Hearing God

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17)

A Preacher is Needed

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom 10:14)

Sometimes, in order to hear God, a preacher (a man) is needed. When enquiring of the LORD, it can be done personally alone, in his temple...

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. (Psa 27:4)

...or through the man of God.

(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) (1Sa 9:9)

Samuel’s testimony before he became a prophet of God…

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. (1Sa 3:1-21)

Sometimes… a period of ministering unto the LORD before the man of God is necessary in order to hear the LORD. Even though Samuel was in the midst of a defunct Ichabod like house, Samuel still heard the LORD. He was still trained under Eli, who was himself in an unrighteous state for his not dealing with his own children.

ALL ISRAEL knew that Samuel was established as a prophet to the LORD. There was a common accepted witness amongst the brethren. He wasn’t self-promoted, but he was recognized and testified by others that He was a prophet of the LORD.

Samuel was stationed and established as the leader over a company of prophets.

And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. (1Sa 19:20)

Just as Samuel learned to hear the LORD under the tutelage of Eli, so Samuel would teach the prophets to hear the LORD and prophesy as the Spirit of God came upon them.

Many times a man of God is needed in order to hear the Word of God and to teach someone to hear the voice of the LORD.
Enquiring of the LORD can be done personally, but it can also be done by coming to the man of God (who is known to hear the LORD) to hear the LORD concerning your inquiry.
Many times the one who desires to hear the LORD should serve the LORD before the man of God. God is able to reach you in your faithfulness of service to Him before the man of God, even if the man of God is not right with the LORD.

Who Does the LORD Hear and not Hear?

Putting it simply, those who hear the LORD are the ones whom the LORD is hearing and those whom the LORD hears are the ones that hear him.

And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; (Exo 3:7)

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (Psa 34:15-18)

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. (Mal 3:16)

It is these scriptures that testify that the LORD is always watching over and ever listening to His people. His people are the righteous. They cry to Him in humility with a broken heart and contrite spirit recognizing that He alone is their savior and deliverer. They are the ones that truly fear the LORD and meditate on Him and His name.

To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. (Jer 6:10)

Hearing the LORD, does not come to one whose ear is uncircumcised. There is a barrier between them and the LORD that doesn’t allow them to hear, the flesh. Circumcision has to do with cutting off and removing the flesh. To them that walk in the flesh, the word of God is a reproach. Those of the flesh take no delight in the Word for they lust against the Spirit (Gal 5:17). The flesh is contrary to the Spirit of God. Jesus is not only the Spirit of God, He is the Word of God.

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. (Eze 12:2)

Those of the house of rebels do not see or hear the LORD… for they are a rebellious house!

The LORD said unto all the people of the land through Zechariah:

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts: (Zec 7:11-13)

The rebellious are as stubborn children with hardened hearts to correction. Since they don’t listen to the instructing Word of wisdom, when they cry out, then the LORD does not hear their voices for they would not hear His in their time of visitation. There must be a willingness on the part of the individual to hear the reproving, correcting Word of God.

The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (Pro 15:31-33)

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (Pro 8:34)

This is describing the man that hears the LORD as one who is diligently seeking Him. He’s daily watching for Him at His gates and waiting at the posts of His doors. There is a focused effort on his part to seek after Him and find Him.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. (Son 5:8)

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. (Son 3:1-4)

The man that hears the LORD is like the woman who is desperately seeking Him whom her soul lives… longing for Him… to hold him and never let him go. She is lovesick for Him… and so is the man who hears Him.

Let us not forget what David said concerning being heard of the LORD.

Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. (Psa 66:16-20)

Those whom the LORD hears are those that hear Him and those whom hear the LORD are the ones whom the LORD hears.
He hears His people, the righteous, the broken of heart and the contrite of spirit… they that fear the LORD
The uncircumcised of ear, those who walk in the flesh, cannot hear Him and are offended at His Word. They take no delight in Him because they have not a heart to be corrected.
Those that don’t hear the LORD are the rebellious ones with adamant hearts of stone and when they cry, they are not heard.
In contrast, the ear that hears accepts reproof, gets understanding, and develops the fear of the LORD in wisdom.
This is the man earnestly endeavors to seek Him, watching and waiting for Him, like a woman lovesick for husband.
The LORD does not hear those who hold iniquity in their heart.

Two Examples of Those Who Do Not Hear God (OC & NC)

And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me. Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you…

Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations? For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you. (Eze 20:1-3,30-31)

Why do we mock God? It is insulting to the LORD when people come seeking Him, while at the same time harboring vile wickedness and idols of abominations that pollute themselves. When people are holding tightly to other loves in their heart that compete against His pure and holy love, He will not demean Himself and dignify His competition. He is not one to hold close to His heart a harlot, while that harlot continues in her harlotry holding on to other loves. Would you remain loving intimately one who is bouncing from house to house and bed to bed giving her love to others and paying them to do so? Would you continue to love intimately a spouse who brings another lover into your bedroom?

I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (Joh 8:37-44)

We deceive ourselves with our own thoughts and imaginations of God that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God in truth. We would rather entertain notions of our own making, or notions that the world has fed us, than accept the reality of the truth found in the Word. We develop these false senses of security in things outside the truth and until the Lord uncovers it, we think we give God the glory.

Godly family
Belief in God (even the devils believe in God and tremble)
Steady Income
Financial security
Own a nice home
Own a nice car
Have a stable job

Sometimes we develop thoughts that God is for us because we have these things. Remember Saul and all his victories caused him to believe the same, but in reality he gradually drew further and further away from the LORD until the glory of the LORD departed from Him. We must learn how to aptly apply 2 Cor 10:5 to our lives.

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2Co 10:5)

Even our thoughts and ideas must be brought unto the obedience of Christ… and that can only be effectively done with a heart of humility.

Who Hears God?

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (Joh 8:47)

Pharisees in reality didn’t hear God even though in the eyes of the people it appeared so. Jesus said “you don’t hear Him because you are not of God”. This is the generation we live in and Jesus, the Lord, is saying the same words to many of the popular preachers today.

The man born blind, healed by Jesus said God doesn’t listen to sinners. He listens to worshippers of God that do His will.

Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. (Joh 9:31)

Then there are those of the truth…

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (Joh 18:37)

Everyone of the truth hears the LORD... they are those that are born of God…

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Joh 1:12-13)

Prophetically speaking, as God knows the end from the beginning, knowing the decisions each and every man is going to make, he has decreed that those born of God have been given power to become sons of God because they believe on His name. These are they that are of the truth.

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. (1Jn 4:5-6)

There is a stark distinction and separation between the world and the truth. The world hears those of the world, who speak of the world. Those of God, hear God’s voice, through the people who speak God’s word. Those of God are heard by those who are God’s.

The book of wisdom gives us practical insight for the purposes of discernment when He says concerning a child that you can tell the type of person he is by his behavior, whether his doing is pure or right.

Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right. The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them. (Pro 20:11-12)

Hearing and seeing the LORD is based solely upon the heart of the individual. If one who is doing things that are pure and true, when he is given the Word of God, he will agree and confirm what God has already declared because his actions are already in agreement with Him. But one whose works are impure and wrong, when hearing the word, will disagree and stamp their feet and turn away from the Word of God because his actions are found impure and unrighteous before the Word of God who is pure, righteous, and holy.

Those of God hear God’s words.
Those whom God hears are true worshippers of God (in spirit and in truth) who do His will.
Those of the truth hear His voice.
The world listens to those of the world who speak of the world.
Those of God, hear God’s people who speak God’s word and are heard by those who are God’s.

What does one need to hear God?

Let us look to Jesus and the example that He left for us.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: (Isa 11:1-3)

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; (Isa 49:1-2)

The Spirit of the Lord did something with the man Jesus Christ… He made him of quick understanding… He made his mouth like a sharp sword, by the Spirit of the Lord… a polished shaft and proven arrow, that when shot hits the target dead on. It was the Spirit of the Lord without measure that was found in the man Jesus Christ that did this. But it wasn’t like the man had no say in the matter.

Jesus was a man taught of God by the eternal Spirit of God that dwelt within Him through the “kinosis” – “made himself of no reputation”… because of this, the Spirit of God taught Jesus Christ the man, through revelation knowledge, giving him spiritual ears to hear and understand.

As the man Jesus allowed the Spirit of the Lord to teach him, willingly and voluntarily submitting to His every instruction, so then did he mature in wisdom and stature, in favor with both God and man (Luke 2:52).

The following here describes the attitude of this man who set his face like a flint and purposefully decided to be a lover of God’s law.

MEM – love of God’s law;

MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. (Psa 119:97-104)

This passage is a prophetic cry and declaration of the man Jesus Christ. Look at what Jesus said through the Spirit of Christ that was upon the prophets of the Old Covenant (1 Pet 1:11) concerning Himself.

The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. (Isa 50:4-7)

This is none other than Jesus speaking of Himself, through the prophets of Old.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (Joh 8:28)

The man Jesus admits that the Father, the Spirit of the Lord, taught Him… He learned obedience (Heb 5:8).

There must be a willingness within a man to be taught. In doing so, if you are going to be taught, then to learn what you are being taught, you must obey… and this is what the man Jesus did.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. (Ecc 5:1-2)

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: (Jas 1:19)

According to scriptures, Jesus came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. So when Jesus went into prayer, He went in... ready to hear, ready to listen. He was not rash with his mouth, uttering this and that, but He made his words few. And when He heard, he was ready to mix what He heard with faith. Faith is nothing more than the works of obedience to the Word of God.

This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?... He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Gal 3:2,5)

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Heb 4:2)

The Word of God must be mixed with a faith... a readiness to comply and obey!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6)

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (Jas 1:6-7)

God will honor the decisions and actions that are made in faith… not in the instability of your thoughts and emotions. He doesn’t want us walking in fear!

“The fear of the Lord & the love of the Lord can't be separated. Only when we see Jesus in His majesty can we begin to understand His mercy. Without being awestruck, His desire for us doesn't move us, but when we catch a glimpse of His transcendence, knowing He wants us to draw near causes our hearts to tremble in holy love. We must grow in the fear of the Lord if we have any hope of growing in love for Him.” - Misty Edwards

In order to hear Him, you must deliberately decide to be a lover of God’s law.
There must be a willingness to be taught… to learn through obedience.
There must be a readiness to hear 1st (swift to hear, slow to speak), being of very few words.
There must be a readiness to mix the Word of God with your faith, through compliance and obedience.

Examples of God Talking to Man

Here is your challenge:

Have you ever considered taking notice of the many testimonies of conversations that have taken place between God and those who have heard the LORD?

The LORD clearly shows us that there is reciprocity (a mutual exchange) in communication between God and man.

Between God and…

Adam
Cain
Noah
Abraham
Rebekah
Jacob
Moses
Joshua
Gideon
Samuel
David
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Amos, Zecheriah

Do you find any one word dialogues?

If you will look into the matter, you will see the conversations between God and man are rich in the exchange of communication.

If we have the Spirit residing in us, and live in a newer and better covenant, then why shouldn’t we?

Hearing God - Jesus M. Ruiz

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