What is a ‘thorn in the flesh? Paul said, ‘a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.’ (2 Cor. 12:7) The traditional explanation is that Paul had a chronic infirmity, perhaps an eye disease that God either gave him, or refused to heal in order to keep Paul humble. This interpretation has destroyed the faith of more people than we can count. Rather than a heart filled with faith and confidence in the redemptive right of healing, believers are double minded and wavering, thinking that their sickness might be a ‘thorn’ that God has chosen to not remove. Just what is a thorn in the flesh? When we let scripture interpret scripture the answer is easy. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. (Numbers 33:55) It would be hard to insert the traditional interpretation of sickness into this scenario. The irritants and thorns are people, enemy inhabitants in the land. This language is not describing a national sickness but rather the result of not expelling the enemy. The enemy would be a constant harassment to the peace of Israel. Know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the LORD your God has given you. (Joshua 23:13) Is God speaking of a sickness that would affect all of Israel? No. It is figurative language that describes a persistent enemy. Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you. (Judges 2:3) Again, the same. ‘Thorn in the flesh’ is a saying that refers to a chronic or persistent enemy that hasn’t been expelled from Israel’s promised land. When Paul uses this language, he knows exactly what he is saying. There was a persistent enemy, a demon that harassed his ministry due to the abundance of his revelation. This enemy didn’t come from God. It was a ‘messenger of Satan’ sent to buffet him.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 11:00:00 +0000
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