Tag: spirit of stupor

20.p. “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false”

 

Romans 11:7  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 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.”

 Isaiah 6:10     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.”

 Matthew 13:14-15   Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “‘“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.’

 2 Corinthians 4:4    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 2:10-12   and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,  in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

How utterly bad is it to have rejected God and His love through Jesus Christ and then believe that which is nothing more than a delusion, lies, and unsatisfying to the soul?  God reaches out in love to mankind with a gracious and merciful gift, Jesus Christ, and people have and continue to reject this offer.  This offer has been flat out denied, neglected, diluted, or rejected, and it is in this state of mind they easily believe dilutions and lies.  The saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ is not so much withheld from them but rather they have blinded their eyes and deafened their ears with wanting to believe anything other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is a personal intentional choice of rejection.  With hardened hearts, they hear of God’s love through Jesus Christ but it has no effect.  Though the Word of God shouts “Come to Me”, “Believe in Me”, “Trust Me”, “Rely on Me”, “Yield and surrender to Me”, “I love you so much I sent My Son to bear the burden of your sins”, “I will give you rest”, “I will give you joy, peace, power, courage, hope”, and “I will give you eternal life”, they choose to reject, deny, and neglect it.  They choose to believe in the wisdom of man or self rather than the Creator.  They choose to deny and reject God’s Word when it says; “I will judge you”, “I will pour out My wrath on you”, “I will not withhold my anger against you forever”, “I will cast you into eternal hell for eternity”, “I will reject all who have rejected Me”, “I am coming again to judge both the living and dead”, and “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God and all of His fury”.  

Rejection, denial, neglect, and complacency, take on many forms, at different times, but always display the intent of the heart, mind, and soul of people.  All is exposed and open to God.  He knows the intent of your heart and mind.  He knows if you have surrendered all your hope of forgiveness for sin by faith, trust, and reliance in/on Jesus Christ alone.  He knows if you keep some of this surrender back and by some means rely on some form of your good works or Christian service to help you become good in His eyes.  This will never produce anything God-honoring because you are trying to keep some of this honor for yourself to somehow make you right in God’s eyes.  It is just another delusion and lie.  There is nothing you can do other than complete humble surrender, reliance, and trust in Jesus Christ.  It is then and only then you will realize the good things you do are for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ.

10.c. “Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”

Amos 8:11  “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.

1 Samuel 3:1    Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.

Ezekiel 7:26    Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a vision from the prophet, while the law perishes from the priest and counsel from the elders.

Romans 11:7-10    What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  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.”

Isaiah 30:20-21    And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

2 Timothy 3:7     always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

“Behold, the days are coming”.  Amos proclaimed a day when there would be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.  A day when the people were hardened.  A day when the Teacher does not hide and ears will hear Him speak to their heart, mind, and soul.  They will hear “this is the way, walk in it”.  Don’t you wonder if people will listen  and walk in it?  Or will they harden against it?  “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and water of affliction” they will either listen or not.

I am sooooo tired of hearing people blaming China, the President, governors, mayors, and anyone else for the current pandemic.  As if they could do anything to stop the spread of this.  If we do not see God sovereign over this bread of adversity and water of affliction then I guess you end up looking for someone to blame.  Could God be speaking to the world one last time before the end of days.  Could He be graciously reaching out through this to call the hearts, minds, and soul of man to Himself.  How long will He wait?  I wonder how many during this time will reject His calling out.  I wonder for how many this will be their last chance to hear His calling.  We never know when our last day is.  We never know the moment we will enter into eternity.  Life never gives us a heads up.  Hear today and all is good and then bam, eternity.  Know this there is no second chance apart from while we are alive on this side of eternity.  Sin must be recognized and owned or there will never be seen the need of Jesus Christ, redemption, forgiveness, salvation, and repentance.  As the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ perishes from a society, nation, and culture there will be no hope, peace, or rest for the people.  Come to Him, confess your sin, repent and turn away from it, and believe in the work Jesus Christ did on the cross to redeem you.  Follow, trust, and obey Him.  Eternity is nearer than you think.

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.’