The Redemption of the Jews

By Angella Thomas

Isaiah 6:9 is a prophecy to Israel that they will “hear but not understand”; that they will “see but not perceive” this word from God to the nation was evident even when Jesus, the Messiah, came to Israel. They heard Him and saw Him but did not understand Him or perceive who He was. As a result, a “spirit of slumber” is upon the people to this day (Isaiah 29:10, Romans 11:7-8).  Nationally, Israel has not yet awakened to belief in Jesus.

But there is good news!  The Jews are still God’s chosen people, and God promises their joyous redemption to come (Romans 11:25-27). 

Angella Thomas delivers a two-pronged message of hope and challenge: Jewish readers will be given hope when they see the remedy for this historical blindness, and Christians will be challenged to join God in fulfilling the redemption of His people.  "But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation...." Isaiah 45:17.  

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Creation House
• Release date: Jul 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781629985220

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Chapter One

THE DISCIPLES’ DILEMMA

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

—MARK 9:29

THIS SCRIPTURE WAS given to the disciples of Jesus in answer to their question. They wanted to know why they were unable to deliver the boy who had a deaf and dumb spirit. Jesus, in reply, told them that prayer and fasting was needed for this kind to come forth. They had faced a dilemma and wanted to know the key to the deliverance. Jesus gave them a key that had a more far-reaching effect than they could ever imagine. It was a key that unlocked the door to the redemption of the Jews! Let’s read the story in Mark’s Gospel:

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

—MARK 9:14–29

Jesus had just descended from the Mount of Transfiguration. On this mountain His disciples Peter, James, and John had just witnessed Him shining with the glory of God and conversing with Moses and Elias (Elijah). It was coming near to the time of His full glorification. This is when He would embrace all that the Scriptures had prophesied He would do. He would fulfill all the Law (the Books of Moses, or the first five books of the Old Testament) and all the Prophets (all the other books of the Old Testament). He would perfectly complete their words, works, and will of redemption. All the glory of God radiated from the One who was preparing to do all the will of God.

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

—MARK 9:1–4

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

—MATTHEW 5:17

The three disciples saw the passing on of the baton of Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the Prophets) to Jesus! God, who had in past time spoken through the Law and the Prophets, was now speaking through His Son. He was God’s final Word. Moses and Elijah were witnesses in the spirit to the culmination, climax, and conclusion of all they had said, shown, or seen in regard to the Redeemer and the redemption of mankind. The shadow of what they had proclaimed was giving way to the shining silhouette of He who would perfect mankind’s redemption. The full glory of what God had said was going to be finally expressed in His Son.

The disciple Peter was so mesmerized by the glory of the Law and the Prophets and Jesus that he wanted to make three tabernacles or houses of glory. One was to house Moses, one was for Elijah, and one was for Jesus. God, however, told him that this was the hour of His Son. The Law and the Prophets were now giving way to the Son, so he was now to give ear to the Son. There would be no need for three tabernacles, for all the glory of God would be found in the tabernacle of His Son! When perfection comes, there is no more need for that which was imperfect.

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

—MARK 9:5–9

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

—1 CORINTHIANS 13:10

The glory of Jesus is incomparable to that of the Law and the Prophets. One meager comparison would be to liken it to today’s housing in contrast to the housing of many centuries ago. Remember when a house had a separate building for toiletry, a separate building for cooking, and a separate building for living and sleeping? Now all these elements can not only be found in one house but are also of a more perfected quality and use. All that man needs for living can be found in one house today. All that was found in the Law and the Prophets are perfected and concluded in Jesus.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

—HEBREWS 1:1–3

Looking up from this glorious experience, the disciples saw only Jesus. In that moment of transfiguration, the glory had passed on from the Law and the Prophets to Jesus. He was the brightest revelation of God’s glory. As the perfect expression of God to mankind, He was now God’s final word. As the perfect example of God to mankind, He was God’s final way. As the perfect enforcer of all that was needed for mankind’s salvation, He was God’s final work of redemption. All that was rehearsed, reflected, and recorded in the Old Testament for the salvation of man would be purely, properly, and perfectly reflected in the life of Jesus.

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

—JOHN 1:45

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

—LUKE 16:16

And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

—LUKE 24:24–27

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

—LUKE 24:44

Yet, after this glorious experience, Jesus and the disciples came upon an inglorious one. Jesus came to find His other disciples surrounded by a multitude of people and being questioned by the scribes. When He inquired as to what they were being questioned about, a man from the multitude told his story. He had brought his son, who was possessed with a fierce dumb-and-deaf spirit, and the disciples could not cast this spirit out. Clearly, they had tried but were unsuccessful in doing so!

This is what had started the commotion. When the people of God cannot do the works of God, the world will challenge their authenticity, argue about their validity, and wonder at their lack of authority. Having just left the scene of glory, Jesus was quite frustrated at the lack of glory (the splendor of God’s presence, power, and peace) among His people. He looked at their faithlessness. He lamented at their dilemma. He longed for relief from their powerlessness.

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

—MARK 9:19

Mercifully, Jesus intervened in the matter. He asked a question of the boy’s father. He wanted to know how long his son had this spirit. The father responded that it was since he was a child and recounted the dangerous nature of this spirit. This spirit would take him, tear at him, and cause foaming at the mouth and gnashing of the teeth. This resulted in the boy pining (Mark 9:18; in other words, withering) away. It often tried to destroy the boy by casting him into fire and into water. The father pleaded with Jesus that if He could do anything, He was to have compassion on them and help them. The afflictions of one person can reecho into the anguish of others.

When the people of God fail to do the works of God, people will often begin to lose hope or faith in God. Clearly, the man brought his son to the disciples because he thought they could cast the devil out, but their failure to do so now caused him to say to Jesus, "If you can do anything, help us." Alas, when the witnesses of Jesus are not testifying of His mighty power, then the image of Jesus will seem just as powerless. People fully expect the followers of Jesus to follow in His power! Jesus encouraged the father to believe, for in believing all things are possible. Then He cast out the foul spirit out of the boy and saved the day!

Later in private, the disciples asked Jesus what had hindered them from casting out this spirit. Jesus replied that this kind would not come forth but by prayer and fasting: "And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28–29). Oh, that the body of Christ would privately ask Jesus for the keys for their public failures! What discoveries they would make! Instead of hiding failures, a visit to the throne of God will find clear, delivering pathways to victorious results. In this case, Jesus makes reference to this kind as being the cause of the disciples’ dilemma. The key to this deliverance was how to get rid of this kind" of hindrance.

What does this kind refer to? What is it that will only come forth by prayer and fasting? At first, it would appear to mean this kind of devil. This is the natural, popular belief. Since they were trying to cast out a spirit, it would be the continuing understanding that Jesus was referring to the spirit. Yet, in viewing the whole context of the story, this would be contradictory to Jesus’ former statements as illustrated in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s Gospel reveals that when the disciples asked why they could not cast the spirit out, Jesus had at first answered, "Because of your unbelief" (Matt. 17:20, emphasis added). He did not say it was because of the strength of the spirit but because of the stubbornness of their unbelief! He was not so much concerned about the deafness of the spirit as He was about the deafness of their hearts. It was a case of the unbelieving trying to do the work that only believing could bring!

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

—MATTHEW 17:17–20, EMPHASIS ADDED

In highlighting their unbelief, Jesus also emphasized that if they had even the faith of a mustard seed, they could have moved "this mountain" (emphasis added). Mountain-moving prayers only need mustard-seed faith! He was saying that a small amount of faith was all that was needed to move this seemingly impossible mountain. A mountain denotes any insurmountable structure, situation, or spirit. A small amount of faith with a sure confession would have brought sure results. A small amount of faith could have taken them to the realms where nothing was impossible to them! Jesus was very clear in declaring this.

The Gospels shows the potential of a mustard seed. Though a small seed, it boasts great results. Though it is the least of all seeds it has the largest results. One single grain or seed can bring a successful harvest. Surety in God will bring the sure results of God! Like the far-reaching effects of a mustard seed, Jesus was saying that even a small amount of surety in God could have gotten rid of this devil or any other seemingly immovable spirit, structure, or situation. Those who know the must of God will see the most of God.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

—MATTHEW 13:31–32, EMPHASIS ADDED

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

—MARK 4:30–32

And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

—LUKE 17:5–6

Since this spirit only needed a mustard-seed amount of faith to be cast out, Jesus could not now be referring to it as that which would come out only by praying and fasting. This would not be consistent with saying it could have been easily cast out. He already said it just needed faith—and only a mustard seed amount at that! He further proved that only faith was needed by His discourse with the father of the child. When the father asked Jesus if He could do anything, Jesus told him that if he could believe, all things are possible to the one who believes.

Believing was the key to this deliverance.

To this key the father quickly replied that he believed. He immediately asked Jesus that if there was any unbelief found in him, please give him help for that. He quickly realized from what Jesus had said that if he only believed, he could get his miracle. He quickly identified that only unbelief could hinder this victory. He then asked for help not for the devil but for his unbelief! Believing will drive out any devil! Believing will drive out any darkness of doubts! Believing will drive away any despair!

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

—MARK 9:23–25, EMPHASIS ADDED

When the if or uncertainty of the father was changed by the certainty of his believing, the situation also changed. At the utterance of the father’s faith, Jesus performed this wonderful miracle, proving that only faith was needed to see the mighty works of God. The stubbornness of sure faith (trust in God) can get rid of the stubbornness of any devil. It is not the size of the faith but the surety of the faith that makes the impossible possible. As long as there is faith—no matter the quantity or size—the power of God will be at work to show forth His glory (the true worth and wealth of His words, works, and wonders). Surety is surety; no matter the size, when it is placed in God, concrete results will follow.

At the cry of faith, the spirit cried in submission and the work of God was done.

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

—MARK 9:26–27

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

—MATTHEW 17:18

Notice what Jesus did with the dilemma. He identified the cause. He chastised the people and His disciples for their unbelief. He called them a faithless generation. He called them a perverse generation. He wondered as to how long He would be with them and how long He would have to suffer with seeing this unbelief.

Unbelief is not pleasing to God. God counts the time of unbelief as a time of suffering. He knows He cannot be with the unbeliever for long, for the stifling effects of unbelief are hard for the faithful God to endure.

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.

—NUMBERS 14:11–12

The provocation of unbelief will push God to distance, discipline, or even disinherit the believer! When you know what you can do and are unable to do it because of the restraints of unbelief, it is a form of suffering. Jesus lamented at their unbelief and attributed it to the unbelief of the generation.

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

—MARK 9:19

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

—HEBREWS 11:6

Then Jesus instructed about the cure for the boy’s deliverance. By His teaching Jesus established without a doubt that faith was all that was needed. Concrete assurance in God can move any concrete problem out of its place. When faith is present, the works of God are manifested. When faith is present, victory is assured. When faith is present, deliverance is experienced.

The impossible becomes possible by the power of faith. Mountains move to the power of faith! Difficult situations, spirits, and strongholds yield to the power of faith. The if as mentioned by the father of the boy with the deaf and dumb spirit (" . . . but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us, Mark 9:22, emphasis added) was not on the side of God but on the side of the one believing (Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth," v. 23).

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

—MARK 9:23

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

—GALATIANS 3:5

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

—MATTHEW 21:21

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

—MARK 11:22–24

After establishing the cure, Jesus initiated the change. He performed the needed deliverance. As soon as the boy’s father confessed his belief, Jesus, in authority, cast out this foul spirit and brought newness of life to the boy. The authority of God is activated at the utterance of faith. The sound of sure faith will get the sure response of the faithful God.

Jesus called it a devil, a dumb-and-deaf and a dirty, or foul, spirit. Even the dumb and the deaf can hear and understand the voice of faith! Every unclean spirit can be removed by the voice of faith of one trusting in the holy God. Even this stubborn, long-staying, sorely vexing devil was no match for the strong voice of faith. The voice of faith brought the joy of deliverance and the blessedness of change to a once horrid situation.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

—MARK 9:25

And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.

—MATTHEW 17:18

All powers must bow to the God of all power. Whether in heaven, on earth, or under the earth, all things must bow to the lordship of Jesus. Every tongue must confess His power, position, and preeminence over all things. Every devil is subjected to surrender to faith in the name, power, and authority of Jesus. Every foul or unclean spirit is subjected to the Holy One of Israel. Every devil is subjected to the divine Son of God.

And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

—MARK 1:39

And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

—LUKE 4:33–35

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

—PHILIPPIANS 2:8–11

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

—ACTS 10:38

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.

—MARK 16:17

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

—ACTS 4:12

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

—MATTHEW 28:18

Finally, Jesus informed the disciples of the conditions needed for them to be effective. He told them what to do to get rid of this kind of unbelief. He called them to fasting and prayer. He stated that this was the only cure. In unfolding the call to fasting and prayer, the disciples soon learned not just the key to their dilemma but also the key to the deliverance or redemption of the Jews. In the revealing of this kind they would come to realize what had hindered not only their effectiveness but also the effectiveness of a whole generation.

This was not a case of the spirit that possessed the boy but of the spirit that possessed the disciples. It was the spirit of unbelief that prevented the miracle! Clearly, there was no problem with the spirit coming out if faith was present. There was a problem, however, with the lack of faith! This kind was not about the stronghold of the devil but the stronghold of their disbelief.

The key to this boy’s deliverance would unlock the key to that which had blocked the people of God from embracing the fullness of God. The call to fasting and prayer would have more far-reaching effects than they could imagine. Through this answer from Jesus would come the key to removing even the blindness from the chosen people of God. Not only were they being instructed as to the cure for this present situation, but they were being given the cure to that which had plagued their past generation! The redemption of the Jewish nation lies in their understanding of this kind.

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

—MARK 9:29

Chapter Two

THIS KIND

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

—MARK 9:29

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

—MATTHEW 17:21

THE WORD KIND as spoken in this story comes from the Greek word genos, which means "kin (literal or figurative, individual or collective), generation, kind, kindred, nation, offspring or stock." It comes from the root word ginomai, which means "to cause to be (gen-erate), to become or come into being, arise, be brought, come to pass, continue, follow, be found, be fulfilled, partake, grow, be married, befall, or be finished" (emphasis added). Notice, kind also means generation, so the kind of unbelief that Jesus was addressing was a generational one. He was looking past the unbelief of the disciples to the descending unbelief of their generation.

He was addressing an unbelief from the past that was still a factor in the present. He was looking at an unbelief that had continued down through the genes or kindred of a nation. He was looking at a stronghold of unbelief that had stretched itself from one generation to the next. He saw that what plagued the disciples was just a recurring, familiar, stubborn spirit of unbelief that had also plagued their nation. Hence, in giving them an answer, He was addressing the root of the problem.

And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

—DEUTERONOMY 32:20

Remember when Jesus first heard the news of the disciples’ failure? He called them a faithless and perverse generation. Since kind also means generation, He was literally calling them an unbelieving kind! The word generation used in these passages is genea from the same Greek word genos, meaning an age, generation, nation or time. This present spirit had also plagued them in the past! In referring to this kind He was speaking of this genos, or generation, nation, or offspring of unbelief. This spirit of unbelief was not a new problem but an age-old problem of the children of Israel!

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

—MATTHEW 17:17

Yet the Lord testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

—2 KINGS 17:13–14, EMPHASIS ADDED

For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

—PSALM 78:5–8

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

—PSALM 78:56–57

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

—PSALM 106:6

Hence, later when the disciples asked why they were unable to cast out that spirit, Jesus, in referring to this kind, was talking not of the kind of devil but of the generational kind of unbelief that He had before mentioned (O faithless generation, Mark 9:19). This old spirit of unbelief that had plagued this nation or generation would not be broken without praying and fasting. Hence, the answer to the disciples was also the answer to that which plagued their descendants. It was the answer to saving a generation. It was the answer to freeing His people.

Herein lies the key to the redemption of the Jews, for in addressing the disciples’ dilemma, Jesus was giving the key to the deliverance of the Jews. Jesus was saying that the unbelief of the nation of Israel could be broken by prayer and fasting. That which had plagued them, possessed them, and put them in many dangerous situations had a cure. He gave a key not just to their present situation but also to their past yet still remaining condition. In giving an answer He was opening an age-old door of captivity. He was looking past them to the redemption of His people.

This kind was not the devil but the devious strong spirit of unbelief that had robbed the people of God from the many blessings of God. Down the history of the Jews, this kind of unbelief had often met the groanings and rebukes of God. He had suffered long with this spirit. He had seen it many times. He was familiar with its ways. He had endured it and found it hard to bear.

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

—MARK 9:19

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. . . . And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

—NUMBERS 14:11–12, 26–30

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

—PSALM 95:8–11

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

—HEBREWS 3:7–12

Jesus even used the word perverse in describing this unbelieving kind, or generation. He saw them as twisted, tainted, and turned around in their believing! Perversion is not an immediate state of pollution. It usually denotes a gradual turning until it becomes a lifestyle. This indicates that Jesus was not just addressing an immediate problem but a problem that had progressed in the behavior of the children of Israel. It indicates the kind of unbelief that He was addressing. He was unfolding the generational sin of the children of Israel. Speaking to the disciples and the people about their faithlessness, He was taking them back to the crooked turning of a generation.

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

—MATTHEW 17:17

They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation.

—DEUTERONOMY 32:5

No wonder He groaned and wondered about how long He had to suffer with them. This was not a new problem. This was a longstanding problem. This was not just a present-day groaning but also a groaning God had made down through the history of this unbelieving nation. Numbers 14:11 tells us, And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Jesus was with His disciples just about three years. This would not be considered a long time. Hence, this groaning and remark of how long He had to suffer them or endure the torture of their unbelief was the divine stirring of a God who had endured years of seeing His people walking in unbelief. This is what needed fasting and prayer. It was this kind, this generation, this offspring, this continuation of a people of unbelief that caused Him to be stirred up to call for acts of divine intervention.

Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

—MATTHEW 17:21, EMPHASIS ADDED

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

—EZEKIEL 18:30

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

—JOEL 2:12–13

Again, what kind of unbelief is this? This is one that can be traced back to their ancestors. This is one that was generated down the corridors of time. This is the kind of unbelief that had dotted the lives of previous and present generations. This was a longstanding, tough, hardened, callous, age-old unbelief that was difficult to get rid of. Alas, Jesus was once again facing the stubborn spirit of an unbelieving nation. The first mention of faith in the Bible is when God was describing this generation as one with no faith! The same words that God had echoed to Moses about them, Jesus was still echoing to His disciples in their day!

And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

—DEUTERONOMY 32:20, EMPHASIS ADDED

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

—MARK 9:19, EMPHASIS ADDED

It should be noted that on previous occasions, Jesus had given His disciples power over devils. Hence, He was not asking of them something that He had not already empowered them to do. He trained them to do deliverance. He taught and demonstrated to them the power they had available in God. He told them to go out and use this power.

One is not honestly judged for unbelief before he has gotten a chance to believe. The word unbelief itself denotes having an opportunity to believe but choosing not to. He rebuked their unbelief because He had already given them the principle, power, and proof to believe. Unbelief is the absence of trust, faith, or assurance in that which is truth. It is the denial of that which is true. It is choosing not to believe when one has evidence to believe.

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

—MATTHEW 10:1–8, EMPHASIS ADDED

Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

—LUKE 9:1–6, EMPHASIS ADDED

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

—LUKE 10:17–21

This kind of unbelief is the same kind as that of their forefathers, who saw the miraculous power of God at work on their behalf yet had closed their hearts to believing it. The disciples of the present day had walked with Jesus and seen His mighty works, and their forefathers had done the same. They had walked with God, saw His wonders, and rejected Him. They were plagued with the kind of unbelief that rejected what they had seen with their own eyes and heard with their own ears and experienced in their own lives.

This was the kind of unbelief that stood strong even in the face of many mighty manifestations of the power, presence, and pleasure of God to work on behalf of His people. It is the unbelief that came from a people that had beheld the wonders of God yet kept wondering about God. It was the unbelief that had had many proofs yet still asked for more proving. (After a generation or forty years of proving, they still stood as a generation in doubt of God’s faithfulness.) It was the unbelief of a people that were given much yet gave back little in terms of their faith.

And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed amon them?

—NUMBERS 14:11, EMPHASIS ADDED

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

—HEBREWS 3:7–19, EMPHASIS ADDED

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

—MATTHEW 23:29–39, EMPHASIS ADDED

In fact, parallel to the story of the deaf and dumb lad, this unbelieving spirit had come upon the Jews from their childhood, or early in their walk with God. It had plagued them since they were a young nation and had affected many generations after that. From childhood they were accused of not believing or obeying God. From childhood they would not hear or heed God. From childhood the evils of a rebellious, strong, and dangerous spirit had come upon them.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

—MARK 9:21

I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.

—JEREMIAH 22:21

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

—JEREMIAH 32:30, EMPHASIS ADDED

The disciples’ dilemma was that they had come face to face with the same spirit that had plagued their generation. It was as if they were looking through a mirror at the reflection of a deaf and dumb spirit that was familiar to their nation. This stubborn spirit of unbelief had provoked God and had brought them down to many dark, deathly, despairing places. It was hard to get rid of. It stood strong in the face of seeing and knowing the mighty power of God. It had grown up with him/them and had manifested itself in rebellious ways to try to destroy him/them.

O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

—PSALM 88:1–18, EMPHASIS ADDED

The abominations or perverseness of Israel was their turning away in unbelief from the God who chose them in their pollution and purified and prospered them. While living under the curse of sin like the other nations, He chose them for Himself, mightily made Himself known to them, and was all they ever needed. Yet, they rejected Him and, in unbelief, forsook Him. In jealously He wooed them, yet they would not listen. In justice He warned them, yet they would not hear. In judgment He condemned, yet they kept on unbelieving. Still He longs to restore them—the child whom He loved and still loves and will forever love. The prophet Ezekiel tells it like this:

Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, And say, Thus saith the LORD God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. . . . And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. . . . Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD: Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more. So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

—EZEKIEL 16:1–15, 22, 35–43, EMPHASIS ADDED

For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

—EZEKIEL 34:11–16

So Jesus had just come from a glorious, mountaintop experience. He then had a discourse with His disciples about the prophecy that Elias, or Elijah, was to come first before the Messiah. He had just explained that Elias had already come—as John the Baptist—and had been killed. The role of Elias, or John the Baptist, was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. What the fathers had started had trickled down to the children, and the heart of the unbelieving fathers was also that of their children.

Imagine now that just after having this discussion, He saw a vivid example of the problems of this unbelief! He saw the unbelief of the forefathers demonstrated in the faithlessness of the disciples. He saw a situation in which the disciples that He had empowered to cast out devils were now unable to cast one out because of their lack of faith. It is in this vein that He so strongly laments about this kind of unbelief. It is one thing to talk about a matter, but it is a different thing to witness it.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

—MALACHI 4:5–6

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That