Proverbs 20:12
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The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.
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Newborns are inspected at birth to see if their ears and eyes work. Saints give praise to God for a healthy child. Pagans breathe a sigh of relief to fate. Functional ears and eyes are very precious and useful gifts. But they are the LORD's choice. The great God does not owe anything to anyone, including hearing and vision.
It is His sovereign and gracious choice that any hear or see. Hearing and seeing are not rights; they are blessed privileges. And the greatest gift of hearing and seeing is the ability to discern and perceive the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and the words of wisdom and truth. It is the rare ability to understand, repent, and obey the gospel.
A deaf or blind child is not an accident. It is not a result of fate. It cannot be overturned by science. It is the wise choice of the great God of heaven. He is perfect in all His choices. And He makes thousands of them for each of us.
You were not even consulted if you wanted to live. He chose your generation of birth, height, nation of origin, sex, parents, temperament, siblings, intelligence, athletic ability, opportunities in life, and every other factor that influences your existence. He is the LORD! You are nothing! He is the Potter! You are the clay!
Humble yourself before this great and dreadful God. Crush your vain thoughts. Give Him praise and worship. Adore Him. Thank Him for all that you have and are. Offer Him all that you have and are. Beg Him for mercy for your sins. Dedicate your life to Him, today!
When the disciples saw a man born blind, they knew it had been God's choice. Jesus told them it was for God's glory (John 9:1-3). Would God blind a man for 30 years just for His own glory? Easily! Would God put a man out to pasture like an ox for His own glory? Definitely! Read Daniel 4 about Nebuchadnezzar!
Spiritual hearing and sight is much more important than physical. It is only by God's free grace that any sinners are given spiritual ears and eyes to hear and see the things of God. Most men do not think about God in any meaningful way their entire lives (Ps 10:4). Spiritual senses are given when you are born again. You received natural hearing and vision at your first birth, but you receive spiritual hearing and vision at your second birth.
Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). And also, "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God" (John 8:47). Both sight and hearing are the gifts of God! Jesus hid the truth from the Jews, but revealed it to His disciples (Matt 11:25-27; 13:10-16)!
Why do most men not even consider God and truth? Why do most think the gospel to be foolish? God has not opened their ears to hear it with understanding and conviction. Why do most see His glorious creation and yet ascribe their existence to fate and evolution? God has not opened their eyes to see Him or His truth.
The rich man in hell asked Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his five brothers from joining him there. But Abraham's sober answer was that without the grace of God to open their ears and eyes, even a man back from the dead would not interest their depraved and rebellious hearts (Luke 16:27-31). If they were not interested in Bible reading, they would not be interested in a man back from the dead!
There are no human means to bring hearing to ears and sight to eyes. Only the LORD can do this great work! Manmade evangelistic efforts to sound the gospel to deaf ears or show the Saviour to blind eyes are absolutely and utterly foolish and vain. The gospel is only heard and seen by those already born again (I Cor 1:18,24; 2:14-15).
Salvation is of the Lord! God has chosen some to eternal life (Eph 1:4). He sent Jesus Christ to die for their sins, and He will surely regenerate and glorify them (Rom 8:29-33). He gives them hearing ears and seeing eyes. Luke described those who believed Paul, this way: "And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:48).
How is a man born again with spiritual ears and eyes? Jesus the Son of God commands him to come to life and resurrects his soul from spiritual death (John 5:25-29)! This glorious work is by the power and grace of God, without any human cooperation (John 1:13; 3:8; Rom 9:16; Eph 1:19-20; 2:1-10). The Lord Jesus Christ exercises the same creative power He used to bring forth light in the beginning (II Cor 4:3-6; Eph 2:10).
Only after that great event will you or can you hear and see the things of God. It is then that pagans like Cornelius begin fearing God, praying each day, and giving alms to the poor (Acts 10:1-4). And when the gospel is brought to such a man by the providence of God, he believes and obeys it as the glorious news that it is (Acts 10:33,44-48)!
If you can hear or see the things of God, give Him thanks, and run in the direction of that conviction, today! If you fear you are not born again, your duty is the same. Run to the Lord Jesus Christ, own Him as your Sovereign and only Hope, and obey Him. This is the evidence of perfect hearing and vision (II Pet 1:5-10; I John 2:29; 3:7; 5:1-5).
Jesus Christ is waiting to show Himself to the universe, for He is the Blessed and Only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords (I Tim 6:14-15). He is coming with ten thousands of His angels to destroy His enemies (Jude 1:14; II Thess 1:7-9). Believe and obey Him today, for tomorrow may bring the curse of His coming (I Cor 16:22).
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