AN EAR TO HEAR AND A HEART TO OBEY

“Then while it is [still] called Today,
if you would hear His voice and when you hear it,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion
[in the desert, when the people provoked
and irritated and embittered God against them].”
Hebrews 3:15 ~The Amplified Bible

Can you remember your parents giving you instructions to do something but you didn’t do it? A few minutes later, they would say, “Did you hear me? Or “You must have not heard me?” Have you ever wondered why they didn’t ask, “Why haven’t you obeyed me?” In Hebrew, ‘to hear’ actually means ‘to hear intelligently with implication of attention, obedience.’ Our obedience determines if we have actually heard.
The children of Israel repeatedly disobeyed God’s voice. Numbers 14:11 says, “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?” After all God had done for the people, they still murmured, complained and disobeyed. God said they were ‘stiffnecked and hard of heart.’ They provoked God by turning a deaf ear to the counsel and wisdom of God. Not only did they disobey, but they totally discounted all the promises God had assured them. Their distrust and disobedience was an open affront to God and clearly displayed their lack of hearing.
For some it is hard to fathom the disobedience of the children of Israel after all the mighty miracles they had seen performed right before their very eyes; they had seen the ten plagues upon the Egyptians, the Red Sea parting and they walked across on dry ground, bitter waters of Marah made drinkable and the manna from heaven. Yet, they chose not to listen, obey and trust.
Before we come down to hard on the Israelites, let’s evaluate our own hearing. What has the Lord been saying to you? Do your actions reflect obedience to the instructions or admonitions? Provoking and irritating God is not wise, AT ALL!
Moses interceded, God reproved them, they repented, they sinned again. The cycle repeated, until finally, they irritated and embittered God so that He killed thousands instantly for their rebellion and the others he left to wander in the wilderness until they died. Proverbs 29:1 says, “HE WHO, being often reproved, hardens his neck shall suddenly be destroyed--and that without remedy.” Today, while you hear the instruction of God, will you have an ear to hear and a heart to obey? “He who is able to hear, let him listen to and give heed to what the Spirit is saying!”
TODAY, when he speaks, hear him and do whatever He says. Delayed obedience is simply disobedience in slow motion! The promise is given that if we are willing and obedient when we hear Him, we will eat the good of the land. Hear & Obey!