「耶和华的膀臂并非缩短，不能拯救。……你们的罪恶，使他掩面不听你们。」 (以赛亚书59章1-2节)
一个人告诉他的医生，他觉得自己妻子的耳朵聋了，医生告诉了他一个简单的测试方法。于是，这人回家刚到前门时，便大叫：「亲爱的，晚餐准备好了吗？」他没听到回答，便走进去重复喊叫，却依旧没回应。最后，他走到妻子的身后，又喊了一遍。这次他终于听见了妻子说：「这是第三次回答了，晚餐准备好了！」
相同地，古以色列人以为上帝耳聋了，其实问题是出在他们身上。上帝差派以赛亚先知去警告祂的百姓即将审判的事，但是人们对他的信息充耳不闻。他们不愿意成为上帝的子民，将光明带入黑暗，释放被囚的出监牢（42章7节），他们拒绝听祂的声音，「他们不肯遵行他的道，也不听从他的训诲」（24节）。
先知解释为何他们的祷告不蒙垂听：「耶和华的膀臂并非缩短，不能拯救，耳朵并非发沉，不能听见。但你们的罪孽使你们与上帝隔绝」（以赛亚书59章1-2节）。当我们觉得上帝没有回应时，其中有一个可能是罪堵住了我们的耳朵。让我们仔细自我省视！
上帝从来没有耳聋！CPH
世界迷梦靠主已看破，
我已离开在罪中的享乐，
耶稣属我，完全无隔膜。Tindley
Who Is Deaf?
The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save . . . . [But] your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. —Isaiah 59:1-2
A man told his doctor that he thought his wife was going deaf. The doctor told him to conduct a simple test. When the man reached the front door of his home, he called out, “Darling, is dinner ready?” Hearing no response, he walked inside and repeated himself. Still no reply. On the third try, when he was just behind her, he finally heard her say, “For the third time, yes!”
Similarly, the ancient Israelites thought God was deaf when the problem was actually with them. Isaiah was a prophet sent to warn God’s people about impending judgment, but his message fell on deaf ears. Instead of being God’s covenant people, who were to bring light to those in darkness and release them from the dungeons of sin (42:7), they refused to hear Him. “They would not walk in His ways, nor were they obedient to His law” (v.24).
The prophet explained why their prayers seemed to fall on deaf ears: “The Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God” (Isa. 59:1-2). One reason for not receiving answers from God is that sin may be blocking our hearing. Let’s examine ourselves carefully.
Our God isn’t hard of hearing. — C. P. Hia
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
Naught of this world’s delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure,
Jesus is mine; there’s nothing between. —Tindley
God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart.
