Jeremiah 5:21
Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
The verse describes a foolish people without understanding who have eyes and ears yet fail to see, hear, perceive, discern, and heed the truth set before them. It is a lack of clear discernment and a failure to respond to God's leading, and that unresponsiveness hinders His work. It is also indifference to the work to be done for others, ignoring warnings about the nearness of the end and the danger around them.
This condition does not come from lack of light but from refusing to walk in light that has come. It is rejecting God's light and choosing darkness despite light received, accepting a blinding influence that leaves the soul spiritually blind and deaf. The danger lies in refusing the light God would give, rather than grasping the light that has come so that God can lead each one out to Himself.
The blindness comes from prejudice, self-esteem, pride of heart, and lofty self-sufficiency. It is being wise in one's own estimation and puffed up by vain philosophy, with a blind zeal that thinks it knows it all, thinks it is wise, and thinks it can learn nothing in the investigation of the Scriptures. It is a zeal that God does not impart.
The blindness also comes from being bound to earth by constant labor to amass wealth and enslaved to mammon. That bondage paralyzes the spiritual faculties, directs the mind's eye earthward, and clouds all spiritual things. As wealth increases the idolatrous heart grows forgetful of God, self-secure, satisfied and self-sufficient, and neglects religious duties.
To such people the treasures of the gospel stay hidden. Though they have eyes, ears, and intellect they fail to see, hear, and discern the hidden treasure and do not perceive the beauty, power, and mystery of the plan of redemption. The gross earthly mind cannot see the pure, sublime truths of the gospel but views everything from a worldling's standpoint with the world coming between the soul and Heaven, blinded so it cannot discern or appreciate the value of eternal things.
This was the spirit the Jews possessed in the days of Christ. Israel had been given clear light through the prophets and Christ but rejected it, stumbled because they did not walk in the light, misinterpreted His words, and did not believe because truth was not palatable. The same spiritual blindness is no less present now.
The same self-sufficient spirit appears when ministers bring it to the investigation of Scripture and carry it to the churches and conferences, which is a great calamity. Many things must be left unsaid because people are not imbued with the Spirit of God to take them in. Institutions today are just as much in need of plain, direct, decided testimony as the people in Christ's day.
The verse applies to those in the church who have been given a knowledge of God's will with warning after warning and declarations of eternal truth about what is about to come upon the earth and that God's judgments are hanging over the people. Yet they cling to selfish love of ease and sit indolent, careless, and pleasure-loving while souls perish around them. They remain indifferent to the urgent work they should do for others and ignore warnings about the nearness of the end, the danger facing people, and the coming judgment.
In that application, having eyes but not seeing and ears but not hearing means holding a solemn, responsible position for the salvation of others with hearts become utterly callous. It means failing to feel and understand the work to do, and withholding light so that someone is left in darkness through neglect. The verse is applied to those who reject God's light, faultfind the messenger, and choose darkness despite the light they have received.
Unless that prejudice and pride is removed by the Spirit of God, it causes a person to walk in the sparks of his own kindling and lie down in sorrow. Only a view of God's infinite majesty and holiness brings a deep sense of deficiency of spiritual understanding. The remedy is to know oneself, search the heart, humble oneself under the mighty hand of God, seek the Lord, break the heart by falling on the Rock, Christ Jesus, and grasp the light that has come so God can lead each one out to Himself.