DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CLEAN OUT THE WAX

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – CLEAN OUT THE WAX

"...of Whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing." (Hebrews 5:11)

Yesterday, we mused about the fact that so often we hear God's Word and it has no effect on our lives. We can sit through sermon after sermon, hearing God's Word taught, but it flows off of us like water off a duck's back. We have a hard time recalling what the message from God was last Sunday.

The writer to the Hebrews zeros in on this again in our focus verse. The writer had so much to say, but because they were dull of hearing, they could not understand all that God wanted them to know. The word "dull" means to be slow, sluggish, indolent, or lazy.

This verse harkens back to the words of Jesus. He said, "Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them" (Matthew 13:14-15).

People can approach God's Word in various ways. They may be actively involved in God's word, listening attentively and anticipating what God wants to say to them. Or they can be lazy – putting their mind in free-wheel. When I think dull, I think of a dull knife, or a boring speaker. But the issue here is not the knife or the speaker. It is me. God's word is sharper than a two-edged sword, and it will cut to the quick. But if I am a sluggard when it comes to listening to God's Word, I will not sense what the Holy Spirit wants to say to me.

The King James Version of Matthew 13:15 is translated like this: "The people's heart is waxed gross and they are dull of hearing." Have you ever had wax buildup in your ears until it became hard and you lost some of your hearing? I have. The otologist had to clean them out so I could hear. Perhaps God is saying, we need to clean out our ears so we can hear what He is saying to us.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.

Love, Dad