THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE Monday:
" Therefore they could not believe" KJV (John 12:39)
Why do some people believe, while others do not even though they are subjected to the same Gospel, and often even the same speaker? The answer to that question is not simplistic. At least one of several possible answers is provided in this text. The One confronting the people was the Lord Jesus Himself in whom dwells "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col 2:9). It simply is not possible to receive a fuller revelation of God than in the Person of Christ. It is not possible to receive a clearer or more powerful word than one coming from the mouth of Jesus. The works of Jesus, seen by these people, were unparalleled. Yet it is written, "But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him" (verse 37). From one point of view, their unbelief was completely illogical and inexcusable. They had heard the best Person, and seen the greatest works yet they did not believe "on Him." They chose to spurn Him instead of receive Him, and ignore Him rather than hear and obey Him. Why did they react in such a manner?
First, the Spirit reminds us that the prophesy of Isaiah was fulfilled in this matter: "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?'" (v 38). The point here is that "the arm of the Lord" was not revealed to these people. Even though God was manifested to them "in the flesh" (1 Tim 3:16), yet these people utterly failed to make any connection between Jesus of Nazareth and the God they professed to serve. Although it may seem that Christ was very evidently from God, that fact still had to be revealed for it to be comprehended.
The Spirit concluded these people "could not believe" not that they simply DID not believe, but that they "COULD NOT believe." With but two exceptions, every major translation reads "could not believe." The exceptions read "were unable to have belief" (BBE), and "were unable to believe" (NJB). And how is it they could not, or were unable to, believe? It was because God Himself "blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them" (verse 40). In Isaiah's prophecy, to which this text refers, it also says "For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes" (Isa 29:10).This Divine judgment resulted in the total inability of the people to recognize Jesus with their eyes, or desire Him in their hearts. Free will notwithstanding, "they could not believe." Free moral agency notwithstanding, "they could not believe." That is the Divine assessment.
This Divine judgment was not arbitrary, or without cause. It came because, the Lord said, "this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men." Because of this, the Lord proceeded to blind their eyes, harden their hearts, and put them to sleep.
Perhaps a similar judgment has occurred in our own generation, when spiritual obtuseness and blindness are so common. Where people insist on giving God mere lip service, withholding their hearts from Him, a point will come when they will not be able to believe. The knowledge of this should compel us to fight the good fight of faith, zealously avoiding a form of godliness that denies its power (2 Tim 3:5).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me to be sensitive in my heart, instant in my obedience, and persevering in my walk of faith.