Growing with God

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God intends us to be.

Spiritually Ignorant -Isaiah 29:11-12

MAY 31, 2021 ~ TONIASLIMM

Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.

Isaiah 29:11-12 (NIV)

“For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone
who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I canʼt; it is sealed.” Or if you give the
scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I donʼt know how to
read.””

Isaiah 29:11-12 (MSG)

“What youʼve been shown here is somewhat like a letter in a sealed envelope. If you give it to someone
who can read and tell her, “Read this,” sheʼll say, “I canʼt. The envelope is sealed.” And if you give it to

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someone who canʼt read and tell him, “Read this,” heʼll say, “I canʼt read.”“

***************************************************

“The entire vision [of all these things] will be to you like the words of a scroll that is sealed, which they
give to one who can read, saying, “Read this, please,” he shall say, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the
book will be given to the one who cannot read, saying, “Read this, please.” And he will say, “I cannot
read.”” -AMPLIFIED

“Many of our troubles occur because we base our choices on unreliable authorities; culture
(“everyone is doing it”), tradition (“weʼve always done it”), reason (“it seems logical”), or emotion (“it
just felt right”).” ~Rick Warren

Yesterday, Isaiah addressed the spiritual blindness of the people. He indicated that this spiritual
blindness was actually a choice, because the people refused to acknowledge and accept Godʼs will and
ways in their lives. They also ignored all of His warnings brought to them through His prophets.

“A man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant.” ~Stephen Charnock

“Everything God is disclosing to you will be like the words recorded in a book that is sealed. When it is
given to one who is literate, he canʼt read it because it is sealed. When it is given to one who is
illiterate, he canʼt read it because he doesnʼt know how.” -(VOICE)

Isaiah has likened Judah to the blind and a drunkard, now he likens them to the illiterate, the
uneducated, the unlearned, or the ignorant. Time and time again, Israel and Judah had been warned by
Godʼs spokesmen, the prophets, of their need to turn away from their sin. Each time they berated them
and challenged them, o en even killing them.

Because of the unbelief of the people, God tells us that the words on the pages, or within the scroll, would
be like a closed book to them, an enigma, or a mystery. They would NOT have the understanding to
decipher and unravel them.

“…so all of these future events are a sealed book to them. When you give it to one who can read, he
says, “I canʼt, for itʼs sealed.” When you give it to another, he says, “Sorry, I canʼt read.”” -(TLB)

“Many today read or receive Godʼs word like an illiterate man “reads” the newspaper. They can pick
out a few words here and there, and they can certainly look at the pictures. They can sit with an open

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 newspaper, enjoy themselves to some degree, and appear to be reading. But the true content of what
is written has no impact on them.” ~David Guzik

Hosea, another prophet of God, spoke these words to Israel about their ignorance towards the things of
God:

“Youʼve forgotten the law of your God: youʼve rejected My judgments. Iʼll reject you because of your lack of
knowledge—reject you as My priests; Iʼll even forget your children! The more powerful the priests grew, the more
they sinned against Me. So Iʼll turn their honor into shame. Because these priests are allowed to eat the
sin o erings, they actually want the people to sin so theyʼll have more meat to eat! And so itʼs “like priest, like
people”: a low standard for living. Iʼll punish them for this and repay them for what theyʼve done: Theyʼll eat, but
they wonʼt be satis ed; theyʼll be active like whores, but have no children because theyʼve rebelled in guarding
Me and My ways.” -Hosea 4:6-10 (VOICE)

The Apostle Paul speaks out about this spiritual ignorance to the church in Ephesus. He speaks about
hearts that are closed to the things of God. Paul says:

“Let me say this, then, speaking for the Lord: Live no longer as the unsaved do, for they are blinded and confused.
Their closed hearts are full of darkness; they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds
against him, and they cannot understand his ways. They donʼt care anymore about right and wrong and
have given themselves over to impure ways. They stop at nothing, being driven by their evil minds and
reckless lusts. But that isnʼt the way Christ taught you! If you have really heard his voice and learned from him
the truths concerning himself, then throw o your old evil nature—the old you that was a partner in your evil
ways—rotten through and through, full of lust and sham. Now your attitudes and thoughts must all be
constantly changing for the better. Yes, you must be a new and di erent person, holy and good. Clothe yourself
with this new nature.” -Ephesians 4:17-24 (TLB)

Writing to the church in Corinth, we nd Paul sharing that it is only God who can remove the veil of
ignorance and give spiritual understanding. Paul writes:

“Since we know that this new glory will never go away, we can preach with great boldness, and not as Moses did,
who put a veil over his face so that the Israelis could not see the glory fade away. Not only Mosesʼ face was veiled,
but his peopleʼs minds and understanding were veiled and blinded too. Even now when the Scripture is read it
seems as though Jewish hearts and minds are covered by a thick veil, because they cannot see and understand the
real meaning of the Scriptures. For this veil of misunderstanding can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes,
even today when they read Mosesʼ writings their hearts are blind and they think that obeying the Ten
Commandments is the way to be saved. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord from his sins, then the veil is

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taken away. The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom from trying to be saved
by keeping the laws of God. But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly re ect
the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” -2
Corinthians 3:12-18 (TLB)

“Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this—you neglect to
inquire into the things you are ignorant of.” ~Augustine

My friend, let us not be willing to live in a state of ignorance. God has given us His Word, and His Holy
Spirit to guide and direct us in His ways. Accept these gi s, learn of His ways, and do them. We all have a
choice; what will your choice be? In the end, there will be no excuses.

“No man is uneducated who knows the Bible, and no one is wise who is ignorant of its teachings.”
~Samuel Chadwick

My Prayer:

Adonai–Tzvaʼot, God Almighty, I ask that you help me to still myself before You, to quiet my busyness, in
order that I may hear the voice of Your Spirit speak to me, to teach me your ways. Thank you for the gi
of Your Word, which is my guide to live a life that is right before you. Lord, forgive me for those times
that I have chosen to ignore your will, insisting on having my own way. Now I understand that by doing
this, I am choosing to sin, and a life of spiritual blindness. I do not want to live that way. I chose the way
of life, your way. Help me, Lord, as I walk the pathways that you have set before me.

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One thought on “Spiritually Ignorant -Isaiah 29:11-12”

ourgivenpurpose
MAY 31, 2021 AT 3:26 PM

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Indeed! Thank you for sharing this wisely written and thorough study. God wants us to seek His wisdom,
and as your site is wonderfully titled to Grow in Him. I look forward to reading more of what our Lord
speaks through you.

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