WE HAVE EARS BUT WE WILL NOT LISTEN

PROCLAMATION

“If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because The Lord’s flock will be taken captive.”  Jeremiah 13:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Chapter thirteen of The Bible Book of Jeremiah begins with The Lord God telling Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and wear it around his waist.  Then he was told to the bury it in a crevice in the rocks.  Many days later he was told to dig up the linen belt.  The belt was ruined and useless, and The Lord God told him so would be the pride of the people of Judah and Jerusalem who had refused to listen to Him. (Jeremiah 13:1-10)  Then The Lord God told him that He was going to fill all who live in the land with drunkenness and smash them one against another and destroy them. (Jeremiah 13:12-14) Jeremiah said that they would be destroyed and taken into captivity and that he would be weeping again. (Jeremiah 13:15-19)  This was going to happen to them, and they would be put to shame because of their many sins and their refusal to change. (Jeremiah 13:22-27)

APPLICATION

It has been said that The Lord God gave us two ears and one mouth for us to listen twice as often as we spoke.  Our problem is that although we have ears, we don’t listen to what we are told.  We have gone to church and heard the word of God preached many times, but we did not really listen to what was being said and we did not change our sinful ways.  The Bible is The Holy Word of God in which He speaks to us, but often we do not listen to Him.  One day we will pay for our arrogance.  All we can do now is ask Him to be forgiven and plead to Him for mercy. (Psalm 30:10, Psalm 123:3, and Isaiah 55:7)