Incline Your Ear

The second direction on God’s medicine bottle is “incline your ear.” The inclined ear indicates humility. It is the opposite of being proud and stiff-necked. We must be teachable. We must be willing to let God teach us. In Psalm 78:41 the psalmist speaks of Israel’s conduct as they wandered through the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan, and he brings this charge against them: They limited the Holy One of Israel.

By their stubbornness and unbelief they set limits to what they would allow God to do for them. Many professing Christians do just the same today. They do not approach the Bible with an open mind or a teachable spirit. They are full of prejudices or preconceptions – very often instilled by the particular sect or denomination with which they are associated – and they are not willing to accept any revelation or teaching from the Scriptures which goes beyond, or contrary to, their own set thoughts. Jesus charged the religious leaders of His day with this fault.

“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition... And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:6,9)

The apostle Paul had been a prisoner of religious prejudices and traditions, but through the revelation of Christ on the Damascus road he was set free from them. Thereafter we find him saying in Romans 3:4:

“Let God be true but every man a liar.”

If we wish to receive the full benefit of God’s Word, we must learn to take the same attitude.