A thorn is a symbol of troubles, trials and testing.
We are all familiar with thorns; we’ve been scratched, pricked and lacerated by thorns. Anyone who has ever picked blackberries or gathered roses, have felt the prick of a brier or a thorn.
In the Bible there are at least fifty-five references to thorns, briers and brambles. In almost every instance, they are never good.
Thorns have been here since the beginning as part of the curse of sin.
Genesis 3:17 b-18 a
17 Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee;
The more you try to escape from sin by your own means; the more you become entangled with thorns.
There are physical, emotional and spiritual thorns. A thorn in your side is a source of continual trouble. When Israel refused to drive out the enemy and rid the land of idolaters; they became a thorn in their side. The Old Testament speaks of thorns in your sides as the enemies of God’s people. Paul’s thorn was a messenger of Satan, it was from the devil; our spiritual enemy.
There are at least four primary strategies the enemy uses against the people of God:
1. Attack
2. Demonic Influence
3. Deception
4. Thorns
Satan uses these strategies to distract, harass, weaken, or destroy believers. Biblical scholars disagree as to the meaning of Paul’s
“thorn in the flesh”. We do know that it was a messenger of Satan, sent to torment him.
Thorns in the sides caused
“trouble” for Israel and they cause trouble for us. Satan has designed these thorns to hurt us spiritually. These thorns
“trap” us to keep us from serving God. These thorns
“scourge” us to get our mind off God. Thorns are
“ugly” and
“painful”; they often divert our attention away from what we are doing. Satan uses thorns to distract us from God’s calling, cause pain in our body, or weaken us in the ministry. He will use thorns to take our eyes off the Beautiful Rose of Sharon.
There are many whose minds and hearts are covered with briers and thorns and they are choking the life out of them. Matthew describes these thorns as
"the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches."
Luke adds,
"and pleasures of this life". Mark adds,
"the lusts of other things." If we tolerate thorns in our lives they will kill the good seed. We can never get rid of thorns with plows that only scratch the surface; the soil has to be turned over and over by the gospel plow. Thorns cannot spring up if they have been plowed up. Thorns are bound to grow; there’s an awful vitality in evil; they must be removed and burned in the fire. There has to be sanctification and purification by fire.
Joshua warned the people that if they married the Canaanites that they would become thorns in their eyes and sides.
We’ve got to stay separate from the world; don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold. To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God. If we mix and mingle with the world; they will become thorns in our sides.
Jesus knows something about thorns.The Roman soldiers jammed a crown of thorns on His head.
All the sin, suffering, disease, death and heartache of mankind was laid upon Him. But when He comes again; He will not be wearing a crown of thorns but a victor’s crown.
Isaiah 55:13
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
What a day that will be when there will be no more curse and no more thorns!
