We have probably all noticed that people tend to hear only what they expect to hear. (Often it is only what they want to hear, but that is a post for another day.) God spoke in John 12:29 and some of the crowd only heard thunder, others heard his words.
God expects us to make an effort to hear him
There is no mention of it in the passage, but I suspect that the people that didn’t believe in Jesus (John 12:37) were the same ones that didn’t understand the words when God spoke. Jesus had been demonstrating his power for months, and still, many were satisfied with their unbelief. Based on Johns quote from Isaiah, (John 12:40) God will let an unbeliever continue like that, further hardening their heart. Why not? Just like the Pharisees:
- They literalize spiritual messages
- They close the Bible and their eyes without study
- They scorn others that are diligent
Serving God is a lot of work. Not the least of which is keeping our heart open to his word.
Daily Bible reading for November 20
Psalm 111
2 Kings 19
Isaiah 9:1-7
John 12:20-50
November 20, 2013
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