Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
The verse means that those who refused wisdom's call, rejected counsel and reproof, hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord will call and seek diligently in calamity but receive no answer because mercy has closed. Repeated refusal hardens the heart and darkens the mind until light is mistaken for darkness, truth for error, and the grieved Spirit ceases to speak and leaves them to their chosen delusion. Their anguish is the harvest of their own course, eating the fruit of their own way with no refuge for those who would not make God their refuge. Terror, vows and earnest pleading in danger, death or judgment do not prove true repentance, for they spring only from fear of punishment without hatred of evil and would return to rebellion if danger passed. Therefore the present while the Spirit invites is the time to repent, confess, humble the heart and make peace with God, before probation ends as at the shut door of the ark, at the final judgment and in the last withdrawal of the Spirit from rejecters of light.
Refusal That Brings Silence
The verse describes those who refused when wisdom called and stretched out her hand, who set at naught all counsel and would have none of reproof and correction, who hated knowledge, despised the great salvation offered, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Their refusal was not a single neglect but a repeated rejecting of call after call, of instruction and warnings of the Word, of counsel and reproof, until slighting light became despising mercy itself. Because they refused the open call, disregarded the outstretched hand, and rejected reproof, their later calling and diligent seeking meet no answer and no finding.
Repeated refusal hardens the heart and benumbs and dulls the conscience until the voice of truth is not heard, duty is despised, and desire to sacrifice is lost. Rejecting light and evidence draws a curtain of unbelief and brings a shadow and moral darkness that is darker because of the light sent, so that light cannot be distinguished from darkness. In that state more light and evidence is only misunderstood and increases indifference, the deceived call darkness light and truth error, and yielding to temptation blinds them to the true character of sin. By thus insulting the Spirit of grace they cause His voice to cease to be heard, and they are left abandoned to the delusions they have chosen. Worldly follies and deceptions, frivolous amusements, pride of dress, and indulgence of appetite absorb the attention in this hardening, until things of infinite value are lightly esteemed.
When fear comes as desolation and destruction comes as a whirlwind with distress and anguish upon them, God laughs at their calamity and mocks when their fear comes. Then calling upon Him brings no answer and seeking Him early and diligently brings no finding of Him. This silence comes because mercy once open has closed, the time to receive salvation has passed, and judgment leaves no answer.
Their distress is the sure harvest of their own course, the reaping of what they sowed for disregarding light and evidence. They eat the fruit of their own way and are filled with their own devices. That fruit includes the misery caused by corrupt practices and violated natural laws, with no refuge or consolation for those who did not make God their refuge.
Terror, sorrow, vows, and earnest pleading in calamity, in danger, at the approach of death, or after judgment has begun do not prove true conversion. Such acknowledgment comes only from fear of punishment, with no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil. It is abandoned if danger passes, for those who recover may return to rebellion, and would return to defiance of Heaven if judgment were removed.
Judgments That Fulfill Warning
At the Flood those who had despised warning pleaded for admission after judgment had begun, when repentance came too late and no answer was given. God had shut its only door and they could not enter, though they stretched hands toward the ark and called earnestly upon Him for admittance, but His ear was closed to their cry. Conscience at last awakened to know there is a God ruling in heaven and that transgression of His law had caused their ruin, yet their acknowledgment came only from fear of punishment, with no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil, and they would have returned to defiance of Heaven if judgment had been removed. The same will be fulfilled again when judgments fall upon the earth before its destruction by fire, when the impenitent will know their sin is despising His holy law yet will have no more true repentance than the old-world sinners.
At the great day of final judgment the rejecters of mercy and despisers of grace are brought face to face with justice to render an account for devoting their God-given talents of time, means, and intellect to serving the gods of this world. They forsook their true and loving Friend to follow the path of convenience and worldly pleasure, intending at some time to return to Him, but the world with its follies and deceptions absorbed the attention, and frivolous amusements, pride of dress, and indulgence of appetite hardened the heart and benumbed the conscience so the voice of truth was not heard, duty was despised, things of infinite value were lightly esteemed, and the heart lost all desire to sacrifice for Him who has given so much. They refused His call, set at naught His counsel, rejected His reproof, hated knowledge, did not choose the fear of the Lord, and despised all reproof, so in the reaping time they gather what they sowed and eat the fruit of their own way and are filled with their own devices, calling when fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind with distress and anguish, but He does not respond and is not found by them. Those who now laugh at and scorn the followers of Christ will soon mourn and weep, crying out when there is no one to answer them, which calls for moral courage to take a stand on the side of truth now, to aim high for heaven and use influence for God, despite scornful looks and words and being counted foolish.
The warning meets in the last days those who reject the final message and the plain truth of the commandments, especially the seventh-day Sabbath, and persist in disobedience until it is too late to choose life, seeking Him in terror when calamity comes but finding no answer. It belongs also with the rulers’ inability to oppose God’s power at Christ’s tomb, that those who reject wisdom will later call for help and seek it without finding an answer. As in the days of Noah so at the coming of Christ those who resist the Spirit will come to a fearful time when His Spirit is less and less manifested in the earth, angels fold their wings and cease watchcare over them, it is too late for wrongs to be righted, no more prayers will prevail in behalf of rejecters of light, and after the message of warning has been given to wicked cities no more words of peace will be given. Though He is of tender pity and kindly and faithfully calls them to be zealous and repent, He will not bear with them always, but His Spirit will be grieved away for the last time, mercy’s sweet voice will be heard no more, their call will bring no answer, and they will be spued out of His mouth as disgusting, rejected and thrust from Him, left to their own ways to be filled with their own doings.
Seeking God in Time
The present moment, while the Spirit is still inviting, is the open opportunity to repent, confess wrongs, humble the heart, put away what God reproves, and seek forgiveness with a whole heart. That time to receive salvation will pass, and when judgment comes calling will meet no answer and seeking will meet no finding. Mercy now open will soon close, for the Lord is coming, and if He came today those unready would be lost.
Now while probation continues Christ is ever willing to help resist evil, and God pardons the transgressor who repents. Safety belongs to those who heed wisdom, turn when corrected, and make peace with God by coming to Jesus and choosing eternal life. In contrast, those who trust themselves and refuse to repent when rebuked will be surprised, fall, and be overcome by the enemy. Those who have not made God their refuge will then have no refuge and no consolation, but will reap misery from corrupt practices and violated natural laws as the fruit of their own way.
The warning therefore forbids postponing repentance until calamity, danger, or approaching death makes mercy seem urgent, for terror, sorrow, and earnest pleading then do not prove true conversion. Such fear-driven acknowledgment has no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil, and would return to defiance and rebellion if danger passed or judgment were removed. It also forbids robbing God of service purchased with His blood by spending time in idle talk and foolish amusement. Those who persist will lose heaven and be sent from God's presence to share the humiliation and punishment of Satan and his angels. So children and youth must heed instruction and turn when corrected while they have light, rather than persist in sin to eternal loss, aiming high for heaven and using influence for God with moral courage despite scornful looks and words and being counted foolish, for those who now laugh at and scorn Christ's followers will soon mourn and weep with no one to answer.
The verse means that those who refused wisdom's call, rejected counsel and reproof, hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord will call and seek diligently in calamity but receive no answer because mercy has closed. Repeated refusal hardens the heart and darkens the mind until light is mistaken for darkness, truth for error, and the grieved Spirit ceases to speak and leaves them to their chosen delusion. Their anguish is the harvest of their own course, eating the fruit of their own way with no refuge for those who would not make God their refuge. Terror, vows and earnest pleading in danger, death or judgment do not prove true repentance, for they spring only from fear of punishment without hatred of evil and would return to rebellion if danger passed. Therefore the present while the Spirit invites is the time to repent, confess, humble the heart and make peace with God, before probation ends as at the shut door of the ark, at the final judgment and in the last withdrawal of the Spirit from rejecters of light.
Refusal That Brings Silence
The verse describes those who refused when wisdom called and stretched out her hand, who set at naught all counsel and would have none of reproof and correction, who hated knowledge, despised the great salvation offered, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. Their refusal was not a single neglect but a repeated rejecting of call after call, of instruction and warnings of the Word, of counsel and reproof, until slighting light became despising mercy itself. Because they refused the open call, disregarded the outstretched hand, and rejected reproof, their later calling and diligent seeking meet no answer and no finding.
Repeated refusal hardens the heart and benumbs and dulls the conscience until the voice of truth is not heard, duty is despised, and desire to sacrifice is lost. Rejecting light and evidence draws a curtain of unbelief and brings a shadow and moral darkness that is darker because of the light sent, so that light cannot be distinguished from darkness. In that state more light and evidence is only misunderstood and increases indifference, the deceived call darkness light and truth error, and yielding to temptation blinds them to the true character of sin. By thus insulting the Spirit of grace they cause His voice to cease to be heard, and they are left abandoned to the delusions they have chosen. Worldly follies and deceptions, frivolous amusements, pride of dress, and indulgence of appetite absorb the attention in this hardening, until things of infinite value are lightly esteemed.
When fear comes as desolation and destruction comes as a whirlwind with distress and anguish upon them, God laughs at their calamity and mocks when their fear comes. Then calling upon Him brings no answer and seeking Him early and diligently brings no finding of Him. This silence comes because mercy once open has closed, the time to receive salvation has passed, and judgment leaves no answer.
Their distress is the sure harvest of their own course, the reaping of what they sowed for disregarding light and evidence. They eat the fruit of their own way and are filled with their own devices. That fruit includes the misery caused by corrupt practices and violated natural laws, with no refuge or consolation for those who did not make God their refuge.
Terror, sorrow, vows, and earnest pleading in calamity, in danger, at the approach of death, or after judgment has begun do not prove true conversion. Such acknowledgment comes only from fear of punishment, with no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil. It is abandoned if danger passes, for those who recover may return to rebellion, and would return to defiance of Heaven if judgment were removed.
Judgments That Fulfill Warning
At the Flood those who had despised warning pleaded for admission after judgment had begun, when repentance came too late and no answer was given. God had shut its only door and they could not enter, though they stretched hands toward the ark and called earnestly upon Him for admittance, but His ear was closed to their cry. Conscience at last awakened to know there is a God ruling in heaven and that transgression of His law had caused their ruin, yet their acknowledgment came only from fear of punishment, with no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil, and they would have returned to defiance of Heaven if judgment had been removed. The same will be fulfilled again when judgments fall upon the earth before its destruction by fire, when the impenitent will know their sin is despising His holy law yet will have no more true repentance than the old-world sinners.
At the great day of final judgment the rejecters of mercy and despisers of grace are brought face to face with justice to render an account for devoting their God-given talents of time, means, and intellect to serving the gods of this world. They forsook their true and loving Friend to follow the path of convenience and worldly pleasure, intending at some time to return to Him, but the world with its follies and deceptions absorbed the attention, and frivolous amusements, pride of dress, and indulgence of appetite hardened the heart and benumbed the conscience so the voice of truth was not heard, duty was despised, things of infinite value were lightly esteemed, and the heart lost all desire to sacrifice for Him who has given so much. They refused His call, set at naught His counsel, rejected His reproof, hated knowledge, did not choose the fear of the Lord, and despised all reproof, so in the reaping time they gather what they sowed and eat the fruit of their own way and are filled with their own devices, calling when fear comes as desolation and destruction as a whirlwind with distress and anguish, but He does not respond and is not found by them. Those who now laugh at and scorn the followers of Christ will soon mourn and weep, crying out when there is no one to answer them, which calls for moral courage to take a stand on the side of truth now, to aim high for heaven and use influence for God, despite scornful looks and words and being counted foolish.
The warning meets in the last days those who reject the final message and the plain truth of the commandments, especially the seventh-day Sabbath, and persist in disobedience until it is too late to choose life, seeking Him in terror when calamity comes but finding no answer. It belongs also with the rulers’ inability to oppose God’s power at Christ’s tomb, that those who reject wisdom will later call for help and seek it without finding an answer. As in the days of Noah so at the coming of Christ those who resist the Spirit will come to a fearful time when His Spirit is less and less manifested in the earth, angels fold their wings and cease watchcare over them, it is too late for wrongs to be righted, no more prayers will prevail in behalf of rejecters of light, and after the message of warning has been given to wicked cities no more words of peace will be given. Though He is of tender pity and kindly and faithfully calls them to be zealous and repent, He will not bear with them always, but His Spirit will be grieved away for the last time, mercy’s sweet voice will be heard no more, their call will bring no answer, and they will be spued out of His mouth as disgusting, rejected and thrust from Him, left to their own ways to be filled with their own doings.
Seeking God in Time
The present moment, while the Spirit is still inviting, is the open opportunity to repent, confess wrongs, humble the heart, put away what God reproves, and seek forgiveness with a whole heart. That time to receive salvation will pass, and when judgment comes calling will meet no answer and seeking will meet no finding. Mercy now open will soon close, for the Lord is coming, and if He came today those unready would be lost.
Now while probation continues Christ is ever willing to help resist evil, and God pardons the transgressor who repents. Safety belongs to those who heed wisdom, turn when corrected, and make peace with God by coming to Jesus and choosing eternal life. In contrast, those who trust themselves and refuse to repent when rebuked will be surprised, fall, and be overcome by the enemy. Those who have not made God their refuge will then have no refuge and no consolation, but will reap misery from corrupt practices and violated natural laws as the fruit of their own way.
The warning therefore forbids postponing repentance until calamity, danger, or approaching death makes mercy seem urgent, for terror, sorrow, and earnest pleading then do not prove true conversion. Such fear-driven acknowledgment has no true contrition and no abhorrence of evil, and would return to defiance and rebellion if danger passed or judgment were removed. It also forbids robbing God of service purchased with His blood by spending time in idle talk and foolish amusement. Those who persist will lose heaven and be sent from God's presence to share the humiliation and punishment of Satan and his angels. So children and youth must heed instruction and turn when corrected while they have light, rather than persist in sin to eternal loss, aiming high for heaven and using influence for God with moral courage despite scornful looks and words and being counted foolish, for those who now laugh at and scorn Christ's followers will soon mourn and weep with no one to answer.