The Closed Ears of Israel

Scripture is full of man's stubborn refusal to hear or believe God. Israel's deafness to God is of particular note in Isaiah.

God promises the rescue of Israel from Babylon by Cyrus hundreds of years before the event, but Israel refused to believe Him! So God told His prophet to record the promise ahead of time, so that Israel would not be able to ascribe her rescue to her idols and false gods that she worshipped!

Not only so, but God said He told the future to Israel so that she could not, in her stubbornness, claim that she knew about it already.

God recites His power and His acts of deliverance from olden times, to goad Israel into believing in Him, but she still refused!

But Christ had His ears open to God's commandments! He hears God's commandment, even though it means His suffering, sorrow, and death!

What a contrast! Israel refused to hear God's words of salvation and deliverance! Indeed, God remonstrated Israel with the fact that her ears were closed, and that she dealt treacherously with Him, and refused His salvation.

Isaiah lamented that Israel refused to believe his prophecy about Messiah's suffering in our place as God's Lamb, to be punished and slain for us.

Christ's open ears brought Him sorrow and death, but they brought us salvation!

When Jesus came, Israel's ears were still closed, and even His disciples' refused to hear and believe! God the Father had to command Peter with an audible voice to "hear Jesus" at His Transfiguration.

Praise God, the ears of Christ's people will be opened! Isaiah foretold it, and Christ said His sheep hear His voice!

We hear Jesus because the Father gave us to Him to be His sheep, to be rescued!