In this chapter we will see the mind of the Lord regarding Israel’s existing, spiritual malady.
It must have been bitterly hard for Moses. Again and again he was astonished by the mighty miracles, the powerful wonders only the God of Israel could perform. Let us listen now to the prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 6:9 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: ‘Who shall I send and who will go for us? ’ Then said I: ‘Here am I, send me.’ And He said: ‘Go and tell this people keep on listening, but do not perceive, keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the heart of this people insensitive; their ears dull and their eyes dim, lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and return to be healed.’ “
Israel’s heart was hard. Her God made it harder still.
The Lord Himself confirmed the message to Isaiah. To all other nations in the world Israel was meant to be His servant-messenger. But this is what the Lord had to say to His people:
Isaiah 42:18-20 “Hear you deaf, look you blind and see! Who is blind but My servant and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me? Blind like the servant of the Lord? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open but you hear nothing!”
The prophet Jeremiah also spoke the truth about Israel:
Jeremiah 5:20,21 “Announce this to the house of Jacob and proclaim it to Judah: ‘Hear this, you foolish and senseless people who have eyes ‘but do not see’, who have ears but ‘do not hear’.”
Sadly, the Lord revealed it again, this time to Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 12:1,2 “The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear, but do not hear. For they are a rebellious people.’ “
In the New Testament we find the reason why the Lord Jesus spoke to Israel in parables. He tells us it was because of Israel’s spiritual blind- and deafness. Word for word the Lord repeated Isaiah’s ancient prophecy (Matthew 13:13-15). But it was to no avail.
Finally, in Acts 28, the Apostle Paul, in his defence of the Gospel made the Jews face the reality of their situation in the sight of God. Again the prophecy of Isaiah was spelt out and rejected. Later Paul wrote:
‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.’
From Moses to Isaiah, from Isaiah to the Lord Jesus and then from Jesus to Paul, right up to this day in 2008, Israel has been stiff necked and rebellious.
Acts 28:28 “Therefore”, says Paul, “I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.”
And yet, it should fill our hearts with wonder and worship. The day is still coming that will show the faithfulness of our God to be absolutely glorious. Every eye will see our Lord, even the eyes of those who have pierced Him.
Isaiah 35: 6 “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.”
v.10 “And the ransomed of the Lord will return; they will enter Zion with
singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads; gladness and joy will overtake
them and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Isaiah 29:18,19 “In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord, the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”
Was there ever one other nation as privileged as Israel? God, the Creator of heaven and earth, called Israel into being, a nation for Him self. From her first days He cared for her, like a father cares for his children. In a miraculous way He brought them deliverance from the slave-driving Egyptian Pharaoh. Twice He safely took them, on dry ground, through the bed of a sea. He provided Israel’s food, Manna in the wilderness and water out of a rock. He fought their cruel enemies and brought His people into the land He had promised to Abraham. Then followed years of blessing, interspersed with times of correction. We marvel at the mercy and patience of the God of Israel when, in the Old Testament, we read about Israel’s sinful disobedience. We wonder why Israel was never wiped out completely. Was it because God had a purpose and plan for their disobedience? In due time He would use their rebellion to have His Son crucified for the sins of the world. Moses told them about the blessings that would follow their obedience and the sure and sad consequences of disobedience to God.
Deuteronomy 28:12,13 “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend money to many nations but borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord, your God, that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top and never at the bottom.”
And then, if they would not pay attention:
Deuteronomy 28:44 “The alien who lives among you will rise above, higher and higher and you will sink lower and lower; he will lend to you and you will not lend to him; he will be the head and you will be the tail.”
Yet, in spite of this dire warning Israel did forsake the Lord and we hear the cry from the heart of God to Samuel:
1 Samuel 8:7 “They have not rejected you but they have rejected Me.”
As already mentioned, much later in time Israel also rejected her God-given Messiah and crucified Him. After that God withdrew and had His Son building, NOT the kingdom of Heaven, but a new province in the Kingdom of God, His Church. The Kingdom of Heaven on earth was postponed. Now it will not come until after Israel’s conversion. Israel was left to her own devices, waiting the day, when God will again step into her history. After that Jews will go out and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to ALL nations (Matthew 24:14), until the King of Israel returns on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-11). Today, as the Lord leads, His Church may go out and preach the Gospel of Grace until the Church will be full and complete and taken to be with her Lord. The building of the Church is today the ministry of the Church.
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