Hear O students

When called upon to listen, my students often reply that they were hearing. But over the years I have discovered that though they were hearing they were not always listening. In the Greek, as well as the Hebrew and other semitic languages like Akkadian the word for listening is the same word for obeying. "To hear is to obey" is an old saying that I am learning says more than at first pass. The Greek word akouw, Heberw shema and the Akkadian semnum are all verbs of listening and obeying. The shema, "Hear O Israel the Lord you God is One" is saying more than that Israel should hear. Israel was hearing but not listening. They did not internalize what God was saying so they could be obedient to the one God. Moses complained about their obedience and so did God. Jesus complained about people who hear but do not listen (Matt.13:13).

How can we not become like the people Christ was referring to? Maybe you can develop an ear for hearing. God says in his word that faith comes by hearing and hearing by a word from God (Rom. 10:17). Hearing is created by a word from God! This is the hearing that elicits obedience. This is what I need in my class room! Sitting under the anointed apostolic word creates the ear for hearing. Not just hearing. But the kind of hearing that means obedience to the word. Hearing and obedience go hand in hand. A child has not heard until he is obedient. No wonder my mother repeatedly ask me "are you listening?". Obedience develops the ear for hearing. Maybe this is why Samuel heard the voice of the Lord, he was obediently serving the Lord at Shiloh. When the Lord spoke, Samuel heard. As we serve the Lord we develop our hearing. Do you want to learn the voice of the Lord? Then learn to listen until the obedience to what the one is speaking is felt. "The sheep hear His voice."