There is a difference between what you are not capable of hearing (2.21.2020 post) and from today’s scripture, what we CAN hear but refuse.
For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given..... Hebrew 12:18-20
Hebrews goes on to say “ See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.” Hebrews 12:22-25.
TPT reads- Make very sure that you never refuse to listen to God when he speaks! For the God who spoke on earth from Sinai is the same God who now speaks from heaven. Those who heard him speak his living Word on earth found nowhere to hide, so what chance is there for us to escape if we turn our backs on God and refuse to hear his warnings as he speaks....
Where our verse reads “see that you do not refuse him”. The Greek for refuse means to beg off, that is, deprecate, decline, shun: - avoid, (make) excuse, intreat, refuse, reject. The word “reject” from “reject him” means; to turn away or back (literally or figuratively). Thayer’s adds. ~ 1b) to turn him away from allegiance to any one. 1c) tempt to defect.
Both words paint a strong picture of rejection and while we might think we never reject something God says I am confident we can all consider words he has spoken that, for our own personal reasons and excuses, have not found us perfectly aligned in agreement, obeying Him. Just like Israel, we want someone else to do our hearing for us because we can’t endure the word spoken. We don’t want to be responsible for it.
Hebrews exhorts us, “ See to it you do not refuse Him...”. In other words, he makes this very personal. You, Jeanne, make sure you are hearing to receive and hearing to obey. This is nobody else’s job to hear from God for me. It is my responsibility to come to the mountain and position myself to hear what the Father is saying.
Every word God speaks is our life. It holds instruction and correction, It’s our bread. We live by every word that comes from the Mouth of God. This is how we experience the abundant life that Jesus came for each of us to live in. To refuse to hear when he speaks is simply self-sabotage. We cut off our life line. He sent his word and offers salvation. He sends his word and it heals and delivers us from all destruction. We have no situation in life that positioning ourselves in the place of humility to receive the word He speaks, will not save our souls.
These are days of alignment. Hearing and agreeing with God, without arguing and resisting. The exhortation “see to it that you do not refuse Him” concludes that our acceptable worship is seen in the receiving and obeying the word He has spoken.