But what about those who seek God erratically, mainly when they have a problem, or those who have a history of being fickle and obeying only the directives that are easy or that they agree with? And what about all that stuff we heard as kids about God opening doors as a means of leading His children?
Those are valid questions. The first one requires a mix of self-discipline and a desire to know the Lord better. The second one is the topic for today's blog post.
Does God lead his children by doors? The answer is: Yes, and no. Sometimes.
Obviously there is space for confusion about this. Let's begin by looking at some of the scripture that the "Doctrine of Door-Led" is based on.
Old Testament, doors that change leadership
And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. Isaiah 22:22¹
This verse sounds pretty impressive as a stand-alone. But when it is read in context, we realize that it is part of a judgment message for Shebna that reprimands him for his pride and the vanity of putting too much importance on earthly things. Shebna has placed his human reasoning above God's plan and is now being replaced by Eliakim.
Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open two-leaved doors before him that gates may not be closed. Isaiah 45:1
Again, the "doors" refer to the changing of a government regime. "Two-leaved" is a hinged or swinging door, like a bi-fold door, as opposed to an open archway.
New Testament, Paul's doors for witnessing
For a great and productive door has opened to me, and many are adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16:9
Paul has realized that there is a 'productive' opportunity, meaning that it will require work, and that there is a lot of opposition, but has decided to stay in Ephesus until Pentecost do serve God there. In this instance, Paul extended his stay because a door was open.
Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. 2 Corinthians 2:12, 13
This time when Paul encounters a door of opportunity, he does not stay. Instead, he follows the witness of his inner spirit. His experience in Troas is an important counterbalance to his time in Ephesus because we see Paul being led by his inner witness, not by doors of opportunity. In the natural, things would have "looked" just the other way around—a more world-minded Christian might have looked at the opposition in Ephesus and interpreted that as a "sign" to not stay!
Pray for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned. Colossians 4:3
Being chained up in prison would limit a person's audience for 'speaking the mystery of Christ,' yet we see that Paul was not praying to get out of jail or to avoid hardship. He was praying for opportunity to spread the word, which is quite different than asking God what to do next. Paul already knew what God's plan was, and in that regard he was not looking for direction but for the occasion to do God's plan.
The scriptures that say, "You should look for an open door to see what God wants you to do" simply do not exist. Nowhere are we told to rely on the phenomenon of doors opening as a sign. To the contrary, we can find a gospel example of a door that is solidly shut and we are given instructions to go knock on it! Matthew 7:7 and Luke 11:9 both record Jesus instructing the people to "knock, and it shall be opened to you." This requires an action of faith.
The Lesson
Relying on doors for guidance can be dangerous. Satan and his hordes of unclean spirits know how to open and close doors, so if you are going to rely on the position of a door as a oracle of what to do next, you had best be sure who or what was the last person or thing to use that door.
In scripture, doors are used primarily as archetypes to explain concepts and increase our understanding of how God works. They are not signs or omens of what to do next. Using a door as a spirit guide will, sooner or later, send you tumbling through a trap door.
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¹ This idea of 'a key of David' is revisited by John in Revelation 3:8. There, it is Jesus "who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens." In this context, Jesus was opening the door for the believers in Philadelphia because they had only a little power to do it on their own, and because they kept His word and did not deny His name. Jesus opened this door because they had been faithful and had reached the limits of their own power.
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