Hearing God's Words

When correspondence is written to us personally, it changes the way we receive it.  I remember holding letters from local politicians up to the light to see if it was actually signed by the dignitary or merely printed coloured ink.  If it was signed by hand it wouldn't have changed my view of the policies--but I would have respected our government representative more.  Personal letters ought to be taken personally, for they were sent to an individual in particular.  A letter directed to you ought to have more impact than a news article or encyclopedia entry, for within could be a call to action or request that requires a response.

The reading of the Law of Moses certainly made an impact on king Josiah after it was found in 2 Kings 22:10-11:  "Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king. ¹¹ Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes."  Tearing clothes was a sign of grief and mourning, and the king gave the command in 2 Kings 22:13:  "Go, inquire of the LORD for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us."  Needless to say, king Josiah took God's words very seriously.  I would be hard pressed to say reading the Bible ever provoked such a strong, immediate response like this.

As born again Christians, the Bible ought to have a powerful influence upon us because we believe it is God's word spoken to us personally.  God's word is living and powerful, and it is sharp as a two-edged sword that pierces our hearts and exposes our motives.  Our lack of any emotional response to the Scripture can be an indication of hardness of heart in us and even dullness from much hearing.  One thing the Bible cannot be is boring, for it holds forth the words of life to our thirsty, starving souls by our awesome Creator who loves us.  The truth of the Bible washes over us, purifying our minds from deceptions and assumptions we continue to carry, and guides us into all truth.

While we may not tear our clothes after hearing a passage of Scripture, the God who looks upon the heart takes notice.  2 Kings 22:18-19 tells us the message of God through the prophetess:  "But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Concerning the words which you have heard--¹⁹ because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the LORD."  King Josiah heard the word of the LORD and wept, and in response God also heard him.  Josiah sowed in tears and reaped in joy as he received God's words of comfort and peace.  Let us be those who read God's word with humble, contrite hearts, for such are the ones who will hear our Father's voice in fellowship.