What is the meaning of Zechariah 7:11? But they refused to pay attention • Zechariah makes clear that the people’s problem was not ignorance but hard-hearted choice. They had heard the prophets “early and often” (2 Chronicles 36:15–16) yet, like their fathers, “they would not listen or incline their ear” (Jeremiah 17:23). • Refusal to listen is the first step toward judgment. In Jeremiah 7:24 the Lord laments, “They did not listen or incline their ear, but followed the stubbornness of their own hearts.” The same pattern reappears in the New Testament when Jesus warns, “The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge” (John 12:48). • True obedience begins with hearing (Romans 10:17). When the ear closes, the heart inevitably drifts. and turned a stubborn shoulder • The picture is of an ox stiffening its shoulder to resist the yoke, an image also used in Nehemiah 9:29, “They acted arrogantly and did not obey Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances…and turned a stubborn shoulder.” • Stubbornness moves from the ear to the will: once God’s voice is dismissed, resistance to His authority follows (1 Samuel 15:23). • God calls His people to humble submission (Micah 6:8). A “stubborn shoulder” rejects that call, inviting the discipline described in Psalm 32:9—“Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle.” they stopped up their ears from hearing • The phrase intensifies the rebellion. They not only ignored God’s word; they actively blocked it out, echoing Isaiah 30:9–11 where Israelites say, “Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.” • Stephen charges the Sanhedrin with the same crime: “You stiff-necked people…you always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). • When ears close long enough, hearts harden (Hebrews 3:7–8). Yet Scripture urges, “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Persistent rejection ultimately leads to God’s voice growing silent (Amos 8:11–12). summary Zechariah 7:11 traces a tragic progression: deliberate refusal to listen, willful resistance, and total shutdown of God’s voice. The verse warns that neglecting God’s word is never neutral; it breeds deeper rebellion and invites discipline. By contrast, blessing flows to those who keep their ears open, shoulders yielded, and hearts soft before the Lord. |
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