Ears to Hear – Exodus 20:19

Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”

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Their fear of God’s unveiled holy nature and His wrath toward sin led His chosen people to an irrational place. They knowingly choose to be out of direct range of hearing God’s voice. They plead for Him to stop speaking. Although understandable, one has to wonder if this request proved to be a contributing factor to the people’s ongoing rejection of God. Rather than listen and learn through their uneasiness and fear, they turn their backs and beg Moses to intercede. God had longed to speak directly with them; yet, they could not or would not endure the holy terror of His presence in order to hear His voice.

Will we bear God’s holy Presence, unyielding hatred of sin and His deep wrath in order to hear Him speak? It is critical that we do. It is not comfortable and clean. It is not necessarily quiet and calm. It may involve the fire of conviction and the thunder and smoke of change. Hearing God requires courage and determination.

Thanks be to God that our interceding Savior Jesus Christ has born the wrath of God toward sin for our sake. He has become our Holiness and has interceded in a manner that exceeds all other intercessors. We can receive the words of our Holy Father with faith and thanksgiving for our Judge has become our Savior. Thank you is not enough. We must choose to hear and obey our Lord in spite of the discomforting experiences that often accompany His instruction. He who has ears to hear let him hear.