The Hebrew word shama, “to hear,” signifies intelligible hearing and routinely carries the implication of expected understanding, attention and obedience, and its extensive use attests the verbalization of the divine Word. As Gerhard Kittel remarks, “The hearing of man represents correspondence to the revelation of the Word, and in biblical religion it is thus the essential form in which this divine revelation is appropriated” (“Akouō,” 1:216). — Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, vol. 3 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 422.

The Hebrew word for “listen” is shama, meaning “to give undivided listening attention.” Rebellious people don’t want to listen. Sometimes we’re unwilling to listen to God because we’re resistant to being corrected. That's rebellion. The tragedy is that God would never tell us anything to defeat us. He has a one-track mind as far as we are concerned. He wants us to live like the overcomers we are.

The Scripture paints vivid pictures of the overcoming benefits of obedience. Psalm 81 proclaims the promise, “If my people would but listen to me, / … how quickly would I subdue their enemies / and turn my hand against their foes!” (Ps. 81:13–14). — Beth Moore, Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender (Nashville: B&H, 2007).

I have just completed a seven-part Bible Study called Ancient Words. It explores seven key Hebrew words we need to understand in order to really understand the gospel. This article is an excerpt from this Bible study. The Bible Study is available on Amazon. It is also avail as well as part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service.

This service is like Netflix for Bible Lessons. You pay a low monthly, quarterly or annual fee and get access to all the lessons. New lessons that correspond with three of Lifeway’s outlines are automatically included, as well as a backlog of thousands of lessons. Each lesson consists of 20 or so ready-to-use questions that get groups talking, as well as answers from well-known authors such as David Jeremiah, Charles Swindoll and Max Lucado. For more information, or to sign up, click here.