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When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, ² “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, ³ and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” ⁴ Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. ⁵ And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, ⁶ that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ ⁷ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

⁸ And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. ⁹ And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua.

The people passed over in haste. ¹¹ And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. ¹² The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. ¹³ About 40,000 ready for war passed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. ¹⁴ On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵ And the Lord said to Joshua, ¹⁶ “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁷ So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” ¹⁸ And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before.

¹⁹ The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ²⁰ And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. ²¹ And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, ²⁴ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.” (ESV)

Throughout Scripture there comes a repeated call to remember the great acts of God. We so easily forget.

I wonder what might be our equivalent to these twelve stones?

I was impressed and moved recently, as I spent time with a dear Christian brother who, along with his wife, has been through some very trying years. ‘But’, he told me, ‘I always, each day, try to thank God for at least three things in the day.’ It was beautiful to hear his commitment to erecting ‘memorial stones’ in his own soul.

In Joy Marie Clarkson’s book, ‘Aggressively Happy’, she has a chapter entitled, ‘Be like Mr. Collins.’ As she points out, Mr. Collins, the at times cringeworthy clergyman in Jane Austen’s novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, tends to get a bad press, but he is able to delight in seemingly small blessings. (To my mind, her book is well worth its price for this chapter alone). Joy Marie goes on to say, ‘Really, enjoying the little things is a practice in the art of thankfulness – being conscious of the gifts and good things in your life. Thankfulness is not just something you feel; it’s something you practice, which, in turn, shapes the way you think and feel about life.’ She begins the chapter with this quote from Wendell Berry’s novel, Hannah Coulter: ‘You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else. What you must do is this: ”Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.” I am not all the way capable of so much, but those are the right instructions.’

Of course, the miracle of the Jordan river was no small thing, But for both little and large mercies may be be of a mind to set up memorial stones.

‘It is good to memorialize the great acts of the Lord, provided that the memorials do not become idols. Each new generation must learn what God has done for His people so that they will obey His Word and trust Him for the future (Ps.78:1-8). When you have a living faith in a living God, the past is not ”dead history.” It throbs with living reality.’ Warren W. Wiersbe

PRAYER: Lord, this day I want to thank you for… (Obviously, you will fill in the prayer accordingly).

Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ² At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. ⁴ Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. ⁸ And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” ⁹ And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” ¹⁰ And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. ¹¹ Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. ¹² Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. ¹³ And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

¹⁴ So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, ¹⁵ and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), ¹⁶ the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. ¹⁷ Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. (ESV)

There is only one sure and safe way to travel through this world. It is by ‘fixing our eyes’ on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). The ”ark” symbolised the presence of God. The people of Israel were being called to follow God through this formidable water barrier, and into the promised land. God had done this miracle before (or something very similar). This generation had heard about it. Now they were now going to experience it for themselves.

‘ Whenever we step out on the unknown path, the Ark of the Covenant, which symbolizes Christ, precedes, Isaiah 52:12 .’ F.B. Meyer

The Bible teacher, David Pawson, pointed out that when the Jordan river was in flood, it could undercut the banking upstream, causing a landslide, and stop the flow. It has happened from time to time. But, he added, the miracle is in the timing, that this should occur at the precise moment the priests set foot in the water. To quote him:

‘Now there are also parallels to some of the events in Joshua, for example the Jordan River regularly dries up in time of flood. That sounds a contradiction but I tell you how it happens. It is a very Meandering River as it goes down the Jordan valley. In flood when it meanders, it undercuts the banks on the curve and there we often see, even to this day, when it undercuts one of the big banks, the bank falls in and temporarily dams the stream until it rises and goes over the dam and it may stop for 4~5 hours.’ But, as he goes on to say, the significant thing is that it happened precisely when God said it would, and when it was most needed.

‘We face an unknown future (v.4) and need the Lord’s presence as we set out each day. God goes before us and we must follow as He directs. God knows the way, leads the way and opens the way. He is ”Lord of all the earth” (v.11), and there is nothing for us to fear.

The priests had to get their feet wet before the nation could cross over, and that took faith. Your faith can encourage others in their walk with God…The future is your friend when you follow the Lord and trust His promises.’ Warren W. Wiersbe

No barrier, however great, can stand in our way, if the Lord wants us the other side of it. We just need to keep our eyes on Him, and follow in faith.

⁵ And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ⁶ “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” ⁷ And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” ⁸ And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. ¹³ This will be your opportunity to bear witness. ¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, ¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶ You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers^[c] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. ¹⁷ You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹ By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

²⁰ “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. ²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, ²² for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. ²³ Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. ²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁵ “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Watch Yourselves

³⁴ “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷ And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. ³⁸ And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him at the temple. (ESV)

“But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.” (The Message)

I don’t think I can remember a time, during my 69 years of life, when there has been so much palpable stress and anxiety in the air regarding the state of the world. Mass media, including, of course, social media, feeds us way more information (true or false!) than our minds and hearts can cope with. For many years, in fact for most of history, people would have had little knowledge, if any, of what was going on outside their own immediate communities. Now we are engulfed in a tsunami of knowledge. Not surprisingly, we are a fearful and distracted generation; and distraction is one of the great dangers of our age. Our attention is divided in multiple directions; attention spans are diminishing, it would seem. Another danger within this is that we try to medicate ourselves with unhealthy habits of ”dissipation”. I found it interesting to discover that, in physics, ‘dissipation’ can mean ‘loss of energy through its conversion into heat’! In all the heat (hot air even) on social media, even Christians can be wasting vital spiritual energy.

But there is a God-given provision; an answer to all this potential wastage. It is to ‘listen’ to Jesus (38). ”Early in the morning…” may, or may not, be your best time. But is there a time in the day when you switch off all your distracting devices and give your full attention to your Lord? This is a vital key to spiritual wakefulness. Many voices clamour for us to give them a hearing. Some are legitimate, others not. May the voice of Jesus sound above them all, and be supreme in our lives.

‘It is impossible to live as we should apart from constant watching and prayer. The snare is so deftly laid that we may be entangled in it before we are fully aware.’ F.B. Meyer

PRAYER: Lord, don’t let me ‘fall asleep at the wheel’. Keep me always vigilant, watchful, alert, attentive to your voice.

 Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household. ¹⁹ Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. ²⁰ But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” ²¹ And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.

²² They departed and went into the hills and remained there three days until the pursuers returned, and the pursuers searched all along the way and found nothing. ²³ Then the two men returned. They came down from the hills and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they told him all that had happened to them. ²⁴ And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us.” (18-22 ESV)

It has been said that a ‘scarlet thread’ runs through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. When we come to understand it (or something of it) we realise this Book is, remarkably, all about Jesus and His death on the Cross. There is a hint, a manifestation, here in the book of Joshua. Please do read the whole chapter if you are able, but I am highlighting the section about ”the scarlet cord”. I have long believed it to be significant that salvation for Rahab and her family was to be found only in the house marked by this cord (Just as in Noah’s day, safety was only possible inside the Ark; just as at the Passover, only those ‘under the blood’ of the slain lambs were saved: ”…and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” Exodus 12:13)

‘To ”view the land” was a hazardous undertaking. The physiognomy of the Hebrews would certainly betray them, and it did. The sacred writer does not commend Rahab’s mode of life, nor her lies. Her morality was faulty enough, but beneath it, slowly smouldering, was a spark of pure love and faith, and this would consume the rubbish and burn clear, Heb.11:31…Her faith proved itself in her works – in her efforts to save others, and in the confidence with which she rested behind her scarlet cord. That she was sneered at and persecuted is quite likely, but she persisted and became an ancestress of Christ, Matt.1:5. How faith greatens the soul! See James 2:25…Rahab’s trust in the promise of the spies, and in the efficacy of the scarlet line around her window is a striking type of the faith that relies on the promise of God that those who are united with Christ shall be saved in this world and the next…the great salvation of Jesus is available only to those who are found ”in him,” having upon them the divine righteousness, Phil.3:9.’ F.B. Meyer

I also noted how God had graciously prepared the ground for what He was calling the Israelites to do (v.24, see also vv.9-11). He will do the same for us. We may well find ourselves open-mouthed at all He does to make it possible for each of us to fulfil His call. Let us not hesitate to step out at His command. He melts hearts, causes great waters to part, defeats kings, makes a way where there seems to be no way.

PRAYER OF THANKS: What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, ² “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV)

(Note: Our new readings are in the book of Joshua. Each day, I will highlight a part of a chapter that has spoken to me. I’d like to encourage you to take a Bible, and read the whole chapter – even though only part of it may be printed in these notes – and see what, in particular, speaks to your heart. Try to turn that into prayer, and keep it in your mind over the next 24 hours after reading it. Every few days, we will ring the changes, and dip into part of a New Testament book, and then part of a Psalm or Proverbs. I hope you will find the variety enriching. Let’s read God’s Word prayerfully, asking Him to impress upon us that which He wants us to see. Thank you so much for your continuing support and interest. I may never have met you, but I am grateful for you. God bless you richly you as you seek to live in His Word).

In the work of God in this world, eras change. Sometimes we struggle with these changes. We prefer to cling to the familiarity of the past, rather than embracing the future God is preparing. But He will ensure that when ‘Moses’ goes, ‘Joshua’ will come.

Moses is not criticised for dying! He is a human being, and thus mortal. Joshua will die one day too, and be replaced by another. But here is the all important truth: although flesh and blood leaders come and go, God remains. Only He is eternal.

Whether you are Moses, or Joshua, or…(fill in the blanks) – whoever you are, they key to ‘success’ in ministry is not who you are; neither is it what you have to offer. It is who God is, and the fact that He is with you. If you obey His written Word, and do whatever He tells you, you have nothing to fear. Certainly you will have battles to fight, but they are all winnable because of God’s powerful presence.

‘God’s commandments are God’s enable-ments. It was not Joshua’s experience or skill that brought the victory; more than once he was defeated. The victory came from the power of God that was released when they obeyed Him by faith. God still does the impossible (Luke 1:37)’ Warren W. Wiersbe

The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life,
    but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all sins.

¹³ In the lips of him who has understanding wisdom is found,
    but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

¹⁴ Wise men store up knowledge,
    but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

¹⁵ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
    the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶ The labour of the righteous tends to life,
    the fruit of the wicked to sin.

¹⁷ He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
    but he who refuses reproof errs.

¹⁸ He who hides hatred has lying lips,
    and he who spreads slander is a fool.

¹⁹ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
    but he who restrains his lips is wise.

²⁰ The tongue of the just is as choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is worth little. (The Message)

If there is a common thread in these verses, it has to do with the wise use of words. There is an underlying call to be careful with our speech. Our talk can heal or damage, even destroy, relationships.

”The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21 NIV)

”The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” (NLT)

”Words can bring death or life! Talk too much, and you will eat everything you say.” (CEV)

‘Never underestimate the power of words. For every word in Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, 125 people died in World War II…Speech is a matter of life or death. When you summarize what Proverbs teaches about human speech, you end up with four important propositions: (1) speech is an awesome gift from God; (2) speech can be used to do good; (3) speech can be used to do evil; and (4) only God can help us use speech to do good.’

I love the thought that a person’s mouth can be ”a well of life”, bringing refreshment to the thirsty. May it be so.

”My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” (James 1:19 NIV)

PRAYER: ”Set a guard over my mouth, Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3: NIV)

George Verwer was a dynamic missionary, who died just a few years ago. He would sometimes tease congregations by saying to them, ‘Please turn to Acts 29.’ When he saw at least some of the people looking for the reference, and perhaps appearing a little perplexed, he would say, ‘YOU are Acts 29!’

I have just finished my umpteenth reading of the book of Acts. I can’t put a figure on how many times I have been refreshed at this particular ‘well’. When you finish a good book, you can almost feel a sadness that the experience is over, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more sorry to come to the end of ‘Acts’.

But in a sense you never do.

‘Church of Christ! The records of these acts of the Holy Ghost have never reached completeness. This is the one book which has no proper close, because it waits for new chapters to be added so fast and so far as the people of God shall reinstate the blessed Spirit in his holy seat of control.’ Arthur T. Pierson.

Amen to that.

 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. (ESV).

‘ I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou can eat it all to thyself.’ Charles Spurgeon

This is remarkable. This Christian message/movement had travelled from a backwater region of Israel to the capital city of the then-known world in a matter of just a few years. Acts 1:8 was coming to pass. I understand that somewhere between 25 and 27 years had elapsed since Paul’s conversion and this point, and it was somewhere between 27 and 30 years since Pentecost. The progress of the gospel throughout the world was astounding. The tiny mustard seed had grown into the largest of plants, with the ‘birds’ (Gentile nations) perching in its branches (Matt.13:31,32)

 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸ When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” ²¹ And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. ²⁴ And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved. ²⁵ And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶ “‘Go to this people, and say,
“You will indeed hear but never understand,
    and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
²⁷ 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.’

²⁸ Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” (ESV)

There is an emphasis on Paul’s innocence right through to the last chapter of the book – and on the rejection of the gospel offer by the Jews. These are repeated themes

We also see the divided response we have witnessed before. Jesus said that He had come to bring a ”sword”, and a sword divides (see Matt.10:34).Those who rejected the good news were wilfully blind and deaf to what would ”heal” them. The truth is that Christianity brings the profoundest good into a person’s life, but it is rejected for lesser ‘goods’ which are marketed as greater ‘goods’ (and may not be ‘goods’ at all). Imagine being offered treatment for a deadly disease and turning it down.

‘The blindness of unbelievers in no way detracts from the clarity of the gospel; the sun is no less bright because blind men do not perceive its light.’ John Calvin