Why won't educated people accept what the Word of God says?

The educated reject it because unbelief, not lack of intellect, governs them. From a highly educated position they attempt to argue Scripture away and cannot bring themselves to say, "This is what God says." The root problem is unbelief, just as it was for those who failed to enter God's rest.

Les explains that the same problem exists today as in the golden calf incident: people cannot believe the Word of God. He points out that the intellectual community tries to argue Scripture away from its highly educated position, and they just cannot bring themselves to say, "But this is what God says." At the golden calf, the people's worship and lascivious dancing revealed unbelief; had they believed in the God Moses was dealing with on the mountain, they would not have asked for an idol. Les says faith takes care of everything, and Scripture shows they did not enter His rest because of unbelief.

How do educated intellectuals respond to the Word of God?

Educated intellectuals respond to the Word of God by trying to argue it away from their highly educated position. They cannot bring themselves to say, 'This is what God says.' Their resistance stems from unbelief, the same unbelief that kept that generation from entering God's rest.