Ears to Hear

I was listening to an audio version of Leviticus 14 today and was struck by verse 17:

 And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering.

Leviticus is rich with symbolism and this passage made me wonder about the symbolism of the ear.  Walter W. Wilson writes that the ear is a type concerning the consecrated hearing of the believer.  An ear that is touched by oil now only hears God’s Word and is to refuse the call of all other leaders.  In his commentary, David Guzik states that the right ear was chosen because that side was considered to be superior and have more strength and skill.  Most people were right-handed and God wanted their best to be dedicated to him.

I believe it is Pastor Royce Powell who says that whenever Scripture uses the phrase “ears to hear” we need to listen carefully.  The first use of this expression is in Deuteronomy 29:1-4 (emphasis is mine).

 ¹These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.  ²And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;  ³The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:  ⁴Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. 

Jesus uses a phrase similar to “he who hath ears to hear, let him hear” three times in Matthew, three times in Mark, and twice in Luke.  Most of the time, He is speaking in parables.  When the disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, He replied:

Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.  ¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.  ¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.  ¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:  ¹⁵For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.  ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. (Matthew 13:11-16)

When Jesus first came to offer His Kingdom, Israel shut up their ears, which is prophesied in Ezekiel 12:1-2:

 

 ¹The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,  ²Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. 

Unless believers have eyes to see and ears to hear, I fear that history will repeat itself when Jesus appears a second time.