Can You See?

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the godly. [Psalm 146.8] 

"Seeing eyes" is a thing.

While physical blindness is a terrible curse that God very much desires and promised to heal His people of, spiritual blindness is much worse because it prevents every blessing God promised. Let's explore this further with information provided in previous days' One Year Chronological Bible readings.

From the July 11 One Year Chronological Bible reading we find the following passage:

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

And then, from the July 14 One Year Chronological Bible reading we read the following passage:

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]

Both Psalm 115 and Psalm 135 mention eyes but cannot see and ears but cannot hear (and other lifeless qualities) speaking of idols, those who make them, and those who worship them. 

When explaining the Parable of the Sower to His disciples, Jesus quoted from Isaiah's writing.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ [Matthew 13.15]

And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.” [Isaiah 6.9-10] 

Israel's repeated rebellion, addressed by the Prophets like Isaiah, was idolatry. As Jesus explained the Parable of the Sower, He was directly associating that parable with the problem of idolatry by His reference to Isaiah with wording also used in the Psalms regarding idolatry. The resulting problem of not seeing and not hearing the Word of God (the seed planted by the sower, as explained in Mark 4) is not being healed (or, forgiven, as Mark wrote it - both meaning the same thing as Jesus explained in Matthew 9.5-6).

Idols, those who make them, and those who worship them cannot see and cannot hear and, consequently, cannot experience God's healing.

The powerless church Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 3.5 is a church rife with idolatry.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.) These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres. [2 Timothy 3.1-9]

All the symptoms described above can be summed up in Jannes and Jambres as 1) they opposed Moses, 2) they had depraved minds, and 3) they had counterfeit faith.

I would be amiss here not to mention the roles of loving self and money in today's modern idols of debt (artificial, counterfeit wealth), insurance (artificial, counterfeit protection), medicine (artificial, counterfeit health) and technology (artificial, counterfeit intelligence). Furthermore, the predominantly powerless (un-healed) condition of the western Church (who sadly embraces debt, insurance, medicine and technology just as much as the world) cannot be ignored as it relates to idolatry.

As Jesus taught, the Word will have no effect (power, healing) on those whose eyes cannot see and whose ears cannot hear. The Word is clear that people cannot see and cannot hear because they embrace idols who cannot see and cannot hear! Again:

Idols, those who make them, and those who worship them cannot see and cannot hear and, consequently, cannot experience God's healing.

And, as Psalm 146.8 reveals, there is a burden associated with this condition. Is it any wonder that Jesus mentions "burden" elsewhere?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11.28]

Jesus (God in the flesh), and Jesus alone, is the hope of all people. We simply cannot enter the narrow path and doorway to Jesus embracing the cumbersome burdens of idolatry.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6]

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Yes, The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. However, God will allow us to stay blind and deaf (unforgiven, un-healed) if we continue to hold on to idols that cannot see and cannot hear. Jesus is the ONLY WAY for those burdens to be removed. Jesus ALONE.

Once again,

Idols, those who make them, and those who worship them cannot see and cannot hear and, consequently, cannot experience God's healing.

Father, the more I dig into this subject of idolatry, the more clearly I "see" the modern pandemic of idolatry. It is not enough here to plead with You for "sight" and "hearing" when I refuse to let go and rid myself of the very idols that make me blind and deaf. May Your Word continue to produce and be the faith in me to worship You alone. So be it.