Open My Ears, Lord!

A familiar song we have sung over the years called “Open My Eyes Lord,” written by Bob Cull is a song I find myself singing quietly as I begin my bible study. Part of that song also says, “Open my ears, Lord and help us to listen.” I ask God to open my ears that I might hear Him clearly. I’m reminded by the verse in Psalm 40:6 that says, “…my ears You have opened…” Clearly, we want to hear what the Lord has to say to us.

The writer of the book of Hebrews quotes nearly all the verses from this psalm. Without reservation, it is indeed a most blessed revelation. What this psalm allows us to do is actually listen to a conversation in heaven between the Father and the Son, before He ever came into the world. The Lord makes clear to us in Hebrews 10 that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins. Animal sacrifices were just insufficient. Sacrifices just would not be accepted. What was the meaning of these sacrifices? They were types, a shadow of good things to come according to Hebrews 10:1 which says, “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. (NKJV)”

The Son of God in the bosom of the Father, before His incarnation, is the speaker, who declares the insufficiency of burnt-offering and sin offering. A greater, a better sacrifice is needed to solve the sin question.

In Psalm 40.6, Jesus declares His willingness to come to do the Father’s will. He says, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.” God opened His Son’s ears as he also did to Isaiah in Isaiah 50:5, “The Lord has opened my ear…” There are other instances where God opened a person’s ears (Ex. 21:1-6).

If He was to come as a servant, obedient to God, and obedient unto death, the death on the cross, He had to take on a body and that body was a body prepared for Him. He indeed came with a body prepared, nothing whatever sinful was attached to the blessed body. He was “holy” who not only did not sin, but could not sin. He came to do God’s eternal will.

You see, what we want to do is clearly hear what the Lord has to say to us. As David realized how evident God had made it possible to hear the word of God, he was given the ability to obey the Lord’s direction. It is inherent upon us to ask God to open our ears so that we can clearly hear His voice. If we are seriously listening for His voice, He will speak to us.

As God had prepared Jesus’ body to come in the flesh, He will also prepare us to hear His voice. Listen closely and patiently for God’s voice, and then obey Him. Having an open ear means trembling at the threats that God issues and the warning that God gives those who fall away and turn from him.

If we are going to be good readers of His Word, we need to have our ears opened by the Spirit so that the Spirit can write the Word of God on our hearts, so that we can be obedient to him.