In Isaiah the verse comes as Isaiah has a pretty full on vision of God in the temple. His response- Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips. and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! - A markedly different response to most of the people who come into contact with Jesus (though not Peter). An appropriate response (the Seraphs don't argue- one just comes and touches his lips with a live coal- so that his guilt may depart and sin be blotted out.
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, “Here I am; send me!” And he said, “Go and say to this people: Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.' Make the mind of this people dull, and stop up their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.”
So Jesus came to save the world, not to condemn it- but there are no free tickets- no automatic selections. In our ' godlikeness' we have to hear, see and choose.
Sounds like the Isaiah passage is coming from years of Israel's disobedience. That Isaiah is being told to go and give a weird message- I have come to tell you something that I do not want you to get- My frustration level with you is high- so much disobedience- so much disregard for what is most important and true. Many, many times before God has pleaded, told them to shape up/ turn back- but this seems like a bit of a Noah moment- a judgement moment. -impending exile.
Or perhaps there's a resignation here, or realism- I know you wont listen to this- so that when Isaiah says to them “keep listening but do not comprehend- its more like a description of what will happen or what normally happens- an obligatory listening with no intention of hearing.
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