November 23: THE CRUCIAL VARIABLE

And [the Lord] said, “Go, and tell 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 shut their eyes. Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10

Isaiah was keen to bear the message of salvation. But here at the outset, the Lord is telling him that his task is going to be a very difficult one. The message that he was to carry would largely go ignored. Even through all that he would do to win the attention of his Jewish brethren – and more important, their allegiance to the God of Heaven – the people would continue in their wicked ways. Most of those who took the time to listen to the message would regard the bearer of that unheeded message as a pest!

Little did Isaiah know at the time, but he was becoming a part of a “club” of apparent failures. Later on, Jesus joined this “club” (see Matthew 13:13-15), as well as Paul (see Acts 28:26-27).

Nevertheless, God’s work on earth is never in vain; He graciously revealed to Isaiah that a remnant will be saved (1:9; 6:13; 10:21). It is vital to understand that the lack of understanding and perception, the dullness, heaviness, and blindness is a condition that people bring upon themselves by their rejection of truths from God. Regardless of the era in which a person lives, each rejection of truth brings on increased dullness of spiritual perception. At length, there is utter disability regarding any perception of spiritual things.

Paul came to realize in his day that his Jewish brethren had made their final decision as a nation to reject Jesus, the result being they were cut off as the people of God (see Romans 9-11). Yet God continues to save people individually. The desire of His great heart is not to destroy, but to save eternally. Some people respond positively to His appeals while others become firmer in their resistance. His love toward us is steadfast and unchanging; therefore, the individual’s response to Him is the crucial variable. In the end, those who are lost will realize that this is the outcome that they chose for themselves.

The role of God, and also of His servants, is to continue presenting a fair choice, even if people reject the message. Isaiah, like all the prophets, faced the task of presenting God’s truth to people around Him, though most of them were not interested in hearing it. The alarming scenario is that God and His servants are continually addressing those who view themselves as God’s people. Compare instructions given to Ezekiel:

And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day; For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 2:3-5 (see also 3:16-21)