This week we will be in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel is perhaps one of the more neglected books in the Bible. It is a hard book to understand with a lot of symbolic imagery and prophecy. Ezekiel was a priest taken into exile in Babylon around 597 BC (think the story of Daniel). There he prophesied to Jewish exiles explaining God’s judgment on the nation and foretelling their future restoration. Chapters 33-39 (what we will be reading) are a key part of this prophecy of future restoration.
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. (Ezekiel 33:31-32)
These verses are a perfect parallel to James 1:22, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Hearing the word but not practicing it. It is obviously a problem that God’s people often face. Here are several observations that I can make from these verses…
- We can deceive ourselves into thinking we are spiritual simply because we regularly listen to and give lip service to God’s Word.
- We can express devotion with our mouths (I love the Lord!) while harboring greed in our hearts (I can’t wait to get what I want).
- We can view a good sermon as a love song–something that sounds good and stirs our emotions but does nothing to change the way we live.
These verses convict me. I fear that I often enjoy a sermon more than I apply it. I can easily drift into spiritual “cruise control”–going through the motions without truly meditating on God’s Word and allowing it to seek deeply into my heart…allowing it to expose my sin…allowing it to change the way I think and live. I fear I may even be doing that now.
Lord, help me truly to hear Your Word. Expose my fears, my anxieties, my selfish desires, my conflicts, my pride. Search my heart and know me. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in Your ways.