The Gospel reveals the Unseen Reality of God
1) The Israelite General who could not eat the Bread of Salvation right before his eyes
| In the times of the prophet Elisha, Ben-hadad, the king of Syria, besieged and warred against Samaria which was the capital of northern Israel. The city was in such a great hunger that horrific acts such as a mother eating her own child in order to survive were occurring. Amidst this desperation and hopelessness, the Almighty God proclaimed the word of hope through the prophet Elisha. However, an Israel army general could not believe God’s word. The physical reality of despair became greater to him than the invisible word of God. And due to his lack of absolute faith in the Almighty God, this general witnessed God’s salvation but could not enjoy in it. |
》Scripture Prayer
(2 Kings 7:1-2) But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD: thus says the LORD, Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”
(2 Kings 7:16-20) Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate. And the people trampled him in the gate, so that he died, as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two seahs of barley shall be sold for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” the captain had answered the man of God, “If the LORD himself should make windows in heaven, could such a thing be?” And he had said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it.” And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate and he died.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. Even if we may be in a hopeless and dire situation, it doesn’t mean it is hopeless for God. Our God is almighty and more than capable of delivering us from any circumstance. However, those who do not believe, like the Israelite general, cannot enjoy this salvation. Is the unseen Word of God your conclusion? Or is the visible situation the conclusion? We need the faith of Abraham, who against all the hope, believed and hoped in God. Let us pray for this faith to be fulfilled in us.
In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” (Romans 4:18)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
2. The person who delivered the news of salvation to Samaria, fulfilling the word of the prophet Elisha, was not someone great. It was rather a group of four lepers who were scorned and considered filthy by others. The reason these four lepers were used to deliver this blessed news of salvation was because they were the first to experience and enjoy in the good news. The Gospel can only be delivered by those who have truly experienced it, not just by knowledge. Let us pray that we may spread the Gospel as witnesses who enjoy the Gospel.
Then they said to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household.” (2 Kings 7:9)
2) Those who did not believe even after Seeing the Bread of Life
| During Jesus’ ministry, there was a moment when his fame had reached its peak. It was the moment when Jesus fed thousands with just five loaves of bread and two fish. Those who experienced this miracle immediately wanted to crown him as their king. As Passover was drawing near, Jesus rejected those who wanted to make him king, but instead spoke of his path to the Cross. The reason Jesus had come to this earth was to tell them of the Gospel, that he was to become their true Passover Lamb, giving them life. However, even after seeing Jesus with their own eyes, the Israelites rejected the Gospel, Jesus who is the Bread of Life. |
》Scripture Prayer
(John 6:26-36) Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
(John 6:41-42) So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. The Israelites of the Exodus witnessed the miracles of God. However, they did not believe in Him and ultimately could not enter into Canaan (Hebrews 3:19). Unfortunately, the Israelites who saw the true Manna their ancestors had eaten long ago showed the same disbelief by not believing in Jesus even after seeing that he was the Bread of Life. Let us confess that it is impossible for us realize this mystery if God does not reveal it to us. Let us pray that we may be able to look to Christ in the eyes of faith.
But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear. (Deuteronomy 29:4)
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)
2. As we read the New Testament, we find that not only did the ignorant masses not know who Jesus was, but surprisingly, even disciples who shared joy and sadness with Jesus did not recognize as the Christ. Let us repent for the ignorance of not realizing and believing in the reality of Jesus is despite our confessions to him. Let us seek the Spirit of the Truth, the Holy Spirit, to come and guide us to the Truth. When the Holy Spirit comes, the glory of Jesus Christ will be revealed to us, his church.
Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:18-21)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-14)
3) Look to the Christ, the Eternal Unseen Reality
| Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of Israel (a member of the Sanhedrin), secretly came to Jesus one night. Jesus said to him that even though he was a leader of Israel and a man who diligently kept the Law, this was not enough for him to enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus also made a shocking statement, “If you are not born again of water and spirit, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” |
》Scripture Prayer
(John 3:3-16) Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. In this age, many members of the church agree in the doctrine that the Gospel completely transforms one’s life. However, just like Nicodemus who asked, “How is that even possible?”, this truth has not become a reality in their lives. Let us look to the Cross. Jesus came to us to die on the Cross so that sinners like us who deserved death would be saved! The power of the Cross cleanses us of our sin and enables us to serve the Holy God. Like Nicodemus, Let us pray by acknowledging our lack of faith in the Word of God and seek God’s mercy.
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)
2. Nicodemus, a leader of Israel and skilled scholar of God’s Word (Law), was completely ignorant to the notion of being born again. Even today, people have knowledge of the Gospel of the Cross; that a sinner is dead to the old self and through the cross have new life in Jesus Christ, but let us pray that this Gospel may become a reality to us by faith.
We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. (Romans 6:6-9)
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