“But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You; Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them. When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven, and many times You rescued them according to Your compassion, and admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, by which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. However, You bore with them for many years, and admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.”
Isaiah 65:2 similarly states: “‘I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts, a people who continually provoke Me to My face.’” God instructed Israel by His Spirit, and yet they would not turn back. He “bore with them for many years,” which is the same word used at John 6:44 for “draw.”
It’s not that God can’t save. He can. It’s not that God won’t save. He will. God puts it back upon man to repent in order to receive His grace. [Editor’s Note: We would add that, on his own man is unable to repent but that God also gives his grace to man that encourages and enables him to repent and therefore receive the grace of salvation.] Isaiah 59:1-2 states: “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Therefore, separation is conditional and is removed when people repent of their sins.
[This post has been excerpted with permission from Richard Coords, Calvinism Answered Verse by Verse and Subject by Subject, © 2024.]