“To this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand…” (Deuteronomy 29:4)

Spiritual blindness is God’s judgment against reprobates. Moses said that, despite seeing God’s mighty works, the people of Israel still lacked spiritual understanding. They had hearts, but could not perceive. They had eyes, but could not see. They had ears, but could not hear. It was because God refused to grant them spiritual understanding. This disability was an active judgment from God. When he withholds spiritual perception, no one can overcome the condition apart from God’s gracious intervention. Faith is a gift from God independent of human effort.  

God’s decision to withhold understanding from the Israelites mirrored his hardening of Pharaoh’s heart. In both cases, the divine act was to exact punishment on the stiff-necked and to display his power. Thus spiritual dullness is both a curse and a verdict. No sign or law can give sight to anyone whom God has consigned to blindness. Yet for those whom God has chosen, he grants an understanding heart with an increasing measure of faith. He chooses who to illuminate and who to harden, showing his absolute sovereignty over all men.