Ears to Hear
Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. Deuteronomy 29:4
Moses is wrapping up his last words to the children of Israel prior to their going into the Promised Land. He made it clear that God had initiated covenant parameters with the people, but many of them were living as though they had not heard. God gave them physical ears, yet they did not hear. Why is it that they were not on His wavelength?
- Perhaps the people just did not understand. Certainly, there are believers today who fail to understand. Might this be that they were depending on their own wisdom instead of God’s wisdom (James 1:5)?
- Actually, they had hardened their hearts to the Lord so that they would not hear. Therefore, they would not see even though they had seen the miracles of God before their very eyes, even walking through the sea on dry ground.
This is a common problem with so many people, even many Christians who want to function without God’s interference in their lives. After giving the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said something that did not make sense to those who heard Him. “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:9). Of course they had ears, but Jesus spoke of something beyond physical hearing. He spoke of having an inner spiritual reception of truth. This is one of the main reasons Jesus spoke in parables. When His disciples asked Him about this, He answered, “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given” (Matthew 13:11). The secrets of the Kingdom were hidden in the Old Testament and revealed in the New. Only when a person responds to the spiritual light already given will they be able to hear and more understanding will take place. However, when the Word of God is rejected, you can be certain that more of God’s Word will not be communicated to you. “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” (Matthew 13:12).
I cannot stress how serious this matter is. There are some who claim to know Christ as Savior but do not want to live in accordance with His will. They do not recognize that there will be a time of desperation when they will call upon God for help, but God will not hear for they have already decided against God’s will in their lives (Matthew 6:9-10; Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1, 2).
Jesus then said, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side” (Matthew 13:19). One of our problems today is the failure to take Satan and his angels seriously. Satan hates God and all who follow His leading in their lives. Often, we (Christians) are ignorant of his destructive plans. It is urgent that we are close enough to the Lord that the devil cannot touch us.
How important is it that we hear from God? The fact that the statement is given in the Word of God repeatedly speaks for itself.
- He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:15).
- He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
Can you remember a time when your mother said to you “Are you listening to what I’m saying?” Do you realize that the Spirit of God says this to us often? Again, are we listening? Are we close enough to the Lord to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us? This is so urgent for every believer. Those who are within listening distance will hear the Word, understand it, and bear spiritual fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty (Matthew 13:23).
George Stiekes serves as a Lay Pastor at Bethany Bible Church in Hendersonville, NC. See here for a more complete bio of brother Stiekes extensive ministry. We republish his material by permission.