Insufficient

When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient* for them, that every one of them may take a little. 

John 6:5-7

Recently, I finished a book on the significance of numbers in the scripture by EW Bullinger*.  One note on the number 200 was interesting as this seems to be a number that relates to the concept of insufficiency.  In the verses above we see Jesus about to perform the miracle of feeding the masses with the 5 barley loaves and 2 fish of a young boy.  Phillip had already surmised correctly when he said, "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them."  Such is the bread of life, the Word of God itself.  Men's thought, ideas, opinions, and philosophies will always leave a starving soul.  Jesus, however, the very bread that came down from Heaven, is more than enough to meet our needs.  Look intently into His word with prayer if your spiritually hungry and not to the machinations of men and you will be ever full.  

So many today are also caught up with another insufficient notion heard in pulpits worldwide, the gospel of greed.  It is certain that riches and wealth will never bring satisfaction in this life.  Yet, hundreds spend hundreds looking for the latest "secret" of success from "scripture" that will assure them ease and comfort despite what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:6, "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."  They also send hundreds hoping for a hundredfold blessing promised by a man within a certain time frame--foolishness!  If one even hints at the words of Jesus in Matthew 6 about life being much more than the pursuit of things they become quite indignant.  Listen to the words of sorrowful Achan as he realizes that 200 shekels of silver and 50 shekels of gold were worthless to cover the cost of his sin, "When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it (Joshua 7:21)." This world's goods and money are not sufficient to bring joy.  Only Jesus brings joy!

"But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight (2 Samuel 14:25-26)."  It seems that Absalom found out the hard way that charisma, charming looks, and a magnetic personality are not sufficient when attempting to work with God's people. Those who spend all of their "ministry" attempting to get attention for themselves are like one in the bridal chamber trying to draw the bride's attention away from the groom.  Most take a dim view of such a thing.  Only Jesus deserves the glory and the attention.  Humble men and women of GOD will make sure He gets the glory!

Micah learned much like Absalom and Achan that there is no sufficiency in mere religion.  Using an idol created with 200 shekels of silver, he eventually led the tribes of Dan and Ephraim away from the LORD.  "Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah (Judges 17:4)."  Being religious will not get you to God--only Jesus gets us into Heaven!  He is the ONLY way.  Not sure?  While there will be some from the tribes of Dan and Ephraim saved, look for the names of the tribes in Revelation 7.  They are conspicuously missing.  Don't be led astray and lose out as they did.

Jesus said in John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  This is a message those in the current worship craze need to understand.  Some people pick churches out too shallowly.  They are just looking for "the fire" or some sort of thrill.  It doesn't matter that there is death in the pot (false doctrine) just as long as the worship is hopping they assume that God is pleased.  Ask Amos what God thinks of worship that is for personal pleasure and not directed towards that Lord and His glory (Amos 5).  The Book of Ezra records that a mass choir of 200 men and women sang and led worship, yet this was not sufficient to bring the presence of the LORD. "Beside their servants and their maids, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and there were among them two hundred singing men and singing women (Ezra 2:65)."  Worship that is not directed by the Word of God and centered on God through the person of Jesus Christ is worthless.  Worship for the mere sake of having a good time is even deadly.  It is certain that we cannot worship God through the senses, but worship must be in Spirit and truth. The Spirit works through the truth of the Word of GOD that HE authored!  That Word always points to our only intercessor, Jesus Christ. What good will worship do without being coupled with a prayerful relationship with Christ?  Will worship and a compromised relationship please God?

In every instance, Jesus is the sufficient one.  He is sufficient to meet our every need and can even bring joy when we lack what this world has to offer.  Christ is the centerpiece of worship and the only way to God.  Anyone attempting to access the Father through any other means or method will certainly find that their attempts are insufficient.  Seek Jesus through the Word!  He is all you need and He is truly Soon2Come!



*highlights added
*Number in Scripture:

Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance

by

E. W. Bullinger 

(1837-1913)