“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Pr 28:9 AV)
This
is different from, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear
me:” (Ps 66:18 AV) This verse simply
states if we live in unconfessed sin, the LORD will not regard our pleas. This makes complete sense. If we do not live in submission and humility before
the King, why should He lend an ear to our concerns? The proverb above goes one step further. This is beyond ignoring our prayer. In the proverb above, the LORD goes beyond
ignoring our prayers. He now considers
the prayers of some an abomination. The
word ‘abomination’ is very descriptive.
The best way to describe abomination is the sensation one feels from an
odor that causes us to vomit. One of
mine is wet peanut butter. When there is
a knife in the sink with peanut butter on it and it gets wet with water, I
gag. Haven’t a clue why. It just does.
Baby puke is another. That is
what the idea of an abomination conveys.
Something that would make God gag!
The cause of this violent reaction to the prayers of some is in the
first part of the verse. A person who
turns his ear away from the word of God and will not even consider it, his
prayers make God sick! Like we mentioned
above, this goes beyond regarding iniquity in our hearts. This is upon what I
would like to meditate on this LORD’s day.
Not to excuse unconfessed sin away as though it is not as bad as turning
away our ears from God’s voice, but it does give us some hope.
My
child can be at odds with me over disobedience, but that does not mean the
lines of communication are permanently shut.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of helping families with
children who have gotten themselves messed up with serious sin. Grace abounds for much of the time. However, if there comes a time when the child
will no longer heed the voice of Mom or Dad, the parent is completely turned
off to ever helping that child again. I
have seen resentment settle in the hearts of parents of unrepentant and estranged
children. It is though that child doesn’t
even exist. I have seen homes where
parents will remove photos of their children as a way of dealing with their
grief and resentment. They erase that
child from their homes and even their memories.
Right or wrong, it is understandable.
As long as that child turns their back on any and all advice or counsel,
eventually, the parent will turn their back on that child. When we look at the prodigal son, Dad never
chased him to the swine. He let him go. As long as that son wanted to live in riotous
living, ignoring the pleas of his father, the father broke off all communication
with his son.
But here is the hope. As long as we have an ear to hear, even if we
fail, the LORD does not consider our prayers an abomination. This is what I am taking away from the proverb
above. I am a screw-up. I am a pathetic excuse for a human being. I have made my share of wicked choices of
which I pray for the day I will no longer remember them. Embarrassment is a constant companion. Shame and guilt are regular residents in this
heart of mine. I have failed the LORD
far more times than can be humanly recorded.
It is a wonder the LORD hasn’t put me, the world, and Himself out of
misery and simply ended this life. When
I consider all of which I am guilty, one begins to wonder if the LORD cares
about any prayer I have to offer. The
answer is an obvious yes. Why? Because the ear has not been turned
away. I may completely fail in efforts
to please the LORD. I may even be
rebellious or make provision for the flesh from time to time. But the Spirit which dwells within me will
not allow this sinful heart of mine to turn away the ear. There are times He does not hear my prayer
because I regard iniquity in my heart.
But I know He does not consider my prayer an abomination. Praise the LORD!
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