Cause And Effect

So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” [Romans 11.7-8] 

God's Word is so good. On the surface sometimes, God and His Word seem harsh. However, when we press on and dig deep, amazing revelation is found like a treasure.

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! [Romans 11.33]

While we will never (on earth) understand all there is to know about God and His Word, God reserves the right to give revelation to those who seek it.

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. [Jeremiah 29.13] 

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. [Matthew 7.7]

“I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me.[Proverbs 8.17]

Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. [Psalm 119.2]

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. [Isaiah 55.6]

Today's One Year Chronological Bible reading does not disappoint when it comes to God revealing truth in His Word! In the subject passage above, Paul uses terminology regarding eyes and seeing and ears and hearing. Without knowledge of what that means, we are left to some confusing interpretations of what Romans 11.7-8 means. That confusion starts when we try to process God "hardening hearts" without a balanced understanding of all God's Word.

First, there is a clue about God hardening hearts in Paul's following discussion:

Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. [Romans 11.12]

We must diligently apply a cause and effect inquiry to understand what is going on here. The effect of God hardening their hearts was caused by them turning Him down. If we miss this, we set ourselves up for all manner of misinformation.

But there is more! The "eyes" and "ears" part of Romans 11.7-8 reveals much more. For an understanding of the significance of seeing and hearing, we need only to look to the Psalms:

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]

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]

What is the condition of those who trust in idols? Among other lifeless conditions, they have eyes but cannot see and they have ears but cannot hear.

In Romans 11.12 above, the condition of not having favor with God, the effect of eyes not seeing and ears not hearing (Romans 11.8), is caused by turning down God's offer of salvation. Any turn down of God's offer is a turn to an alternative - it is idolatry.

If we would apply the same cause and effect research to our lives today, we might find that the conditions in which we live might indeed just be the effects caused by idolatry. This clearly explains what John wrote about Jesus and His ministry:

But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted: “Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?” But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said, “The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts—so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.” [John 12.37-40]

Imagine that! It's all right there if we dig in and find it. Cause and effect.

Father, You have given us Your Word, but You won't force us to understand it. You take pleasure in those who seek You. May we be found seeking You with all our heart and zealously rejecting all idols so that we might trust in You (in Christ Jesus) alone. So be it.