This narrow way

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.

Despite His extraordinary patience with mankind, there comes a point with every people and nation when God’s patience runs out, when he says to that people and nation, it’s too late.

In the parable of the soils in Matthew 13 Jesus says, “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” Then Jesus quotes from Isaiah chapter 6:9-10 where God told Isaiah “Go and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed.” What God is telling the children of Israel through Isaiah and what Jesus is saying to the Jews of His time is that it’s too late. They would not hear God’s Word and now they cannot hear it.  

In John’s Gospel Chapter 12:37-40 John writes, “But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: Lord who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, so that they would not see with their eyes and perceive with their heart, and be converted and I heal them.”

Again in Acts 28:25-27, Paul says, “The Holy Spirit righteously spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your father’s, saying, Go to this people and say, you will keep on hearing but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand what their heart and return, and I would heal them.”

In Romans Chapter 11 verse 8 Paul again quotes Isaiah, “Just as it is written God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.” This is from Isaiah chapter 29 verse 10 “For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep he has shut your eyes, the prophets he has covered your ears, the seers.”

So what happens to a nation when God says it’s too late? Isaiah spells it out, For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, to rebel against his glorious presence. The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and they display their sin like Sodom; They do not even conceal it, Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves… for they will eat the fruit of their actions. Woe to the wicked! It will go badly with him, for what he deserves will be done to him. Isaiah 3:8-11.

Acts 14:16 tells us that,” In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways.”

Romans 1 makes it clear what happens to those who suppress God’s truth and then refuse to hear His Truth. God gives them over to a depraved, non-functioning mind so they are unable to distinguish truth from a lie. They will not hear so they cannot hear.

God’s proclamation of judgement that it’s too late fell on the children of Israel in the Old Testament, it fell on the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time, and it has fallen on America. It’s too late. We have been the recipient of more truth than any nation on Earth and we have suppressed the truth, refused to hear the truth, and now we cannot hear it. We are sliding deeper and deeper into going our own way, and God has given us over to the insanity which inevitably follows. We are in a nation in the deep stupor of wickedness, perversion, and degradation. Our eyes are blinded, our hearts are darkened, we proudly display our sins like Sodom, and we are eating the fruits of these actions. I would say God help us, but I am afraid it’s too late for that, too.