Deaf Ears All Around

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.” (Pr 28:9 AV)

I have three grandchildren.  One is two and a half, another is one and a half, and the third is getting ready to turn one year old.  Each knows their own name.  Each knows exactly what is said to them even though the oldest is the only one who can talk.  When a name is called out, the child hears it.  He or she hears the sounds and comprehends what the bidder desires.  However, if their attention is fixed upon something else, or their mind is busy with other thoughts or temptations, even though the sound of their name enters the ear canal, they may not hear it.  Even worse is when the sound of their name enters the ear canal, is ignored, and they carry on with what they were doing.  This is the understanding of the word ‘…hearing…’ in the above verse.

This turning of the ear is deliberate.  It is knowing the law has requirements for that ear, but the ear doesn’t want to hear them.  Like a small child avoiding a parent because he or she knows when the parent is near, and instruction is eminent.  This isn’t mere unfortunate ignorance.  This is on purpose.  This is when we refuse to read our Bibles, or portions of our Bibles because of the rules or laws we do not like.  This is when we avoid Sunday School or church services because we know the preacher will instruct in the principles of the Word.  This hearing is a conscience choice to avoid the demands of God’s holy law because we choose to do our own thing.

The result is stone silence from God’s throne of grace.  It amazes me how many of us expect the LORD to answer any and all dire needs of our lives, but when He asks us to learn of His word for the purpose of obedience, we ignore it.  This is awfully presumptuous.  Solomon learned this the hard way.  He failed to obey the mandate of one man and one woman for life.  He married many pagan wives.  Those wives stole his heart away from the LORD and it cost his decedents the kingdom.  When one really meditates on this truth, we realize just how wrong it is.  To ignore the LORD and His word, but then to expect His mercy in times of prayer, is just plain wrong!