Hearing But Not Obeying

The children of Israel loved to hear the powerful preaching of Ezekiel, but they never obeyed it. 

“So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them” (Ezekiel 33:31-32, NKJV).

The book of Hebrews gives us a powerful warning. “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
‘Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness’” (Hebrews 3:7-8). Scripture clearly shows that hardness comes from hearing but not obeying God’s Word. 

Israel gladly listened to the powerful preaching of the prophet Isaiah, yet they continually justified their sins, calling evil good and good evil. So God instructed Isaiah, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return and be healed” (Isaiah 6:9-10).

God knew the Israelites were not willing to lay down their besetting sins. They loved their fleshly pleasures and ungodly companions too much. The Lord told Isaiah, “These people are never going to change their hearts, and from now on, I will not speak a word to them. Instead, I want you to hurry them into their hardness. That way, perhaps some will listen before it’s too late!”

Simply put, God was calling for a full surrender from his people. I thank God for the multitudes of Christians who started their walk with Jesus the right way, loving truth and obeying his Word. When they forsook the ways of their flesh, they fell in love with the Lord, and his Word became a guiding lamp to them.