The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 12:37-40,
"Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'"
Here is an incredibly sobering passage. John tells us that, "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him [Jesus]." Verse 42. However in verse 37 John speaks of others who would not believe in him. The result? Their ability to choose him was taken from them.
Note the progression: "they still would not believe in him" then, "For this reason they could not believe", (verse 37, then verse 39.) Because they would not, God hardened their hearts so they could not. John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them."
I am reminded of other places where we learn of God hardening the hearts of sinners. In Romans 11:8 Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day." Paul goes on to quote David, Psalm 69:22, 23, "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."
I am also reminded of how God gives those who refuse to believe in him over to their depraved sinful nature, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." Romans 1:24. Also, "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." Romans 1:26, 27. In the following verse Paul said, "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28.
"Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'"
Here is an incredibly sobering passage. John tells us that, "Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him [Jesus]." Verse 42. However in verse 37 John speaks of others who would not believe in him. The result? Their ability to choose him was taken from them.
Note the progression: "they still would not believe in him" then, "For this reason they could not believe", (verse 37, then verse 39.) Because they would not, God hardened their hearts so they could not. John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them."
I am reminded of other places where we learn of God hardening the hearts of sinners. In Romans 11:8 Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day." Paul goes on to quote David, Psalm 69:22, 23, "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."
I am also reminded of how God gives those who refuse to believe in him over to their depraved sinful nature, "Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another." Romans 1:24. Also, "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error." Romans 1:26, 27. In the following verse Paul said, "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28.
For those who would not embrace the Lord, God then changed their hearts so they could not. That door is not always available to us in this life! It just may be that if we reject what is offered in the gospel message, the result may be God takes away our ability to respond to it.
As I say, sobering, isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Yet to all who did receive Jesus Christ, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"Yet to all who did receive Jesus Christ, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12
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