QT 8/31/2023 Ezek 33:21-33, Doer versus a hearer

Ezekiel 33:21–22 (ESV) —

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” 22 Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

Ezekiel 33:30–33 (ESV) —

30 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. 32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

 

NOTE: Ezekiel can now speak again freely as opposed to only when God allowed him to say a prophecy or message. It think it has been about 7.5 years. And now, God tells Ezekiel that he will seem like a celebrity when he walks around the city walls. People will be eager to hear his words. They will show all the signs of "hungry" spiritual people, but it will be for nought, because they will be unwilling to apply the teaching. This reminds me of one my favorite verses given to New Testament believers:

 

James 1:22–25 (ESV) — 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

 

It is so important that we develop a habit of being a doer of God's word and not just a listener. Most Christians know 95 percent of what they will ever know of God's moral law. Our time would be better spent doing the part we know than learning more intricacies of the remaining 5 percent.

 

PONDER:

1. Where do I spend more time of my time, learning more or trying to do what I already know?

 

PRAYER: Father, I want to be a person characterized by a doer of your word. I want to know your word fully, but I really want people to see the word in my life.