God Hears Children Cry

 

Genesis 21:15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. 20 And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow. 

Hagar was crying because her son was suffering and crying.  God heard the cry of both the child and his mother.  The immediate need here was for water and God provided it. He also provided a hope and a future for this child and his mother.  How easily we forget God hears both. Let us teach our children to call out to God and let us never forget to call out to Him for them. God hears. He Cares. He acts.

Cry Out More!

 Matthew 20:29 And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.

We have been looking at the fact that God does indeed hear us, especially when we call out to Him for help.  When Jesus was ministering on earth, we do not find a lot of verses saying: "Jesus heard them." But what we do find is Him responding because He heard. He heard their cries, their questions, and even their thoughts toward Him.  Here He hears and responds to the desperate cries of these two blind men. They were truly crying out "in the dark," hoping He could and would hear and heal them.  He did as they asked. Don't stop crying out to Him. 

The Lord Hears and Remembers

 Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

This is the closing chapter of the Old Testament, charging the people of Israel with forgetting God. It would be the last they would hear from Him for quite some time.  But He was hearing them. There was, as always, a remnant of those who fear God. He would remember them.  Jesus used the same promise in Luke 12, where He was also giving warnings and made a distinction between those who trusted in Him and those who rejected Him. God would remember the one who trusts in Him but not remember the ones who rejected Him.  God hears and remembers and acts at the right moment. He is not forgetful like us. 

No Dead Spots!

 

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 

2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows passed over me.
4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight;
yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’

Almost everyone can remember the cell phone carrier commercial with the repeated phrase: "Can you hear me now?" There are some places which are so remote or inside certain kinds of structures, or in between cell towers, that there is no reception.  There is no place from which God cannot hear the prayer of one Who cries out to Him.  Even rebellious prophets like Jonah.  We like to pick on him, but we are no better. But we also can expect the same response he had when he called out to God. God heard and He acted.  Communication was restored and God was glorified.  God's receptivity is just as good and faithful today.

Because God Has Heard...

 Lamentations 3:55 “I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit; 
56 you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’
57 You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’
58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.
61 “You have heard their taunts, O Lord, all their plots against me.

64 “You will repay them, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.

65 You will give them dullness of heart; your curse will be upon them.

66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them

    from under your heavens, O Lord.”

We looked yesterday at the promise God gave through Jeremiah that He would hear the people when they finally came to repentance and claimed Him as "the Lord, Our God."  Here we find Jeremiah's lament after giving his whole series of calls to repent, finding Jerusalem leveled, most of his peers dead or taken away, leaving him to look upon all the devastation.  Even in that hour he could say: you heard my plea and came to my rescue. He could also leave vengeance in God's hands. He had done all he could to call them to repentance, but they resisted him on every side.  Jeremiah refused to fall into bitterness, allowing God to do what needed to be done both in his next step and those who had mocked him.

The Discussion Starter

 

Jeremiah 31:15 Thus says the Lord:
“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.
Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
16 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord,
    and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.
17 There is hope for your future, declares the Lord,
    and your children shall come back to their own country.
18 I have heard Ephraim grieving,
‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,
    like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored,
    for you are the Lord my God.

The end of this chapter is well-known for the announcement of The New Covenant. But before we get there we have this discussion on what must happen first.  God tells His people what must be said before this new hope is announced. He gives us the discussion starter that we know He will hear and answer. After years of exile they will call out and say: "I was wrong; please restore me; you are the Lord my God."

Keep the Conversation Going...

 

Psalm 116:1 I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

As much as we talk about loving God, this is the only time in scripture we find this statement: "I love the Lord."  It is found the in context of God answering prayer.  The psalmist knows he is loved by God and commits himself to continue talking with God all life through.  The psalm proceeds to talk about this abiding love between the psalmist and the Lord, even seeing death as a precious event they will share. There is nothing that will destroy his trust.  What do you mean when you say: "I love the Lord?"

The God Who Hears Can

 

Psalm 78:17 Yet they sinned still more against him,
    rebelling against the Most High in the desert.
18 They tested God in their heart
    by demanding the food they craved.
19 They spoke against God, saying,
    “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
20 He struck the rock so that water gushed out
    and streams overflowed.
Can he also give bread
    or provide meat for his people?”

Psalm 78 is a retelling of the story of God leading His people out of bondage, through the wilderness, and into the promised land.  The intention was to give a singing history for the next generation, to pass on the lessons they should have learned.  The big lesson is that God hears and He can: He is more than able to free His people, and provide water and food for them, as well as the victories over His enemies.  Does the next generation hear us talking about God this way? - That He hears when we pray: He provides what we need; He cares for us and do what it takes?

Giving God Something to Hear

 Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth,
    a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
    and put their trust in the Lord. 

Here we have yet another psalm of David where he recounts calling out, crying out, to the Lord in his time of need and being heard by him.  He was able to see the answer of God - not only in his circumstances, but even more significantly, in his heart and attitude. It was something he expected others to be able to observe and even learn from.  But David's first concern was to express back to God his thanksgiving and love for hearing and answering him.  He responded with a new song, given by God to sing sing back to Him.  Maybe you're not a singer, and you think your voice might not be a sweet, sweet sound in God's ear, but you can still reply with a cry of thanksgiving and praise, letting God know you know He has heard and answered your prayer. 

Surrounded by God's Ears...

 Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

This is one of my favorite psalms of David, written in response to his deliverance by God at one of the most fearful times of his life. He knew God was present and heard his prayer.  God is always near - close enough to hear any cry and come to our aid.  Once again, David turns his personal experience into a call for all of God's people join him in calling out to God in prayer and trusting Him to hear and care. Join us!

"God Hears!" Sing it with Me...

 Psalm 28:6 Blessed be the Lord!
    For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
    and with my song I give thanks to him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
    he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
    Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

This psalm, like many of David's, begins with him calling out to God for help, sharing with Him his "complaint", his current condition.  Midway through the psalm he here praises and thanks God for hearing him and helping him. But David does not stop there. This same promise is available to all of God's people. God's strength, salvation and shepherding love are available to His whole family - all of His people. This is a song of celebration all who trust in Him can sing together. Can you? Do you? 

I Know God Hears!

 Psalm 18:1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

We come back to those words of David after the Lord had finally delivered him from Saul, the Philistines, and his other enemies.  Notice the depth of David's relationship with the Lord and his faith in Him. He could and would call on the Lord and cry out to Him over and over again, because time after time God had heard his plea for help. It was not that all of a sudden one day David decided to pray and realized God would answer; it was the pattern of his life.  The opposite is also true.  We don't just wake up one day and begin to believe God does not hear us; it happens over time when we stop calling out to Him and trusting Him to hear, see, and act.  Do you know God hears like David did?

The Confidence of Being Heard

Psalm 6:4 Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;

    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

David was troubled on every side and within.  Saul and his men were trying to hunt him down, while the Philistines and Amalakites were a constant threat against his people. Though David was not yet king, he was committed to defending his people.  He was always looking over his shoulder and tired of running. He missed his family, worshiping with God's people, and the securities of "home."  But he refused to give in, relying instead on the Lord to hear him and to act justly.  He was able to rest in that assurance that God heard and would intercede on his behalf.  Do you have that same confidence?

God Heard Him?!?

 II Chronicles 33:10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. 12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

If you have done much reading in Kings and Chronicles, the name Manasseh will automatically make you think "evil king!"  We are trained to divide the kings into a short list of good kings and long list of bad ones. This one paragraph is often forgotten by us all.  After a long life of doing evil, Manasseh did finally humble himself and call out to God.  God heard his plea and actually returned him to his throne. The next paragraph tells us of all the good things Manasseh did to show that indeed he did know that the Lord was God.  The simple lesson is this: no matter what you've been like and done, you can still call and be heard. It also means we should never in our minds put others beyond the reach of God's ear. 

God Hears Those Who Set Their Heart

 

II Chronicles 30:18 For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed. For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness.” 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.

Here we are once again looking at the reign of Hezekiah.  Once again we see God hearing his plea as he had done something very few of the kings had done: reinstituting the celebration of Passover.  This hit at the core of Jewish faith, acknowledging their covenant with God and need for the shed blood of God's Lamb to cover over their sin, providing deliverance from their slavery.  This is one of those passages where we see the great mercy and grace of God.  He is not a mean Master, demanding minute obedience to every legalistic detail; He is longing to hear our deserved humble praise. 

The Eyes and Ears of God

 

II Chronicles 7:11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

God sees and He hears.  We have seen that theme for the last several weeks. There are some places and situations where we see that more intensely. Here at the dedication of the temple was one of those times and places.  God hears; He chooses; He acts.  And He will continue to hear, listening for us to call out to Him as Solomon did.  This classic promise in verse 14 is founded upon the fact that God does hear us and pay attention to us. Always has; always will.  Do you believe this? If so, act accordingly. 

Humility Helps Hearing...

 II Kings 22:16 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” 

As we have seen the last few days, Hezekiah was a king who mostly sought God, crying out to Him for mercy and forgiveness, and God heard him. This chapter concerns Josiah, the young reformist who also brought himself and his people humbly before God.  There is definitely a connection, as these reformer kings to whom God said: "I have heard you," and to whom He also promised to hold off judgment until after their times as king.  There are many more evil kings who did not humble themselves and were not heard.

God Hears Hezekiah Again!

 

II Kings 20:1 In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not recover.’” 2 Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 “Now, O Lord, please remember how I have walked before you in faithfulness and with a whole heart, and have done what is good in your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4 And before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.” 

It is interesting that three times in a row our passages on God hearing have to do with the life and reign of King Hezekiah.  The ultimate outcome of this account is highly debated: "Would it have been better for the kingdom if Hezekiah had died at that point?" That's one of those questions for heaven, but this was not all about Hezekiah.  The prophesy of his healing is also tied into God's promise to deliver the nation from Assyria.  By healing Hezekiah, God confirmed the greater promise, increasing the faith not only of him, but the whole nation.  God's hearing and acting can be contagious. We need to ask, trust, and tell others when and how He has heard our cries.

God Has Heard... Have You?

 II Kings 19:20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard. 21 This is the word that the Lord has spoken concerning him:
“She despises you, she scorns you—
    the virgin daughter of Zion;
she wags her head behind you—
    the daughter of Jerusalem.
22 “Whom have you mocked and reviled?
    Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
    Against the Holy One of Israel!...

Yesterday we looked at Isaiah's response to Hezekiah that God had indeed heard the mocking of the king of Assyria toward Israel and their God.  Now, Isaiah reassures Hezekiah that God has heard and is going to act by telling him the message God is now sending to the Assyrians:

25 “Have you not heard

    that I determined it long ago?

God goes on to say, through Isaiah, that all the lands and peoples the Assyrians had been taking were allowed by God - that they were merely pawns in His hands.  But now that they were mocking the God who allowed them such victories, the tide was going to turn on them.  God hears all. Do you hear Him?

Maybe God Hears???

II Kings 19:1 As soon as King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the secretary, and the senior priests, covered with sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of distress, of rebuke, and of disgrace; children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to bring them forth. 4 It may be that the Lord your God heard all the words of the Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to mock the living God, and will rebuke the words that the Lord your God has heard; therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.” 5 When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah, 6 Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.

King Hezekiah has just heard the intentions of the Assyrians to turn their siege of Jerusalem and Judea into a total annihilation of his people.  He has also heard the report that the Assyrian spokesperson had mocked God in the process.  His plea was for Isaiah to intercede on the behalf of his people - that perhaps - it may be, that God overheard.  Isaiah reassures King Hezekiah that God indeed heard and was going to do something about it.  How often do we think this way - that maybe God has heard. He has heard all right, and calls on us to believe He hears all that is going on, and call on Him ourselves to move His hand.

God Hears, Sees, and Cares

 I Kings 9: 3 And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 4 And as for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules, 5 then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

Solomon had called out to God for His blessing on both His palace and the Temple of the Lord. He wanted God to use what he built for His glory.  When God communicates with us, He makes promises He keeps. We have already seen that God hears and sees.  Here He tells Solomon He also puts His heart where He hears and sees: He really cares about His people.  It's so basic, but we often forget the simplest things: God hears; He sees; He cares; He can do something about it. May we trust in the full character of God. 

The Song of God Hearing

 II Samuel 23:2“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3     my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
    my stronghold and my refuge,
    my savior; you save me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.
5 “For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6 the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry came to his ears.

This Song of David is also found in Psalm 18.  Here it is in its historical context, as verse 1 says, David sang it on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. For years David had cried out to God, be it from his heart, in a cave, or through the priest with the Ephod, seeking wisdom how to proceed with persecution from the hand of Saul on one side and from the Philistines on the other. At every point, with every decision, God heard and answered.  He does the same for us, if we will only call upon Him.

 I Samuel 23:7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

In Old Testament Isreal, God made ways for communication to take place between Him and His people. One such way was through the priest using this special ephod.  This was especially used when the answer to a question would affect the whole nation. David knew this and sought an answer to a pressing question: "Was Saul's intention to come fight his fellow countrymen and destroy David and his faithful fighting men?" God answered clearly.  David knew what he needed to do: promptly withdraw.  Sometimes we just need to ask God out questions clearly and concisely.  He will answer clearly as well, showing He has heard. 

Because God Hears Us

Deuteronomy 26: 5 “And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7 Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9 And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 

As God prepared His people for entering the Promised Land, he provided ways to help them remember that He had heard them in the past.  Bringing of the firstfruits was one of those memory devices. As one brought his gifts to the Lord, the statement above was to be recited.  We need to remember where we have come from to have what we have.  The Lord heard, saw, and acted, and because He did, we have all we do. Because God hears us, we respond with thanksgiving. 

God Hears Our Promises

 Deuteronomy 5:28 “And the Lord heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

In this chapter we have Moses reminding the people of the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai and the sense of Holiness experienced by His people.  They were overwhelmed that God would speak to them, and asked Moses to be their go between, receiving the fulness of His commandments to then share with them.  They had then committed to live by His covenant. The above is His response: He heard their words and the intent they had to reverently obey.  But God knows the hearts of men. He knew that they (and we) would not always reverence and obey Him. God hears the promises we make Him, and also knows our inability on our own to always keep them. This leads God in the next chapter to remind them of their greatest commandment: 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

The Lord Hears Our Rebellion...

 Deuteronomy 1:34 “And the Lord heard your words and was angered, and he swore, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the Lord!’ 37 Even with me the Lord was angry on your account and said, ‘You also shall not go in there. 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

We have moved now to the time after the Wilderness Wandering of Israel, when God gave them instructions as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.  But first, they needed to be reminded of why they had been wandering around for the past forty years: God heard their rebellious words of refusal to enter the Promised Land in the first place. Only Joshua and Caleb, who gave the hopeful report would be  able to go into it. How much has our rebellion cost us in our lives? How many times has God said "go," "do," or "trust" and we have refused to obey?  Let's not say that today. God hears it all and knows our hearts behind our words.

When You Know God Hears

 Numbers 20:14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: “Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the hardship that we have met: 15 how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. And the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers. 16 And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt. And here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory. 17 Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, or drink water from a well. We will go along the King's Highway. We will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

The people of Israel were moving through the wilderness, led by the cloud of God's presence.  They had seen every time they had a need or became rebellious that He heard their cry. He led them smack onto the King's Highway, which passed through Edom. Rather than force themselves through by the power of God, they respectfully asked permission to pass through.  As the passage goes on, they were repeatedly denied, so God led them another way.  The point is that God did not say "barge through; I will give you the battle." They did not presume upon the presence of God, nor the fact that He always heard them. They waited for His time and way.  So should we.  Ultimately this event came back to haunt Edom, not Israel. 

The LORD Hears That Too!

Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 4 And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. 

We have seen the last two days that the Lord not only sees, but He hears. He hears our grumbling and complaining - especially against Him.  He also hears our critical speech and gossip against others, like our God-given leaders and relatives.  Remember Moses was both to Miriam and Aaron.  Do we really take this seriously? Imagine how our speech (and thoughts) would be changed if we really lived like God hears it all. (And He does!) We must always think and speak as if God is in the room (and He is!), and if we are going to talk about others, include Him in the conversation, expecting Him to speak into the situation, because He will, and He will act accordingly. (Continue reading in the chapter to see how He does here.)

The Lord Hears Our Complaining

 

Numbers 11:1 And the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, and when the Lord heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down. 3 So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the Lord burned among them.

We saw yesterday that the Lord hears our grumbling.  That is something we mumble under our breath. Complaining takes it up a notch to a very audible level.  Context, as usual, is extremely important. What has just happened at the end of the preceeding chapter? Israel had just left Mt. Sinai. They hadn't gone far before the complaining began.  It's like going on vacation and after half an hour a voice in the back seat says: "Are we there yet?"  How much complaining does God have to put up with from you?  Let's tone it down today.  Better yet, let's eliminate it all together. 

He Hears Our Grumbling

Exodus 16:6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8 And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

The above is God's response to the people complaining about having no food and His giving them manna. Four times He speaks of their grumbling.  Why does He listen? Why does He answer and give? The key is in the last verse:  Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God. When we grumble, we are not treating God as Lord. There is a difference between grumbling and asking.  God answered and provided, but not because they (or we) deserve it. We have something to learn: He is Lord.

He's Waiting to Hear

Exodus 3:7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 

As we transition from "The God Who Sees" to "The God Who Hears," we again find overlap in God's call to Moses at the burning bush.  God told Moses that He had seen and heard (and knew) the sufferings of His people, and as a result, was "coming down" to do something about it. God had seen all along what was going on, but now, added to that, He had heard their cry. They were calling out to Him for help.  We often wonder of God sees or hears, but does it ever occur to us that He does see and is waiting to hear from us? There are times when God does look down and reach down and do something without being asked (that's called "grace"), but there are also many times He is waiting for us to cry out and be heard (that's "mercy"). So, let's not play around.  Let's call out to Him, knowing and believing He sees, and is waiting to hear from us. He knows exactly what to do. 

God Sees And Hears

Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

We saw last month that God saw how Hagar was mistreated by Sarah and made sure she was cared for. We find a similar scenario here when it came to Rachel and Leah.  Jacob adored Rachel and neglected Leah. To compensate for this, Leah bore a child first, removing some of her scorn.  Leah understood that it was not something she had done, but that the Lord saw and looked upon her situation and was moved with compassion to do something about it. This passage also makes the transition to the next phase of our study with what Leah says next: Because the Lord has heard that she was hated, she named him Simeon, which in Hebrew sounds like the word for heard.  God both sees our condition and hears our petition. Even if it is called out silently from within our hearts, God hears as well as sees and He acts. 

Until He Looks Down and Sees

 

Lamentations 3:46 “All our enemies
    open their mouths against us;
47 panic and pitfall have come upon us,
    devastation and destruction;
48 my eyes flow with rivers of tears
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 “My eyes will flow without ceasing,
    without respite,
50 until the Lord from heaven
    looks down and sees;
51 my eyes cause me grief
    at the fate of all the daughters of my city.

Yesterday we looked at Jeremiah's struggle of being called to preach repentance on deaf ears, only to be persecuted for proclaiming God's Word.  Lamentations gives a final cry to his suffering, as he must watch his people - young and old, innocent and guilty, suffer.  His eyes flowed with tears.  What kept him going? How did he find any hope? He knew that Lord could and would "down and see." It was not that God had a blind spot and was clueless as to what was going on. It was not yet time for Him to "see" and do something. That time would come. For now, Jeremiah grieved over what he could see.  Sometimes our tears will flow, cleaning out the hurt, until He looks down and sees. 

Because God Sees, I Can Sing

 

Jeremiah 20:11 But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
    therefore my persecutors will stumble;
    they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
    for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
    will never be forgotten.
12 O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
    who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
    for to you have I committed my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord;
    praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
    from the hand of evildoers.

Besides the frustration of being called upon to preach repentance to his people and have them refuse to listen and repent, then end up in Exile, Jeremiah experienced great persecution from the priests and other leaders. At the beginning of this chapter, Jeremiah had been arrested by the priest and put into stocks. After a scathing denouncement of his persecutors, he says the above.  As angry as he was, he knew that he had to trust the Lord as his defender. The reason he could do so is because the Lord sees all, including what is in the heart and the mind, and vengeance belongs to Him.  This enables Jeremiah to set aside his anger and sing to the Lord. Right after this, Jeremiah relapses into self-pity for awhile, wishing he had never been born, but ultimately, he knows and lives with the truth that God sees and will make things right.

Who Sees Us?

 Isaiah 29:13 And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
    and honor me with their lips,
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, I will again
    do wonderful things with this people,
    with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
15 Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
    whose deeds are in the dark,
    and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

The words of this chapter were written while Jerusalem was under siege.  They were surrounded by those God had sent to judge them, yet they pretended like they had done nothing wrong. They were living as if God could not see them.  Despite this, by the end of the chapter, God promises that in the future they would once again be a people among whom He would be at work.  This would happen when they would come to understand that He is God and would accept His instruction.  Until then, while they acted as if He did not see or know, they would be surrounded by problems. Are we living as if God does not see or know?

Fret Not! God Can See.

 

Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
    though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
    and delight themselves in abundant peace.
12 The wicked plots against the righteous
    and gnashes his teeth at him,
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he sees that his day is coming.

Once again, we see the contrast here between what God can see and what we can see. This psalm begins with a call to the believer to not "fret" over the situation of the unbeliever.  One might look at their life and wonder why they seem to prosper, while I struggle.  The psalmist says: "wait and see." As carefully as we look at the situation, we cannot see what God can see.  Judgment is coming. The Lord can see that: we cannot. 

The Eye of the Lord

 

Psalm 33:13 The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all the children of man;
14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out
    on all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 he who fashions the hearts of them all
    and observes all their deeds.
16 The king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
    and by its great might it cannot rescue.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 that he may deliver their soul from death
    and keep them alive in famine.

This psalmist was very aware of the fact that the Lord sees; He looks down; He looks out on all mankind. But the Lord's eye is especially on those who fear Him and hope in Him.  God sees all, but there is a sense in which God is really looking out for His people, those who have faith in Him and fully depend upon Him. They realize their hope is not in a political leader, but God alone.

The Lord Sees Who and Where We Can't

 I Samuel 16:6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 

Many of us are familiar with this account of the anointing of David to be King.  God sent Samuel to the home of Jesse to anoint the next king, but which son was he?  Samuel thought he could see and know. He was wrong.  In fact, the "anointed one" was not even there; he wasn't even invited to the party.  But God could see where David was and was more than willing to wait for him to arrive.  More importantly, God could see where Samuel (and we!) cannot.  The Lord sees deeply into the heart and soul of the person. He knew that David was "a man after God's own heart." May we comprehend the limits of our vision, and allow God to see and show us who and what He sees. 

No God Besides the God Who Sees

 Deuteronomy 32:36 For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
    and there is none remaining, bond or free.
37 Then he will say, ‘Where are their gods,
    the rock in which they took refuge,
38 who ate the fat of their sacrifices
    and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
    let them be your protection!
39 “‘See now that I, even I, am he,
    and there is no god beside me;

We were in this chapter earlier this month with this Song of Moses.  He foretells the times when the people of Israel would turn away from God to trust in idols.  But He would never turn away from them; He would continue to watch over them and see when they had come to the end of themselves.  He would see and say to them: "Who is going to help you now? Your idols and false gods?  Will you turn to Me now?" God sees and He is ready to speak and show that He is God.  Are we ready to turn and see Him?

The Lord Sees the Blood

Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.

Passover was the most important memorial in Israel.  It was to be conducted annually in remembrance of the passing over of the Lord with judgment.  In like manner, the Lord's Supper is a memorial for those under the New Covenant. In it, we remember God sees the blood of Christ over our lives; we are under His forgiveness.  It reminds us we are forgiven and the great price which has been paid for that forgiveness. Let us never forget the Lord has seen our affliction and done something to save us from it. 

The Lord Sees and Weeps

Luke 19:41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

The last verse we look at in the Gospels for God Seeing is this account during the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  Many were proclaiming Him as King, but He saw deep into the hearts of the people and the city and could see the rejection. They had listened but not truly heard, seen but missed the point. God had seen their need and come down to do something in response, but they had refused to believe and receive. When God sees this His heart breaks. Judgment comes on those who refuse and reject Him.  Don't let it be you. 

Thankful to Be Seen

Luke 17:12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.

One of the best-known encounters where Luke says "Jesus saw" is this event here.  These lepers stood at a distance, knowing that socially and ceremonially they were unclean and not to draw near to anyone - especially a Rabbi.  Jesus intentionally saw them and spoke to them, challenging them to do something which required steps of faith: heading toward the priests to be examined for healing from their leprosy. They did so and were cleansed. Only one of them came back to thank God.  That illustrates reality: many are "seen", and provided for, but very few give God thanks for His seeing them and intervening on their behalf. How has God shown you He "sees" you, speaks to you, and has done something for you? Have you responded in faith, worship, and thanksgiving?

The Lord Sees Our Hypocrisies

Luke 13:10 Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” 13 And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” 

The Gospel of Luke mentions Jesus seeing more than the others, as his investigation specializes in details. Jesus saw this woman who needed to be healed. The ruler of the synagogue did not see her that way. To him, she was a blight on the congregation.  Jesus rebuked him for seeing her as lower than a donkey and treating it better than a fellow citizen of God's people.  What priorities do we have mixed up?

The Lord Saw and...

Luke 7:12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

As we said yesterday, there are not a lot of statements in the Gospels which state: and Jesus saw.  But here we have one which Luke records, and we notice that by now Luke is referring to Jesus as the Lord." What we also see is the pattern of Jesus as He conducted His ministry: He sees needs; He stops to personally involve Himself; He says something of significance; He does something to show the mercy and grace of God and to bring Him glory.  The Lord is watching us; He is waiting for us to recognize Him; He has something to say to us; He has good in store for us.