Read Isaiah 28:10-13
“Order on order, order on order;
line on
line, line on line;
a little here, a little there.”NAS
“Do and do, do and do;
rule on rule,
rule on rule;
a little here, a little there.”NIV
Wow that sounds great. Just imagine God getting down
on our level. Speaking with
simplicity. “Come here … stand there
… get that … do this … yes … no … stop …
be nice … be gentle.” We would know exactly what to do, when and how. We wouldn’t have to figure things out. We wouldn’t have to think. We wouldn’t really
have to pay attention. Just wait until He got into our face and spoke softly
and clearly. It would be comfortable, uncomplicated and carefree.
In Hebrew, it actually is sweet and rhythmic. Sav
lasav, sav lasav, kav lakav, kav lakav,
ze’er sham, ze’er sham. It is how
you talk to infants! Except, the Lord is
addressing adults who were acting like a bunch of babies, who wanted to be
coddled and soothed, not hear truth or made to think for themselves. At most
they could handle bits and pieces of instruction or information. Maybe! But for the most part they simply wanted
life, especially their spiritual life, to be calming, uncomplicated and
convenient.
For the time will come when
they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own
desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to
myths. 2 Timothy 4:3,4
If that is all we will listen to, then that is how God
will speak. He will talk to us like babies.
However, He warns in Isaiah 28:13 that baby talk religion will result in
baby-like behavior. We will keep
toddling through life, constantly loosing our balance and falling on our
behinds. Even worse, it will leave us
vulnerable to deception and captivity.
We get sucked into believing what isn’t truth.
It is time we grow up.
We have to be willing to hear truth, hard truths, and learn how to think
and process what we are taught. (See 1 Corinthians 14:20) We can either seek
out teachers that master baby talk or ones that speak for the Master - teachers
intent on helping us grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Ephesians 4:11-15 tells us that God willingly
provides pastors and teachers “to prepare God’s people for
works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no
longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there
by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their
deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things
grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”
It is past time to grow up. “In
fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach
you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not
solid food!” (Hebrews 5:12) But that
is not going to happen if we simply want our “ears tickled” or are willing only
to hear what reinforces what makes us comfortable or gives us control. Hebrews 4:12 describes the Word of God as a
two-edged sword. 2 Timothy 3:16 says
that it teaches, rebukes, corrects and trains.
There is nothing comfortable or controllable about either of these
passages. They definitely do not refer
to baby talk.
Are you willing to let God talk to you like a big boy or
girl? Are you willing to let God “waken
you morning by morning, waken your ears to listen like a disciple” (Isaiah50:4)? It is your choice.
Making It Personal
Do you avoid the complicated, confusing, convicting and
uncomfortable aspects of God’s word and relationship with Him?
Milk is predigested food.
Solid food requires a knife, fork and some real chewing. How does this compare to your spiritual diet?
How can a preoccupation with the controversial be
disguised “ear tickling” and distract from true growth?
How do you respond to teaching that does not conform to
your current way of thinking or makes you uncomfortable?
Paul applauded the Bereans for how they handled his
teaching. Acts 17:11. How can you apply their example to your own
teachabililty?
What does it mean to you to have the ears of a
disciple? Do you?
