Ephesians 3
In verse 10, Paul writes about the manifold wisdom of God now known by the church, shown in demonstration before principalities and evil powers. The Greek word for “manifold” is polupoikilos, and one of its definitions is multicolored. In creation, there are hundreds of hues of colors. God’s wisdom has many sides or folds to it. In the previous verse, Paul describes spiritual mystery, truth that can only be received in the heart by revelation. Christ was a mystery, and is a mystery to many still. If the rulers of the world had known the mystery, they would not have put Jesus on the cross (1 Corinthians 2:8). To receive Christ and the manifold wisdom of God, one must be humble and in pursuit of truth. God is able to go beyond our understanding and do more than what we can comprehend; however, the only way to tap into God’s power is through His grace. The only way to receive His grace is through faith, which is a humbled, dependent reliance on God that submits and obeys.
Isaiah 22-23
Chapter 22 is a prophecy against Jerusalem in the time of King Hezekiah during the Sennacherib invasion in 701 B.C. The invasion of Assyria was not totally successful, but it did significant damage. King Hezekiah feared the Lord, but many of the people were still unchanged since King Ahaz. God called for repentance, but instead, the people had a party, saying, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” If they had called out on God, He would have saved them, but their true hearts were revealed in times of trouble, as are ours.
Then we read a judgment on Shebna, the king’s steward, who did not depend on God for help, and his replacement, Eliakim, someone who did rely on God. Eliakim is a type of Christ. The “key of the house of David” speaks of authority, and “on his shoulder” is referring to government and to Christ in His kingdom. (Revelation 3:7 quotes this prophecy in verses 22-23 to the church of Philadelphia, speaking of Christ).
Chapter 23 is the last of Isaiah’s judgments on foreign nations, mentioning Tyre, Tarshish, and Sidon. Tyre is where Jezebel was from, worshipping Baal and Ashtoreth. Baal means “lord or controller.” The spirit of Jezebel has everything to do with the intimidation and control of God’s leaders, which eventually would lead authority into literal and spiritual fornication. Many present day church leaders who enter into sexual sin or spiritual adultery are leaders whom the enemy tried to intimidate and control through church members, church leaders, or denominations (Revelation 2).
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