And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 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.’ [Acts 28.25-27]
What did the Holy Spirit actually say through Isaiah?
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]
And, why did the Holy Spirit say this through Isaiah?
Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD! For the LORD has rejected his people, the descendants of Jacob, because they have filled their land with practices from the East and with sorcerers, as the Philistines do. They have made alliances with pagans. Israel is full of silver and gold; there is no end to its treasures. Their land is full of warhorses; there is no end to its chariots. Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their own hands. [Isaiah 2.5-8]
The context of God's scolding Word to His people in Isaiah 6.9-10 is idolatry. The bottom line of this idolatry is blindness and deafness to God's power and therefore the healing that accompanies it.
With the context of Isaiah 6.9-10 established then, we might understand why Paul referenced it when addressing the Roman Jews who rejected the Gospel: because they had made an idol of their religion thereby failing to recognize Jesus in His rightful position. And for this reason, they would not experience the power of the Holy Spirit and therefore the healing that accompanies it.
One might ask, "Can making an idol of religion really happen?" The answer is, "Yes, it not only can happen, but it did happen even long before Paul's time."
Then the LORD told him [Moses], “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed! [Numbers 21.8-9]
He [Hezekiah] removed the pagan shrines, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke up the bronze serpent that Moses had made, because the people of Israel had been offering sacrifices to it. The bronze serpent was called Nehushtan. [2 Kings 18.4]
Where the book of Acts ends is where the story of ongoing Christianity begins. How significant is it that the book of Acts proper ends with Paul's discussion of idolatry? Should we not see and understand the warning against idolatry for every subsequent 'chapter of Acts' that has transpired up to this day? And, should not the ending of the book of Acts in the Bible alert us to gross idolatry that has only worsened in our day and time?
Does not the truth of Jesus Christ open our eyes and ears to idolatry all around us today? Debt, insurance, medicine and technology all make us blind and deaf to the unexplainable, miraculous power of the Holy Spirit that true believers have in Christ Jesus. But even worse, religion justifies these idols as it must necessarily do in order to conceal its own idolatrous identity!
There is only one Way to avoid idolatry:
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]
Father, please help Your people today to see and hear the truth. May our eyes and ears be opened as we look only to Jesus so that Your power might manifest among us confirming that we are indeed Yours. So be it.
No comments:
Post a Comment