Blind and ignorant

Why doesn’t God just show himself?  If he truly exists, why doesn’t he just make it crystal clear so that I can know, not just guess or hope?

Sometimes people, both believers and unbelievers ask this question.  There are a number of answers I suppose we could give to this.

But there’s one question that the person who asks this should ask themselves:  If God did really reveal himself in that way, would you really follow him?  Or are you just making a convenient excuse for not doing so?

The truth is that God has revealed himself in more visible ways in the past, and for a number of people, it didn’t make the slightest difference in whether they followed him or not.

God, for instance, delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt using incredible signs and wonders.  Time and again, he miraculously provided for them in the desert. 

If that wasn’t enough, there was always a pillar of cloud and fire in the midst of their camp to remind the Israelites of God’s presence among them. 

Yet time and again, they failed to believe in him, and time and time again, they outright rebelled against him.

Then in the New Testament, God himself showed up among the Israelites.  The one they had been praying for appeared. 

He performed miracles among them, and spoke such words of wisdom that even the wisest and most knowledgeable among them were reduced to silence whenever they tried to argue with him. 

Did that make them want to follow him?  No.  Instead they crucified him.

That kind of attitude is also seen here in this passage where Isaiah condemns Ariel, which was another name for Jerusalem. 

“Ariel” literally means, “Lion of God,” although Isaiah seems to use this name sarcastically in the passage.

Because although they claimed to be the Lion of God, they were living their own way.  Isaiah put it this way,

The Lord says:  “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”  (Isaiah 29:13)

And so God warned them of the judgment that was coming, first on Jerusalem, and then after Jerusalem had been humbled, upon their enemies.

But despite all of Isaiah’s warnings, Israel was blind to the danger that was there.  Why?  Isaiah said,

The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers).  (10)

“Wait a minute!” you might say. 

“That’s not fair.  God blinded them and then punished them for not seeing?  How is that fair?”

But the truth is that the Israelites did not want to see.  They did not want to know.  Isaiah said,

Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless (9)

In other words, God was saying, “Do you wish not to see?  Do you wish to close your eyes to the truth?  Fine.  You won’t see it.”

Isaiah goes further, saying that for these Israelites, his words would be like a sealed scroll.  And for some people, they wouldn’t read, making the excuse that it was sealed. 

Perhaps this has the idea that the meaning of the prophesy was too difficult for them. 

Others would say, “Sorry, I can’t read, so I can’t tell you what it says.”

But in each case, there is the underlying idea that they really didn’t want to understand.  If they had, they would sought for someone with understanding to explain the scroll. 

If they really wanted to understand, they would have sought to learn how to read it themselves. 

But instead, they said, “Sorry, I don’t understand.” 

Or  “Sorry I can’t read.”

And they simply walked away.

Many Israelites were like that in Jesus’ time.  Jesus told them a parable, and while they liked the stories, many didn’t understand it.  But instead of seeking understanding, they just walked away. 

Jesus’ disciples on the other hand, sought understanding, and so they asked questions.  When they did, Jesus answered them, and they gained the understanding they had lacked.

Many people today look at the Bible and say, “It’s too difficult.  I can’t understand it.”  But instead of seeking understanding and asking for help, they simply walk away. 

That’s blinding yourself.  That’s making yourself willfully ignorant.  And God says, “If that’s the way you want to be fine.  But judgment is still coming.  And you will be judged.”

How about you?  Do you blind yourself to God’s will?  Are you willfully ignorant of God’s word?  If so, God won’t force himself upon you.  He’ll let you stay blind and ignorant.

But if you’ll only look, and if you’ll truly seek, God will reveal himself to you as he will with the Jews someday.  Isaiah wrote,

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.  (Isaiah 29:18)

And again,

Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.  (24)

Let us not be blind and ignorant.  Let us instead seek God that we may live.