Joh 12:39-40 KJV 39Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
Note what God says. "They could not believe." He did not say that theywould not believe, but that they could not believe. They did not choose not to believe, but it was not possible for them to believe. I understand our thought process immediately goes to assuming that this makes God at fault for the unbelief of those who reject Him. Ah, but the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man (1Co 1:25), and therefore such knowledge is too high for us, we cannot attain to it (Psa 139:6). Whether or not we are able to reason it out in such a way that makes sense has no bearing on whether or not it is true. God said it, therefore it is true. God has taken the credit for decreeing that they could not believe, just like He took the credit for raising up Pharoah in Moses' day (Exo 9:16), and hardening his heart so that He would be glorified (Exo 4:21).
Why couldn't they believe? They couldn't believe because God, through the prophet Isiah, decreed that they could not believe. This does not excuse those who did not believe. They sinned, they earned the penalty of their sin, and God choose not to have mercy upon them. There is no injustice in that. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy - without influence of any kind - and whom He will, He hardens (Rom 9:18).
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