Angels are Watching
Bible Devotional
Ephesians 3:6-13 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.
Did you know that the angels are watching us? [I will explain this towards the end.]
Background: In Acts chapter 19, we find the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus, where many came to know Jesus as the Messiah, the savior. At the same time, as many came to know the Lord, a riot broke out, and Paul eventually left Ephesus. About five years later, Paul ended up in prison in Rome after being arrested in Jerusalem due to false accusations from Jewish leaders. He appealed to the Roman Emperor as a Roman citizen. There in Rome, Paul is in prison, chained to a Roman guard. The prison Paul is in is more like house arrest, where he can still have visitors and friends bring food. This is where Paul, while even as a prisoner of Rome, writes a letter to the Christians in Ephesus.
Acts 20:22-24 (ESV)
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Every city that I go to, I know that prison, jail, hardships, and suffering are waiting for me. Paul is like, “But I am good with getting beaten up and being in prison, as long as I am able to finish the race and complete the task that Jesus had placed upon me. My task is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
I will be very honest with you. Someone tells me, “Oh! By the way. If you go to this place, know for certain that you will get beaten up, locked up, and chained to a Roman guard. So, are you good to go there?” I would be like, “Let me pray about and see what the Lord will do.” And this is how Paul begins in Ephesians 3:1.
Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Paul is in Rome as a prisoner, chained to a Roman guard. What is fascinating is that Paul calls himself “Prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul is in prison in Rome, but he doesn’t consider himself a Prisoner of Rome. Paul is physically in prison in Rome, but he is not a prisoner of Rome. Let that sink in. I want you to understand how the Holy Spirit works in the believer's mind.
A lot of the time, when people are in areas that they don’t want to be in, we use the phrase, “I feel like I am in prison.” Meaning, you feel like you can not get out, or be able to do what you want. In other words, you have no freedom. But Paul uses the word “I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” meaning that when I’m a prisoner of Rome, though I have no physical freedom, but when I’m a Prisoner of Christ Jesus, I have freedom.
Listen, my friends, you can be at work, and you hate your job, and you can be in prison for your work. You can even be in a relationship where you feel like you are in prison. You can even be in a financial prison. But my friends, when you are a prisoner of Christ Jesus, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed. When you have that heart attitude and your mind is set on being “Prisoner of Christ, and not prisoner of the world,” your work will be much more effective, your relationship will grow stronger, and God will meet your financial needs.
____________________ Prisoner of Christ Jesus in/@________________________
(Your Name) (Work, relationship, health,…)
Ephesians 3:2-4 (ESV)
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
Ephesians 3:2-4 is talking about the mystery of God. The word mystery in English is something you can't figure out. It is a mystery. However, the word "mystery" in Greek or in the original language of the New Testament is similar but not identical.
Mystery of Christ - Mystery is something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you.
It’s something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you. So this is what Paul is talking about: something we would not have known unless God revealed it to us. So it is a mystery until it is revealed by God.
Ephesians 3:5 (ESV)
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
So, here is Paul, building up this anticipation of the mystery of God, and that even the “sons of men in other generations,” which means all the prophets in the Old Testament, that even they did not know or that it wasn’t revealed to them. But now, this revelation of God’s mystery is being revealed. Now this mystery is going to be revealed in the following verse.
Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This is talking about you and me. Now, I want you to take off your glasses of this modern century, and turn back to the time of Ephesians, when they heard this news. You can imagine the excitement, the wonder of what is being said, because these are mostly Gentile Christians living under the occupation of Rome, a hostile place to live in. And then on top of that, as Christian Gentiles, they never had the privileges of the Jews.
Remember that the Jews would consider Gentiles to have a derogatory name as the people of “uncircumcision,” and that was calling someone a “you are beneath me” attitude name. The Jews thought that the only reason Gentiles were created was that they would be the fuel for fire in Hell. So for thousands of years, that’s how the Gentiles were considered. And to add more fuel to the fire,
Ephesians 2:11-12 (NLT)
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days, you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
But now, the mystery is being revealed.
Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
The mystery is revealed that you and I, even an uncircumcised heathen like me, can be at equal, a fellow heir, members of the same body, and partakers of the promises of God. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have the same promises of God and be given hope in eternal heaven.
Remember the walls of Separation?
Walls of Separation
Outside the wall was another court called “The Court of the Gentiles,” and that court was only for the Gentiles. But there was a sign on that wall, and here is what it says.
“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuring death.”
But God breaks through all the walls and gets us to the Holy of Holies because Jesus is the Great High Priest. Here is the good news.
Ephesians 2:18 (NLT)
Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
As the New Testament believer, all of God’s mystery is being revealed to you and me. That means, you and I have ALL the access to God’s promises. You and I have the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3:8 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:8 Amplified Bible
To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],
In essence, what it means is that this “unsearchable riches of Christ” describes something that cannot be fully understood or comprehended. “God’s ways are beyond our own understanding. His riches are beyond the human ability to search and examine.”
Like when Jesus was on the cross, and the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and the blood was coming out from his wrists and feet, and he was in agony and in full pain. Jesus looked at the soldiers and said, “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots” (Luke 23:34 NIV). This is the unsearchable riches of Christ. This is beyond my comprehension.
But this is what Paul is saying. “I am the one who persecuted the Christians. I did not care whether they were men or women, but if they believed in Jesus, then I would take them into prison. I was willing to travel over 150 miles of hatred to all the way to Damascus to persecute them and bring them all the way back to Jerusalem for jail, yet God, you loved a man like me, why?” How can Jesus love a man like me? This is the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3:8-10 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages (since the beginning of time) in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
O.k. Pastor Joe, you lost me on verse 10. I am totally lost. So, I will focus on verse 10 and break it down for you. Because when I first read this, I was really lost. So, let’s break it down and digest it.
Now the previously hidden secret or mystery has been revealed. That both Jews and Gentiles would share equally as fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (verse 6). So, what is another secret or mystery that God is revealing to us? What is God’s intention in verse 10?
Ephesians 3:10 Amplified Bible
So now through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God [in all its countless aspects] might now be made known [revealing the mystery] to the [angelic] rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The word “manifold” in Greek is polypoikilos pronounced pol-oop-oy'-kil-os, meaning to have marked with a great variety of colours, many and varied, having many features and forms, and many-sided.
Now, consider a diamond. When you look at a diamond, a diamond has many sides, or it is shiny and sparkling from many directions, right? From any angle, it has many features and forms that show its beauty. Many sides of the diamond reflect the beauty, and it doesn’t matter which side of the diamond you look at.
So the manifold wisdom of God, or the multifaceted wisdom of God, at whatever angle you look at will be made known or revealed. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, is saying to the community of Christian believers, the church, that God will reveal through the church, the believers, the many-sided, multifaceted, in many features and forms, the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom will be revealed from many different sides.
But to whom? Who does God want to reveal this to? Who does God want to reveal this multifaceted and manifold wisdom of God?
Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
So, God wants to display His wisdom in a wide variety of ways to the angelic beings.
Angelic Beings in Heavenly Places
God is using the church, the community of believers, to reveal His wide variety of wisdom to Angelic Beings. The idea is that you and I are being watched by angels. The angelic beings are watching us right now. Let that sink in. Whether you like it or not, all humans are being watched by angelic beings. They are looking at what we are doing right now. We are under the observation of angelic beings.
Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
There was a scene in which the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and a prophet by the name of Elisha would constantly warn the king of Israel of the danger. And each time the king of Israel obeyed Elisha, they were able to avoid the danger. So, the king of Aram would get angry; he thought there was a traitor in his midst. “Who is telling our secret tactics? Who is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” (2 Kings 6:11). They are like, “Uh, sir, it’s not us!” Eventually, they learned that the secrets were being revealed to the prophet Elisha of Israel. So the king of Aram sent soldiers to find Elisha and kill him, and they learned he was in a town called Dothan. So, the king of Aram sent a massive army to seize Elisha.
Now Elisha had a servant, and when he woke up in the morning, he saw a massive troop with horses and chariots everywhere. And the young servant starts to get scared, but not Elisha. Now Elisha looks out the window and sees what his servant sees with massive horses and chariots, but Elisha sees something much greater that the human eyes cannot see.
2 Kings 6:16-18 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
What did Elisha see? God’s angels.
What did the servant of Elisha see? God’s angels.
When the servant opened his eyes through the spiritual lens, he saw that there were already angelic warriors ready and prepared. So, it’s not like the angels heard when the prophet prayed; the angels were already watching, and they were already prepared. They were watching the whole thing.
Elisha was just asking God to open his eyes. He didn’t say, “God, will you prepare an army for us to fight against our enemies!” He didn’t do that; he simply asked God to open the servants' eyes to what was already being prepared. Elisha knew that the angels were watching the whole time, and they were ready to fight on their behalf.
There was a scene in which Judas, one of the twelve disciples, betrays Jesus and brings soldiers from the High Priest to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night. Then they grabbed Jesus, but one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck one of the guards’ ears and cut it off. Listen carefully to what Jesus says in Matthew 26:52-53.
Matthew 26:52-53 (NLT)
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
How could they be sent instantly? Because the angels were already observing what was going on. And I love what Jesus said, “The angels are protecting us, the believers, and not just Jesus.”
Remember that the angels have been watching us since Genesis. They have seen God personally and know all that has been going on to this very day. They know about the wars that are going on right now.
God’s Mystery to Angels
1 Peter 1:12 (NLT)
They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
1 Timothy 5:21 (NLT)
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.
So here is Paul, who understood that this charge to Timothy, his assignment or mission, was given in the presence of God, Jesus, and angelic beings. Now that we know that the angelic beings are observing us, a question came to my mind.
What will the angels be observing Monday to Saturday, when I am not at church on Sundays? What will they be hearing and seeing from me? So instead of trying to pretend or to make myself look good in front of the angels, I’ve decided to stay consistent with my faith.
What is there that is true and genuine in me, that I don’t fake it or try to pretend something that I am not? What is the true and genuine faith in Jesus that you have every day, and you show it?
This is my own personal checklist. I want to make this statement clear, as the angelic beings are watching me. They will see that I am not perfect, and that I will make mistakes. There will be times when I break my wife’s favorite glass cup on the floor, and possibly hide it under the rug, and the angels will see that, because sometimes my weak flesh gets in the way. But what is the consistent faith that I do, that is good for my mind and my heart, and that I glorify God? Because ultimately, at the end of the day, am I giving God all the glory?
This is just my personal consistent faith
And you know what is truly amazing? That is what I see many of you do. Not the boxing, but you are in the Word, you pray, and you serve in church. Many of you are serving the church in some way. Not out of obligation or because of duty, but you truly want to serve the body of Christ. They are seeing you serve with the right heart attitude. Now, there are many ministries that need your help, and there are many ways in which you can serve.
Let me close with this.
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Did you know that we humans, you and me, are the only ones created in the image of God? The angels must be shocked to see that God would create these imperfect human beings. When they are babies, they pee and poop everywhere. They rebel and sin against God, but when they genuinely repent and get their hearts right with God, our heavenly Father openly receives them. And the angels are thinking, “These humans, they have never seen God, and yet they believe in a God they have never seen.” That is why God is the teacher, the angelic beings are the students, and we, the believers is the illustration to be revealed to them.
Ephesians 3:6-13 (ESV)
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
There is a lot to unpack here, but let me just begin with this question.
Did you know that the angels are watching us? [I will explain this towards the end.]
Background: In Acts chapter 19, we find the Apostle Paul in the city of Ephesus, where many came to know Jesus as the Messiah, the savior. At the same time, as many came to know the Lord, a riot broke out, and Paul eventually left Ephesus. About five years later, Paul ended up in prison in Rome after being arrested in Jerusalem due to false accusations from Jewish leaders. He appealed to the Roman Emperor as a Roman citizen. There in Rome, Paul is in prison, chained to a Roman guard. The prison Paul is in is more like house arrest, where he can still have visitors and friends bring food. This is where Paul, while even as a prisoner of Rome, writes a letter to the Christians in Ephesus.
Acts 20:22-24 (ESV)
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Every city that I go to, I know that prison, jail, hardships, and suffering are waiting for me. Paul is like, “But I am good with getting beaten up and being in prison, as long as I am able to finish the race and complete the task that Jesus had placed upon me. My task is to testify to the good news of God’s grace.”
I will be very honest with you. Someone tells me, “Oh! By the way. If you go to this place, know for certain that you will get beaten up, locked up, and chained to a Roman guard. So, are you good to go there?” I would be like, “Let me pray about and see what the Lord will do.” And this is how Paul begins in Ephesians 3:1.
Ephesians 3:1 (ESV)
For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—
Paul is in Rome as a prisoner, chained to a Roman guard. What is fascinating is that Paul calls himself “Prisoner of Christ Jesus.” Paul is in prison in Rome, but he doesn’t consider himself a Prisoner of Rome. Paul is physically in prison in Rome, but he is not a prisoner of Rome. Let that sink in. I want you to understand how the Holy Spirit works in the believer's mind.
A lot of the time, when people are in areas that they don’t want to be in, we use the phrase, “I feel like I am in prison.” Meaning, you feel like you can not get out, or be able to do what you want. In other words, you have no freedom. But Paul uses the word “I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus,” meaning that when I’m a prisoner of Rome, though I have no physical freedom, but when I’m a Prisoner of Christ Jesus, I have freedom.
Listen, my friends, you can be at work, and you hate your job, and you can be in prison for your work. You can even be in a relationship where you feel like you are in prison. You can even be in a financial prison. But my friends, when you are a prisoner of Christ Jesus, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed. When you have that heart attitude and your mind is set on being “Prisoner of Christ, and not prisoner of the world,” your work will be much more effective, your relationship will grow stronger, and God will meet your financial needs.
____________________ Prisoner of Christ Jesus in/@________________________
(Your Name) (Work, relationship, health,…)
Ephesians 3:2-4 (ESV)
assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ,
Ephesians 3:2-4 is talking about the mystery of God. The word mystery in English is something you can't figure out. It is a mystery. However, the word "mystery" in Greek or in the original language of the New Testament is similar but not identical.
Mystery of Christ - Mystery is something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you.
It’s something that you would not know unless it was revealed to you. So this is what Paul is talking about: something we would not have known unless God revealed it to us. So it is a mystery until it is revealed by God.
Ephesians 3:5 (ESV)
which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.
So, here is Paul, building up this anticipation of the mystery of God, and that even the “sons of men in other generations,” which means all the prophets in the Old Testament, that even they did not know or that it wasn’t revealed to them. But now, this revelation of God’s mystery is being revealed. Now this mystery is going to be revealed in the following verse.
Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
This is talking about you and me. Now, I want you to take off your glasses of this modern century, and turn back to the time of Ephesians, when they heard this news. You can imagine the excitement, the wonder of what is being said, because these are mostly Gentile Christians living under the occupation of Rome, a hostile place to live in. And then on top of that, as Christian Gentiles, they never had the privileges of the Jews.
Remember that the Jews would consider Gentiles to have a derogatory name as the people of “uncircumcision,” and that was calling someone a “you are beneath me” attitude name. The Jews thought that the only reason Gentiles were created was that they would be the fuel for fire in Hell. So for thousands of years, that’s how the Gentiles were considered. And to add more fuel to the fire,
Ephesians 2:11-12 (NLT)
Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days, you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
- For thousands of years, the Gentiles were called “outsiders.”
- You were called “uncircumcised heathens.”
- You were living apart from Christ.
- You were excluded from God’s citizenship.
- You did not know the covenant promises of God.
- You lived without God.
- You lived without hope in Christ.
- You were hopeless and helpless.
But now, the mystery is being revealed.
Ephesians 3:6 (ESV)
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
The mystery is revealed that you and I, even an uncircumcised heathen like me, can be at equal, a fellow heir, members of the same body, and partakers of the promises of God. Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will have the same promises of God and be given hope in eternal heaven.
Remember the walls of Separation?
Walls of Separation
- Inside the Temple: Holy of Holies (ark of the covenant, divided by a curtain, a veil) - Only the High Priest can enter, and only once a year
- The Court of Priests - Only the temple priests can enter
- The Court of Israel - Only Jewish Men can enter
- The Court of the Women - Only for Jewish Women can enter
- Then you had the wall about 4 and a half feet tall all around this court, with a sign that says, “If you enter this place, then you will be executed.”
- The Court of the Gentiles - Only the Gentiles can enter.
Outside the wall was another court called “The Court of the Gentiles,” and that court was only for the Gentiles. But there was a sign on that wall, and here is what it says.
“No foreigner may enter within the barricade which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuring death.”
But God breaks through all the walls and gets us to the Holy of Holies because Jesus is the Great High Priest. Here is the good news.
Ephesians 2:18 (NLT)
Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
As the New Testament believer, all of God’s mystery is being revealed to you and me. That means, you and I have ALL the access to God’s promises. You and I have the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3:8 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:8 Amplified Bible
To me, [though I am] the very least of all the saints (God’s people), this grace [which is undeserved] was graciously given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the good news of the incomprehensible riches of Christ [that spiritual wealth which no one can fully understand],
In essence, what it means is that this “unsearchable riches of Christ” describes something that cannot be fully understood or comprehended. “God’s ways are beyond our own understanding. His riches are beyond the human ability to search and examine.”
Like when Jesus was on the cross, and the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, and the blood was coming out from his wrists and feet, and he was in agony and in full pain. Jesus looked at the soldiers and said, “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots” (Luke 23:34 NIV). This is the unsearchable riches of Christ. This is beyond my comprehension.
But this is what Paul is saying. “I am the one who persecuted the Christians. I did not care whether they were men or women, but if they believed in Jesus, then I would take them into prison. I was willing to travel over 150 miles of hatred to all the way to Damascus to persecute them and bring them all the way back to Jerusalem for jail, yet God, you loved a man like me, why?” How can Jesus love a man like me? This is the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Ephesians 3:8-10 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages (since the beginning of time) in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
O.k. Pastor Joe, you lost me on verse 10. I am totally lost. So, I will focus on verse 10 and break it down for you. Because when I first read this, I was really lost. So, let’s break it down and digest it.
Now the previously hidden secret or mystery has been revealed. That both Jews and Gentiles would share equally as fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (verse 6). So, what is another secret or mystery that God is revealing to us? What is God’s intention in verse 10?
Ephesians 3:10 Amplified Bible
So now through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God [in all its countless aspects] might now be made known [revealing the mystery] to the [angelic] rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
The word “manifold” in Greek is polypoikilos pronounced pol-oop-oy'-kil-os, meaning to have marked with a great variety of colours, many and varied, having many features and forms, and many-sided.
Now, consider a diamond. When you look at a diamond, a diamond has many sides, or it is shiny and sparkling from many directions, right? From any angle, it has many features and forms that show its beauty. Many sides of the diamond reflect the beauty, and it doesn’t matter which side of the diamond you look at.
So the manifold wisdom of God, or the multifaceted wisdom of God, at whatever angle you look at will be made known or revealed. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, is saying to the community of Christian believers, the church, that God will reveal through the church, the believers, the many-sided, multifaceted, in many features and forms, the wisdom of God. God’s wisdom will be revealed from many different sides.
But to whom? Who does God want to reveal this to? Who does God want to reveal this multifaceted and manifold wisdom of God?
Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
So, God wants to display His wisdom in a wide variety of ways to the angelic beings.
Angelic Beings in Heavenly Places
- Principalities and Power
- Rulers and Authorities
- Faithful or Holy Angelic Beings: Angels
- Fallen Angelic Beings: Demonic spirits
God is using the church, the community of believers, to reveal His wide variety of wisdom to Angelic Beings. The idea is that you and I are being watched by angels. The angelic beings are watching us right now. Let that sink in. Whether you like it or not, all humans are being watched by angelic beings. They are looking at what we are doing right now. We are under the observation of angelic beings.
Ephesians 3:10 (NLT)
God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
There was a scene in which the king of Aram was at war with Israel, and a prophet by the name of Elisha would constantly warn the king of Israel of the danger. And each time the king of Israel obeyed Elisha, they were able to avoid the danger. So, the king of Aram would get angry; he thought there was a traitor in his midst. “Who is telling our secret tactics? Who is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” (2 Kings 6:11). They are like, “Uh, sir, it’s not us!” Eventually, they learned that the secrets were being revealed to the prophet Elisha of Israel. So the king of Aram sent soldiers to find Elisha and kill him, and they learned he was in a town called Dothan. So, the king of Aram sent a massive army to seize Elisha.
Now Elisha had a servant, and when he woke up in the morning, he saw a massive troop with horses and chariots everywhere. And the young servant starts to get scared, but not Elisha. Now Elisha looks out the window and sees what his servant sees with massive horses and chariots, but Elisha sees something much greater that the human eyes cannot see.
2 Kings 6:16-18 (NLT)
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please make them blind.” So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.
What did Elisha see? God’s angels.
What did the servant of Elisha see? God’s angels.
When the servant opened his eyes through the spiritual lens, he saw that there were already angelic warriors ready and prepared. So, it’s not like the angels heard when the prophet prayed; the angels were already watching, and they were already prepared. They were watching the whole thing.
Elisha was just asking God to open his eyes. He didn’t say, “God, will you prepare an army for us to fight against our enemies!” He didn’t do that; he simply asked God to open the servants' eyes to what was already being prepared. Elisha knew that the angels were watching the whole time, and they were ready to fight on their behalf.
There was a scene in which Judas, one of the twelve disciples, betrays Jesus and brings soldiers from the High Priest to arrest Jesus in the middle of the night. Then they grabbed Jesus, but one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck one of the guards’ ears and cut it off. Listen carefully to what Jesus says in Matthew 26:52-53.
Matthew 26:52-53 (NLT)
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
How could they be sent instantly? Because the angels were already observing what was going on. And I love what Jesus said, “The angels are protecting us, the believers, and not just Jesus.”
Remember that the angels have been watching us since Genesis. They have seen God personally and know all that has been going on to this very day. They know about the wars that are going on right now.
God’s Mystery to Angels
- God is the teacher
- The Angelic Beings are the students
- The lesson plan is the manifold wisdom of God
- The illustration is the church, the believers
1 Peter 1:12 (NLT)
They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.
1 Timothy 5:21 (NLT)
I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.
So here is Paul, who understood that this charge to Timothy, his assignment or mission, was given in the presence of God, Jesus, and angelic beings. Now that we know that the angelic beings are observing us, a question came to my mind.
What will the angels be observing Monday to Saturday, when I am not at church on Sundays? What will they be hearing and seeing from me? So instead of trying to pretend or to make myself look good in front of the angels, I’ve decided to stay consistent with my faith.
What is there that is true and genuine in me, that I don’t fake it or try to pretend something that I am not? What is the true and genuine faith in Jesus that you have every day, and you show it?
This is my own personal checklist. I want to make this statement clear, as the angelic beings are watching me. They will see that I am not perfect, and that I will make mistakes. There will be times when I break my wife’s favorite glass cup on the floor, and possibly hide it under the rug, and the angels will see that, because sometimes my weak flesh gets in the way. But what is the consistent faith that I do, that is good for my mind and my heart, and that I glorify God? Because ultimately, at the end of the day, am I giving God all the glory?
This is just my personal consistent faith
- Am I spending time in devotion to God’s Word? Not my study of the Word, but just my personal devotional time with God. Devotional means simply listening to God’s Word and to what He will say to my heart. I’m not trying to analyze God’s Word, but God’s Word speaking through me.
- Am I taking the time to pray to develop a stronger personal relationship with God? Am I praying for others?
- Am I serving beyond my own responsibility? (Even when I had a full-time business, I was serving the local church) I used to run a boxing ministry, where I would bring in young men and teach them how to box. We actually had some young men believe in Christ. I stopped because I injured my hand.
And you know what is truly amazing? That is what I see many of you do. Not the boxing, but you are in the Word, you pray, and you serve in church. Many of you are serving the church in some way. Not out of obligation or because of duty, but you truly want to serve the body of Christ. They are seeing you serve with the right heart attitude. Now, there are many ministries that need your help, and there are many ways in which you can serve.
Let me close with this.
Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Did you know that we humans, you and me, are the only ones created in the image of God? The angels must be shocked to see that God would create these imperfect human beings. When they are babies, they pee and poop everywhere. They rebel and sin against God, but when they genuinely repent and get their hearts right with God, our heavenly Father openly receives them. And the angels are thinking, “These humans, they have never seen God, and yet they believe in a God they have never seen.” That is why God is the teacher, the angelic beings are the students, and we, the believers is the illustration to be revealed to them.
Ephesians 3:6-13 (ESV)
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Posted in Weekly Devotional