Our Lord gives us a beautiful glimpse of what is key to understanding the Word of God and not just understanding it, but delighting in it. He is speaking through prophet Jeremiah about the impending destruction that’s coming to Jerusalem from the North. There are false prophets in the land prophesying peace and Jeremiah appears on the scene, warning the people of these false prophets and the impending disaster. The first line of this verse clearly shows the Lord wanting to speaks to His people, but immediately, He makes a startling statement about the people’s inability to hear Him. They cannot hear Him because their ears are uncircumcised.
God is referring to a deeper spiritual truth through this verse. What is an uncircumcised ear? That is a figurative reference to someone who cannot understand grace or unmerited favour even if they hear it. According to God’s covenant with Abraham, every Jewish male is circumcised on the eighth day of birth. This circumcision signifies a spiritual truth of end of flesh and beginning of the spirit. In other words, the end of the covenant of the law and the beginning of the covenant of grace. The day each of us were born again, our heart was circumcised, signifying our death on the cross and each of us were born again, as a new creation, with an all new spirit created in the identity of the risen Christ Himself. All that the risen Christ is, we are in our new identity of the spirit. We, as believers, are spiritually circumcised.
The rebellious nature of the Jewish people is evident all through the old testament. Every kindness and favour and blessing of God went unnoticed. The Jews wanted to deserve and earn everything instead of receiving it freely by faith. That’s the result of uncircumcised hearing. Jesus often said, “he that has ears let him hear” referring to the inability of the scribes and Pharisees to receive His love and grace. The law makes man’s relationship with God a cold one because this relationship is hinged on two tablets of stones. The grace of God brings out the Saviour in Christ, unveiling His unconditional love and the efficacy of His finished work as a token of His super abounding grace!
The second part of this verse is even more interesting! God says that the Word of the Lord becomes a reproach to them who cannot hear. The word “reproach” means to “express disapproval or disappointment”. Have you ever read the Word of God and felt disappointed? Have you ever felt scared to read the Word because you’ve read some verse of Scripture that seemingly condemned you? I’ve personally felt it myself (until I knew this truth) and I have a friend who’s still wary of opening the Bible because he believes God is angry and judgmental. Let me put your fears to rest, today! The very reason why the Word of God seems like a reproach is because we don’t have our ears circumcised. In other words, we haven’t heard the gospel of grace being preached.
Most believers expect a judgment from God or condemn themselves for their shortcomings, falsely believing that the Lord is condemning them. They hear sermons of condemnation being preached and then wonder what’s the good news of the Bible. They hear steps to get right with God and sacrifices to make to please God and end up reading the Word after hearing with an uncircumcised ear. It almost seems hypocritical to delight in God’s Word when there’s nothing they heard that was delightful! There is discipline, correction and warnings written in the Bible but all of them are effectual only when they’re seen through the lens of grace. Friends, grace is the key to understanding the truth of the Bible. The gospel of John records that Jesus came by grace and truth. Notice that grace precedes truth! Unless we hear and receive His grace, we cannot understand the truth that’s in the Word. When you receive grace, it unlocks the truth for you.
Now when you read the Bible, you read with unveiled eyes and every which way you turn you see Jesus! Why? He indeed is the Word of God and the central theme of the Bible. It’s no more a scary book but an interesting and blessed gift of the Holy Spirit unveiling the beauty of our Saviour and our perfection in Him! That’s why it’s vital we hear sermons reminding us of our new identity in Christ and His finished work. We were circumcised and given a new identity in Christ. That’s what we need to hear! The more of Jesus we see and hear, the more of our new selves we see and understand! The Bible is not a book of do’s and don’ts as religion and the devil would have you believe but a loving testament attested by the shed blood of a loving Saviour, Jesus Christ. God’s Word is no more a reproach but a delight and it is the only testament that unveils your righteousness in Christ.
Blogs I Follow
Bark and Jack
Drinking Coffee and Talking Watches
Decluttering Religion.
Setting you free logically through contextual interpretations.
Faith & Fertility
With God nothing is ever impossible!
Grace Revelation
The Power of The Gospel of Grace
Revelation of Grace Ministries 