Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them, by thy spirit through thy prophets: yet they would not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nehemiah 9:30 (RV).
Mark, THEY WOULD NOT GIVE EAR. Why would they not listen? God's Holy Spirit was in His prophets, yet they would not hearken to them. We read in verse 27 that in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries. (RV). Verse 28 goes on to say after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Again, the Israelites cried unto thee and thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies. Verse 29 informs us that when the Israelites had rest from their adversaries that they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments (which if a man do, he shall live in them) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Mark again, they WOULD NOT HEAR! They would not listen! (is it any different today?).
As has always been the case since the days of Old Testament Israel right down to our modern Christian age, even unbelievers will pray (for they have all heard that there might be a God in heaven, Romans 1:20), yea, when things go awry, in their distress they will cry out to heaven! They will not seek Him when everything is going just fine, no; ever unthankful are they! People, in periods of prosperity are wont to go the way of ancient Israel (and remember these things are written for our admonition, 1 Corinthians 10:11), just as Israel of old waxed fat, and kicked,.. he forsook God which made him, And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Deuteronomy 32:15.
There are many a Christian in our day who believe that man can resist God's Holy Spirit, they believe that he has free-will to choose to do so. One popular verse they will cite to confirm this is Acts7:51;
Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
What they fail to realise (willfully or ignorantly) is that they successfully resisted (as indeed they do today) the outward call of the Holy Spirit, not the Holy Spirit's inward work of grace, for no man, woman, or child can do that! When a person hears, or reads God's Word proclaimed, they are hearing or reading the Spirit's external work, even as they heard Noah when he was a building the ark, and if (at God's appointed time) such an one is one of God's elect, they will repent and believe as per the Scriptures, for My sheep hear my voice, John 10:27. The Spirit breatheth where it listeth..so is everyone that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8.
The antediluvians heard Noah preaching the Truth, yet only eight were saved! Could God have saved more than eight if He had wanted to? I think you know the answer to that question! Yet, it pleased Him to do as He did, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? Daniel 4:35.
It was well said by Andrew Fuller (1754-1815):
"There are two kinds of influences by which God works on the minds of men. First, that which is common, and which is effected by the ordinary use of motives presented to the mind for consideration: Secondly, that which is special and supernatural. The one contains nothing mysterious, any more than the influence of our words and actions on each other; the other is such a mystery that we know nothing of it. The former ought to be effectual; the latter is so."
Arthur Pink (1886-1952) writes on this:
"The work of the Holy Spirit upon or towards men is always "resisted" by them; His work within us is always successful. What says the Scriptures? This: He which has begun a good work in you will perform it" Philippians 1:6."
William Secker (16th century puritan):
"Repentance, though it be the act of man, is but the gift of God."
God commands the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to every creature, yea, He commandeth all men every where to repent. Acts 17:30. Yet the same eternal God in Christ (Hebrews 13:8, John 8:58) it was who said to the prophet; Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee. Jeremiah 7:27. Likewise, the house of Israel will not hearken unto you; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Ezekiel 3:7. It would appear a thankless task to be a true prophet of God! sent on an errand they know will not bear fruit! In Matthew 13:38-40, the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the evil one. I don't know about you, but I find it a constant and thankless task keeping the weeds at bay in my vegetable plot (plus the slugs, and everything else!) and left to themselves, the weeds (tares) will choke and starve the vegetables (good seed), and so this will continue in the world today, wickedness ever increasing by the hour until God in Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven...
Was it for nothing the Lord Jesus said Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8.
So, to answer my question at the head of this posting; the answer in the affirmative is a resounding NO!!!
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