"You Will Hear But Never Understand"

At the end of Acts (28:17-31), Paul arrived in Rome and asked to speak with the leaders of the Roman Jews. They appointed a time for him to speak and many Jews came to hear Paul. He spent all day trying to make them see the "light of the glory of the gospel of Christ," but they were divided. So Paul quoted Isaiah and said,

"'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'
Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen."

These Jews were responsible for their sinful rejection of Jesus, but God ordained this from the beginning. God's chosen would reject the Christ so that God could extend his grace to the Gentiles. We owe our salvation, in part, to the Jews' rejection of their Messiah!

We could thank them, but our hearts are broken that they rejected Christ. This is the epitome of mixed emotions.

Todd

Birthdays and Grief

Today is my birthday! I turned 34 years old about 7:00 am this morning (sitting in Dr. Allison's class on the Doctrine of Humanity and Sin). Not unusually, I have been thinking about birth. This morning I read about God's promise to Abram in Genesis 17, that he would have a son via Sarai, and that he would be the father of many nations. Thus, God changed his name to Abraham.

This makes me think of someone else named Abraham, the subject of birth, and, tragically, the subject of death. Abraham is the name of John Piper's son, and this post on the Desiring God blog tells the heartbreaking news that Felicity Margaret Piper, Abraham's unborn daughter, has died. Apparently the umbilical cord around her neck was the cause. Her death was discovered one day before her delivery date.

We know that God sustains us during times like these, but grieving must take place. These are the times when we are thankful that we can face life standing on the solid rock of our faith, instead of succumbing to doubt and fear and worry. My heart aches for their family.

Heather and I lost two children due to miscarriage. We did not have to endure the tormenting experience of giving birth to a still-born, but we grieved. Our hearts were torn to pieces knowing that we would never be a part of the lives of these children. Even years later, I am occasionally moved to tears when I think about them.

Yet we trust God. And I know that the Pipers will too. Our father Abraham was famous for his faith, and I pray God will extend a similar faith to Abraham Piper.

Grieving together with the body of Christ,

Todd