Bible Truth #35 - Deuteronomy 29:2-4

Deuteronomy 29:2-4

2  Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.

3  With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders.

4  But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

Wait a minute! In verse 2 Moses said to the people that their eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt. In verse 3 He said with their own eyes they saw the miracles and wonders. But then in verse 4 he said that the LORD had not given them eyes that see? Is this a contradiction? Of course not. In verses 2 and 3 Moses was referring to their physical eyes, but in verse 4 he was referring to their spiritual eyes. They did not have spiritual eyes because the Lord had not quickened their dead spirits, they were all dead. With dead spirits they could not hear Truth, they could not see Truth, and they could not understand Truth. The New Testament says the same thing.

Again!! This is proof that man, left to his own, will NOT understand because it takes God giving man the ability FIRST. God has to give a lost man a mind that understands, eyes that see, and ears that hear. Think about it, God didn't even give most Jews that ability - that’s what Moses was telling them! “God has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.” So if God didn’t even give most Jews a mind that understands, eyes that see, and ears that hear - His CHOSEN people in this world - is it any wonder that He actually gives this ability to a very rare, chosen few? And the only people God gives this ability to is the Elect, those God chose IN Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). And those God chose to give a mind that understands, eyes that see, and ears that hear, WILL come to Jesus (John 6:37).

Some may say, “Well God gives all men a mind that understands, eyes that see and ears that hear.” That is not true, either in Scripture, nor in logic. The above verse proves it false. Verse 4 clearly says that there were some (if not most) Jews to whom God did NOT give the ability. And if there were some Jews He didn’t give the ability, what does that say about the Gentiles?

A lost man does not have the ability to understand ANYTHING from the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14) BECAUSE he does not have a mind that understands, eyes that see or ears that hear. Therefore, no lost man will “accept” Jesus as Savior, because he can’t see, hear or understand the Truth - that is why he hates the Light (John 3:20).

Bottom Line - We did NOT choose Him, He chose us. (John 15:16). He then made us alive when we were dead (Ephesians 2:1, 2:5, Colossians 2:13) thereby GIVING us a mind that understands, eyes that see, and ears that hear.