now, could you just see God giving Paul all this wonderful revelation and then turning around to punch him in the face? Doesn't that just make you want to run out and do the will of God? This thorn was given to him because of the abundance of revelation that he received. Also this thorn is recorded as being a messenger of Satan.
God doesn't buffet his children his way.
Romans 8:38-39 38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Does this sound like someone who God repeatedly treats with violence and rude language?
Ephesians 2:4-5 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
Are these the words of an abused child?
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
You see, to accuse God of treating his children cruelly is sin. Our God is a God of love and compassion. Let's look at the scriptures to see just what this thorn is.
Numbers 33:50-55 50And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, 51Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; 52Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images and quite pluck down all their high places: 53And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.54And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. 55But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
According to verse 52, these people were knee-deep in idolatry.
NIV Numbers 33:52 Drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols and demolish all their high places.
Verses 52 and 55 tell us that they were to drive out the inhabitants of the land.
See, when Israel was to settle in the land, God told them to drive out the inhabitants, the people from the land. He further went on to say that f they let any remain, that they would be pricks in their eyes, and thorns in their sides, and that they would vex the children of Israel.
The word vex means "to show hostility toward, treat with enmity, vex and harass."
On the surface, one might think that it was the people who were the ones who would cause these problems for Israel. However, verse 42 informed us that the land and the people were steeped in idolatry. God warned Israel about idolatry soon after their exodus from Egypt.
Exodus 20:1-5 1And God spoke all these words, saying, 2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
See, God knew that if Israel got involved with the idolatry, He would not be able to help them because of their free will decision to disobey.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 17But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Just who do you think is behind all idolatry? The devil an his demons! Let's move on, but remember that it was the devil who was the cause of the idolatry in the land and the people just choose to worship him.
Joshua 23:6-13 6Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; 7That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: 8But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day. 9For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. 10One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. 11Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God. 12Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: 13Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.
Note again verse 7:
Joshua 23:7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
Again, we see the warning against idolatry. And, behind every idol lies a corresponding demon.
Judges 2:1-3 1And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Again, we see another warning against idolatry. Disobedience resulted in the inhabitants becoming thorns in the sides of the children of Israel.
NIV Ezekiel 28:24 "No longer will the people of Israel have malicious neighbors who are painful briers and sharp thorns, Then they will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
Here we see that in the coming kingdom, God's people will enjoy peace and abundance, free from annoying and malicious neighbors who were called painful briers and sharp thorns.
In all these records, and others recorded in the scriptures, we see that idolatrous people were referred to as being thorns in the sides (flesh) of the believers. However, I'd like you to note that the reason behind this agitation was the devil. Satan uses demons to effect and direct mankind to do his bidding,. The one prevalent problem throughout the scriptures is idolatry. Satan gave specific assignments to various evil spirits to cause idolatry.
He also gives specific assignments for other reasons. When a demon receives an assignment from his superior, he immediately gets busy doing his god's will.
To be continued… ÿ