Paul – Praying Pint

33.l. “You have given me relief when I was in distress”

Matthew 15:21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Psalms 4:1  Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

Jeremiah 50:6-7    “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone. They have forgotten their fold.  All who found them have devoured them, and their enemies have said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their habitation of righteousness, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’

Ezekiel 34:5-6   So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;  they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

Ezekiel 34:16    I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

Ezekiel 34:23  And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.

Acts 13:46    And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share Christ’s influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation. The distress and trouble of her family brought a woman to Christ; and though it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefore be driven from him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instance of mercy, but mercy, mercy, is what she begged for: she pleads not merit, but depends upon mercy. It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and to be earnest in prayer for them, especially for their souls. Have you a son, a daughter, grievously vexed with a proud devil, an unclean devil, a malicious devil, led captive by him at his will? this is a case more deplorable than that of bodily possession, and you must bring them by faith and prayer to Christ, who alone is able to heal them. (Henry)

This mother speaks as though she herself were the one that needed healing, identifying herself with her oppressed daughter, as though the horrible anguish, distress, and torment lay upon her own spirit and could not be relieved without the cure of her suffering daughter. (Guzik)

But he answered her not a word,…. Not that he did not hear her, or that he despised either her person or petition, or that he was not moved with it; but to continue her importunity, and try her faith, and make it manifest: for like reasons the Lord does not always, and immediately, answer the requests of his people. This giving her no answer, either that he would, or would not help her. (Gill)

But he answered her not a word,…. Not that he did not hear her, or that he despised either her person or petition, or that he was not moved with it; but to continue her importunity, and try her faith, and make it manifest: for like reasons the Lord does not always, and immediately, answer the requests of his people. This giving her no answer, either that he would, or would not help her. (unknown)

Send her away; for she cries after us.—It appears that after no response from Jesus the mother turned to the disciples. The disciples words, as interpreted by our Lord’s answer, were, in some sense, a plea in favor of the woman. They wished Him to grant what she asked for, and so to dismiss her. And yet we feel that their words were far harsher than their Master’s silence. They wanted only to be rid of her presence, which had followed them from the streets into the house, to be freed from the loud eager cries which vexed them. (Elliot)

I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; as a priest, or as a Saviour and Redeemer, he was sent to make satisfaction and atonement for the sins of all God’s elect, and to obtain eternal redemption and salvation for all of them, whether Jews or Gentiles; but as a prophet, in the discharge of his own personal ministry, he was sent by his Father only to the Jews; he was the “minister of the circumcision”, Romans 15:8 that is, a minister to the circumcised Jews; he was sent only to preach the Gospel to them, and work miracles among them, in proof of his Messiahship; and upon their rejection of him, then his apostles were to be sent among the Gentiles; but he himself was sent only to the Jews, here styled “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”: by “the house of Israel”, is meant the whole body of the Jewish nation, so called from Israel, the name of Jacob their father, from whom they sprung; and by the “lost sheep” of that house, are more especially designed the elect of God among them: for though all the individuals of that house were “lost” persons, considered in Adam, and in themselves, as the rest of mankind, and Christ, in the external ministry of the word, was sent to preach to them all; yet the elect of God are only “sheep”: they are the sheep of Christ, of his pasture, and of his hand, whom he has the particular care and charge of; and who, in their natural state, are lost and straying, and could never find their way, or recover themselves from their lost state in Adam, and by their own transgressions; but he came to seek, and to save them, and to these his ministry was powerful and efficacious. (Gill)

32.i. “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Luke 12:49-53    “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!  I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!  Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Acts 13:45-46   But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him.  And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

Acts 14:2   But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

Acts 14:4    But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

Philippians 1:20-21    as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Revelation 2:10   Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The dividing line between those who accept Jesus and those who reject Him runs through families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, towns, villages, states, and countries. A person’s eternal destiny depends upon their response to Jesus Christ. In their response to humbly surrender, repent, believe, follow, trust, obey, and rely on Jesus Christ a person is born again, and in this new birth is where the dividing line is established. On one side there is peace, comfort, joy, hope, courage, strength that comes from and through believing, trusting, relying on, and following Jesus Christ. On the other side of the line are those who do not surrender or repent. They may be of a mind that believes they are doing enough good to be good enough for eternal life. They may be of a mind to flat out deny Jesus Christ exists. Where ever their mind has landed, it has landed on the other side of the dividing line. The dividing line begins in the heart of each person and then is manifested out to others. How many times does Scripture tell us to stand firm? How many times will our heart be tested by those who stand firmly on the other side of the line?

Every person born is born on the wrong side of the line. This is clear. Every person is born on the side of the dividing line that leads to eternal hell. It doesn’t matter what a person thinks about this, how they try to perform, or how they try to balance the scales so that they end up on the other side of the line. The line is clear.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

What side of the dividing line do you stand on?

29.c. “Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

1 Colossians 1:21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Ephesians 2:1-2   And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

James 4:4    You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Romans 8:7-8    For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.  Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 5:9-10   Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Belonging to the race of Adam, we are born alienated from God. Then as individuals, we each choose to accept and embrace that alienation with our wicked works. God’s answer to the problem of alienation is reconciliation, initiated by His work on the cross (reconciled in the body of His flesh through death). In the work of reconciliation, God didn’t meet us halfway. God meets us all the way and invites us to accept it. This means that in Jesus we are no longer alienated. The difference between a believer and a non-believer isn’t merely forgiveness; there is a complete change of status. The desire to be saved means a desire to be made holy, blameless, and above reproach, not merely a desire to escape the fires of hell on our own terms. There ought to be a transformative change in us. Something that is continually cultivated, nurtured, and persevered in. There ought to be a continual working, a persistence, in our desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all that we say, think, and do. Be steadfast and do not allow any worldly or fleshly desires move your feet down paths where Jesus Christ is not honored or glorified. This transformative life never stops being transformed. We continual to grow in our understanding and knowledge of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ if that is truly the desire of our heart, mind, and soul.

27.f. “But was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you”

Ephesians 3:7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Romans 16:26   but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—

Revelation 14:6  Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Matthew 13:35    This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”

2 Timothy 1:9   who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

1 Peter 1:20    He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

Paul marveled at the grace given to him, by which he was called to preach the gospel that makes the mystery a reality. When we consider Paul’s personal history, we see that his calling really was all of grace. Paul tried to figure out the greatness of God’s grace and started tracking it out as one might track out the shore of a lake. He soon discovered that it wasn’t a lake at all, but an ocean, an immeasurable sea. God’s riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely. “I am bold to tell you that my Master’s riches of grace are so unsearchable, that he delights to forgive and forget enormous sin; the bigger the sin the more glory to his grace. If you are at the very gates of hell, he is able to pluck you from the jaws of destruction.” (Spurgeon)

The mystery of Jesus Christ was revealed. Prophets of old and millions of people longed for what the prophets spoke, at least they thought they did. When He came into the world, according to the plans and purposes of God, He was rejected by most and held dearly by some. There is not much different today. He is rejected, the mystery is rejected, God is rejected, and His plan of redemption and salvation is cast aside like a worthless piece of waste. How terrifying will it be on the day of judgment for those who rejected Jesus Christ? How ashamed will they be when they come and bow before Him in all of His glory?

As Spurgeon said; “the vilest sinner on a headlong course to Hell will be saved if they would just turn to Jesus Christ and believe” God is able but are you willing? God has promised eternal life to all who would believe and humbly follow, obey, trust, and rely on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is no soul so far lost that the grace, love, and mercy of Jesus can’t save. He is standing at the door to your heart, knocking, and seeking you to soften your hardened heart and let Him in.

26.b. “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

John 4:34    Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

John 5:30     “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Romans 8:27   And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Ephesians 1:11    In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

John 6:38    For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Psalms 40:8     I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Psalms 119:92   If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.

Job 23:12   I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever.” –“because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” – “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” – “I delight to do your will”

What is the will of God? Do we search scripture to understand, in part, the will of God? Do we blindly live our lives without giving thought to what God’s will is for our lives? Many books have been written to help us understand the will of God for our lives. Here are a few “The will of God”, What the will of God really means”, “Experiencing God, knowing and doing the will of God”, “Decision making and the will of God”, “What the bible says about how to know God’s will”, “How you can know the will of God”, “Discovering His will for your life”, “Understanding and pursuing the will of God,” “How to know the will of God”, “Walking in the will of God”, “The will of God”, “You can know the will of God”, “Finding God’s will for you”, “How do I know God’s will”, “Discovering God’s will”, “The secret to knowing God’s will for your life”, “Can I know God’s will”, “The will of God”, “Finding God’s will”, etc…………… These books have been mostly written in an attempt to explain and point to understanding the Will of God. I am sure there are many good points and thoughts in these books. Some of them will be similar and some will be one-offs.

At the end of the day, what is important: having a desire for God’s will, seeking God’s will, and believing, trusting, following, and obeying His will. Know this – we can not expect to begin to understand God’s will if we are neglectful and complacent or if our eyes are on the worldly rather than the heavenly, and if our fleshly heart is not surrendered. Seeking, desiring, and wanting to do the will of God should not be seen as a one and done event, but rather, an intentional daily continual choice – a way of life – wanting to be and willing to be lead by the Holy Spirit of God for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ.

25.b. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing”

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Luke 2:34    And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed

John 9:39   Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

1 Corinthians 1:18    For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Acts 13:45-47    And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4     And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

2 Thessalonians 2:10    and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

“Among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing”, “Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”, “it is veiled to those who are perishing”, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers”, “They refused to love the truth and so be saved”. There are truly those who will have eternal life and those who will not. To those perishing, God’s word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been rejected. They have chosen to believe the lies and deceptions of Satan and they have chosen to refuse the truth found in and through Jesus Christ.

Imagine a drowning man being thrown a life jacket and all he has to do is grab hold to be saved and somehow he has purposed in his mind the life jacket is foolish and will not take hold of it. He perishes in his rejection of what can save him. Imagine a person dying of thirst and is offered water and all they have to do is drink and they will not die, but somehow they have purposed water will not save them from dying and they refuse to drink and they perish in their rejection of what can save them. Imagine a person in a speeding car that is heading straight on course to drive off of a mountain cliff and have been told to apply the breaks and they will stop and not die. They reject this advice and perish because they do not believe in that which can save them from certain death. Imagine a pilot of a small plane who has been warned of severe weather and the need to avoid it. The tower has the latest weather radar and they are relaying information to all on a path with it. The pilot who has also had radar in his plane does not see it on his screen and does not believe what the tower is telling him. He chooses to continue and perishes because of his unbelief. There are hundreds if not thousands of examples that can metaphorically demonstrate the acceptance/rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

22.g. “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory”

1 Corinthians 3:5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field

John 4:36-38    Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

Psalms 115:1   Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

Daniel 4:35    all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

There was conflict in the Corinthian church. Jealousy and strife and division were causing this conflict. Thinking they were spiritual is often applied to whatever is causing the conflict. They were applying human thinking and fleshly ways to things of God. You can hear them saying “I was saved under Paul” and another saying, “yes, but I was taught and instructed by Apollo” and so the conflict began with the thought of who was greater? and who was better? Paul said, “if you are having envy, strife, and division then you are of a carnal mind, thinking like the world around you and not like that which honors and glorifies Jesus Christ. There is a place for envy, envy a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a place for strife, stand firm against that which dishonors God and so easily temps you. There is a place for division, set yourself apart from worldly pleasures and desires and cling to, rely on, and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

22.f. “I could not address you as spiritual people”

1 Corinthians 3:1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

1 Corinthians 14:20   Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

Ephesians 4:13-14    until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,  so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Hebrews 5:12-14    For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,  for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.  But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Surely, Paul is telling us that there should be a “spiritual growth” realized in each of us. It is written in Isaiah “For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” Throughout our lives, we are to be spiritually growing. This growth requires watering and feeding in the Word of God. It does not come through osmosis. Time must be spent both reading it and thinking about it and applying it. The fruit of the Spirit does not grow without being watered and fed. Do you have peace, joy, love, long-suffering, kindness, patience, gentleness, rest, courage, hope….? The world will offer everything under the sun to replace what God will give to the hearts and minds of those who seek and desire to humbly surrender fleshly desires. Spiritual maturity comes with constant watering and feeding in the Word of God with a heart and mind choice to grow and live to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

21.o. “To the church of God that is in Corinth”

1 Corintians 1:1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The city of Corinth was at the heart of an important trade route in the ancient world. Like many cities that thrive on trade, Corinth had a reputation for sexual immorality, religious diversity, and corruption. The church that Paul planted there (Acts 18) floundered under all of these influences and began to divide over various issues. First Corinthians addresses many practical questions dividing the church—questions concerning such things as spiritual gifts, marriage, food offered to idols, and the resurrection. Paul urged the Corinthians to be unified and to give themselves fully to “the work of the Lord” (15:58). Chapter 13 includes a well-known passage on the nature and importance of love. Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus about A.D. 55.

Paul then received reports from people in Chloe’s household about disturbances in Corinth and he may have received a delegation from Corinth who brought him questions from the congregation. It seems evident from 1 and 2 Corinthians, Paul’s standing and authority as an apostle were not appreciated among the Christians of Corinth. Paul tells them just what kind of apostle he is, a called apostle. “Paul knows that he is not one of the twelve apostles, but he is on par with them because, like them, he is chosen by God.” (Robertson) Paul emphasizes his point and already begins contending with the Christians of Corinth. It is as if he says, “You all may not recognize my apostolic credentials. That is of little importance to me because I am not an apostle because of a popular election. I am not an apostle through the appointment of the other apostles. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, not the will of any man.” (Guzik)

In the coming days, we will look at what God directed Paul to say to no only the Corinthians, but to us as well.

14. “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people”

Exodus 33:5  For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people;

Deuteronomy 29:4     But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.

Isaiah 6:9-10     And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Jeremiah 5:21    “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not.

John 12:37-41    Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,  so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Acts 28:25-27    And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:  “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

Romans 11:8-10     as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”  And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever.”

Disbelief seems to have many forms. It can come in the form of hearing truth but denying it. It can come in the form of seeing great wonders but discounting them. It can come in hearing truth but denying it applies to them. It can come in the form of seeing creation but denying God as the creator. It can come in the form of hearing promises of God but denying them in their life. It can come in seeing a transformed life but denying God’s hand in it. It can come in the form of hearing God’s commands but denying they apply to them. It can come in seeing the work of the Holy Spirit in a life and denying the ability of the Holy Spirit’s existence. It can come in hearing the conviction of God’s word but denying it. It can come in seeing love and compassion but denying serving God is the reason. It can come in hearing place your trust in God but only trusting self or others. It can come in seeing the needy but denying to help. It can come in hearing the need to be born again but denying the need. It can come in seeing the lost but deny telling the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It can come in hearing of sin but deny it in their lives. It can come in seeing God’s word but denying it has value. It comes in hearing of God’s wrath but denying it will affect them. It comes in seeing wrong but denying it is wrong. It comes in hearing God’s call for repentance but denying the need. It comes in seeing complacent service to God but denying it. It comes in “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’