Hear

“Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.” (Pr 8:6 AV)

 

Wisdom requires two primary elements.  The first is fear of God.  Solomon clearly tells us the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD.  Second to that is hearing.  The wisdom of God is speaking here.  The entire chapter regards the wisdom of God.  The wisdom of God cries out to the children of men and begs them to harken.  One might even say that fear of the LORD and hearing His wisdom go hand in hand.  Oddly, one word can be the subject of so great a principle.  Hear.  Hearing implies we stop speaking.  Hearing implies we do not know.  Hearing implies there is something to learn.  Hearing implies we humble ourselves before a great God and allow Him to speak.  Hearing requires silence on the part of one while the other is speaking.  Not just verbal silence, but mental as well.  To hear is an act of submission.  It is an acquiescence of the will to the opinion of another.  It is not merely taking in the words of God.  It is more than that.  It is not the simple acquisition of facts.  It is the evaluation of what one knows or doesn’t know in the light of another’s input.  Specifically speaking, God.  For us to gain the wisdom of God, we must be willing to hear.

The most important factor in turkey hunting is the gobble of the male turkey.  Hearing where it is coming from, the direction in which it is moving, and the intent of the gobble will determine in large part whether the hunter will be successful or not.  The thing is, many factors can lead to a misinterpretation of that gobble.  If, as a hunter, I had preconceptions about the topography, the nature of the call, or the intent of the bird, then I will miss the opportunity to bag a bird.  Other birds sound close enough to a distant turkey that if one is not listening, one will mistake it for a turkey and pursue a bird that is not there.  Distance is my hurdle.  When turkeys are far away, their gobble seems much louder than it is.  It probably has something to do with the topography amplifying his call.  Then as they get much closer, it seems as though they are hundreds of yards away.  Knowing the difference between a single gobble, and double gobble or even a triple gobble will tell you the interest of the male turkey.  When the gobble happens in association with the hens calls will tell you who that male turkey is focused on.  Listening to other indicators are also helpful.  Especially crows.  Watching and listening to them can tell you a great deal in regards to the male turkey.  The point is, to be a better turkey hunter, he has to be willing the hear.  If he is unwilling to hear, he will not learn what he needs to learn to be successful in his endeavor.

There is a program my wife and I are watching.  It tours the Holy Land and takes the viewer to different places pertinent to the ministry of the LORD Jesus.  I am learning quite a bit.  One thing, in particular, is the oft used phrase, “He that hath ears, let him hear.”  What I learned was the phrase our Savior used was actually an invitation to learn and do something with what they had just heard.  It was spoken at the end of a sermon or parable.  Not the beginning.  It was spoken after the words had entered the ears.  It was spoken as the truth of what they just heard was mulled over in their minds.  Hearing isn’t the act of allowing information to go into the ears and mind.  Hearing involves opening the mind to what one just heard and allow it to affect the hearer in a way God intends.  It is the difference between hearing and listening.  We use them the opposite in which the Bible uses these terms.  If we truly hear (or listen), we are intent on the information and willing to allow the truths to change the person we are.  This is why wisdom is founded upon fear of God and hearing.  Putting it another way, respect and humility are the beginning of wisdom.  Hear.