“I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You;” Job 42:5 Hearing – What is the difference between hearing God and seeing Him? The Hebrew term shama is a familiar one. Today we often stress the double action of the word shama, i.e., to hear and to obey. But…
So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1 Kings 3:9 NASB Understanding – Solomon asks for a heart that hears. He wants to know what God knows. So do we (might I add, unfortunately) because we…
So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 NASB Hearing – If you were Paul, the Jewish rabbi named Sha’ul, what Hebrew word would you have in mind when you wrote the Greek verb akoe (to hear)? There can only be one obvious answer – shema. But as soon…
The voice of the Lord will call to the city—And it is sound wisdom to fear Your name: “Hear, O tribe. Who has appointed its time?” Micah 6:9 NASB Hear – There is a lot of translator liberty in this verse. You have read the NASB. Here’s the NIV: Listen! The Lord is calling to…
When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Isaiah 1:15 ESV I will not listen – We are often told that God hears all prayers, but the Bible says otherwise. Just as one must…
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Psalm 130:1-2 NASB Hear – “Out of my deepest despair, out of my total helplessness in the face of the darkness of my heart, Lord, YHWH, shim’ah.” The cry…
“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My commandments, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine.” Exodus 19:5 NASB Indeed Obey – How loud does God need to speak for you to hear him? If you are like those Israelites who…
“If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” Isaiah 1:19 NASB Consent and obey – We love Isaiah 1:18, especially when we think it endorses rational debate. But I doubt many of us realize that this next…
So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 NASB Hearing – If you were Paul, the Jewish rabbi Sha’ul, what Hebrew word would you have in mind when you wrote the Greek verb akoe (to hear)? There can only be one obvious answer – shama. But as soon as…
And it shall come to pass, if you carefully listen to my commandments which I command you today, . . . Deuteronomy 11:13 Carefully Listen To – We have discovered that even Jewish rabbis recognized the priority of grace. The false dichotomy between law and grace was an invention of Augustine. His influence spread through…
