What other scriptures highlight the importance of heeding God's word? The Cry of Jeremiah 22:29 “O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!” (Jeremiah 22:29) – Threefold repetition drives home the urgency: God’s message demands immediate, wholehearted attention. – In context, Judah’s fate hinges on listening to God’s covenant requirements; the same principle carries through all of Scripture. Hearing in the Torah • Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.” • Exodus 19:5 – “Now if you indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.” • Deuteronomy 30:14 – “But the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it.” These foundational passages link hearing with doing, making obedience the gateway to covenant blessings. Songs and Wisdom Literature • Psalm 19:7, 11 – “The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul… By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.” • Psalm 119:9 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.” • Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” • Proverbs 4:20-22 – “My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings… for they are life to those who find them and health to the whole body.” The Psalms celebrate the transforming power of God’s word, while Proverbs presents it as life-giving wisdom to treasure. Voices of the Prophets • Isaiah 55:11 – “So My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.” • Ezekiel 3:10 – “Son of man, listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.” • Amos 8:11 – “Behold, the days are coming… when I will send a famine… of hearing the words of the LORD.” The prophets reinforce that God’s word is effective, demands attentive hearts, and its absence brings judgment. The Word Made Flesh • Matthew 4:4 – “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” • Matthew 7:24 – “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” • Luke 11:28 – “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” • John 14:23-24 – “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word… Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words.” Jesus affirms that true life, stability, blessing, and love for Him are inseparable from obedient hearing. New Testament Echoes • Acts 17:11 – The Bereans “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day.” • Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” • 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed… so that the man of God may be complete.” • James 1:22 – “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • Hebrews 2:1 – “We must pay closer attention… so that we do not drift away.” • Hebrews 4:12 – “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword.” • Revelation 1:3 – “Blessed is the one who reads aloud… and blessed are those who hear and obey it—because the time is near.” From the early church to the consummation, believers are called to attentive, obedient engagement with Scripture. Living It Out Today • Read Scripture daily, receiving it as the authoritative voice of God. • Allow the word to shape attitudes, decisions, and relationships rather than merely informing them. • Memorize key passages so that truth is “in your mouth and in your heart.” • Apply passages immediately, turning insight into concrete obedience. • Share God’s word with others, echoing Jeremiah’s plea for the land to listen. |
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