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The Foolishness of God

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1 Cor. 1:27-31 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Our culture, and humanity tends to gravitate to the strong, intelligent, talented, and beautiful people of the world. We value these things, celebrating them and paying big bucks to be entertained and impressed by them. But according to the passage above they are not usually God’s first choice. Can God use those people? Absolutely. But His track record from the Bible reveals time and again that He usually chooses the underdog.

Now one example of the “foolish” choices God made was in tasking a group of nomadic, ex-slaves to march around a city, blowing rams horns, and shouting to win a battle. Sure, we know from Scripture, the “Battle belongs to the Lord.” (1 Sam. 17:47) – but in everyday reality we tend to gravitate to the strong, intelligent, talented, and beautiful people of the world to save the day. God is not our first choice. And you can rest assured that the slim minority that believe Jesus actually communicates to them are oftentimes a little anxious about asking Him about His solution to the mountain of a problem they may be encountering. Why? Because they are a little fearful that He might ask them to do something that to a watching world isn’t going to be cool. It’s actually going to make them look foolish; make us look foolish; or make me look foolish.

But guess what? If you are in one of the groups above: foolish, weak, lowly, despised, unpopular, ugly, average, and not very talented – you are not only what God chooses, you are what God accompanies. The closest I ever feel to God is usually when I am at the low point of feeling like one of the above. Oddly enough, that’s when I see Him move on my behalf; when I see Him answer prayer. This is why God despises self-righteousness, or do it yourself righteousness. Why? It’s substitute righteousness. It’s replacing Him. It’s not humble, or teachable, and it’s definitely not meek. It’s full of SELF – not God. Self – Righteousness is Self-Powered. It is SELF – willed, and a self-willed person is the opposite of a meek person. Meekness is quite the opposite. The original meaning of meekness is drawn from the usage of bridles placed on horses. The horse is a powerful animal that has the potential to kill any man. Yet, this powerful animal willingly submits to the bridle often bowing its head to cooperate with its master. Could it be that’s why prayer is so important to the Lord? He’s looking for those who are wiling to bow their heads to their Master; to bow their heads in prayer; to bow their heads in willing submission to things that offend logic and reason. Could it be that’s why He leads us to do the foolish things to see if we will bow our heads in submission and trust?

What Jericho are you facing? Are you willing to inquire of Your Master? To ask for His strategy or plan to address your problem? Are you willing to bow your head and submit to your Master; to His strategy, and plan? Or will you find yourself with those who surely stood behind the walls of Jericho’s impenetrable fortress mocking?

Hungry!?

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You can imagine the meager rations of those exiles on the Isle of Patmos. Whether it’s coincidental, or because of the meager rations, the theme of food comes up often enough to warrant attention. Consider the following passages: Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols…NKJV

Revelation 2:17 To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. NKJV

Revelation 2:20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. NKJV

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. NKJV

If I had been hearing these words from the Lord I would have been tempted to ask the Lord for mercy. I would have asked Him to possibly choose other analogies and references. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He “hid” a food reference in plain sight – yet it’s hard to see. Several months ago I noted a distinction in translating Revelation 3:18. The AMPC translation reads: Therefore I counsel you to purchase from Me gold refined and tested by fire, that you may be [truly] wealthy, and white clothes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nudity from being seen, and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see. Take note of this last boldened, phrase:…and salve to put on your eyes, that you may see.

Now take note of how the NKJV translates the same passage: I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

The first thing to notice is that in the AMPC translation they were to purchase refined and tested gold, white clothes, and eye salve. But the NKJV separates the gold, and clothes from the eye salve. In fact the NKJV states that they should purchase the first two, but anoint their eyes with eye salve. In the NKJV translation, anointing the eyes appears to be a separate topic. Why are there two different verbs: purchase and anoint?

When you study the original meaning of the word for salve you discover something that is quite startling. You discover that it was an extremely small, “coarse bread roll.”  Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words states: Hence an “eye-salve,” shaped like a roll….The word is doubtless an allusion to the Phrygian powder used by oculists in the famous medical school at Laodicea. Which led me to ask another question, What was considered coarse bread to John’s readers? Basically there were two sources of grain used for making bread, wheat and barley. What does this have to do with our eye salve? Bread made from barley was considered the poor man’s bread, while bread made from wheat was for those who were wealthy. Now keep in mind Jesus is addressing the wealthy, self-sufficient Laodiceans. They have no need, or lack. Yet, Jesus is stating that the cure for their spiritual blindness is salve shaped like a roll or loaf of barley bread. What does this remind you of? Matthew 5:3,6 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

What’s the interpretation? Those that are spiritually poor – are spiritually hungry. Those who are spiritually poor will ENTER through the DOOR of Jesus; the DOOR of Revelation 4. Those that recognize their spiritual poverty and blindness will be moved to make room for Jesus; will be moved to overcome the Laodiceans, do-it-yourself righteousness; will be moved to open their spiritual senses: sight, hearing, and feeling. The spiritually hungry will be moved to be zealous; to be on FIRE with the FIRE from the Man whose legs and eyes burn with HOLY FUEL.

Bread throughout Scripture has typically been a symbol for the Word of God. Those who are aware of their spiritual blindness will seek to “anoint” their spiritual “vision” with the revelational, living, out of the Mouth of God – Word of God. This is the Spiritual Manna that comes down out of Heaven and feeds the spiritually hungry. Are you hungry for more of Jesus? Are you hungry to be closer to Him? Are you hungry to see more of Jesus? Are you hungry to be hot, on FIRE, in love with Jesus? Are you hungry to hear His Voice? Hungry to fellowship, commune and have a daily, intimate love relationship with Him? Then cry out for the poor man’s “bread” to “rub” in the way you see.