REFUSING TO BELIEVE

JOHN 12:37–41

Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes …”

(John 12:39, 40).

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed judgment on the nation of Israel. In the passage before us we see that judgment fulfilled. Isaiah prophesied that when the Messiah assumed His place as ruler of His kingdom, many would refuse to follow Him. As a result of their unbelief, they would be hardened in their sin.

How do we unravel the mysteries of this text? Here we read that God has closed the eyes of the Jews so that they would not turn. Is God unjust that He should act in such a way? Of course not. Hendriksen comments that “Any attempt to change the clear meaning of a text in order to bring it into harmony with one’s particular theology is reprehensible. We should let the passage stand just as it is and not tamper with it in any way.”

The consequence of hardening ourselves against the solemn admonitions and warnings that come to us is God’s judgment. The Jewish people had seen Jesus’ miracles time and again, but they refused to believe. Notice that the responsibility for their unbelief is all their own: they did not believe Him. It does not say that “God did not let them believe Him.” Instead, it puts the responsibility clearly on the side of the Jews. Again, Hendriksen writes, “God is the God of love. He is not a cruel monster who deliberately and with inward delight prepares people for everlasting damnation. On the contrary, He earnestly warns, proclaims the Gospel, and states what will happen if people believe, also what will happen if they do not. But when people, of their own accord and after repeated threats and promises, reject Him and spurn His messages, then—and not until then—He hardens them, in order that those who were not willing to repent may not be able to repent.”

The more a person refuses to believe in Christ, the more he runs the risk of God hardening him so that he cannot repent. This is what God did with Pharaoh, and it is what He did with Israel. Let the warning of Hebrews 10 be heeded: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.… ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

CORAM DEO

Psalm 56–58

Acts 28:1–15

Read the passages below. Who is responsible for unbelief? Even though a person chooses to reject God, does this mean God is not in control of the situation? Take some time to read and think about Hebrews 10:26–31. Examine your own life for hardness of heart and unbelief. Pray that God will soften your heart by His grace.

For further study: Ex. 7:1–7; 8:15, 19 • Isa. 6:9–10; 53:1 • Heb. 10:26–31

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july