“If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” Proverbs 28:9
Devotional Thought For The Day
The proverb states something that is very obvious. Communication and respect are essential components of any relationship, and it is certain that God speaks to us through His Word and is eager to have an honest and respectful relationship with us. From the very beginning this has been so – He created human beings with dignity and prominence, and with the capacity for language, a vehicle for sharing life and communion, and He spoke to Adam and Eve. He spoke with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and to all of God’s people of all times and ages through the prophets [and after the great gift of salvation in Christ Jesus, through His holy apostles]. His message, though difficult for fallen and sinful human beings to receive and embrace, has always been filled with the highest love and respect for us: His law, instruction in regard to right and wrong, what is healthy for us and what is unhealthy, inviting and urging us to repentance, and also His Gospel, the good news of His eagerness to forgive the repentant who walk before Him with integrity and honesty, inviting and urging us to put our faith, trust, and confidence in His love. His word contains many gracious and gentle promises to those who appeal to Him on the basis of His Word and His love: “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word.” [Is. 66:2] “Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD shall be saved.” [Joel 2:32] “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” [Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6]
If God were only to speak to us, and have no ears to hear us, no desire for fellowship with us, and had extended no invitation and encouragement for us to speak to Him, no promises to hear us, then whatever relationship we might have with God would not include personal communion, genuine love, and mutual respect. However, as you are well aware just the opposite is the truth; in His Word there are literally hundreds of statements from God encouraging our prayers, promising that He hears us and that He will deliver us and grant our requests [in accord with His will, and what is optimal for us]. This is what God has created us for, a verbally communicative relationship of love and understanding and respect; and truly this is the greatest blessedness we can ever have. The proverb speaks of those who reject this relationship with God, those who want a one-sided and one-way relationship with God, one that is flipped completely upside down. They want to speak to God, to pray to Him, but they do not want to hear from Him. They want to communicate their will to God, but have no interest whatsoever in hearing His will, His thoughts. To do this displays the most grotesque sinful arrogance and rebellion against God, to think it proper that we will dictate to Him, create Him in our own image, and relegate Him to a position that is inferior to us. It is truly astonishing that anyone would think this to be optimal, permissible, or even morally neutral. It is like the young child telling Mommy how things are going to be, and what Mommy has to do, but a thousand times worse.
Sadly, for numerous Christians living in the world today, this is precisely the nature of their relationship with God – they turn their ear away from hearing His law. Some don’t come at all to preaching and Bible study. Some come but have chosen to close their minds and refuse to allow God’s Word to correct them and reshape them. Others come but are tired, sleepy, and drowsy – the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak. And none of us conforms our thinking and behaving completely to the revealed will of God for our optimal goodness. So we must begin first with hearing His Word regarding repentance, and His assuring Word of forgiveness, mercy, and cleansing. There is no ground to believe that anything good is coming our way other than God’s Word, written for us in Holy Scripture. So to believe the good news of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus – free and full forgiveness and salvation – is critical. It is our first and our ultimate hearing of His Word. And from this hearing of His Word [faith in His gracious love] should spring a compulsion to hear more of His Word, an eagerness to come more closely in line with God, Who is love. Sadly, there are many even in the church who perhaps do not even grasp His Word of grace and love, and who are loathe to learn more about God. But an unwillingness to remain in Jesus’ Word and to allow Him to converse with us indicates unbelief and spiritual death. The prayer of such a person is not only rejected by God, it is morally perverse and insulting to God, an abomination. The only recourse is repentance, receiving God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness, and renewing one’s humble relationship with God.
The reasons for rejecting serious study, hearing, learning, and conforming to God’s Word are numerous – all based in the perversity of our fallen sinful nature. Other options are offered to us, secular education, and other supposed “revelations” of God [both written and inward], and popular consensus about things. The reasons don’t matter; whatever causes us to shut off God’s communication to us is spiritually deadly, and when we succumb we are being rude to God, arrogant, and dismissive of relationship with Him. He stands patiently and faithfully at the ready, eager to be at work in our hearts and minds through His Word. Let us not be as Jerusalem in the days of Jesus, Who sighed: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” [Luke 13:34] May we rather “crave the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” [1 Pet. 2:2,3] This pure and nutritious milk is God’s Word, what He speaks to us, the Bible. Those who hear and receive are assured of God’s ear and His constant blessing.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, help us to grasp and understand how arrogant, rude, and rebellious it is for us to refuse to hear and learn Your Word, Your good and gracious will for human being, and yet presume to speak to You. Grant us humility, genuine repentance, and fiercely strong faith in Your gracious gift of redemption and eternal salvation. Make our hearts more certain of Your love, that we not be afraid of Your Word or eager to pervert it to conform to our dark thinking, but rather that we allow it to enlighten us and to fill us with all goodness. Have mercy on all, and continue to work within us both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. Amen.