Ezekiel 33:21-33
“You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!” (Ezekiel 33:32, NLT)
Ezekiel was an amazingly gifted prophet. He was faithful to the LORD, even though he lived during a time of spiritual apostasy. While others in Babylon were predicting that their captivity would be short-lived, and they would soon be returning to Jerusalem, Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem would fall to King Nebuchadnezzar. Now a survivor from Jerusalem came to Ezekiel and said, “The city has fallen!” Ezekiel was vindicated, although the news must have broken his heart.
Suddenly, Ezekiel was popular as one who could make accurate predictions. The people gathered to listen to him to find out what was going to happen next. And while the LORD had made Ezekiel mute for a season, now his mouth was opened, and he was able to declare God’s words. The people came to Ezekiel to be entertained. They were like people attending a concert of their favorite band. They nodded their head in agreement, and they probably said, “Amen.” As they left Ezekiel, they said to each other, “Wasn’t that a good sermon?” But did they do what Ezekiel said? Did they obey the word of the LORD? Not a chance! Listening to Ezekiel’s predictions were just an engaging way to pass the time—comparable to us watching the evening news. They liked what they heard, but they had no intention of changing their behavior!
There is a great danger in becoming a connoisseur of sermons. There is risk in increasing your knowledge of the word of God. The more light we receive, the more we will be held accountable to live by it. It is all too easy to listen to God’s words without acting on them. But James warns us:
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22, NKJV)
Self-deception is a real danger. We think we are justified because we have read the Bible or listened to a message at church, but these things do not justify us. Believing the word of God and acting on it is what justifies us.
How are we listening to the word of God? Are we listening to increase our knowledge? We must be careful because knowledge puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Are we listening to feel good? But what if we hear a message that requires us to repent?
It is not the eloquence of the speaker that will save you, but your willingness to receive the truth and obey it that will transform you and lead you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.