Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election

Seeing and Hearing Part 1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2015-01-18

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a multi-part message on the necessity of spiritual understanding, using Matthew 13:10-17 as the foundational text. He argues that seeing and hearing do not automatically produce understanding, and that even the apostles often failed to grasp Christ's teachings initially. The sermon emphasizes that a mere reading or study of Scripture is insufficient without understanding, and that lack of understanding is a mark of the unconverted. Believers are encouraged to seek understanding through repetition, prayer, and application.

[John Weaver] Well, let's open our Bibles today to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. I'm going to begin a message today, which it will take me two weeks to finish. So there will be three parts to this. Today will be basically the introduction and the first point. The title of the message is seeing and hearing, but not understanding. Seeing and hearing. But not understanding Matthew chapter 13, beginning there with verse 10.

[John Weaver] And the disciples came and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? He answered and said to them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away, even that he hath. Therefore, speak I to them in parables.

[John Weaver] Because they seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see, and not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and not should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.

[John Weaver] Of course, Solomon is known as one of the wisest men that ever lived, and he made some statements in Proverbs chapter 4. Let me just quote them. And Solomon literally hit the nail on the head when he said this. Proverbs 4, verse 5 says, Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not, need to decline from the words of my mouth. And then in verse 7, he says, Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And with all thy getting, get understanding. Obviously, understanding is very important.

[John Weaver] Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding. One may see or one may hear and yet not understand. Pastor McCurry just recently sent me a little short video of an illusionist or magician, whatever you would call him, doing tricks with doves. And he would take the doves and put them in a little cage after he just pulled them out of nowhere, seemingly. And he pulled a little canary out of an egg, a live canary.

[John Weaver] You know, obviously, you know, an illusion. And here are the The cage that he's putting these live birds in is sitting on this table and you can see right under it. It's just a little simple cage. And when he gets through with his little dove making act, he comes over and he takes a black cloth and he puts over the cage and shakes it and then pulls it back and the doves are all gone. And here's a beautiful woman in that cage and the cage is still sitting on the table. Now, I saw it. But I still don't understand it. I know it's an illusion. I know it's a trick. But the point I'm trying to make is, we can see, but we really don't understand sometimes. We can hear, but we really do not understand.

[John Weaver] And it's interesting, as you read through the Bible, one that lacks understanding is likened unto a beast or to a dumb animal in the Bible. For instance, In Psalm 32 and verse 9, the Bible says, Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bid and bridle, lest they come near unto you. Now notice it says, Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could go up to a horse and just explain what we want to do and ask the horse to cooperate? Well, it just doesn't work like that, does it, Doc? I can assure you, you can explain all day long, but the horse does not understand. But you put that bit and bridle in his mouth and you force him to do what you want to do. The Bible says in Psalm 49 and verse 20, man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beast that perish.

[John Weaver] So someone then without understanding is like unto a dumb beast. That's why Asaph said in Psalm 73 and verse 22, So foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before thee. So he said, I didn't understand. And so I was as a beast before thee. So based upon these verses alone, we could conclude that understanding is vitally important. Yet multitudes of Christians read their Bibles daily. and sometimes even study their Bibles, but they do not possess understanding. If you would hold Matthew 13, but turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8 very quickly, here's a good illustration in the Ethiopian eunuch. Notice, if you would, in Acts chapter 8, beginning there with verse 30, Philip has drawn near and he has heard this eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah. So in Acts chapter 8, And verse 30, we read this, And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? Do you understand what you are reading?

[John Weaver] And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. And then, of course, Philip opened the Scriptures and explained to him the Word of God. If one is content to read and not understand, he's basically no better off than the Pharisees. Because to have eyes and see not and have ears to hear not is to be in the same absolute condition as the Pharisees.

[John Weaver] For instance, look in John chapter 9 at what our Lord said beginning there with verse 39. John 9 and verse 39. Notice. John 9, verse 39. Let's see. John 9, verse 39, And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees, which were with him, heard these words, and they said to him, Are we blind also? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you should have no sin. But now you say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth. So the Pharisees saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they didn't hear. However, they professed to see and hear.

[John Weaver] And yet they had absolutely no understanding of divine truth. Many Christians are like that. At least they profess to believe and know the truth. And yet their lives are completely opposite of that which they profess. And you have to ask why? And the answer is because they lack understanding. So you could ask it like this. Why did the Pharisees follow the commandments of men instead of the commandments of God? And the answer is, because they had no understanding of divine truth.

[John Weaver] They saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they did not hear.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look at Matthew 13 particularly, which is a chapter dealing with the parables, you have to understand that our Lord often taught in parables. A parable, on the one hand, is easily understood. But on the other hand, It also requires discernment and understanding to ascertain its true meaning. Someone in times past defined a parable as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is quite common, and none fail to see it and grasp it. However, it is the heavenly meaning that most people do not see, hear, or grasp or understand. So if you look at Matthew 13, where we begin reading, and let's again look at 10 and 11, Matthew 13, verse 10. And the disciples came and said to him, why speakest thou unto them in parables? Why are you teaching in parables?

[John Weaver] And he answered and said to them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Wow. You see, our Lord often used parables to state his doctrine. If their hearts had been right, if they had not been malignant and blind, they would have understood the parables. His doctrines were clear and concise and stated in the best possible way.

[John Weaver] And yet it was not his fault that they did not understand them. Moreover, It was entirely proper for our Lord to impart instruction to his disciples, which he did not intend for others. And if you're going to say, well, it's just not right that our Lord did that. Well, let me ask you this. Are you willing for your wife to tell you things that she wouldn't broadcast in church? Are you willing for your husband to tell you things that he would not broadcast on the street or somewhere? Sure, it's proper, many times, to communicate things to certain individuals that you do not intend to communicate to others as well. So even now, when we think about this, there are truths that the unsaved do not understand, and they never will understand, unless they're converted by the grace of God. Let me just give you some Scriptures, and I want you to think about these.

[John Weaver] In Proverbs 25 and verse 14, the Bible says the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. So God has secret truths and secret things that he only reveals to his own. When you get to Proverbs 3 and verse 32, the Bible says, for the froward is an abomination of the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous.

[John Weaver] Now, you don't have to turn there. I'll be happy to quote it, but 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14 really ends the argument and the debate over this. 1 Corinthians 2 says this, But the natural man, that is the unsaved man, man by nature, but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them, because they're spiritually discerned.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to understand what our Lord just said. On the one hand, the unsaved cannot understand the things of God. That is, he does not have the ability. Can is a term of ability. On the other hand, he does not desire or even want to understand the things of God because they're foolishness unto him. So that which condemns the man, it's not just his inability, but also his lack of desire to even have or to hear the truth. Now, today, I want to just emphasize one point. This is the point that is not ready to receive by many Christians. But it is true based upon the word of God. Here it is. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient. I have people tell me I read my Bible. Well, then I don't doubt it. But why are you so ignorant? Why cannot you explain certain doctrines? Let me tell you this again now. Listen, it's hard for Christians to receive this, but just a mere reading your Bible is insufficient. Also, just a mere studying of your Bible is insufficient unless you study it with understanding and with application.

[John Weaver] I have no idea how many times this question has been asked me. But here it is. Why are there so many different churches? Why are there so many different doctrines floating around? Well, here's your answer. Either because of understanding or lack of understanding. Those who have understanding believe the truth. Those who do not have understanding usually do not believe the truth. They will believe an error. Those that do not understand will usually twist the Scriptures to their own destruction.

[John Weaver] Let me show you that. Hold Matthew 13, but look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 3. I want you to see 2 Peter 3. And notice what the Apostle Peter says concerning the teachings of the Apostle Paul. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Yes. Did I say Peter? Okay, I was turning to my Bible. 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. Okay, I saw Timothy as I turned there. 2 Timothy 3. Notice if you, 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. In fact, let's read verse 15.

[John Weaver] He said, In account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation, Even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable rest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. So Peter says the Apostle Paul has written some hard things, some difficult things. And he says there are plenty of people who are resting, that is, twisting and perverting what Paul wrote, as well as twisting and perverting the other scriptures to their own destruction. So obviously, there is a need and necessity of understanding, especially in relationship to the Word of God, because without it, Without understanding, we will rest the Scriptures to our own destruction. In fact, most of your sects, most of your isms and schisms are derived from a twisting and a perverting and a resting of the Scripture. I was thinking just the other day how simple it is to rest the Scripture and to twist it.

[John Weaver] In fact, I could prove to you from the Bible that everyone needs to live in this county. If you don't live in Ware County, you're unscriptural. Because the Apostle Paul wrote, Be thou Ware also. Well, is that not a twisting and a perverting? Of course it is. He's telling someone to be on their guard. But if I could twist it and say, hey, you should be living in Ware County.

[John Weaver] That's what a lot of people do. They take things out of context. They don't compare Scripture with Scripture. So obviously, there is a need and an absolute necessity for understanding. So I want to show you one point this morning. Here it is. The importance and the necessity of understanding. The importance and the necessity of understanding. If you would take your concordance when you get home and you look up the words Understand, understanding, understand it and understood. You would be amazed at how many times those words occur in the Bible. You'd be amazed at just how many times those words occur in the New Testament. There is indeed a great deal of emphasis in the Bible upon understanding.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to stop and think about the original twelve apostles. The original twelve lived with our Lord for three years. Would that not be a blessing? These individuals observed Him, walked with Him, worked with Him, watched Him, listened to Him, observed him, had intimate access to him. And if you really want to know who had more access than the others, it was Peter, James, and John.

[John Weaver] They were the inner circle. And if anyone ever went beyond the normal routines with Christ, it would be Peter, James, and John. But all twelve of them lived with our Lord for three years.

[John Weaver] Now, here's a question I want to ask you. In light of the close fellowship. That these 12 apostles had with our Lord and especially. With the close fellowship of Peter, James and John and the easy access that they had to our Lord. Here's my question. Did they always understand his teachings? And the answer is. No. The truth is, most of the time, they did not understand. When you and I think of the apostles, we normally think of men with deep spiritual insights and deep spiritual understanding, and somehow we place them on a plane far above ourselves. Let me tell you what the truth is. The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time? Let me show you. I want you to follow me in the Scripture.

[John Weaver] Let's go to Matthew, chapter 15. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll walk our way through the New Testament. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll begin reading with verse 15 and read through verse 20. And I'm just going to point out this phrase as it appears in the Bible over and over. In fact, in verse 15 of Matthew 15, then answered Peter and said unto him, declare unto us this parable.

[John Weaver] And Jesus said, Are you also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever goeth into the mouth, goeth into the belly, is cast out of the draught? For those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but eat with unwashed hands defile not a man. But note in verse 17, our Lord says, Do you not yet understand? Verse 16, Are you yet without understanding?

[John Weaver] I just taught you something and you're asking me to explain it. Didn't you hear what I said? Wow. Look in Matthew chapter 16, beginning there with verse 6. Matthew 16 and verse 6. And remember, let's read verse 5 just so you can see the disciples. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It's because we've taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, He said to them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves because ye have brought no bread?

[John Weaver] Do you not yet understand? Neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand how many baskets you took up. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand how many baskets you took up. How is it that you do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of the bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Whoa. Back up.

[John Weaver] It almost appears that they were dunces. Just stop and think about it. He told them. And they began to reason totally different from what he said. He said, how is it you do not understand? They were seeing, but they didn't see. They were hearing, but they didn't hear. Look in Mark, Chapter 9. Mark, Chapter 9. At verses 31 and 32. Mark, Chapter 9, verses 31 and 32.

[John Weaver] For he taught his disciples and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after that he is killed, he shall rise a third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." What?

[John Weaver] Now, you and I have the opportunity to have the completed Word of God. But he taught his disciples and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered to the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

[John Weaver] Now to us, that is so simple. We can understand he's going to die. He's going to be raised again from the dead. But they understood not that saying. Moreover, they were afraid to ask him. How could they not understand? They heard, but they didn't hear. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9, verses 44 and 45. Luke 9. Verses 44 and 45. Look at what our Lord said. Luke 9, verse 44.

[John Weaver] Let these things sink down into your ears. For the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. In other words, he's going to be betrayed. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, and they perceived it not, and they feared to ask him of that saying. Can you believe that? They couldn't understand. And then they were afraid to ask. We're talking about Peter, James and John. We're talking about the original twelve.

[John Weaver] Look in Luke chapter 18. Luke 18. Verse 31, we'll begin there. Luke 18, verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 28, just so you will see that he's talking to Peter and the other apostles. Luke 18, verse 28. Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom's sake, the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time of the world to come, life everlasting.

[John Weaver] Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, So here's the twelve. Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written about the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted upon. And they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things. And this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." What?

[John Weaver] To me, reading that, it's fairly plain. But they didn't understand. Didn't matter what he said. They had absolutely no understanding. Look in John chapter 10. Beginning there with verse 1. John chapter 10, verse 1. I'm just trying to show you that the apostles were not superhuman. John 10, beginning there in verse 1, our Lord says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door of the sheepfold, but climeth up some of the way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door of the shepherd, by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he put forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.

[John Weaver] This parable spake he unto them, but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them." Now, you and I hear that. We read that scripture and we think, who could not understand this? Of course, we have the benefit of the completed Word of God. But when they heard, they didn't understand. Not at all. We're talking about Peter, James, and John. The inner circle. Look in John chapter 12.

[John Weaver] Beginning there with verse 12. John 12 verse 12. Now watch. John 12 verse 12. On the next day, much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat there on, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

[John Weaver] These things understood not his disciples at the first. But when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him. and that they had done these things unto him. When it was happening, they didn't understand. Later on, they remembered. Are you surprised that even the apostles did not understand that which our Lord taught? Oftentimes, they had to ask him to explain His parables or his teachings, they had to ask for further illumination and enlightenment. When we think of the apostles, we think of men that are filled with the spirit of God, their men of action, men of knowledge, men that understood all the doctrines and teachings of our Lord and that they understood them instantly, completely and fully. However, we soon discover The apostles like us were just mere men.

[John Weaver] They did not possess supernatural understanding. And guess what? They had to listen and ask and learn. Just the way we do. I don't know if you remember this verse, but I do want you to turn to first Peter chapter one. Let me show you something. This may shock you. Look in first Peter, chapter one. And notice, if you would please. Beginning there, verse 10, because you're going to see that even the Old Testament prophets.

[John Weaver] That prophesied concerning Christ, oftentimes they did not understand their own prophecies. 1 Peter 1, verse 10, of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you, with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, which things the angels desire to look into."

[John Weaver] Did you hear what I just read? These prophets ministered to us. They wrote things that they did not understand. And the Bible says, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ's wishes in them did signify when it testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Yes, they wrote it on the inspiration of the Bible. But they didn't understand it. Even the mighty prophets did not understand.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to mark something down. I want you to think about this. If the Old Testament prophets did not even understand many of their prophecies, and if the apostles in the New Testament, who lived daily with our Lord, needed understanding, how much more do we need understanding who are not in the actual physical presence of our Lord and do not hear him speaking and teaching daily as they did.

[John Weaver] So let me go back to some of the questions I asked in the beginning. What good is hearing if you don't understand? What good is seeing if you don't understand what you're seeing? Do you realize that truth without understanding? Will quickly be ignored. Forgotten. Or attacked. Let me say that again, truth. Communicated. But not understood. Will quickly be ignored, forgotten or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal. If there is no understanding, the truth is quickly discarded, mocked, forgotten, or attacked. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. And here we're talking about these wicked false teachers. Look what the Scripture says, 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. But these as natural beasts made to be taken and destroyed speak evil of the things that they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. So this verse should explain to you why so many.

[John Weaver] Attack the Bible and doctrinal truths. While they attack the existence and the attributes of God. Because they don't understand. And when you don't understand, you either ignore, you forget or you mock and attack.

[John Weaver] Now, listen, a failure to understand Not only results in ignorance. But also an arrogance. Failure to understand not only results in ignorance, but also in arrogance. Ignorance and arrogance both lead to blasphemy. And idolatry. And ultimately destruction. Wow. I want you to look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 28. Acts chapter 28. And notice verses 26 and 27. Acts 28. Paul is telling us What Isaiah said, in fact, we'll read beginning with verse 25. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul had spoken one word. Here's what Paul said. Well, spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah, the prophet and our father saying, go into this people and say here and you shall hear and you shall not understand and seeing you shall see and not perceive. Why? For the heart of this people is waxing gross. And their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes, if they close, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

[John Weaver] Be it known, therefore, to you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." The Lord, you deem yourself unworthy? Fine. I'll leave you in your ignorance and your arrogance. Interestingly enough, and I'm going to show you this in the Old Testament and the New Testament, But when God describes the wicked in Romans chapter 1 and verse 31, here's how he begins. Listen carefully. Without understanding. Covenant breakers. Without natural affection. Implacable. Unmerciful. But he began by saying without understanding. Do you realize both in the Old Testament and the New Testament A lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted. A lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.

[John Weaver] Let's go in our Bibles. First of all, the Isaiah 44. I'll show it to you in the Old Testament, then we'll go to the New Testament. Look at Isaiah 44 and we will. Look at verse 18, Isaiah 44. And verse 18. Isaiah 44 verse 18. Look what God says. They have not known nor understood for you shut their eyes that they cannot see in their hearts that they cannot understand. They have not known or understood what they're lost. They're unconverted. Look in your Bibles, Isaiah 56 and verse 11. Isaiah 56 and verse 11.

[John Weaver] Again, he's talking here about his watchmen. In fact, let's read verse 10. He says his watchmen are blind and they're all ignorant. They're all dumb dogs. They cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough. And they are shepherds that cannot understand. They all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, for his own quarter. from his own quarter. Huh? They cannot understand. So he's talking about them being lost. If you look in the book of Mark, chapter 4 and verse 12. Mark 4 and verse 12.

[John Weaver] Obviously, in this passage, without understanding or lack of understanding means you're unconverted. Mark 4, verse 12, he says that seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing them a year and not understand less than any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven. Then. Turn over to John 8 right quickly and look at what our Lord said to the Pharisees, John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43, and we'll go to John 12. Look at John 8, verse 43. Our Lord says this to the Pharisees. Why do you not understand my speech?

[John Weaver] Even because you cannot hear my word. Hmm, why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word there without understanding, they can't hear. They don't want to hear and they're lost. Look in John 12 and verse 40. John 12, verse 40. Verse 39, therefore, they could not believe because that Isaiah said again, he had blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them. Now. Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding Is a symptom of being unconverted now?

[John Weaver] Let me explain something to you. We must comprehend that a. Even a baby in Christ. Someone that is just born by God. Understands some things. He may not be able to explain them, But he understands them. You can take a newborn baby and that baby is automatically going to go to his mother's breast. He understands he needs the nourishment. He's going there. A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian. He may not have a doctrinal degree, but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. He understands that He has been saved by grace through faith alone. He understands that the Word of God is His source of sustenance and nourishment. He may not be able to explain it, but He understands that. So if a babe in Christ can understand these simple truths, Why is it that someone who professes to have been saved for 40 years can't understand those simple truths? Or anything in the Word of God?

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter, Chapter 2. 1 Peter, Chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 1 Peter 2 verses 1 through 4. Look what our Lord says. Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. If so, if so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

[John Weaver] to him coming as into a living stone, disallowed to be to men, but chosen of God and precious. So even a newborn babe knows the preciousness of Jesus Christ. He may not be able to explain the incarnation. He may not be able to explain. The impact and the importance of the resurrection or the intercession of Christ. But he knows that Jesus Christ is God. And he knows that Jesus Christ is the one who saved him.

[John Weaver] Skip down to verse 7. He says, unto you therefore who believe, he is precious. But in them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is become the head of the corner.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain something. A true Christian may not be the greatest scholar in the world. But at least he has understanding. There are certain things that he does understand, biblical truths, spiritual truths. I know. And, you know, men and women with earned PhDs. That are just absolutely incapable of understanding spiritual truths. Are they brilliant? Yes. Did they earn their degrees? Yes. Does the world acknowledge their brilliance? Yes. But they have absolutely no understanding when it comes to the Word of God. A child of God understands certain things. He may not understand the whole Word of God. But he does understand that salvation is of the Lord and that Jesus Christ is God and he's the only Savior and the Bible is indeed the word of God. And I want to tell you something.

[John Weaver] I have rather be criticized and mocked and ridiculed by the world and have everyone call me names and think I'm stupid and dumb. And have understanding of the word of God and of Jesus Christ then have all kind of degrees the world can fasten upon me. Spiritual understanding far exceeds just simply intellectual knowledge. I don't care if the world calls me the smartest man in the world. Without understanding spiritual truths, I'm mighty dumb.

[John Weaver] Let me make some applications and try to tie these things together. By way of encouragement, and I hope this is encouragement, allow me to say that we are not to consider ourselves dumb or stupid just simply because we do not understand truth the very first time we hear it. Did the apostles? No. They had to ask. It had to be repeated. It had to be explained to them over and over again.

[John Weaver] In Mark 10, verse 1, the Bible says our Lord came there and He taught them again. The Lord's He taught them the same truth over again. Let me tell you something, folks. It takes time for things to sink into our brains. And it takes repetition. The more you hear, The more you understand. And I've had people tell me over and over, I've got more out of that message the second time I heard it than the first time. Or I got more the third time than the first time. Of course.

[John Weaver] You see, it's easy for anybody to comprehend 2 plus 2 equals 4. Except those who believe in common core, of course. It's easy for anybody to understand 2 plus 2 equals 4. Well, that's just a mere intellectual fact. But when you begin dealing with the word of God, it requires spiritual discernment. And it takes time to develop spiritual discernment. So do not consider yourself stupid or dumb just because you don't understand something the very first time that you hear it.

[John Weaver] If I were to try to explain to you the difference between trichotomy and dichotomy, or if I were to try to explain to you some apologetic principles, or if I were to say, tomorrow we're going to be discussing supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism, and you look around and say, what is that? Well, they're theological doctrines. But the point I'm trying to make is. I didn't understand some of those things the first time I heard of either, I couldn't pronounce the words.

[John Weaver] So don't consider yourself dumb or stupid, just ask the Lord for discernment, ask him for the truth. The second application is this, we may not understand everything or even most Bible truths. But we should be thankful for what we do understand. We're thankful we at least understand some basic truths. And thirdly, we must not read our Bibles just to be reading them. And we must not study our Bibles just to be studying them. But we should read them and study them in seeking understanding and application of them to our lives and to our circumstances. If there is no understanding. The truth will slip away from us.

[John Weaver] Hebrews two and verse one says this, therefore, we ought to give the more earnest heed to these things which we have heard less than any time we should let them slip. Spiritual truth will escape and slip away from us far more quickly than any other truth. And like all truth, we must fight to make it ours. We must fight to keep it. One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs 23 and verse 23, and it just simply says this. Buy the truth and sell it not. Truth costs.

[John Weaver] And once you get it, once you understand it, once you apply. It's kind of like a piece of gold. Or a Glock, you don't ever want to get rid of it. By the truth and sell it, not help us, father, to understand the very importance and necessity of understanding, and we seek the understanding Teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	251565777
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election
Genre	Sermon
Date	2015-01-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 116: Seeing and Hearing — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	68

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: Seeing and Hearing Without Understanding

Weaver opens with Matthew 13:10-17, highlighting that the disciples asked why Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus explains that understanding the mysteries of the kingdom is given to some but not others, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about people who see but do not perceive and hear but do not understand.

Well, let's open our Bibles today to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. I'm going to begin a message today, which will take me two weeks to finish. So there will be three parts to this. Today will be basically the introduction and the first point. The title of the message is "Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding." Seeing and hearing, but not understanding. Matthew chapter 13, beginning there with verse 10.

And the disciples came and said to him, "Why speakest thou to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables." "Because they seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

The Importance of Understanding in Scripture

Citing Proverbs 4:5,7, Weaver stresses that wisdom and understanding are principal things. He notes that seeing and hearing do not equate to understanding, using an illusionist's trick as an illustration. The Bible likens those without understanding to beasts (Psalm 32:9; 49:20).

Of course, Solomon is known as one of the wisest men that ever lived, and he made some statements in Proverbs chapter 4. Let me just quote them. And Solomon literally hit the nail on the head when he said this. Proverbs 4, verse 5 says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:5,7

"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth."

And then in verse 7, he says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Obviously, understanding is very important. Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding. One may see or one may hear and yet not understand. Pastor McCurry just recently sent me a little short video of an illusionist or magician, whatever you would call him, doing tricks with doves. And he would take the doves and put them in a little cage after he just pulled them out of nowhere, seemingly. And he pulled a little canary out of an egg, a live canary.

You know, obviously, an illusion. And here is the cage that he's putting these live birds in, sitting on this table, and you can see right under it. It's just a little simple cage. And when he gets through with his little dove-making act, he comes over and he takes a black cloth and he puts it over the cage and shakes it and then pulls it back, and the doves are all gone. And here's a beautiful woman in that cage, and the cage is still sitting on the table. Now, I saw it. But I still don't understand it. I know it's an illusion. I know it's a trick. But the point I'm trying to make is, we can see, but we really don't understand sometimes. We can hear, but we really do not understand.

And it's interesting, as you read through the Bible, one that lacks understanding is likened unto a beast or to a dumb animal in the Bible. For instance, in Psalm 32 and verse 9, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 32:9

"Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee."

Now notice it says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 32:9

"Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could go up to a horse and just explain what we want to do and ask the horse to cooperate? Well, it just doesn't work like that, does it, Doc? I can assure you, you can explain all day long, but the horse does not understand. But you put that bit and bridle in his mouth and you force him to do what you want to do. The Bible says in Psalm 49 and verse 20, "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."

The Ethiopian Eunuch and the Need for Guidance

Using Acts 8:30-31, Weaver shows that even when reading Scripture, one may not understand without a guide. He warns that being content to read without understanding leaves one no better than the Pharisees.

So someone then without understanding is like unto a dumb beast. That's why Asaph said in Psalm 73 and verse 22,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 73:22

"So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee."

So he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 73:22

"I didn't understand. And so I was as a beast before thee."

So based upon these verses alone, we could conclude that understanding is vitally important. Yet multitudes of Christians read their Bibles daily, and sometimes even study their Bibles, but they do not possess understanding. If you would hold Matthew 13, but turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8 very quickly, here's a good illustration in the Ethiopian eunuch. Notice, if you would, in Acts chapter 8, beginning there with verse 30, Philip has drawn near and he has heard this eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah. So in Acts chapter 8, and verse 30, we read this, "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?" Do you understand what you are reading?

And he said, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. And then, of course, Philip opened the Scriptures and explained to him the Word of God. If one is content to read and not understand, he's basically no better off than the Pharisees. Because to have eyes and see not and have ears to hear not is to be in the same absolute condition as the Pharisees.

The Pharisees' Blindness and Modern Parallels

From John 9:39-41, Weaver points out that the Pharisees claimed to see but were blind. Many Christians profess belief but lack understanding, leading to lives contrary to their profession. Lack of understanding explains why they follow human commandments over God's.

For instance, look in John chapter 9 at what our Lord said beginning there with verse 39. John 9 and verse 39. Notice. John 9, verse 39,

Scripture Reading — John 9:39-41

"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

So the Pharisees saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they didn't hear. However, they professed to see and hear.

And yet they had absolutely no understanding of divine truth. Many Christians are like that. At least they profess to believe and know the truth. And yet their lives are completely opposite of that which they profess. And you have to ask why? And the answer is because they lack understanding. So you could ask it like this. Why did the Pharisees follow the commandments of men instead of the commandments of God? And the answer is, because they had no understanding of divine truth.

They saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they did not hear.

Parables: Earthly Stories with Heavenly Meanings

Weaver explains that parables are easily grasped on the surface but require discernment for the heavenly meaning. Jesus used parables to teach doctrine, but only those with right hearts could understand. He notes that it is proper for God to reveal secrets to His own (Proverbs 25:14; 3:32).

Now, when you look at Matthew 13 particularly, which is a chapter dealing with the parables, you have to understand that our Lord often taught in parables. A parable, on the one hand, is easily understood. But on the other hand, it also requires discernment and understanding to ascertain its true meaning. Someone in times past defined a parable as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is quite common, and none fail to see it and grasp it. However, it is the heavenly meaning that most people do not see, hear, or grasp or understand. So if you look at Matthew 13, where we begin reading, and let's again look at 10 and 11, Matthew 13, verse 10. "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" Why are you teaching in parables?

And he answered and said to them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Wow. You see, our Lord often used parables to state his doctrine. If their hearts had been right, if they had not been malignant and blind, they would have understood the parables. His doctrines were clear and concise and stated in the best possible way. And yet it was not his fault that they did not understand them. Moreover, it was entirely proper for our Lord to impart instruction to his disciples, which he did not intend for others. And if you're going to say, "Well, it's just not right that our Lord did that," well, let me ask you this. Are you willing for your wife to tell you things that she wouldn't broadcast in church? Are you willing for your husband to tell you things that he would not broadcast on the street or somewhere? Sure, it's proper, many times, to communicate things to certain individuals that you do not intend to communicate to others as well. So even now, when we think about this, there are truths that the unsaved do not understand, and they never will understand, unless they're converted by the grace of God. Let me just give you some Scriptures, and I want you to think about these.

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:14

In Proverbs 25 and verse 14, the Bible says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. So God has secret truths and secret things that he only reveals to his own. When you get to Proverbs 3 and verse 32, the Bible says, "For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous." Now, you don't have to turn there. I'll be happy to quote it, but 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14 really ends the argument and the debate over this. 1 Corinthians 2 says this, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The Natural Man's Inability and the Insufficiency of Mere Reading

Citing 1 Corinthians 2:14, Weaver argues that the unsaved cannot understand spiritual things because they are spiritually discerned. He asserts that mere reading or even studying the Bible is insufficient without understanding and application. This explains the proliferation of conflicting doctrines and churches.

Now, I want you to understand what our Lord just said. On the one hand, the unsaved cannot understand the things of God. That is, he does not have the ability. "Can" is a term of ability. On the other hand, he does not desire or even want to understand the things of God because they're foolishness unto him. So that which condemns the man, it's not just his inability, but also his lack of desire to even have or to hear the truth. Now, today, I want to just emphasize one point. This is the point that is not ready to receive by many Christians. But it is true based upon the word of God. Here it is. Listen carefully.

The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient. I have people tell me, "I read my Bible." Well, then I don't doubt it. But why are you so ignorant? Why cannot you explain certain doctrines? Let me tell you this again now. Listen, it's hard for Christians to receive this, but just a mere reading your Bible is insufficient. Also, just a mere studying of your Bible is insufficient unless you study it with understanding and with application.

I have no idea how many times this question has been asked me. But here it is. Why are there so many different churches? Why are there so many different doctrines floating around? Well, here's your answer. Either because of understanding or lack of understanding. Those who have understanding believe the truth. Those who do not have understanding usually do not believe the truth. They will believe an error. Those that do not understand will usually twist the Scriptures to their own destruction.

Let me show you that. Hold Matthew 13, but look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 3. I want you to see 2 Peter 3. And notice what the Apostle Peter says concerning the teachings of the Apostle Paul. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Yes. Did I say Peter? Okay, I was turning to my Bible. 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. Okay, I saw Timothy as I turned there. 2 Timothy 3. Notice if you, 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. In fact, let's read verse 15.

He said, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." So Peter says the Apostle Paul has written some hard things, some difficult things. And he says there are plenty of people who are wresting, that is, twisting and perverting what Paul wrote, as well as twisting and perverting the other scriptures to their own destruction. So obviously, there is a need and necessity of understanding, especially in relationship to the Word of God, because without it, without understanding, we will wrest the Scriptures to our own destruction. In fact, most of your sects, most of your isms and schisms are derived from a twisting and a perverting and a wresting of the Scripture. I was thinking just the other day how simple it is to wrest the Scripture and to twist it.

Wresting the Scriptures and the Apostles' Lack of Understanding

From 2 Peter 3:16, Weaver warns that the unlearned twist Scripture to their destruction. He then demonstrates through multiple Gospel passages (Matthew 15:16; 16:9-11; Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; 18:34; John 10:6; 12:16) that the apostles frequently failed to understand Jesus' teachings, showing they were not superhuman.

In fact, I could prove to you from the Bible that everyone needs to live in this county. If you don't live in Ware County, you're unscriptural. Because the Apostle Paul wrote, "Be thou ware also." Well, is that not a twisting and a perverting? Of course it is. He's telling someone to be on their guard. But if I could twist it and say, "Hey, you should be living in Ware County." That's what a lot of people do. They take things out of context. They don't compare Scripture with Scripture. So obviously, there is a need and an absolute necessity for understanding. So I want to show you one point this morning. Here it is. The importance and the necessity of understanding. The importance and the necessity of understanding. If you would take your concordance when you get home and you look up the words "understand," "understanding," "understandeth," and "understood," you would be amazed at how many times those words occur in the Bible. You'd be amazed at just how many times those words occur in the New Testament. There is indeed a great deal of emphasis in the Bible upon understanding.

Now, I want you to stop and think about the original twelve apostles. The original twelve lived with our Lord for three years. Would that not be a blessing? These individuals observed Him, walked with Him, worked with Him, watched Him, listened to Him, observed Him, had intimate access to Him. And if you really want to know who had more access than the others, it was Peter, James, and John. They were the inner circle. And if anyone ever went beyond the normal routines with Christ, it would be Peter, James, and John. But all twelve of them lived with our Lord for three years.

Now, here's a question I want to ask you. In light of the close fellowship that these twelve apostles had with our Lord, and especially with the close fellowship of Peter, James, and John and the easy access that they had to our Lord, here's my question. Did they always understand his teachings? And the answer is no. The truth is, most of the time, they did not understand. When you and I think of the apostles, we normally think of men with deep spiritual insights and deep spiritual understanding, and somehow we place them on a plane far above ourselves. Let me tell you what the truth is. The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time? Let me show you. I want you to follow me in the Scripture.

Let's go to Matthew, chapter 15. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll walk our way through the New Testament. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll begin reading with verse 15 and read through verse 20. And I'm just going to point out this phrase as it appears in the Bible over and over. In fact, in verse 15 of Matthew 15,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."

And Jesus said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

But note in verse 17, our Lord says, "Do you not yet understand?" Verse 16, "Are you yet without understanding?"

I just taught you something and you're asking me to explain it. Didn't you hear what I said? Wow. Look in Matthew chapter 16, beginning there with verse 6. Matthew 16 and verse 6. And remember, let's read verse 5 just so you can see the disciples. "And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?"

"Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Whoa. Back up. It almost appears that they were dunces. Just stop and think about it. He told them. And they began to reason totally different from what he said. He said, "How is it you do not understand?" They were seeing, but they didn't see. They were hearing, but they didn't hear. Look in Mark, Chapter 9. Mark, Chapter 9, at verses 31 and 32. Mark, Chapter 9, verses 31 and 32.

"For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." What? Now, you and I have the opportunity to have the completed Word of God. But he taught his disciples and said unto them, "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day."

Now to us, that is so simple. We can understand he's going to die. He's going to be raised again from the dead. But they understood not that saying. Moreover, they were afraid to ask him. How could they not understand? They heard, but they didn't hear. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9, verses 44 and 45. Luke 9, verses 44 and 45. Look at what our Lord said. Luke 9, verse 44.

Scripture Reading — Luke 9:44-45

"Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men."

In other words, he's going to be betrayed.

Scripture Reading — Luke 9:44-45

"But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying."

Can you believe that? They couldn't understand. And then they were afraid to ask. We're talking about Peter, James, and John. We're talking about the original twelve. Look in Luke chapter 18. Luke 18, verse 31, we'll begin there. Luke 18, verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 28, just so you will see that he's talking to Peter and the other apostles. Luke 18, verse 28. "Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." What? To me, reading that, it's fairly plain. But they didn't understand. Didn't matter what he said. They had absolutely no understanding. Look in John chapter 10, beginning there with verse 1. John chapter 10, verse 1. I'm just trying to show you that the apostles were not superhuman. John 10, beginning there in verse 1, our Lord says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

Scripture Reading — John 10:1-6

"This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them."

Now, you and I hear that. We read that scripture and we think, who could not understand this? Of course, we have the benefit of the completed Word of God. But when they heard, they didn't understand. Not at all. We're talking about Peter, James, and John. The inner circle. Look in John chapter 12.

Beginning there with verse 12. John 12 verse 12. Now watch. John 12 verse 12.

Scripture Reading — John 12:12-16

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." "These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him."

When it was happening, they didn't understand. Later on, they remembered. Are you surprised that even the apostles did not understand that which our Lord taught? Oftentimes, they had to ask him to explain His parables or his teachings, they had to ask for further illumination and enlightenment. When we think of the apostles, we think of men that are filled with the spirit of God, they're men of action, men of knowledge, men that understood all the doctrines and teachings of our Lord and that they understood them instantly, completely and fully. However, we soon discover the apostles, like us, were just mere men.

Even the Prophets Did Not Always Understand

From 1 Peter 1:10-12, Weaver shows that Old Testament prophets sometimes did not understand their own prophecies about Christ. If prophets and apostles needed understanding, how much more do we?

They did not possess supernatural understanding. And guess what? They had to listen and ask and learn. Just the way we do. I don't know if you remember this verse, but I do want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 1. Let me show you something. This may shock you. Look in 1 Peter, chapter 1. And notice, if you would please, beginning there, verse 10, because you're going to see that even the Old Testament prophets.

That prophesied concerning Christ, oftentimes they did not understand their own prophecies. 1 Peter 1, verse 10,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:10-12

"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

Did you hear what I just read? These prophets ministered to us. They wrote things that they did not understand. And the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:10-12

"searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

Yes, they wrote it on the inspiration of the Bible. But they didn't understand it. Even the mighty prophets did not understand.

Now, I want you to mark something down. I want you to think about this. If the Old Testament prophets did not even understand many of their prophecies, and if the apostles in the New Testament, who lived daily with our Lord, needed understanding, how much more do we need understanding who are not in the actual physical presence of our Lord and do not hear him speaking and teaching daily as they did.

Truth Without Understanding Is Quickly Lost

Weaver states that truth without understanding is ignored, forgotten, or attacked. He cites 2 Peter 2:12 to show that false teachers speak evil of what they do not understand. Failure to understand leads to ignorance, arrogance, blasphemy, idolatry, and destruction.

So let me go back to some of the questions I asked in the beginning. What good is hearing if you don't understand? What good is seeing if you don't understand what you're seeing? Do you realize that truth without understanding will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked? Let me say that again: truth communicated but not understood will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal. If there is no understanding, the truth is quickly discarded, mocked, forgotten, or attacked. Let me show you.

Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. And here we're talking about these wicked false teachers. Look what the Scripture says, 2 Peter 2 and verse 12.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:12

"But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption."

So this verse should explain to you why so many attack the Bible and doctrinal truths. Why they attack the existence and the attributes of God. Because they don't understand. And when you don't understand, you either ignore, you forget, or you mock and attack.

Now, listen, a failure to understand not only results in ignorance, but also in arrogance. Failure to understand not only results in ignorance, but also in arrogance. Ignorance and arrogance both lead to blasphemy and idolatry and ultimately destruction. Wow. I want you to look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 28. Acts chapter 28. And notice verses 26 and 27. Acts 28. Paul is telling us what Isaiah said, in fact, we'll read beginning with verse 25. "And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Lack of Understanding as Evidence of Being Unconverted

Using Isaiah 44:18; 56:11; Mark 4:12; John 8:43; 12:40, Weaver argues that a lack of understanding is a symptom of being lost. Even a newborn Christian understands basic truths: he is a sinner, Jesus is the only Savior, salvation is by grace through faith, and the Word is nourishment.

"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." The Lord, you deem yourself unworthy? Fine. I'll leave you in your ignorance and your arrogance. Interestingly enough, and I'm going to show you this in the Old Testament and the New Testament, but when God describes the wicked in Romans chapter 1 and verse 31, here's how he begins. Listen carefully. "Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." But he began by saying "without understanding." Do you realize both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted. A lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.

Let's go in our Bibles. First of all, to Isaiah 44. I'll show it to you in the Old Testament, then we'll go to the New Testament. Look at Isaiah 44 and we will look at verse 18. Isaiah 44 and verse 18. Isaiah 44 verse 18. Look what God says. "They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand." They have not known or understood; they're lost. They're unconverted. Look in your Bibles, Isaiah 56 and verse 11. Isaiah 56 and verse 11.

Again, he's talking here about his watchmen. In fact, let's read verse 10. He says, "His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." Huh? They cannot understand. So he's talking about them being lost. If you look in the book of Mark, chapter 4 and verse 12. Mark 4 and verse 12.

Obviously, in this passage, without understanding or lack of understanding means you're unconverted. Mark 4, verse 12, he says, "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them." Then turn over to John 8 right quickly and look at what our Lord said to the Pharisees, John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43, and we'll go to John 12. Look at John 8, verse 43. Our Lord says this to the Pharisees. "Why do ye not understand my speech?" "Even because ye cannot hear my word." Hmm, why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. There without understanding, they can't hear. They don't want to hear and they're lost. Look in John 12 and verse 40. John 12, verse 40. Verse 39, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Now, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is a symptom of being unconverted. Now,

let me explain something to you. We must comprehend that even a baby in Christ, someone that is just born by God, understands some things. He may not be able to explain them, but he understands them. You can take a newborn baby and that baby is automatically going to go to his mother's breast. He understands he needs the nourishment. He's going there. A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian. He may not have a doctrinal degree, but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. He understands that He has been saved by grace through faith alone. He understands that the Word of God is His source of sustenance and nourishment. He may not be able to explain it, but He understands that. So if a babe in Christ can understand these simple truths, why is it that someone who professes to have been saved for 40 years can't understand those simple truths? Or anything in the Word of God?

Encouragement and Applications

Weaver encourages believers not to feel stupid if they don't understand truth immediately; the apostles needed repetition. He urges thankfulness for what we do understand, and emphasizes reading and studying Scripture with a goal of understanding and application. He closes with Hebrews 2:1 and Proverbs 23:23, urging us to hold fast to truth.

Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter, Chapter 2. 1 Peter, Chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 1 Peter 2 verses 1 through 4. Look what our Lord says. "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." "To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious." So even a newborn babe knows the preciousness of Jesus Christ. He may not be able to explain the incarnation. He may not be able to explain the impact and the importance of the resurrection or the intercession of Christ. But he knows that Jesus Christ is God. And he knows that Jesus Christ is the one who saved him.

Skip down to verse 7. He says, "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner." Now, let me explain something. A true Christian may not be the greatest scholar in the world. But at least he has understanding. There are certain things that he does understand, biblical truths, spiritual truths. I know, and you know, men and women with earned PhDs that are just absolutely incapable of understanding spiritual truths. Are they brilliant? Yes. Did they earn their degrees? Yes. Does the world acknowledge their brilliance? Yes. But they have absolutely no understanding when it comes to the Word of God. A child of God understands certain things. He may not understand the whole Word of God. But he does understand that salvation is of the Lord and that Jesus Christ is God and he's the only Savior and the Bible is indeed the word of God. And I want to tell you something.

I would rather be criticized and mocked and ridiculed by the world and have everyone call me names and think I'm stupid and dumb, and have understanding of the word of God and of Jesus Christ, than have all kind of degrees the world can fasten upon me. Spiritual understanding far exceeds just simply intellectual knowledge. I don't care if the world calls me the smartest man in the world. Without understanding spiritual truths, I'm mighty dumb.

Let me make some applications and try to tie these things together. By way of encouragement, and I hope this is encouragement, allow me to say that we are not to consider ourselves dumb or stupid just simply because we do not understand truth the very first time we hear it. Did the apostles? No. They had to ask. It had to be repeated. It had to be explained to them over and over again.

In Mark 10, verse 1, the Bible says our Lord came there and He taught them again. The Lord taught them the same truth over again. Let me tell you something, folks. It takes time for things to sink into our brains. And it takes repetition. The more you hear, the more you understand. And I've had people tell me over and over, "I've got more out of that message the second time I heard it than the first time." Or "I got more the third time than the first time." Of course.

You see, it's easy for anybody to comprehend 2 plus 2 equals 4. Except those who believe in common core, of course. It's easy for anybody to understand 2 plus 2 equals 4. Well, that's just a mere intellectual fact. But when you begin dealing with the word of God, it requires spiritual discernment. And it takes time to develop spiritual discernment. So do not consider yourself stupid or dumb just because you don't understand something the very first time that you hear it.

If I were to try to explain to you the difference between trichotomy and dichotomy, or if I were to try to explain to you some apologetic principles, or if I were to say, "Tomorrow we're going to be discussing supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism," and you look around and say, "What is that?" Well, they're theological doctrines. But the point I'm trying to make is, I didn't understand some of those things the first time I heard them either. I couldn't pronounce the words. So don't consider yourself dumb or stupid, just ask the Lord for discernment, ask him for the truth. The second application is this, we may not understand everything or even most Bible truths. But we should be thankful for what we do understand. We're thankful we at least understand some basic truths. And thirdly, we must not read our Bibles just to be reading them. And we must not study our Bibles just to be studying them. But we should read them and study them in seeking understanding and application of them to our lives and to our circumstances. If there is no understanding, the truth will slip away from us.

Hebrews 2 and verse 1 says this, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." Spiritual truth will escape and slip away from us far more quickly than any other truth. And like all truth, we must fight to make it ours. We must fight to keep it. One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs 23 and verse 23, and it just simply says this: "Buy the truth, and sell it not." Truth costs. And once you get it, once you understand it, once you apply it, it's kind of like a piece of gold or a Glock, you don't ever want to get rid of it. Buy the truth and sell it not. Help us, Father, to understand the very importance and necessity of understanding, and we seek the understanding. Teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Necessity of Spiritual Understanding

Summary: Understanding is vital for spiritual life; seeing and hearing without understanding leaves one in the same condition as the Pharisees.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding.' (149.2-201.9s)

Insufficiency of Mere Bible Reading

Summary: Simply reading or even studying the Bible is not enough; one must seek understanding and application.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient... just a mere studying of your Bible is insufficient unless you study it with understanding and with application.' (815.9-861.6s)

Human Inability and Divine Revelation

Summary: The natural man cannot understand spiritual things; understanding is a gift given to those who fear God.

Evidence: Weaver quotes 1 Corinthians 2:14 and Proverbs 25:14, saying, 'The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.' (695.1-725.0s)

The Apostles' Humanity and Need for Teaching

Summary: Even the apostles often failed to understand Jesus' teachings and needed repeated explanation, showing they were not superhuman.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time?' (1288.4-1317.2s)

Lack of Understanding as a Mark of the Unconverted

Summary: Both Old and New Testaments associate a lack of understanding with being lost and unconverted.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.' (2364.7-2415.9s)

The Danger of Truth Without Understanding

Summary: Truth that is not understood is quickly ignored, forgotten, or attacked, leading to ignorance, arrogance, and destruction.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Truth communicated but not understood will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal.' (2139.3-2181.1s)

Key Arguments

Understanding is distinct from mere sensory perception

Summary: Seeing and hearing do not automatically produce understanding; one can perceive without comprehending.

Evidence: Weaver uses the illusionist example: 'Now, I saw it. But I still don't understand it. I know it's an illusion. I know it's a trick. But the point I'm trying to make is, we can see, but we really don't understand sometimes.' (202.0-251.0s)

The Bible equates lack of understanding with beastliness

Summary: Scripture likens those without understanding to dumb animals, emphasizing the importance of understanding.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 32:9 and 49:20: 'Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.' (252.2-314.1s)

Jesus taught in parables to reveal and conceal truth

Summary: Parables were used to impart truth to disciples while hiding it from those whose hearts were hardened.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If their hearts had been right, if they had not been malignant and blind, they would have understood the parables.' (629.4-694.2s)

The unsaved cannot and will not understand spiritual truth

Summary: The natural man lacks both the ability and the desire to understand the things of God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'On the one hand, the unsaved cannot understand the things of God... On the other hand, he does not desire or even want to understand the things of God because they're foolishness unto him.' (757.0-814.9s)

Lack of understanding leads to doctrinal error and destruction

Summary: Those without understanding twist Scripture, resulting in sects, schisms, and their own destruction.

Evidence: Weaver cites 2 Peter 3:16: '...they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.' (956.1-1045.6s)

Even the apostles needed repeated teaching to understand

Summary: The twelve apostles, including Peter, James, and John, frequently failed to understand Jesus' words and required further explanation.

Evidence: Weaver points to Matthew 15:16 where Jesus asks, 'Are ye also yet without understanding?' (1318.1-1356.4s)

Old Testament prophets did not always understand their own prophecies

Summary: Prophets like Isaiah wrote under inspiration but did not fully comprehend the meaning of their words.

Evidence: Weaver reads 1 Peter 1:10-11: '...searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify...' (1940.6-1988.8s)

A true Christian, even a new believer, has some understanding

Summary: Even a newborn babe in Christ understands basic truths like his sinfulness, Christ's saviorhood, and the value of Scripture.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian... but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior.' (2656.5-2697.9s)

Scripture References

Matthew 13:10-17

Context: The foundational text for the sermon, where Jesus explains why he speaks in parables and quotes Isaiah about people who see but do not perceive.

Proverbs 4:5,7

Context: Solomon's exhortation to get wisdom and understanding as the principal thing.

Psalm 32:9

Context: Warning not to be like the horse or mule which have no understanding.

Psalm 49:20

Context: Man that is in honor and does not understand is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 73:22

Context: Asaph confesses he was foolish and ignorant, like a beast before God.

Acts 8:30-31

Context: Philip asks the Ethiopian eunuch if he understands what he is reading, illustrating the need for guidance.

John 9:39-41

Context: Jesus says he came for judgment so that those who see might become blind; the Pharisees claim to see but remain in sin.

Proverbs 25:14

Context: The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.

Proverbs 3:32

Context: The froward is abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Context: The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.

2 Peter 3:15-16

Context: Peter says Paul's writings contain things hard to understand, which the unlearned twist to their destruction.

Matthew 15:15-20

Context: Peter asks Jesus to explain a parable; Jesus asks if they are yet without understanding.

Matthew 16:5-12

Context: Jesus warns of the leaven of the Pharisees; the disciples misunderstand, and Jesus asks if they do not yet understand.

Mark 9:31-32

Context: Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, but the disciples did not understand and were afraid to ask.

Luke 9:44-45

Context: Jesus tells the disciples to let his sayings sink in, but they did not understand and it was hidden from them.

Luke 18:31-34

Context: Jesus details his coming suffering and resurrection to the twelve, but they understood none of these things.

John 10:1-6

Context: Jesus speaks a parable about the shepherd and the sheep, but they did not understand what he was saying.

John 12:12-16

Context: The disciples did not understand the triumphal entry at first, but remembered after Jesus was glorified.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Context: The prophets searched to understand what the Spirit of Christ was indicating about the sufferings and glories of Christ.

2 Peter 2:12

Context: False teachers speak evil of things they do not understand and will perish in their corruption.

Historical References

Solomon

Context: Mentioned as one of the wisest men who emphasized getting wisdom and understanding in Proverbs.

Pharisees

Context: Religious leaders who saw and heard Jesus but lacked understanding, following human commandments instead of God's.

Ethiopian eunuch

Context: An example of someone reading Scripture but needing a guide to understand, from Acts 8.

The twelve apostles

Context: Specifically Peter, James, and John as the inner circle who lived with Jesus for three years but often failed to understand his teachings.

Old Testament prophets

Context: Prophets like Isaiah who wrote under inspiration but did not fully understand their own prophecies about Christ.

Important Quotes

Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding.

Significance: Establishes the central premise that sensory perception is not the same as comprehension.

The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient. I have people tell me, 'I read my Bible.' Well, then I don't doubt it. But why are you so ignorant? Why cannot you explain certain doctrines?

Significance: Challenges the common assumption that Bible reading alone produces spiritual understanding.

The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time?

Significance: Humanizes the apostles and encourages believers who struggle to understand Scripture.

Truth communicated but not understood will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal.

Significance: Highlights the danger of truth without comprehension and the necessity of understanding for application.

Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.

Significance: Makes a strong theological claim that understanding is a mark of genuine conversion.

A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian. He may not have a doctrinal degree, but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

Significance: Defines the minimal understanding that characterizes even the newest believer.

Buy the truth, and sell it not.

Significance: A concise exhortation to value and retain spiritual truth once it is understood.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think the disciples so often failed to understand Jesus' teachings, even though they were with him daily?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that the apostles were just as human as we are and needed repeated teaching.

What is the difference between merely reading the Bible and reading it with understanding? How can we cultivate understanding?

Context: Weaver argues that mere reading is insufficient and that understanding requires spiritual discernment and application.

How does the concept that 'lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted' challenge or affirm your view of assurance?

Context: Weaver cites multiple Scriptures to support this claim, including Isaiah 44:18 and John 12:40.

In what ways have you experienced truth 'slipping away' when you did not understand or apply it?

Context: Weaver warns that truth without understanding is quickly ignored, forgotten, or attacked, referencing Hebrews 2:1.

Why do you think Jesus used parables to teach, knowing that many would not understand?

Context: Weaver explains that parables reveal truth to those with right hearts and conceal it from those who are hardened.

How can we balance the humility of not understanding everything with the confidence that we understand basic gospel truths?

Context: Weaver encourages believers not to feel stupid for not understanding immediately, while affirming that even new believers understand core truths.

Applications

Seek understanding, not just reading

Summary: Do not be content with merely reading or studying the Bible; actively seek to understand and apply its truths.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must not read our Bibles just to be reading them. And we must not study our Bibles just to be studying them. But we should read them and study them in seeking understanding and application.' (3034.3-3090.3s)

Be patient with yourself in learning

Summary: Do not consider yourself dumb if you do not understand spiritual truth immediately; the apostles needed repetition and explanation.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Do not consider yourself stupid or dumb just because you don't understand something the very first time that you hear it.' (2954.4-2993.5s)

Be thankful for what you do understand

Summary: Even if you do not understand everything, be grateful for the basic truths you do grasp.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We may not understand everything or even most Bible truths. But we should be thankful for what we do understand.' (3034.3-3090.3s)

Fight to keep the truth

Summary: Once you gain understanding, hold onto it tightly; truth is precious and can slip away.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Proverbs 23:23, 'Buy the truth, and sell it not,' and warns that spiritual truth escapes more quickly than other truth.

Ask God for discernment

Summary: Pray for spiritual understanding and discernment when encountering difficult truths.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Just ask the Lord for discernment, ask him for the truth.' (3034.3-3090.3s)

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T17:32:54Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T20:13:19Z

Clean Transcript

Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Well, let's open our Bibles today to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13. I'm going to begin a message today, which will take me two weeks to finish. So there will be three parts to this. Today will be basically the introduction and the first point. The title of the message is "Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding." Seeing and hearing, but not understanding. Matthew chapter 13, beginning there with verse 10.
#1 | 0:02 to 0:38 | cleaned
And the disciples came and said to him, "Why speakest thou to them in parables?" He answered and said to them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables."
#2 | 0:38 to 1:01 | cleaned
"Because they seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."
#3 | 1:02 to 1:50 | cleaned
Of course, Solomon is known as one of the wisest men that ever lived, and he made some statements in Proverbs chapter 4. Let me just quote them. And Solomon literally hit the nail on the head when he said this. Proverbs 4, verse 5 says, "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth." And then in verse 7, he says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Obviously, understanding is very important.
#4 | 1:51 to 2:28 | cleaned
Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding. One may see or one may hear and yet not understand. Pastor McCurry just recently sent me a little short video of an illusionist or magician, whatever you would call him, doing tricks with doves. And he would take the doves and put them in a little cage after he just pulled them out of nowhere, seemingly. And he pulled a little canary out of an egg, a live canary.
#5 | 2:29 to 3:21 | cleaned
You know, obviously, an illusion. And here is the cage that he's putting these live birds in, sitting on this table, and you can see right under it. It's just a little simple cage. And when he gets through with his little dove-making act, he comes over and he takes a black cloth and he puts it over the cage and shakes it and then pulls it back, and the doves are all gone. And here's a beautiful woman in that cage, and the cage is still sitting on the table. Now, I saw it. But I still don't understand it. I know it's an illusion. I know it's a trick. But the point I'm trying to make is, we can see, but we really don't understand sometimes. We can hear, but we really do not understand.
#6 | 3:22 to 4:11 | cleaned
And it's interesting, as you read through the Bible, one that lacks understanding is likened unto a beast or to a dumb animal in the Bible. For instance, in Psalm 32 and verse 9, the Bible says, "Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee." Now notice it says, "Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding." Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could go up to a horse and just explain what we want to do and ask the horse to cooperate? Well, it just doesn't work like that, does it, Doc? I can assure you, you can explain all day long, but the horse does not understand. But you put that bit and bridle in his mouth and you force him to do what you want to do. The Bible says in Psalm 49 and verse 20, "Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish."
#7 | 4:12 to 5:14 | cleaned
So someone then without understanding is like unto a dumb beast. That's why Asaph said in Psalm 73 and verse 22, "So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee." So he said, "I didn't understand. And so I was as a beast before thee." So based upon these verses alone, we could conclude that understanding is vitally important. Yet multitudes of Christians read their Bibles daily, and sometimes even study their Bibles, but they do not possess understanding. If you would hold Matthew 13, but turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8 very quickly, here's a good illustration in the Ethiopian eunuch. Notice, if you would, in Acts chapter 8, beginning there with verse 30, Philip has drawn near and he has heard this eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah. So in Acts chapter 8, and verse 30, we read this, "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?" Do you understand what you are reading?
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And he said, "How can I, except some man should guide me?" And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. And then, of course, Philip opened the Scriptures and explained to him the Word of God. If one is content to read and not understand, he's basically no better off than the Pharisees. Because to have eyes and see not and have ears to hear not is to be in the same absolute condition as the Pharisees.
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For instance, look in John chapter 9 at what our Lord said beginning there with verse 39. John 9 and verse 39. Notice. John 9, verse 39, "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." So the Pharisees saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they didn't hear. However, they professed to see and hear.
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And yet they had absolutely no understanding of divine truth. Many Christians are like that. At least they profess to believe and know the truth. And yet their lives are completely opposite of that which they profess. And you have to ask why? And the answer is because they lack understanding. So you could ask it like this. Why did the Pharisees follow the commandments of men instead of the commandments of God? And the answer is, because they had no understanding of divine truth.
#11 | 8:07 to 8:43 | cleaned
They saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they did not hear.
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Now, when you look at Matthew 13 particularly, which is a chapter dealing with the parables, you have to understand that our Lord often taught in parables. A parable, on the one hand, is easily understood. But on the other hand, it also requires discernment and understanding to ascertain its true meaning. Someone in times past defined a parable as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is quite common, and none fail to see it and grasp it. However, it is the heavenly meaning that most people do not see, hear, or grasp or understand. So if you look at Matthew 13, where we begin reading, and let's again look at 10 and 11, Matthew 13, verse 10. "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?" Why are you teaching in parables?
#13 | 8:47 to 9:56 | cleaned
And he answered and said to them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Wow. You see, our Lord often used parables to state his doctrine. If their hearts had been right, if they had not been malignant and blind, they would have understood the parables. His doctrines were clear and concise and stated in the best possible way.
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And yet it was not his fault that they did not understand them. Moreover, it was entirely proper for our Lord to impart instruction to his disciples, which he did not intend for others. And if you're going to say, "Well, it's just not right that our Lord did that," well, let me ask you this. Are you willing for your wife to tell you things that she wouldn't broadcast in church? Are you willing for your husband to tell you things that he would not broadcast on the street or somewhere? Sure, it's proper, many times, to communicate things to certain individuals that you do not intend to communicate to others as well. So even now, when we think about this, there are truths that the unsaved do not understand, and they never will understand, unless they're converted by the grace of God. Let me just give you some Scriptures, and I want you to think about these.
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In Proverbs 25 and verse 14, the Bible says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. So God has secret truths and secret things that he only reveals to his own. When you get to Proverbs 3 and verse 32, the Bible says, "For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous."
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Now, you don't have to turn there. I'll be happy to quote it, but 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14 really ends the argument and the debate over this. 1 Corinthians 2 says this, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
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Now, I want you to understand what our Lord just said. On the one hand, the unsaved cannot understand the things of God. That is, he does not have the ability. "Can" is a term of ability. On the other hand, he does not desire or even want to understand the things of God because they're foolishness unto him. So that which condemns the man, it's not just his inability, but also his lack of desire to even have or to hear the truth. Now, today, I want to just emphasize one point. This is the point that is not ready to receive by many Christians. But it is true based upon the word of God. Here it is. Listen carefully.
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The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient. I have people tell me, "I read my Bible." Well, then I don't doubt it. But why are you so ignorant? Why cannot you explain certain doctrines? Let me tell you this again now. Listen, it's hard for Christians to receive this, but just a mere reading your Bible is insufficient. Also, just a mere studying of your Bible is insufficient unless you study it with understanding and with application.
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I have no idea how many times this question has been asked me. But here it is. Why are there so many different churches? Why are there so many different doctrines floating around? Well, here's your answer. Either because of understanding or lack of understanding. Those who have understanding believe the truth. Those who do not have understanding usually do not believe the truth. They will believe an error. Those that do not understand will usually twist the Scriptures to their own destruction.
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Let me show you that. Hold Matthew 13, but look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 3. I want you to see 2 Peter 3. And notice what the Apostle Peter says concerning the teachings of the Apostle Paul. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Yes. Did I say Peter? Okay, I was turning to my Bible. 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. Okay, I saw Timothy as I turned there. 2 Timothy 3. Notice if you, 2 Peter 3 and verse 16. In fact, let's read verse 15.
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He said, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." So Peter says the Apostle Paul has written some hard things, some difficult things. And he says there are plenty of people who are wresting, that is, twisting and perverting what Paul wrote, as well as twisting and perverting the other scriptures to their own destruction. So obviously, there is a need and necessity of understanding, especially in relationship to the Word of God, because without it, without understanding, we will wrest the Scriptures to our own destruction. In fact, most of your sects, most of your isms and schisms are derived from a twisting and a perverting and a wresting of the Scripture. I was thinking just the other day how simple it is to wrest the Scripture and to twist it.
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In fact, I could prove to you from the Bible that everyone needs to live in this county. If you don't live in Ware County, you're unscriptural. Because the Apostle Paul wrote, "Be thou ware also." Well, is that not a twisting and a perverting? Of course it is. He's telling someone to be on their guard. But if I could twist it and say, "Hey, you should be living in Ware County."
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That's what a lot of people do. They take things out of context. They don't compare Scripture with Scripture. So obviously, there is a need and an absolute necessity for understanding. So I want to show you one point this morning. Here it is. The importance and the necessity of understanding. The importance and the necessity of understanding. If you would take your concordance when you get home and you look up the words "understand," "understanding," "understandeth," and "understood," you would be amazed at how many times those words occur in the Bible. You'd be amazed at just how many times those words occur in the New Testament. There is indeed a great deal of emphasis in the Bible upon understanding.
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Now, I want you to stop and think about the original twelve apostles. The original twelve lived with our Lord for three years. Would that not be a blessing? These individuals observed Him, walked with Him, worked with Him, watched Him, listened to Him, observed Him, had intimate access to Him. And if you really want to know who had more access than the others, it was Peter, James, and John.
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They were the inner circle. And if anyone ever went beyond the normal routines with Christ, it would be Peter, James, and John. But all twelve of them lived with our Lord for three years.
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Now, here's a question I want to ask you. In light of the close fellowship that these twelve apostles had with our Lord, and especially with the close fellowship of Peter, James, and John and the easy access that they had to our Lord, here's my question. Did they always understand his teachings? And the answer is no. The truth is, most of the time, they did not understand. When you and I think of the apostles, we normally think of men with deep spiritual insights and deep spiritual understanding, and somehow we place them on a plane far above ourselves. Let me tell you what the truth is. The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time? Let me show you. I want you to follow me in the Scripture.
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Let's go to Matthew, chapter 15. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll walk our way through the New Testament. Matthew, chapter 15, and we'll begin reading with verse 15 and read through verse 20. And I'm just going to point out this phrase as it appears in the Bible over and over. In fact, in verse 15 of Matthew 15, "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."
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And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." But note in verse 17, our Lord says, "Do you not yet understand?" Verse 16, "Are you yet without understanding?"
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I just taught you something and you're asking me to explain it. Didn't you hear what I said? Wow. Look in Matthew chapter 16, beginning there with verse 6. Matthew 16 and verse 6. And remember, let's read verse 5 just so you can see the disciples. "And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?"
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"Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." Whoa. Back up.
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It almost appears that they were dunces. Just stop and think about it. He told them. And they began to reason totally different from what he said. He said, "How is it you do not understand?" They were seeing, but they didn't see. They were hearing, but they didn't hear. Look in Mark, Chapter 9. Mark, Chapter 9, at verses 31 and 32. Mark, Chapter 9, verses 31 and 32.
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"For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." What?
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Now, you and I have the opportunity to have the completed Word of God. But he taught his disciples and said unto them, "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day."
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Now to us, that is so simple. We can understand he's going to die. He's going to be raised again from the dead. But they understood not that saying. Moreover, they were afraid to ask him. How could they not understand? They heard, but they didn't hear. Look in your Bibles, Luke chapter 9. Luke chapter 9, verses 44 and 45. Luke 9, verses 44 and 45. Look at what our Lord said. Luke 9, verse 44.
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"Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men." In other words, he's going to be betrayed. "But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying." Can you believe that? They couldn't understand. And then they were afraid to ask. We're talking about Peter, James, and John. We're talking about the original twelve.
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Look in Luke chapter 18. Luke 18, verse 31, we'll begin there. Luke 18, verse 31. In fact, let's read verse 28, just so you will see that he's talking to Peter and the other apostles. Luke 18, verse 28. "Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."
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"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." What?
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To me, reading that, it's fairly plain. But they didn't understand. Didn't matter what he said. They had absolutely no understanding. Look in John chapter 10, beginning there with verse 1. John chapter 10, verse 1. I'm just trying to show you that the apostles were not superhuman. John 10, beginning there in verse 1, our Lord says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."
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"This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them." Now, you and I hear that. We read that scripture and we think, who could not understand this? Of course, we have the benefit of the completed Word of God. But when they heard, they didn't understand. Not at all. We're talking about Peter, James, and John. The inner circle. Look in John chapter 12.
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Beginning there with verse 12. John 12 verse 12. Now watch. John 12 verse 12. "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."
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"These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him." When it was happening, they didn't understand. Later on, they remembered. Are you surprised that even the apostles did not understand that which our Lord taught? Oftentimes, they had to ask him to explain His parables or his teachings, they had to ask for further illumination and enlightenment. When we think of the apostles, we think of men that are filled with the spirit of God, they're men of action, men of knowledge, men that understood all the doctrines and teachings of our Lord and that they understood them instantly, completely and fully. However, we soon discover the apostles, like us, were just mere men.
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They did not possess supernatural understanding. And guess what? They had to listen and ask and learn. Just the way we do. I don't know if you remember this verse, but I do want you to turn to 1 Peter chapter 1. Let me show you something. This may shock you. Look in 1 Peter, chapter 1. And notice, if you would please, beginning there, verse 10, because you're going to see that even the Old Testament prophets.
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That prophesied concerning Christ, oftentimes they did not understand their own prophecies. 1 Peter 1, verse 10, "Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
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Did you hear what I just read? These prophets ministered to us. They wrote things that they did not understand. And the Bible says, "searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." Yes, they wrote it on the inspiration of the Bible. But they didn't understand it. Even the mighty prophets did not understand.
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Now, I want you to mark something down. I want you to think about this. If the Old Testament prophets did not even understand many of their prophecies, and if the apostles in the New Testament, who lived daily with our Lord, needed understanding, how much more do we need understanding who are not in the actual physical presence of our Lord and do not hear him speaking and teaching daily as they did.
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So let me go back to some of the questions I asked in the beginning. What good is hearing if you don't understand? What good is seeing if you don't understand what you're seeing? Do you realize that truth without understanding will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked? Let me say that again: truth communicated but not understood will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal. If there is no understanding, the truth is quickly discarded, mocked, forgotten, or attacked. Let me show you.
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Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. And here we're talking about these wicked false teachers. Look what the Scripture says, 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption." So this verse should explain to you why so many
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attack the Bible and doctrinal truths. Why they attack the existence and the attributes of God. Because they don't understand. And when you don't understand, you either ignore, you forget, or you mock and attack.
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Now, listen, a failure to understand not only results in ignorance, but also in arrogance. Failure to understand not only results in ignorance, but also in arrogance. Ignorance and arrogance both lead to blasphemy and idolatry and ultimately destruction. Wow. I want you to look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 28. Acts chapter 28. And notice verses 26 and 27. Acts 28. Paul is telling us what Isaiah said, in fact, we'll read beginning with verse 25. "And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."
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"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it." The Lord, you deem yourself unworthy? Fine. I'll leave you in your ignorance and your arrogance. Interestingly enough, and I'm going to show you this in the Old Testament and the New Testament, but when God describes the wicked in Romans chapter 1 and verse 31, here's how he begins. Listen carefully. "Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful." But he began by saying "without understanding." Do you realize both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted. A lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.
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Let's go in our Bibles. First of all, to Isaiah 44. I'll show it to you in the Old Testament, then we'll go to the New Testament. Look at Isaiah 44 and we will look at verse 18. Isaiah 44 and verse 18. Isaiah 44 verse 18. Look what God says. "They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand." They have not known or understood; they're lost. They're unconverted. Look in your Bibles, Isaiah 56 and verse 11. Isaiah 56 and verse 11.
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Again, he's talking here about his watchmen. In fact, let's read verse 10. He says, "His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter." Huh? They cannot understand. So he's talking about them being lost. If you look in the book of Mark, chapter 4 and verse 12. Mark 4 and verse 12.
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Obviously, in this passage, without understanding or lack of understanding means you're unconverted. Mark 4, verse 12, he says, "That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them." Then turn over to John 8 right quickly and look at what our Lord said to the Pharisees, John 8 and verse 43. John 8, verse 43, and we'll go to John 12. Look at John 8, verse 43. Our Lord says this to the Pharisees. "Why do ye not understand my speech?"
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"Even because ye cannot hear my word." Hmm, why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. There without understanding, they can't hear. They don't want to hear and they're lost. Look in John 12 and verse 40. John 12, verse 40. Verse 39, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Now, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is a symptom of being unconverted. Now,
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let me explain something to you. We must comprehend that even a baby in Christ, someone that is just born by God, understands some things. He may not be able to explain them, but he understands them. You can take a newborn baby and that baby is automatically going to go to his mother's breast. He understands he needs the nourishment. He's going there. A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian. He may not have a doctrinal degree, but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. He understands that He has been saved by grace through faith alone. He understands that the Word of God is His source of sustenance and nourishment. He may not be able to explain it, but He understands that. So if a babe in Christ can understand these simple truths, why is it that someone who professes to have been saved for 40 years can't understand those simple truths? Or anything in the Word of God?
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Look in your Bibles to 1 Peter, Chapter 2. 1 Peter, Chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 1 Peter 2 verses 1 through 4. Look what our Lord says. "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
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"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious." So even a newborn babe knows the preciousness of Jesus Christ. He may not be able to explain the incarnation. He may not be able to explain the impact and the importance of the resurrection or the intercession of Christ. But he knows that Jesus Christ is God. And he knows that Jesus Christ is the one who saved him.
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Skip down to verse 7. He says, "Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner."
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Now, let me explain something. A true Christian may not be the greatest scholar in the world. But at least he has understanding. There are certain things that he does understand, biblical truths, spiritual truths. I know, and you know, men and women with earned PhDs that are just absolutely incapable of understanding spiritual truths. Are they brilliant? Yes. Did they earn their degrees? Yes. Does the world acknowledge their brilliance? Yes. But they have absolutely no understanding when it comes to the Word of God. A child of God understands certain things. He may not understand the whole Word of God. But he does understand that salvation is of the Lord and that Jesus Christ is God and he's the only Savior and the Bible is indeed the word of God. And I want to tell you something.
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I would rather be criticized and mocked and ridiculed by the world and have everyone call me names and think I'm stupid and dumb, and have understanding of the word of God and of Jesus Christ, than have all kind of degrees the world can fasten upon me. Spiritual understanding far exceeds just simply intellectual knowledge. I don't care if the world calls me the smartest man in the world. Without understanding spiritual truths, I'm mighty dumb.
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Let me make some applications and try to tie these things together. By way of encouragement, and I hope this is encouragement, allow me to say that we are not to consider ourselves dumb or stupid just simply because we do not understand truth the very first time we hear it. Did the apostles? No. They had to ask. It had to be repeated. It had to be explained to them over and over again.
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In Mark 10, verse 1, the Bible says our Lord came there and He taught them again. The Lord taught them the same truth over again. Let me tell you something, folks. It takes time for things to sink into our brains. And it takes repetition. The more you hear, the more you understand. And I've had people tell me over and over, "I've got more out of that message the second time I heard it than the first time." Or "I got more the third time than the first time." Of course.
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You see, it's easy for anybody to comprehend 2 plus 2 equals 4. Except those who believe in common core, of course. It's easy for anybody to understand 2 plus 2 equals 4. Well, that's just a mere intellectual fact. But when you begin dealing with the word of God, it requires spiritual discernment. And it takes time to develop spiritual discernment. So do not consider yourself stupid or dumb just because you don't understand something the very first time that you hear it.
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If I were to try to explain to you the difference between trichotomy and dichotomy, or if I were to try to explain to you some apologetic principles, or if I were to say, "Tomorrow we're going to be discussing supralapsarianism and infralapsarianism," and you look around and say, "What is that?" Well, they're theological doctrines. But the point I'm trying to make is, I didn't understand some of those things the first time I heard them either. I couldn't pronounce the words.
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So don't consider yourself dumb or stupid, just ask the Lord for discernment, ask him for the truth. The second application is this, we may not understand everything or even most Bible truths. But we should be thankful for what we do understand. We're thankful we at least understand some basic truths. And thirdly, we must not read our Bibles just to be reading them. And we must not study our Bibles just to be studying them. But we should read them and study them in seeking understanding and application of them to our lives and to our circumstances. If there is no understanding, the truth will slip away from us.
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Hebrews 2 and verse 1 says this, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." Spiritual truth will escape and slip away from us far more quickly than any other truth. And like all truth, we must fight to make it ours. We must fight to keep it. One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs 23 and verse 23, and it just simply says this: "Buy the truth, and sell it not." Truth costs.
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And once you get it, once you understand it, once you apply it, it's kind of like a piece of gold or a Glock, you don't ever want to get rid of it. Buy the truth and sell it not. Help us, Father, to understand the very importance and necessity of understanding, and we seek the understanding. Teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. In thy name we pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T17:32:54Z

Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a multi-part message on the necessity of spiritual understanding, using Matthew 13:10-17 as the foundational text. He argues that seeing and hearing do not automatically produce understanding, and that even the apostles often failed to grasp Christ's teachings initially. The sermon emphasizes that a mere reading or study of Scripture is insufficient without understanding, and that lack of understanding is a mark of the unconverted. Believers are encouraged to seek understanding through repetition, prayer, and application.

Introduction: Seeing and Hearing Without Understanding

The Importance of Understanding in Scripture

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 4:5,7

"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth."

And it's interesting, as you read through the Bible, one that lacks understanding is likened unto a beast or to a dumb animal in the Bible. For instance, in Psalm 32 and verse 9, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 32:9

"Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee."

Now notice it says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 32:9

"Be ye not as the horse or as the mule, which have no understanding."

The Ethiopian Eunuch and the Need for Guidance

So someone then without understanding is like unto a dumb beast. That's why Asaph said in Psalm 73 and verse 22,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 73:22

"So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee."

So he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 73:22

"I didn't understand. And so I was as a beast before thee."

The Pharisees' Blindness and Modern Parallels

For instance, look in John chapter 9 at what our Lord said beginning there with verse 39. John 9 and verse 39. Notice. John 9, verse 39,

Scripture Reading — John 9:39-41

"And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

So the Pharisees saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they didn't hear. However, they professed to see and hear.

They saw, but they didn't see. They heard, but they did not hear.

Parables: Earthly Stories with Heavenly Meanings

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 25:14

In Proverbs 25 and verse 14, the Bible says, "The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant." The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. So God has secret truths and secret things that he only reveals to his own. When you get to Proverbs 3 and verse 32, the Bible says, "For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous." Now, you don't have to turn there. I'll be happy to quote it, but 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 14 really ends the argument and the debate over this. 1 Corinthians 2 says this, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

The Natural Man's Inability and the Insufficiency of Mere Reading

Wresting the Scriptures and the Apostles' Lack of Understanding

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."

And Jesus said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 15:15-20

"Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."

But note in verse 17, our Lord says, "Do you not yet understand?" Verse 16, "Are you yet without understanding?"

Scripture Reading — Luke 9:44-45

"Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men."

In other words, he's going to be betrayed.

Scripture Reading — Luke 9:44-45

"But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying."

Scripture Reading — John 10:1-6

"This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them."

Beginning there with verse 12. John 12 verse 12. Now watch. John 12 verse 12.

Scripture Reading — John 12:12-16

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." "These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him."

Even the Prophets Did Not Always Understand

From 1 Peter 1:10-12, Weaver shows that Old Testament prophets sometimes did not understand their own prophecies about Christ. If prophets and apostles needed understanding, how much more do we?

That prophesied concerning Christ, oftentimes they did not understand their own prophecies. 1 Peter 1, verse 10,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:10-12

"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

Did you hear what I just read? These prophets ministered to us. They wrote things that they did not understand. And the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:10-12

"searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."

Yes, they wrote it on the inspiration of the Bible. But they didn't understand it. Even the mighty prophets did not understand.

Truth Without Understanding Is Quickly Lost

Look in your Bibles to 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. 2 Peter 2 and verse 12. And here we're talking about these wicked false teachers. Look what the Scripture says, 2 Peter 2 and verse 12.

Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 2:12

"But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption."

Lack of Understanding as Evidence of Being Unconverted

Encouragement and Applications

Seeing and Hearing, but Not Understanding

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	251565777
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election
Genre	Sermon
Date	2015-01-18
Dictation Name
Book	Book 116: Seeing and Hearing — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	68

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: Seeing and Hearing Without Understanding: Weaver opens with Matthew 13:10-17, highlighting that the disciples asked why Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus explains that understanding the mysteries of the kingdom is given to some but not others, fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy about people who see but do not perceive and hear but do not understand.
The Importance of Understanding in Scripture: Citing Proverbs 4:5,7, Weaver stresses that wisdom and understanding are principal things. He notes that seeing and hearing do not equate to understanding, using an illusionist's trick as an illustration. The Bible likens those without understanding to beasts (Psalm 32:9; 49:20).
The Ethiopian Eunuch and the Need for Guidance: Using Acts 8:30-31, Weaver shows that even when reading Scripture, one may not understand without a guide. He warns that being content to read without understanding leaves one no better than the Pharisees.
The Pharisees' Blindness and Modern Parallels: From John 9:39-41, Weaver points out that the Pharisees claimed to see but were blind. Many Christians profess belief but lack understanding, leading to lives contrary to their profession. Lack of understanding explains why they follow human commandments over God's.
Parables: Earthly Stories with Heavenly Meanings: Weaver explains that parables are easily grasped on the surface but require discernment for the heavenly meaning. Jesus used parables to teach doctrine, but only those with right hearts could understand. He notes that it is proper for God to reveal secrets to His own (Proverbs 25:14; 3:32).
The Natural Man's Inability and the Insufficiency of Mere Reading: Citing 1 Corinthians 2:14, Weaver argues that the unsaved cannot understand spiritual things because they are spiritually discerned. He asserts that mere reading or even studying the Bible is insufficient without understanding and application. This explains the proliferation of conflicting doctrines and churches.
Wresting the Scriptures and the Apostles' Lack of Understanding: From 2 Peter 3:16, Weaver warns that the unlearned twist Scripture to their destruction. He then demonstrates through multiple Gospel passages (Matthew 15:16; 16:9-11; Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45; 18:34; John 10:6; 12:16) that the apostles frequently failed to understand Jesus' teachings, showing they were not superhuman.
Even the Prophets Did Not Always Understand: From 1 Peter 1:10-12, Weaver shows that Old Testament prophets sometimes did not understand their own prophecies about Christ. If prophets and apostles needed understanding, how much more do we?
Truth Without Understanding Is Quickly Lost: Weaver states that truth without understanding is ignored, forgotten, or attacked. He cites 2 Peter 2:12 to show that false teachers speak evil of what they do not understand. Failure to understand leads to ignorance, arrogance, blasphemy, idolatry, and destruction.
Lack of Understanding as Evidence of Being Unconverted: Using Isaiah 44:18; 56:11; Mark 4:12; John 8:43; 12:40, Weaver argues that a lack of understanding is a symptom of being lost. Even a newborn Christian understands basic truths: he is a sinner, Jesus is the only Savior, salvation is by grace through faith, and the Word is nourishment.
Encouragement and Applications: Weaver encourages believers not to feel stupid if they don't understand truth immediately; the apostles needed repetition. He urges thankfulness for what we do understand, and emphasizes reading and studying Scripture with a goal of understanding and application. He closes with Hebrews 2:1 and Proverbs 23:23, urging us to hold fast to truth.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Understanding is distinct from mere sensory perception

Seeing and hearing do not automatically produce understanding; one can perceive without comprehending.

Weaver uses the illusionist example: 'Now, I saw it. But I still don't understand it. I know it's an illusion. I know it's a trick. But the point I'm trying to make is, we can see, but we really don't understand sometimes.' (202.0-251.0s)

The Bible equates lack of understanding with beastliness

Scripture likens those without understanding to dumb animals, emphasizing the importance of understanding.

Weaver cites Psalm 32:9 and 49:20: 'Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.' (252.2-314.1s)

Jesus taught in parables to reveal and conceal truth

Parables were used to impart truth to disciples while hiding it from those whose hearts were hardened.

Weaver explains, 'If their hearts had been right, if they had not been malignant and blind, they would have understood the parables.' (629.4-694.2s)

The unsaved cannot and will not understand spiritual truth

The natural man lacks both the ability and the desire to understand the things of God.

Weaver says, 'On the one hand, the unsaved cannot understand the things of God... On the other hand, he does not desire or even want to understand the things of God because they're foolishness unto him.' (757.0-814.9s)

Lack of understanding leads to doctrinal error and destruction

Those without understanding twist Scripture, resulting in sects, schisms, and their own destruction.

Weaver cites 2 Peter 3:16: '...they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.' (956.1-1045.6s)

Even the apostles needed repeated teaching to understand

The twelve apostles, including Peter, James, and John, frequently failed to understand Jesus' words and required further explanation.

Weaver points to Matthew 15:16 where Jesus asks, 'Are ye also yet without understanding?' (1318.1-1356.4s)

Old Testament prophets did not always understand their own prophecies

Prophets like Isaiah wrote under inspiration but did not fully comprehend the meaning of their words.

Weaver reads 1 Peter 1:10-11: '...searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify...' (1940.6-1988.8s)

A true Christian, even a new believer, has some understanding

Even a newborn babe in Christ understands basic truths like his sinfulness, Christ's saviorhood, and the value of Scripture.

Weaver says, 'A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian... but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior.' (2656.5-2697.9s)

Scripture References

Matthew 13:10-17: The foundational text for the sermon, where Jesus explains why he speaks in parables and quotes Isaiah about people who see but do not perceive.
Proverbs 4:5,7: Solomon's exhortation to get wisdom and understanding as the principal thing.
Psalm 32:9: Warning not to be like the horse or mule which have no understanding.
Psalm 49:20: Man that is in honor and does not understand is like the beasts that perish.
Psalm 73:22: Asaph confesses he was foolish and ignorant, like a beast before God.
Acts 8:30-31: Philip asks the Ethiopian eunuch if he understands what he is reading, illustrating the need for guidance.
John 9:39-41: Jesus says he came for judgment so that those who see might become blind; the Pharisees claim to see but remain in sin.
Proverbs 25:14: The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.
Proverbs 3:32: The froward is abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous.
1 Corinthians 2:14: The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned.
2 Peter 3:15-16: Peter says Paul's writings contain things hard to understand, which the unlearned twist to their destruction.
Matthew 15:15-20: Peter asks Jesus to explain a parable; Jesus asks if they are yet without understanding.
Matthew 16:5-12: Jesus warns of the leaven of the Pharisees; the disciples misunderstand, and Jesus asks if they do not yet understand.
Mark 9:31-32: Jesus predicts his death and resurrection, but the disciples did not understand and were afraid to ask.
Luke 9:44-45: Jesus tells the disciples to let his sayings sink in, but they did not understand and it was hidden from them.
Luke 18:31-34: Jesus details his coming suffering and resurrection to the twelve, but they understood none of these things.
John 10:1-6: Jesus speaks a parable about the shepherd and the sheep, but they did not understand what he was saying.
John 12:12-16: The disciples did not understand the triumphal entry at first, but remembered after Jesus was glorified.
1 Peter 1:10-12: The prophets searched to understand what the Spirit of Christ was indicating about the sufferings and glories of Christ.
2 Peter 2:12: False teachers speak evil of things they do not understand and will perish in their corruption.

Historical References

Solomon: Mentioned as one of the wisest men who emphasized getting wisdom and understanding in Proverbs.
Pharisees: Religious leaders who saw and heard Jesus but lacked understanding, following human commandments instead of God's.
Ethiopian eunuch: An example of someone reading Scripture but needing a guide to understand, from Acts 8.
The twelve apostles: Specifically Peter, James, and John as the inner circle who lived with Jesus for three years but often failed to understand his teachings.
Old Testament prophets: Prophets like Isaiah who wrote under inspiration but did not fully understand their own prophecies about Christ.

Important Quotes

Does it do us any good to have eyes and not be able to see? Does it do any good to have ears and not be able to hear? And let me just point out that seeing and hearing do not necessarily equate to understanding.

Establishes the central premise that sensory perception is not the same as comprehension.

The fact is that a mere reading of the scripture is insufficient. I have people tell me, 'I read my Bible.' Well, then I don't doubt it. But why are you so ignorant? Why cannot you explain certain doctrines?

Challenges the common assumption that Bible reading alone produces spiritual understanding.

The Twelve Apostles were just as human and just as dumb as we are. Did you know for a fact that they very seldom ever understood anything that our Lord taught the first time?

Humanizes the apostles and encourages believers who struggle to understand Scripture.

Truth communicated but not understood will quickly be ignored, forgotten, or attacked. It is only understanding that makes truth applicable and personal.

Highlights the danger of truth without comprehension and the necessity of understanding for application.

Both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, a lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted.

Makes a strong theological claim that understanding is a mark of genuine conversion.

A newborn baby in Christ may not be a theologian. He may not have a doctrinal degree, but he knows several things. He understands, number one, that he's a sinner. He understands that Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

Defines the minimal understanding that characterizes even the newest believer.

Buy the truth, and sell it not.

A concise exhortation to value and retain spiritual truth once it is understood.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why do you think the disciples so often failed to understand Jesus' teachings, even though they were with him daily?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that the apostles were just as human as we are and needed repeated teaching.

[Question]

What is the difference between merely reading the Bible and reading it with understanding? How can we cultivate understanding?

[Context]

Weaver argues that mere reading is insufficient and that understanding requires spiritual discernment and application.

[Question]

How does the concept that 'lack of understanding is evidence of being unconverted' challenge or affirm your view of assurance?

[Context]

Weaver cites multiple Scriptures to support this claim, including Isaiah 44:18 and John 12:40.

[Question]

In what ways have you experienced truth 'slipping away' when you did not understand or apply it?

[Context]

Weaver warns that truth without understanding is quickly ignored, forgotten, or attacked, referencing Hebrews 2:1.

[Question]

Why do you think Jesus used parables to teach, knowing that many would not understand?

[Context]

Weaver explains that parables reveal truth to those with right hearts and conceal it from those who are hardened.

[Question]

How can we balance the humility of not understanding everything with the confidence that we understand basic gospel truths?

[Context]

Weaver encourages believers not to feel stupid for not understanding immediately, while affirming that even new believers understand core truths.

Applications

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