AVOIDING A TRADGIC TURN OF EVENTS

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THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING

Erik Weihenmayer is blind, yet on May 25, 2001 (Nepal time), he reached the peak of Mt. Everest. Suffering from a degenerative eye disease, he lost his sight when he was 13, but that didn’t stop him. On a mountain where 90 percent of climbers never make it to the top—and 165 have died trying since 1953—Erik succeeded, in large measure because he listened well.
He listened to the little bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him, so he would know what direction to go.
He listened to the voice of teammates who would shout back to him, “Death fall two feet to your right!” so he would know what direction not to go.
He listened to the sound of his pick jabbing the ice, so he would know whether the ice was safe to cross.
When we take a perilous journey, listening well can make all the difference.
Citation: Source: Time (6-18-01); Bill White; Paramount, California

TO God’s Word and His Spokesmen

See Ps 81:8; 2 Ch 20:15,20
Psalm 81:8 NASB95
8 “Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!
2 Chronicles 20:15 NASB95
15 and he said, “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.
2 Chronicles 20:20 NASB95
20 They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.”

To Jesus Christ

Matthew 17:5 NASB95
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
John 10:27 NASB95
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
Luke 10:16 NASB95
16 “The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
Luke 10:39 NASB95
39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.

To Words of Wisdom

Proverbs 19:20 NASB95
20 Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.
James 1:19 NASB95
19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
See also Ps 34:11; Pr 5:7; Pr 7:24; Pr 8:32–34; Pr 12:15; Pr 13:1; Pr 15:31; Lk 2:46; Jas 2:5
Psalm 34:11 NASB95
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Proverbs 5:7 NASB95
7 Now then, my sons, listen to me And do not depart from the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 7:24 NASB95
24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Proverbs 8:32–34 NASB95
32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 33 “Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts.
Proverbs 12:15 NASB95
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
Proverbs 13:1 NASB95
1 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
Proverbs 15:31 NASB95
31 He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise.
Luke 2:46 NASB95
46 Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
James 2:5 NASB95
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

THE WICKED REFUSE TO LISTEN TO GOD

Ezekiel 3:7 NASB95
7 yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.
See also Ex 7:13 Pharaoh’s refusal to listen; 2 Ki 17:14; 2 Ki 17:40; 2 Ki 18:12; Ne 9:17; Ps 81:11; Is 65:12

It is a particular emphasis of the prophecy of Jeremiah that the people have refused to listen to God’s voice:

Je 7:13; Je 7:26–27; Je 12:17; Je 13:11; Je 17:23; Je 22:21; Je 25:3; Je 25:7; Je 29:19; Je 32:33; Je 34:14; Je 35:15; Je 35:17; Je 37:2; Je 38:15; Je 44:5; Je 44:16
Jeremiah 7:13 NASB95
13 “And now, because you have done all these things,” declares the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer,
Jeremiah 7:26–27 NASB95
26 “Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did more evil than their fathers. 27 “You shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you; and you shall call to them, but they will not answer you.
Jeremiah 12:17 NASB95
17 “But if they will not listen, then I will uproot that nation, uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 13:11 NASB95
11 ‘For as the waistband clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole household of Israel and the whole household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘that they might be for Me a people, for renown, for praise and for glory; but they did not listen.’
Jeremiah 17:23 NASB95
23 “Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction.
Jeremiah 22:21 NASB95
21 “I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, ‘I will not listen!’ This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.
Jeremiah 25:3 NASB95
3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the Lord has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
Jeremiah 25:7 NASB95
7 “Yet you have not listened to Me,” declares the Lord, “in order that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
Jeremiah 29:19 NASB95
19 because they have not listened to My words,’ declares the Lord, ‘which I sent to them again and again by My servants the prophets; but you did not listen,’ declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 32:33 NASB95
33 “They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction.
Jeremiah 34:14 NASB95
14 “At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.
Jeremiah 35:15 NASB95
15 “Also I have sent to you all My servants the prophets, sending them again and again, saying: ‘Turn now every man from his evil way and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to worship them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your forefathers; but you have not inclined your ear or listened to Me.
Jeremiah 35:17 NASB95
17 “Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the disaster that I have pronounced against them; because I spoke to them but they did not listen, and I have called them but they did not answer.’ ”
Jeremiah 37:2 NASB95
2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the Lord which He spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
Jeremiah 38:15 NASB95
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
Jeremiah 44:5 NASB95
5 ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods.
Jeremiah 44:16 NASB95
16 “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we are not going to listen to you!
SEE MAL 2:2
Malachi 2:2 NASB95
2 “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

Those who refuse to listen to correction are condemned

Matthew 18:15–17 (NASB95)
15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.
16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

God’s people must not only listen to God’s word but also put it into practice

Lk 11:28; Jas 1:22–24 In Hebrew and Greek the verb “listen” is related by the verb “to obey”.

See also Eze 33:32; Mt 7:24–27; Ro 2:13

Examples of people listening

Ge 18:10 Sarah at the tent entrance; Ge 27:5 Rebekah to Isaac; 1 Sa 3:9–10 Samuel to God; Pr 19:27 a son to instruction; Lk 2:46 Jesus Christ to the teachers of the law

The crowds to Jesus Christ:

Lk 5:1; Lk 20:45
Lk 10:39 Mary to Jesus Christ

People to the apostles:

Ac 16:14; Ac 16:25;
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