x

Blinded Eyes And Hardened Hearts

Blinded Eyes And Hardened Hearts

By: Juliet Constantine



“But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: ‘Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?’”(John 12:37-38)
 

It’s true. There’s nothing new under the sun. The hearts of humans are only evil continually.

The God-demonstrated instructions were practiced daily in his home. The morning and evening sacrifices were their time of communing with God. This daily ritual held significant meaning since they were the only family and the only humans living at that time. Sin had begun with his parents; they talked of their experience and the hope of a coming Savior. He was the older son, and his dad sometimes wondered if he (Cain) was the chosen Savior. But not for long – as his actions were contrary to the established rituals. His obedience was lacking as shown in his offering to God. These were only the beginning as he later murdered his brother out of jealousy! Cain blinded his eyes to God’s instructions; and over time, his heart became hardened. He not only lost his way, he lost his soul.

Cain wasn’t the first, his parents were; yet, he wasn’t the last either. There are many after him who blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts to God’s instructions and miracles, only to their own destruction. The Bible has many examples. The men of Sodom were spiritually blinded before they were physically blinded. While they had their physical sight, their hearts were hardened because they refused to listen to Lot. Their probation had long expired. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened despite the many evidences of God’s power. Then there were some stubborn Israelites on their journey from Egypt to Canaan. They were sheer rebels. Nothing that God did could serve as a reminder that He was with them and would take care of their needs. These are only a few of those whose eyes were blinded because of their unbelief. Their spiritual eyes were blinded, thus their hearts became hardened. And history keeps repeating itself time and again.

Jesus, in speaking with the great multitude, was willing to help so as long as they were willing to listen with an open heart. He tried to remove the ‘scale from their eyes’ in the hope that they would see that God’s kingdom had indeed come to them. But most, in their stubborn disobedience, refused to believe in-spite-of so many signs done before them. Not much changed since Jesus’ return to Heaven. Peoples’ unbelief was so deep that John echoed Isaiah’s words: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” John then concluded that the people could not believe, because their eyes were blinded and their hearts hardened.

We run the risk of our eyes being blinded and our hearts hardened when we refuse to believe God’s words. We are admonished that we should “Believe in the LORD your God; so shall ye be established. Believe His prophets; so shall ye prosper.” (2 Chronicles 20:20) When we refuse to believe God’s words, our behavior is comparable to Cain’s, Pharaoh’s, and all examples listed in the Bible. When we believe, our actions will ‘fall in line’. True belief is followed by acceptance and change. We will order our lives after God’s words. When we truly believe, it’s no more about what my customs are or what my pastor said. My decisions will be based on what God expects from me. Do not blind your eyes to God’s will for your life. Do not be stubborn or else your heart will become hardened to your own destruction.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your words which are written for our learning. Please help us not to make the same mistake as others of old in refusing to believe Your words and follow Your instructions. Please help us to believe so that we can be established and so that we can prosper. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.



Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)

Back To Alone With God Devotionals

Suggested Video

Job: The End

What can we learn from the end of the story of Job? Does Job have a happy ending, or is he still awaiting his happy ending? What can this book teach us about human suffering for those who love God? Does God bless us in the here and now? What are the rewards of trusting God? Who can we depend on when family, friends, and acquaintances turn their backs on us? Is death truly the end of life’s story? How can the second coming of Jesus impact how we relate to hardship and difficulties in our lives? Did Job understand the doctrine of the resurrection?

 

 

 

To Remember Or Forget God
This video is from the Class D, 2007-2010, Inspirited Network broadcasts on stickam with Joseph Williams and John Spellman covering topics related to Salvation and Christian Living. Videos are in standard definition since the broadcasts were done before the studio was built.
Matthew: Peter and the Rock

What was the relationship between Peter, Jesus, and the church? How should we understand Jesus' words that upon the rock would he build his church? Who was this rock? Protestants and Catholics have long debated this passage but what secrets do the Greek manuscripts hold that make the matter more clear? In this study John Spellman goes into depth explaining the passage Matthew 16:18 in a way you may never have heard before. Why does it matter who Jesus is to us? Why is it important that we see Him as the rock?

suggested audio

Final Events: The Bible (Part 1)

Pastor Calhoun Jr. Tele-Class C. Discusses final events of Bible prophecy.

The Law and Grace

Joseph Williams and John Spellman present: The Law and Grace. What is the relationship between the law, grace, and the Christian?

Connecting To Jesus

Joseph Williams and John Spellman present: Connecting to Jesus.

Lost Day Of History

The Bible teaches about a day lost in history. A day God designed for us to remember. This week's lesson uncovers the mystery of this forgotten and lost day.

Suggested Reading

Love Found A Way
The love of God never ceases to amaze me! His love is so stubborn and relentless. His love knows no measure. His love found a way to reconcile mankind to Himself! He turned away His own wrath by sacrificing His own Son, Jesus!! Isn’t that amazing? And what’s even more amazing is that Jesus Himself loves us just as much, and is ready and willing to forgive us of our sins. Jesus did not delegate this responsibility to humans – the responsibility to forgive sins. He is our High Priest. He encouraged us not to sin but just in case we did, He was our advocate with Father God. We are only required to confess our faults to each other!
Leave Mary Alone
At Jesus’ going away supper, while others dined and conversed with Him, Mary, out of sheer gratitude, felt a compulsion to anoint Jesus. So she anointed His feet using a very expensive ointment, and her hair was the towel. It was nothing strange to anoint dead bodies, but it was a strange sight to behold the anointment of a living person. Some thought it was a sexual advancement and were very critical of her, others thought that she broke protocol and was being disrespectful. It would seem that no one, except Jesus, was grateful for what she did.
Hosanna
It’s seems like we are created to confront, complain, and murmur. Instead of praising Him in the good times and the bad, we praise only in good times and complain in the bad times. We play when things are good and pray when times are hard. We limit ourselves by looking only ‘as far as the eye can see’. If we allow ourselves to see farther, I know our responses would’ve been different. Short sighted vision will rob us of continual praise, and constant shouts of Hosanna.