Are You Blind to the Truth?
Are You Blind to the Truth?
Thinking about Romans 11:7-10.
What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: "GOD HAS GIVEN THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES THAT THEY SHOULD NOT SEE AND EARS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HEAR, TO THIS VERY DAY."
And David says: "LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RECOMPENSE TO THEM. LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED, SO THAT THEY DO NOT SEE, AND BOW DOWN THEIR BACK ALWAYS." (Romans 11:7-10)
God had not rejected His people. Paul made it clear that God’s people were not the physical nation of Israel; rather, His people were the remnant (Romans 11:1-6).
Paul then highlights the difference between the physical nation of Israel and the remnant.
The Difference Between Israel and the Elect.
The majority of the physical nation of Israel had not obtained what they were seeking because they sought it by works of the law rather than by faith (Romans 9:30-32).
They were “ignorant of God’s righteousness” and looked for a way to establish their own righteousness (Romans 10:3). However, the remnant submitted to God’s righteousness in the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16-17).
When men continually reject God’s grace they begin a process whereby their heart is hardened, eventually going beyond the point of recovery (1 Timothy 4:2; 2 Peter 2:14). - Wacaster, Studies in Romans, 385
The result of Israel's rejection of the gospel and not obtaining what they searched for was blindness. Paul’s statement reminds us of what Jesus said to the Pharisees after healing the man born blind.
And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains. (John 9:39-41)
They thought they were the “seeing ones,” but their rejection of Jesus revealed they were truly blind.
Israel’s Rejection of the Gospel Was Prophesied.
The nation of Israel’s rejection of the gospel was prophesied in the Old Testament.
Paul first referred to passages such as Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 6:9-10, and Isaiah 29:10 to show Israel’s rejection of the gospel and how this refusal to submit to God led to their hardening and blindness.
At Isaiah’s call, God told the prophet plainly that the message He had given him would not be received by Israel. In fact, it would lead to the hardening of the people’s hearts, making them ripe for judgment (Isaiah 6:8-13). Paul found a parallel situation with contemporary Jews, who like those in Isaiah’s time heard the message from God but rejected it. In the process of rejecting the gospel, their hearts were set even more in opposition to it. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 388
Paul then referred back to Psalm 69:22-23 to describe the misfortune and disaster that would come upon those who rejected God and His way. It painted a dark picture of a people who would have disaster strike when they felt most secure, and who would be bent under the burden of the load they carried.
While this is certainly a bleak picture, Paul is not finished with the physical nation of Israel yet.
What Do We Want to Hear?
In 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 we are told that God who offers truth to men will give people occasion to believe error if that’s what they insist on wanting. God will see to it that those who wish to feed on error will have ample opportunity to do just that. - McGuiggan, Romans, 313
No doubt, many in Israel claimed they wanted to hear the truth. But by rejecting the gospel of Christ, they demonstrated that the truth was not what they really wanted.
What about us?
Is the truth really what we want to hear? Or do we just want to hear what makes us feel comfortable? Do we just want to hear someone reinforce what we have always believed?
Israel’s problem was that they didn’t really want the truth - and so, their hearts became hardened to the truth. If the truth isn’t what we really want, then we are in danger of becoming hardened to the truth and blind to our condition.
And there are still a lot of hardened hearts around today. And many so-called pastors who reject the Old Testament as outdated.
You ask "Is the truth really what we want to hear? Or do we just want to hear what makes us feel comfortable? Do we just want to hear someone reinforce what we have always believed?"
Of course we want to hear what makes us comfortable! If we are uncomfortable we won't go back to church to hear it again!
We need to judge our churches doctrines against scripture, and see if it measures up: Prove all things, hold fast to the good. (1Thes 5:21)
if not we will be in the same boat as Israel: Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. However, they worship Me in vain, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, ... (Mark 7:6-8)
Do we worship God and what he says, or the preacher and what he says?