Rejection Turns Into Blindness

“What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.” – Romans 11:7

Paul reminds us in Romans 11:7–10 that Israel as a nation rejected Christ, yet God preserved a remnant by grace. He quotes the Old Testament to show that many were blinded, their hearts hardened, and even God’s Word became a stumbling block to them. Job once said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12), but for Israel, the very Scriptures they studied became a snare because they twisted them and missed their Savior. Jesus Himself warned of blind guides leading the blind into a ditch (Matthew 15:14). The tragedy was not that they lacked light, but that they rejected the light given to them. God had prepared them for centuries through prophecy, yet when Christ came, they cried out, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

This rejection was not without consequence. Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart repeatedly until God confirmed that hardness, Israel’s continual resistance led to blindness. Constant rejection can lead to final rejection—going from “would not” to “could not.” Their hatred for Jesus was so deep that they chose Barabbas, a murderer and insurrectionist, over the Son of God. Irrational reasoning, as J.I. Packer observed, is often a sign of conviction being resisted. When people continually push away the truth, they eventually lose the ability to see it. This is the danger of hardening: the more we resist God’s call, the more difficult it becomes to respond later.

The call to us today is urgent. Many assume they will turn to Christ later—after youth, after fun, perhaps even on their deathbed. Yet Scripture gives us only one example of a deathbed confession, the thief on the cross, and we cannot presume upon such mercy. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Andrew Murray once said, “Some read the Bible to learn, and some read the Bible to hear from heaven.” The question is, which are we? Will we keep rejecting until our hearts grow hard, or will we surrender now while the Spirit is calling? Today is the day of salvation. Stop resisting, stop delaying, and let Christ open your eyes before rejection turns into blindness.

“Israel, in general, hath not obtained that which he seeketh, namely, justification, acceptance with God, and the blessings consequent thereon. But the election…have obtained it, and the rest were blinded by their own wilful prejudice, arising from their worldly spirit, which caused them to reject Jesus on account of his poverty, mean appearance, and state of suffering.” – Joseph Benson