Verse: Ephesians 3:10-11 (ESV)
10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Devotion
As usual, Paul’s writing presents us with a number of questions we must consider. Let’s tackle a few of them.
What is the “manifold wisdom of God”?
The dictionary defines ‘manifold’ as “many and various”, while the Greek word translated here as ‘manifold’ was often used to refer to the embroidery on the clothing of the rich. So, basically, Paul is describing God’s wisdom as: rich, vibrant, intricate, beautiful, complex.
Who are “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”?
That sounds a lot like it could describe the Trinity, doesn’t it? But since the church can’t make anything known to the all-knowing, it must refer to someone else. If we consider Paul’s use of similar terms in Ephesians 6:12, it seems clear that this reference is to the evil forces of the spiritual world – Satan and the other fallen angels (demons).
Are we (the church) really going to make things known to Satan and company?
Yes! We know from Scripture that the non-divine spiritual beings don’t possess the omniscience of the divine. 1 Peter 1:12 tells us that our salvation and other aspects of the Gospel God has revealed to us are “things into which angels long to look”. We are God’s most cherished creation, and he holds us up as an example of his love, his grace, and his “eternal purpose”. We know that purpose to be God’s plan of salvation for us, but Paul has highlighted in the preceding verses that it specifically includes the salvation of both Jews AND Gentiles. As Jordan pointed out a few days ago, how fortunate for us Gentiles!
We often think of eternity as extending infinitely into the future, but forget that it also extends infinitely into the past. So God’s “eternal purpose” has existed since before time began, but wasn’t not known to the angels, the demons, even Satan himself, until it was revealed in us by being “realized in Christ Jesus”. Of course we know that “realized” here doesn’t mean the concept suddenly dawned on Jesus. Rather, think of the way an investment (stocks, bonds, etc.) will “realize” a profit (hopefully) sometime in the future when it is redeemed. Just like we have been! How cool to think that God is using us to literally teach Satan a lesson! Remember that when he tries to drag you down with his lies.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for including me in your eternal plan of salvation, and for revealing your wisdom in and through me. Please help me to be a beacon of that wisdom and of your purpose, not just to the forces of evil, but to the lost around me. May they see your plan for their lives through mine. Amen.
Author: Dave Macdonald
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