Is there such a thing as a "Divine Hardening"? It's a hard one one to comprehend, especially in our western culture and in a society today that promotes acceptance of one another.
Yet, I think there is something being conveyed in Isaiah that says there is such a thing.
Today we are given to accepting each other, regardless of our religious beliefs, our sexual preferences, or age groups. These ideals have a "noble ring" to them, and certainly bring a feeling of tranquility with one another.
But what is it we sacrifice to embrace such beliefs? Does Truth really exist and find its fullness by simple acceptance of those who may be different than you...or myself? Is this what Jesus taught?...Is that where all of us as members of the human race are heading toward...a blending or "melting together" of our beliefs and be able to look at one another and say: "Can't we all find a way to just get along?"
My idea of a hard heart is one who doesn't care about others, have little or no respect for their elders, abusive to others...both verbally as well as physically, and their belief is the ONLY belief...it's either "my way or the highway!"
Yet, I wrestle with these few verses here in Isaiah. What is God saying to Isaiah? Why did He allow them to go through a terrible Exile (both with Assyria and with Babylon)? Was it because their hearts had become so hard they had reverted to being so barbaric they acted like wild animals? Or, was it something else?
I personally think when we become hard-hearted, it doesn't always have to be like having "wild pagan rituals", running from neighborhood to neighborhood killing anyone in sight or breaking in and stealing anothers possessions in some out-of-control setting.
There is another way we become hard-hearted.....rejecting Christ as the Only True Son of the Living God and rejecting His Word that He gave us. And, this rejection can be very subtle and persuasive, even convincing at times. It can even appear in a society like we live in today....having a so-called peace and just getting along. But the question I have in all this is: "Is that what God wants of us....are we "livin' the dream" according to His Way? Can we all just accept each other as to who we are, whether Buddhist or Christian, Muslim or Agnostic, straight or gay, etc. etc. as long as we find a way to get along? Is this what God wants....or are we missing something?
In John 14:6, Jesus answers a question Thomas had asked him in regard to knowing how we are to follow Christ, and it reads: " I am the Way...I am the Truth...I am the Life...and no one can come to the Father (the True God) except...through Me." (NIV).
In the midst of our finding a utopia society, this saying Jesus spoke kind of messes things up a bit..at least to a true believer in Jesus Christ. Now I must say at this point we as Christians are always to treat one another regardless of our religious beliefs or any concepts we might have about life with the utmost respect and admiration. That being said...are we as Christians to say to another of a different religious belief for example..."Hey, your cool! I think your way of finding God is as good as our Christian way.".......Hmmm?
I think as I read and contemplate the rest of these verses in Isaiah 6...there seems to be a question and challenge when it it comes to finding True Peace within ourselves and in our society...Is God included in all this? Can we become hard-hearted to the ways of the Lord in the pursuit of a so-called "peaceful and accepting" society where the Sacred Scriptures are respected...but not necessarily obeyed because it might offend another who lives along with us and chooses not follow the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures, or perhaps interprets the Scriptures in an entirely different manner?
My thoughts on all this? There is only one way we will ever find out.. when the storms of life hit...we will find what we are really made of. You have often heard the saying: "Time will tell." One other thought: in Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus gives an interesting conclusion to His Sermon on the Mount "series" He had just shared with a large crowd of people. It reads (this is from the Amplified Version): "So everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, and obeys them, will be like a sensible, prudent, practical, and wise man who built his house on rock.
And the rains fell, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and beat against the house...yet!...it did not fall...because the foundation of this house to which it was attached was embedded deep within the rock...below the surface..anchored for times such as these.
And, everyone who hears these words of Mine, but chooses not to do them, not to obey them, choosing to follow another direction...is like a stupid and foolish man who had a house not far from the man who had built his house with the rock foundation.
But, this man chose not to build a foundation into the rock and attach his house to it...instead, he simply built his house on top of the sand itself. And, the rains fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against the house...and it fell..and the collapse of this house was complete..it was wiped out...coming down with a thunderous crash."
Gleanings from Isaiah 6:8-13
"Then I heard the Lord ask a question in the presence of His holy angels saying: "Who should I send?...and who is it that would go for us?"
I then spoke, "Here I am,...send me." The Lord spoke once more, " Yes, I have heard you and I want you to be our messenger...now is the time to go and tell these people this very message: You hear My Words...continually they are before you...yet... you are deaf! My Words fall upon deaf ears. You recite My Word...even "chant" My Word each week in your gatherings...but your hearts are cold and hard...far from Me and what I ask of you. You see My Word...looking at them with your very eyes...yet you are blind...you are blind to what you see and read.
So, the hearts of these people are being hardened...to My Word. This has come because it is their own choice and My decision is to give them what they want.
Their ears are plugged to My Word because they refuse to hear what I have to say and instead choose to hear what they want to hear;
Their eyes are blind to My Word because they refuse to see what I have for them and instead choose to see what they want to see;
they simply have chose to ignore and reject the clarity of My Word.
They have made their final decision: that is...Refuse Me, and refuse to receive of Me their true healing."
Then, Isaiah spoke to the Lord and said, "How long will all this go on? How long will these people remain like this?"
And the Lord answered him, " Until their towns and their homes are emptied, deserted, and destroyed. Until their whole country is nothing more than wasteland, the land of Israel is entirely desolate.
And even if a tenth...a remnant survive all this...Israel will be invaded once more...and this time burned down completely.
It will be like this: imagine your eyes behold a large forest full of oak and of pine...but every tree has been cut down and all you see is a large field of stumps.
But, within those stumps.....
there is a seed........
a Holy Seed......"
Yet, I think there is something being conveyed in Isaiah that says there is such a thing.
Today we are given to accepting each other, regardless of our religious beliefs, our sexual preferences, or age groups. These ideals have a "noble ring" to them, and certainly bring a feeling of tranquility with one another.
But what is it we sacrifice to embrace such beliefs? Does Truth really exist and find its fullness by simple acceptance of those who may be different than you...or myself? Is this what Jesus taught?...Is that where all of us as members of the human race are heading toward...a blending or "melting together" of our beliefs and be able to look at one another and say: "Can't we all find a way to just get along?"
My idea of a hard heart is one who doesn't care about others, have little or no respect for their elders, abusive to others...both verbally as well as physically, and their belief is the ONLY belief...it's either "my way or the highway!"
Yet, I wrestle with these few verses here in Isaiah. What is God saying to Isaiah? Why did He allow them to go through a terrible Exile (both with Assyria and with Babylon)? Was it because their hearts had become so hard they had reverted to being so barbaric they acted like wild animals? Or, was it something else?
I personally think when we become hard-hearted, it doesn't always have to be like having "wild pagan rituals", running from neighborhood to neighborhood killing anyone in sight or breaking in and stealing anothers possessions in some out-of-control setting.
There is another way we become hard-hearted.....rejecting Christ as the Only True Son of the Living God and rejecting His Word that He gave us. And, this rejection can be very subtle and persuasive, even convincing at times. It can even appear in a society like we live in today....having a so-called peace and just getting along. But the question I have in all this is: "Is that what God wants of us....are we "livin' the dream" according to His Way? Can we all just accept each other as to who we are, whether Buddhist or Christian, Muslim or Agnostic, straight or gay, etc. etc. as long as we find a way to get along? Is this what God wants....or are we missing something?
In John 14:6, Jesus answers a question Thomas had asked him in regard to knowing how we are to follow Christ, and it reads: " I am the Way...I am the Truth...I am the Life...and no one can come to the Father (the True God) except...through Me." (NIV).
In the midst of our finding a utopia society, this saying Jesus spoke kind of messes things up a bit..at least to a true believer in Jesus Christ. Now I must say at this point we as Christians are always to treat one another regardless of our religious beliefs or any concepts we might have about life with the utmost respect and admiration. That being said...are we as Christians to say to another of a different religious belief for example..."Hey, your cool! I think your way of finding God is as good as our Christian way.".......Hmmm?
I think as I read and contemplate the rest of these verses in Isaiah 6...there seems to be a question and challenge when it it comes to finding True Peace within ourselves and in our society...Is God included in all this? Can we become hard-hearted to the ways of the Lord in the pursuit of a so-called "peaceful and accepting" society where the Sacred Scriptures are respected...but not necessarily obeyed because it might offend another who lives along with us and chooses not follow the teachings of the Sacred Scriptures, or perhaps interprets the Scriptures in an entirely different manner?
My thoughts on all this? There is only one way we will ever find out.. when the storms of life hit...we will find what we are really made of. You have often heard the saying: "Time will tell." One other thought: in Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus gives an interesting conclusion to His Sermon on the Mount "series" He had just shared with a large crowd of people. It reads (this is from the Amplified Version): "So everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, and obeys them, will be like a sensible, prudent, practical, and wise man who built his house on rock.
And the rains fell, and the floods came, and the wind blew, and beat against the house...yet!...it did not fall...because the foundation of this house to which it was attached was embedded deep within the rock...below the surface..anchored for times such as these.
And, everyone who hears these words of Mine, but chooses not to do them, not to obey them, choosing to follow another direction...is like a stupid and foolish man who had a house not far from the man who had built his house with the rock foundation.
But, this man chose not to build a foundation into the rock and attach his house to it...instead, he simply built his house on top of the sand itself. And, the rains fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against the house...and it fell..and the collapse of this house was complete..it was wiped out...coming down with a thunderous crash."
Gleanings from Isaiah 6:8-13
"Then I heard the Lord ask a question in the presence of His holy angels saying: "Who should I send?...and who is it that would go for us?"
I then spoke, "Here I am,...send me." The Lord spoke once more, " Yes, I have heard you and I want you to be our messenger...now is the time to go and tell these people this very message: You hear My Words...continually they are before you...yet... you are deaf! My Words fall upon deaf ears. You recite My Word...even "chant" My Word each week in your gatherings...but your hearts are cold and hard...far from Me and what I ask of you. You see My Word...looking at them with your very eyes...yet you are blind...you are blind to what you see and read.
So, the hearts of these people are being hardened...to My Word. This has come because it is their own choice and My decision is to give them what they want.
Their ears are plugged to My Word because they refuse to hear what I have to say and instead choose to hear what they want to hear;
Their eyes are blind to My Word because they refuse to see what I have for them and instead choose to see what they want to see;
they simply have chose to ignore and reject the clarity of My Word.
They have made their final decision: that is...Refuse Me, and refuse to receive of Me their true healing."
Then, Isaiah spoke to the Lord and said, "How long will all this go on? How long will these people remain like this?"
And the Lord answered him, " Until their towns and their homes are emptied, deserted, and destroyed. Until their whole country is nothing more than wasteland, the land of Israel is entirely desolate.
And even if a tenth...a remnant survive all this...Israel will be invaded once more...and this time burned down completely.
It will be like this: imagine your eyes behold a large forest full of oak and of pine...but every tree has been cut down and all you see is a large field of stumps.
But, within those stumps.....
there is a seed........
a Holy Seed......"
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