Verse 18
They would gain this greater knowledge as God would enlighten their understanding. The heart refers to the center of personality in the Bible, the whole inward self, comprising mind and emotion. The eyes of the heart, a vivid mixed metaphor, suggests not just intellectual understanding but total apprehension of God. In Hebrew thinking, which Paul employed, mixed metaphors enriched the thought rather than confusing it, as in English. [Note: See Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, p. 151.]
The reason Paul prayed this prayer was three-fold. He wanted his readers to know (Gr. eidenai) factually three things. First, he wanted them to know the hope that was theirs because God had called them to salvation through election. Every Christian should appreciate his or her sure hope for the future that rests on his or her calling to salvation in the past.
Second, the readers needed to realize that they themselves would be an inheritance that God would receive when they went to be with Him. Paul spoke of the believer’s inheritance in Ephesians 1:14. Here he spoke of God’s inheritance. This inheritance will be valuable because believers are people for whom God paid dearly with the blood (death) of His own Son. It is glorious because when we see the Lord we will experience glorification, cleansing, and removal from sin (cf. Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 1:17 for other glorious things).
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