'Hear Oh Heavens & Give Ear Oh Earth'

"Jehovah-sabaoth" The Lord of Hosts

*Isaiah 9:6-7, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."

'Listen do you want to know a secret?' Words that most of us have heard or whispered to a close friend. Words spoken in secret with a promise 'not to tell,' and promises are meant to be kept not broken.

When it comes to listening to gossip, however, many of us are 'all ears.' Gossip is not a promise 'not to tell' but meant to spread rumors and lies that can breathe death and destruction into a situation or someone's life. Gossip not only hurts but it hinders relationships and progress in the of growth of individual lives. It can stop us dead in our tracks with little desire to accomplish what has been set before us. Accomplishments that could bring great blessing to our families, our security, or our future well being.

If the words that you are hearing bring promise then our immediate response should be to act upon it. If the words are condemning, however, then repeating what is being spoken is better left unsaid. When it comes to listening we need to be discreet and discerning, not selective in what we want to hear, but actually understanding what is being said.

*Isaiah 58:1-14, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

Micah was a Morasthite, an inhabitant of Moresheth of Gath, and a contemporary of Isaiah. God sent Micah to prophesy everything which He saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem during the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

Micah was full of power by the spirit of the Lord. Of judgment and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgressions and to Israel their sins.  Nothing was hidden from the Lord and Micah declared all that he saw. The transgressions of the people witnessed against their hypocrisies and sins. His indignation burned within as he spoke, "Hear all you people and hearken O Earth and all that is therein. Let the Lord be witness against you from His holy temple."

The prophets taught the people to err speaking lies of peace when there was no peace. The rulers judged for reward, the priests taught for wages, and the prophets divined for money. Yet they leaned on the Lord and said, "Is not the Lord among us? No evil will come upon us." Micah declared, "Therefore, because of you, shall Zion be be plowed as a field. Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest."

The people were to be a light to the nations around them revealing the righteousness of God; however, they had transgressed and worshipped the gods of the nations that the Lord had cast out of the land. Worshipping idols, graven images, and playing the harlot under every green tree. Worshipping upon the mountains planting groves dedicated to it gods of the heathen nations. "Hear ye now what the LORD saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the LORD's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the LORD hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me," *Micah 6:1-3.

Micah reminded the people of the righteousness of God, calling them to turn around and repent and obey His commandments. To do justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God.  His words reveal that those who seek Him and call upon His name are sanctified, separated, and set apart. "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old," *Micah 7:18-20.

V

When Jesus entered into Capernaum again it was announced that He was in the house and so many were gathered together that there was no room to receive them at the door. While Jesus was preaching the word, four men came in carrying a man who was sick of the palsy. When they could not approach Him because of the crowd  they uncovered the roof where He was and lowered the bed on which the man lay.

Seeing the faith of the men, Jesus said to the man who was sick of the palsy, "Son, your sins are forgiven." But there were certain scribes sitting there who reasoned in their hearts, "Why does this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" Immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit what they were reasoning, He said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed, and walk?' But so that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins, (He said to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto you, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go your way into your own house.'" Immediately he arose, picked up the bed, and went left in front of everyone. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw it done this way before."

When Jesus returned to the sea all the multitude came to Him and He taught them. As He passed by He saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said to him, "Follow Me," and he arose and followed Him. While Jesus sat at meat in his house many publicans and sinners sat together with Him and His disciples because there were many that followed Him. When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with publicans and sinners?" When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Now the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast, so they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?" Then Jesus said to them, "Can the children of the bride chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast, but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast."

"Also, no man sews a piece of new cloth on an old garment because the new piece that filled it up takes away from the old and the tear is made worse. No man puts new wine into old bottles because the new wine will burst the bottles, the wine is spilled, and the bottles are marred. But new wine must be put into new bottles."

While He went through the corn fields on the sabbath day, His disciples began to pluck the ears of corn. Then the Pharisees said to Him, "Behold, why on the sabbath day do they do that which is not lawful?" Jesus said to them, "Have you never read what David and the men that were with him did when he had need and was hungry? In the days of Abiathar the high priest he went into the house of God and ate the shewbread which is only lawful for the priests to eat, and gave it to those who were with him? The sabbath was made for man and not man for the sabbath. Therefore, the Son of man is also Lord of the sabbath."

Jesus was praying and when He had finished one of his disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples." Then He said to them, "When you pray, say, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

Then He said, "Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves because a friend of mine during his travels has come and I have nothing to set before him?' Then he from within shall answer and say, 'Trouble me not. The door is now shut and my children and I are in bed. I cannot rise and give you anything.' I say to you, Though he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as much as he needs. I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened."

"If a son shall ask for bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he instead of a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

Then Jesus cast out a devil which was dumb, and when the devil was gone out the dumb spoke. The people wondered, but some of them said, "He casts out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils." Others, tempting Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven; however, Jesus knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and a house divided against a house falls. If Satan is also divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub, if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges, but if I, with the finger of God, cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."

"When a strong man that is armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he comes and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armour that he trusted in and divides his spoils. He that is not with Me is against Me and he that does not gather with me scatters. When an unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest. When he does not  find one, he says, 'I will return to my house where I came out.' When he comes back he finds it swept and garnished. Then he returns, taking with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there making the last state of that man worse than the first."

When the people were gathered together, He began saying, "This is an evil generation. They seek a sign and there shall be no sign given but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so also shall the Son of man be to this generation. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them because she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

"No man, when he has lighted a candle, puts it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that those who come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye, therefore, when your eye is single, your whole body also is full of light; however, when your eye is evil, your body is also full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in you is not darkness. If your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle gives you light."

While Jesus was speaking a certain Pharisee requested Him to dine with him, so He went in and sat down to eat.  When the Pharisee noticed, he marvelled that Jesus had not washed before dinner, then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness. You fools, did not He that made that which is without make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you. Woe unto you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God. These things you should have done, and not to have left the other undone. Woe unto you, Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them."

Then one of the lawyers spoke up and said, "Master, saying this you also reproach us." Jesus said, "Woe unto you lawyers also! For you lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe unto you! For you build the sepulchres of the prophets and your fathers killed them. Truly you bear witness that you allow the deeds of your fathers because indeed they killed them and you build their sepulchres. Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute. The blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple. Verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. Woe unto you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You entered not in yourselves, and those that were entering in you hindered."

As He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently, provoking Him to speak of many things. Laying wait for Him, seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.

As we journey through this life we will meet people who seem to have an answer for everything. Whether right or in error they will have an answer, a response, or an argumentative reply to anything you have to say. Leaving you hanging in the balances waning because you are not quite sure of your response.

Others will twist your words making you feel that you consistently have to be on guard whenever you open your mouth. Even when you make sure each word you are speaking is appropriate or correct, they will twist them into knots making you feel you constantly have to apologize for even uttering a word. You may do everything you believe is correct, yet somehow there seems to be a constant tinge of oppression or aggression that you just can't seem to overcome.

Then there are those who will hang on every word you say. They will utter agreement or approval; however, whenever they repeat what you have said there may be slight alterations to the tone or attitude in which you had spoken. Subtle differences in the verbiage that perhaps makes you look like a fool or a liar.

The world is full of such people, people you seem to never please because the attitude of their heart is not right with God. People you may "rub the wrong way" because their spirit is not conducive to your spirit. The words that you speak may leave them feeling judged and condemned because they haven't given their life to the Lord of your life. They are an enemy of God.

Often, when we run into people such as these, our ears become attuned to what the individual is saying; however, we become disillusioned and confused when what is being orated is not what we want to hear. It is times like these that we need immediate help from the still small voice of the Lord. Listening to what He is whispering to your heart should be your response whether you believe it will insult or injure the individual or not.

It is times like these that we need divine intervention and the wisdom of the Lord. Paul wrote to the people in Colosse, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man," *Colossians 4:5-6. When you listen to what the Lord is whispering to your heart your words will always be filled with grace seasoned with the salt of peace.

Paul records in his letter to the Romans, "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good," *Romans 12:18-21. Strong's lexicons calls "coals of fire" a proverbial expression signifying to call up, by favors you confer on your enemy, the memory in him of the wrong he has done you (which shall pain him as if live coals were heaped on his head), that he may the more readily repent.

The person you are speaking to may not appreciate the words that you say; however, those very words may be what they need to hear to bring them into repentance further down the road to salvation. We walk a path that the Lord directs and He will bring such people along that road who He is calling into His kingdom as long as we are willing to listen and obey.

Remember you are a disciple of Christ, a bondservant of our Lord and Saviour. The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, *Matthew 10:24-28.

Walk while it is yet day redeeming the time for the days are evil. Listen to the Lord. He will give you wisdom to overcome all the firey darts of the wicked. Keep your ears attuned to the Lord of the Sabbath and He will give you all the words you need to speak.

P The visions of the Old Testament prophets were warnings. Warnings of what would occur because of disobedience: disobedience to God, to His word, and to His covenant. Prophets were the Lord's cloud of witnesses of whom the world was not worthy.

*Revised August 21, 2007