But Isaiah is very bold and says:
“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
But to Israel he says:
“All day long I have stretched out My hands
To a disobedient and contrary people.” (Romans 10:20, 21)
What does God want to express through this passage?
It says that He was found by those who didn't seek Him. It means that He made Himself manifest to those who never wanted to seek Him or were not even imagining living a life with Him. He made the first step. He gives us a sign or attracts our attention somehow, and we start seeking Him. That’s why we see that the verb “seek” here is in past tense. No one is looking for Him, but when He makes Himself manifest to people through His mercy and grace, they start to seek Him. He is not manifest to those who “don’t seek” Him, but to those who “didn’t seek” Him. It means that in the past when a person was ignorant about God and never considered believing in Him, he wasn’t seeking Him. Still, we see that there is no contradiction in the Bible when it says:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)
This is said to the disciples who already walked with Him and the persons who heard the good news and knew the truth. Once He shows us a sign or makes His gospel known to us, we need to start seeking Him. It means the Bible doesn’t say we must cross our hands and wait. We need to seek Him. Nevertheless, He makes the first step. When God genuinely awakens that desire in someone, he begins looking for Him.
I remember my personal experience when I started to read the New Testament. Words came to life and began touching me. I also saw other signs that awoke my curiosity about God. That was the way He was working in my life, and that made me seek Him.
In Matthew 10:21, it is said that He stretched His hands all day long to disobedient and contrary people. This was the nation of Israel. God’s desire is still for them to be saved, which will happen one day with part of them that will repent, but this example is also given for us. We mustn’t be disobedient and rebel when God is showing us something. We mustn’t reject His invitation or seek Him in our own way. We need to pay attention to what He is showing us and be open to Him.
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