April 6, 2024 - Eyes to See, Ears to Hear, Hearts to Understand

Deuteronomy 29:1-30:20

Luke 11:37-12:7

Psalm 78:1-31

Proverbs 12:19-20

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

Deuteronomy 29:3 With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those signs and great wonders. 4 But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

The ability to see, hear and understand all the amazing works of God is not something we have on our own. I had just commented on that on Wednesday in our small group about this. Without the Holy Spirit we don't get it. The Israelites did not have the Holy Spirit with them at all times like we do. The Spirit would come on people as God would have it but it was not something that they could access on their own. So it is understandable that even though they witness for themselves all the things that God had done for them they, in their sinful rebellious nature didn't get it and didn't live like He would continue to do it. That is why they kept grumbling in the wilderness and stopped obeying His laws. The words about minds to understand, eyes to see and ears to hear is all through the bible. Not only is it used like this to describe the state of the Israelites in their rebellion it is also used in prophecies of Jesus because the sinful human nature does not allow us to hear, see and understand.

Psalm 78:1 My people, hear my teaching;

    listen to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth with a parable;

    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

When Jesus spoke in parables He did it knowing that people would not understand. When the disciples asked Him why, He told them it was because of the prophecy that says that He would. He also told them that their ability to understand was given to them by God.

Matthew 13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

Being able to understand was a special gifting given to the disciples that was more universally given to the church on Pentecost. The condition of the human heart is calloused and lost on its own. Those in this life who are rejecting God will not be able to see, hear or understand anything of God that is going on around them or that is spoken to them on their own. They are like the Israelites. They need the Holy Spirit to prompt them and draw them. When we have people in our lives who are lost and we are praying for them it is common to pray for God to soften their hearts, but we also need to pray for Him to give them eyes to see, ears to hear and hearts/minds to understand because without Him they just won't get it. We should also pray that our eyes, ears and hearts are open to God because we can push the Holy Spirit away and ignore Him as we get caught up in this world.