Did God really say he makes men and women deaf, blind, and mute?
Yes … yes he did.
When speaking to Moses in Egypt God said, “Israel is my firstborn son.” Exodus 4:22. Then Moses went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Let my son go, so he may worship me.” Exodus 4:22-23
But before Moses found the courage to confront Pharaoh, to take on the most powerful man in the land, he begged God to send another. God answered Moses,“Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12
Perhaps you have heard someone say “God doesn’t make mistakes.” This is often used to justify their actions, their beliefs, their behavior. God has, can, and will use our imperfections for his glory, but he will never call our sinful behavior his will.
Once Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9: 2-3
God willed this man to be blind from birth. God ordained it. But if Jesus had not passed by that day, if the blind man never met Jesus, he would have remained blind. We are all born spiritually blind. Even as light shines around us, our sin leaves us groping in darkness. And so we say of our sinful behavior: “God does not make mistakes. I was born this way. It is God’s will.”
While our physical afflictions may appear grossly unfair, the greater loss is our inability to recognize Jesus when he passes by. God gave you your mouth, eyes, ears, limbs, DNA … but he also comes to us asking if we wish to be spiritually changed at a heart and soul level.
“You(r) blind!” Jesus called. “First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
God seeks change on the inside, at a soul level. He knows our body will perish but our soul will last for eternity.
Israel is God’s firstborn son.
Jesus is God’s only begotten son (having no peer, unique, one of a kind.)
And if you gave your life to Christ, you are God’s child. Physically marred, perhaps. Mentally lacking in areas, but spiritually perfect as a result of the spirit of Christ living inside you.
Lord, you gave me this mouth, these eyes, these ears … you shaped me in a fashion best suited to serve you, to testify to your power and sovereignty. Please help me to accept your will in my life. Though I may wish to be changed physically, help me to be transformed into the image of Christ so that others may say of me, “There goes one of God’s children.”