I think if I had to choose the most important sense amongst the 5 senses, I would choose sight. I love colour and unique objects in the environment. I am always looking to see something new or different. With our eyes we can discern so much about people. We can see what they are feeling, if they are happy, angry or depressed. You can see love and joy in people’s eyes. I think eyes are what attract us to each other. We read and we discover so much with our sight. I am extremely thankful for my ability to see. I was once involved in smuggling bibles into a certain country. We prayed make seeing eyes blind. I when our team went through customs not one bible was seen in our luggage.
My father had a silly little rhyme he would tell from time to time.
A beggar arrived at a woman’s door and asked for money.
She responded.
Do you see that wood pile?
I want you to saw it.
He said,
Lady, you saw me see it.
You aren’t going to see me saw it.
There are non-so blind as those who do not want to see.
I am going to read a passage where seeing into the spirit realm changed a servant’s perspective and seeing eyes were blinded and gave the Prophet Elisha a great victory.
2 Kings 6:11-22 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.”
14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
18 So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
19 Now Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” But he led them to Samaria. 20 So it was, when they had come to Samaria, that Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” And the Lord opened their eyes, and they saw; and there they were, inside Samaria!
21 Now when the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I kill them? Shall I kill them?”
22 But he answered, “You shall not kill them. Would you kill those whom you have taken captive with your sword and your bow? Set food and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.”
23 Then he prepared a great feast for them; and after they ate and drank, he sent them away and they went to their master. So the bands of Syrian raiders came no more into the land of Israel.
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 These are the words from the Teacher, a son of David and king of Jerusalem. 2 Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time! 3 Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life? 4 People live and people die, but the earth continues forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun goes down, and then it hurries to rise again in the same place.
The Old Testament without the New Testament is meaningless. The Old is Physical and is pointing to the Spiritual in The New Testament. The old has no substance it is but a shadow of the new.
Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
Colossians 2:16-17 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
The physical realm is meaningless. Has no substance or purpose without Christ.
The physical realm is like the outline drawn, there is no colour or detail. Once you superimpose the Spiritual over the physical you begin to see the detail and the intent of God on earth and in life.
2 Corinthians 3:14-17 J.B. Phillips New Testament
12-17 With this hope in our hearts we are quite frank and open in our ministry. We are not like Moses, who veiled his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing its fading glory. But it was their minds really which were blinded, for even today when the old agreement is read to them there is still a veil over their minds—though the veil has actually been lifted by Christ. Yes, alas, even to this day there is still a veil over their hearts when the writings of Moses are read. Yet if they “turned to the Lord” the veil would disappear. For the Lord to whom they could turn is the spirit of the new agreement, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s souls are set free.
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Revelation 3:18 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 word “Christ” is a transliteration of the Greek Christos, and it means anointed one. It comes from a root word that means to smear or rub with oil.
The seeing eyes of shame closed and the eyes of the spirit opened.
Laodicea had a famous medical school; and in particular it was famous for two kinds of medicine. It was famous for a certain ointment made of nard which was used to cure earaches. But above all it was famous for a certain eye-powder. That was applied to the eyes for a cure of weak and blinding eyes.
Of the last instructions God gave to His people in His letters to the seven churches is that they should ask Him to anoint their eyes with eye-salve that they may see.
Paul also prays for the healing of our eyes that we may see our inheritance
Ephesians 1:17-18 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
The riches of the glory cannot be seen with physical eyes, the things of the Spirit can only be seen with spiritual eyes.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Paul understood this concept very well through His own experience. Paul was very zealous in his campaign to imprison, persecute and even kill believers for preaching Christ.
Galatians 1:11-13 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.
Then the scripture says that as soon as Paul’s eyes were opened, he preached that Christ was the Son of God.
Acts 9:18-19 Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got to his feet and was baptised. Then he took some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for some time. Without delay he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues declaring that he is the Son of God. All his hearers were staggered and kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who so bitterly persecuted those who called on the name in Jerusalem, and came down here with the sole object of taking back all such people as prisoners before the chief priests?”
I believe that Paul had an immediate revelation of the mystery of Christ that had been hidden for ages. An external God now became Christ in each one.
Paul preached the gospel which was not taught to him by humans. The Gospel was given to him directly by God through a revelation. Revelation is from apocalypses and means an unveiling of something previously secret. Jesus Christ is best known through revelation personally to each one of us. Our eyes being opened or enlightened.
Therefore, those who walk in the Spirit have anointed their eyes with eye-salve by asking God for the understanding that comes only from above.
The Lord has given us the seven-fold spirit of God.
Isaiah 11:1-3 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
Revelation 4:5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
These are the seven eyes of perfect sight, and the seven lamps of fire which burn before the throne, which enlighten us to the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
By these we are able to see and understand all that He reveals to us, even Himself!
We need the Holy Spirit to cleanse our eyes of all that blocks us from seeing. That He will wash our eyes so that we can see. That our attitudes can be changed, our priorities brought into line, and we focus more clearly on the goal that is set before us.
To become more like Christ. In His image men and woman in our time reflecting who Christ is wherever we may go.
The whole of creation is watching on tip toe.
Romans 8:22-24 For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
Pray now that the eyes of your heart be opened.
Amen
