A “Thorn” in the Flesh to Keep Us Humble

For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Messiah may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Messiah’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:7–10)

You have no doubt heard the expression, “Take your lemons and make lemonade.” Translated, that means, take the bad things that happen in your life and make something good out of them. Or, to state it another way: find the blessing in every situation in life. That is not always easy to do, especially when you are experiencing trials, persecution or suffering whether it be health issues, financial problems, spiritual attacks, constant danger, civil unrest, pandemics, war, or evil people as well the forces and influences of antichrist societal conditions. Many of these situations are chronic in that they are continual and we are powerless to change or avoid them. What then? As we learn from Paul’s thorn in the flesh passage in 2 Corinthians 12, when YHVH is in the picture of your life, the spiritual lemons can become lemonade, and out weakness comes strength. Or to put another way, YHVH gives beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isa 61:3)! Let us now explore the implications and dynamics of this powerful concept and discover how to move into this place of strength and blessing out of weakness.

It is pointless to speculate as to what Paul’s thorn in the flesh or messenger of Satan was that was chronically afflicting him (2 Cor 12:7). Whether it was a physical disability, another person to whom he was irrevocably yoked such as an unbelieving wife or some other life situation over which he had no control, we do not know. But there is one thing we can deduce from this scripture passage. This thorn over which he had no control provided an opportunity for the devil to continually torment him. It was like a spiritual open door in his life over which he had no control that allowed the enemy to attack him directly and continually. Thus he had no choice but to endure it, since this was the proverbial hand of cards life had dealt him, and YHVH allowed it and for is spiritual betterment. (The same thing happened to Job!) As such, Paul took his proverbial lemons and made lemonade. That is, he took this weakness in his life and by the grace of YHVH turned it into a spiritual strength. To apply another metaphor to this discussion, instead of lamenting over his situation with a woe-is-me victim mentality or instead of seeing the glass as half empty, he chose the higher road of seeing the glass as being half-full. He chose to find the blessing in his difficult situation. He realized that this was an opportunity for spiritual refinement and strength building for the glory of Yeshua in spite of his trying situation. And after all, didn’t Yeshua have to walk down this same road himself? Being in the flesh and divesting himself of his glory was his monumental, and not to be underestimated “thorn in the flesh” . Yet it was necessary that he endure this physical existence all the way to the cross where he was murdered by  the same humans he had created ex nihlo. He had to drink this cup of suffering in order to be our Savior. If he did this for us, can we, for his sake, not endure small amount of buffeting that we experience in our life?

There are several things that a thorn in the flesh is not. It is not normal trials, suffering, persecution or tribulations that come as a result of being a serious the Christian (1 Pet 4:12–14). Also it is not suffering for the consequences of our own wrong actions (1 Pet 4:15). Rather, it is a specific situation that we cannot change, and which YHVH allows to remain in our lives for our spiritual refinement. At the same time, it is true that even in non thorn-in-the-flesh situations including the normal trials, persecution and suffering of this life, we still can learn to find the blessing and YHVH’s higher purpose four us in these as well.

The Example of Yeshua Being Humbled

It goes without saying that as Christians that Yeshua is our ultimate example to follow. When we came into a covenant relationship with him, we were baptized not only into his life, but also into his death and resurrection. There is no resurrection without death first. That means embracing the process of dying to self and all that it entails—not an easy process! Yeshua was made complete through humbling by taking on the weakness of humanity and enduring the shame and ignominy of ridicule, false accusation, blasphemy, rejection, betrayal and ultimately murder. 

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being in the form of Elohim, did not consider it robbery to be equal with Elohim, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore Elohim also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name… (Phil 2:3–9)

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isa 53:3)

Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? (Mark 9:12)

For even The Messiah did not please Himself; but as it is written, “THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME.” (Rom 15:3)

For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Cor 8:9)

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil… (Heb 2:14)

[L]ooking unto Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. (Heb 12:2)

Also consider the following Scriptures.

And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44–45)

For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves. (Luke 22:7)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. (John 13:14)

Now I say that Yeshua the Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of Elohim, to confirm the promises made to the fathers… (Rom 15:8)

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15)

[T]hough He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him… (Heb 5:8–9)

If we are to walk with Yeshua and as he walked, will not the same occur to us? Is this not the ultimate laying down of one’s life, as he did? Is this not being conformed to his death in order to gain the highest reward? After all, Yeshua paved the way for his soon to be glorified and resurrected saints when he resurrected from the head, ascended to heaven where he is now at the right hand of his Father. A similar reward awaits those now who have put their faith in him and are overcoming the constant attacks of the world, flesh and the devil.

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for the Messiah. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of the Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain the Messiah and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in the Messiah, the righteousness which is from Elohim by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Phil 3:7–11)

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15:18–20)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! (Matt 10:16–25)

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:10–12)

Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:22–23)

Who shall separate us from the love of the Messiah? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of Elohim which is in the Messiah Yeshua our Lord. (Rom 8:35–39)

For I think that Elohim has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for the Messiah’s sake, but you are wise in the Messiah! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. (1 Cor 4:11–13)

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Yeshua, that the life of Yeshua also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Yeshua’ sake, that the life of Yeshua also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. … Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor 4:8–12, 16–18)

Therefore Yeshua also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. (Heb 13:12–14)

False Accusations Against Yeshua

Persecution often comes in the form of evil words spoken against us by evil people. A thorn in the flesh, however, involves having to endure on-going and unavoidable evil and suffering. Often those people who are the closest to us will be the worst offenders. For example, because of the curious and supernatural circumstances around his birth, Yeshua was regularly accused of being an illegitimate bastard. Because he was born into this situation, he could not avoid it. This was a thorn in the flesh to him. He was also regularly accused of…

• Having a demon
• Being a blasphemer
• Being rejected by his own brethren and town
• Finally, Yeshua was betrayed unto death by one of his closest associates and then murdered by the humans he had created out of dust and came to earth to save from the penalty of their sin.

Other Biblical Examples of Persecution

Again we cannot label all trials, suffering or persecution as a thorn in the flesh, which is something that is ongoing in our life and will not go away. But in a general sense, for the saint, this physical existence is a thorn in the flesh. Our bodies are weak, we are surrounded by evil people, we live in an ungodly society, and we are constantly under the attacks of evil spiritual entities. All of these situations give us the opportunity to rise up in the power of Elohm’s Spirit and to learn, overcome, grow in our faith and the fruit of the Spirit and to made strong spiritually out of weakness. The biblical is the chronicle a great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us and endured the chronic sufferings of this life in favor of the deferred gratification of the great heavenly reward that awaits them.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. (Heb 12:1–2)

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, Elohim having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Heb 11:32–40)

Other biblical characters who had to face and then overcome the weaknesses in their life include:

• Lot had to endure worldly wife.
• Moses endured Korah and his co-conspirators as well as 40 years of the Israelites’ murmuring, rebellion and faithlessness.
• Elohm had to deal with the wayward and wicked children of Israel.
• But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook Elohim who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. (Deut 32:15)
• Job had to endure his perverse, Satan inspired wife.
• Job endured his misguided friends.
• All my close friends abhor me, and those whom I love have turned against me. (Job 19:19)
• David endured the persecution of Saul.
• David endured the rejection of Michel, his wife and Saul’s daughter.
• David endured Absalom’s betrayal.
• Elisha endured Geehazi’s lying subversion.
• Elijah and Elisha endured the carnality of those who were members of the so-called school of the prophets.

• Yeshua had to endure his “O ye of little faith” disciples.
• Yeshua endured Judas’ betrayal.
• “I do not speak concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS BREAD WITH ME HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’ ( JOHN 13:18 cp. vv. 26–27)
• John had to endure the betrayal of Diotrophes (3 John 9, 10).
• Paul had to endure the persecution and betrayal of  Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim 2:14)
• Paul had to endure the persecution and betrayal of Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Tim 1:2)
• Paul had to endure the persecution and betrayal of Hymenaeus and Philetus (2 Tim 2:17)
• YHVH Elohim has to endure the persecution and betrayal of the human race and each of us daily!

In this regard, also consider the following Scriptures.

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. (Ps 41:9)

For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of Elohim in the throng. (Ps 55:12–14)

Conclusion

When coping with our thorn in the flesh, focus not on being a victim, but on being a victor by knowing the fellowship of Yeshua’s sufferings and laying one’s life down at the cross along side of him, that in time we may be exalted as he was. In the mean time, embrace the suffering that Yeshua may be made strong in our weakness and for his glory.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Rom 8:37)

You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship Elohim in the Spirit, rejoice in the Messiah Yeshua, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for the Messiah. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of the Messiah Yeshua my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain the Messiah and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in the Messiah, the righteousness which is from Elohim by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which the Messiah Yeshua has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Elohim in the Messiah Yeshua. (Phil 3:1–14)