GOOD LISTENERS by C. H. Keslake

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 11, 1900

GOOD LISTENERS

By C. H. Keslake

C. H. KESLAKE

(New Brunswick, N. J.)

To BE able to clothe one’s thoughts with words that are in every particular suitable; to be able so to emphasize the words that they shall have the desired effect upon the heart and mind of the one addressed, is truly a desirable accomplishment, which but few speakers possess.

An equally excellent accomplishment, if indeed it does not excel the one already mentioned, is that of good listening. A man may be peculiarly gifted as a speaker, and yet his labor be largely a failure if his audience are not good listeners.

Comparatively few have the gift of oratory,—the power to hold an audience as if entranced, while a flood of liquid words is being poured, as it were, upon their ears,—but all may become good listeners.

Two important admonitions on the subject of hearing are given us by the Saviour: “Take heed how ye hear,” and, “Take heed therefore what ye hear.” Their importance can not be overestimated, and yet they are sadly neglected. Much blessing, yea, even eternal life itself, is often lost, because of the failure to listen attentively.

The psalmist said: “I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints.” Ps. 85: 8. Oftentimes it requires great will power and determination to concentrate the mind upon the subject before one. Satan knows that much, yes, everything, is involved in this question of hearing; and so, to prevent the Lord’s voice being heard, he will set a-shrieking a thousand and one voices, every one discordant and ear-splitting. But we ought to assert our privileges in Christ Jesus, and say, with David, “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” And when we are determined to listen, God will make himself heard above every din and discord.

Of Christ it was prophesied, “Mine ears hast thou digged.” Ps. 40: 6, margin. And again, in Isa. 50: 5: “The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.”

If it was necessary for Christ to have this experience, in taking upon Him our humanity, how strongly it emphasizes the importance, on our part, of seeing to it that our ears are opened, or digged. When we have cotton in our ears, or they are clogged with accumulated wax, we can not hear so distinctly as when they are free from these things. But we need to have them cleansed morally as well as physically.

How frequently in the book of Revelation we find the expression, “He that hath an ear, let him hear.” This is because God has in that book something of the highest importance for His people, and the man who hears and keeps the things that are written therein is promised a special blessing.

We must not forget what the Saviour admonishes about hearing—not only to take heed how we hear, but what we hear. Here again we have the Lord’s experience foretold, as found in Isa. 42: 18-20: “Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? . . . Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” While Christ’s ears were ever opened to hear the word of God, and the cry of the needy, and listened for the faintest sound from the poor penitents, they were ever closed to scandal- and gossip-mongers. He could not afford to lend a listening ear to such; for He would thereby have become contaminated with that which was impure and vile. In every respect Christ was the best kind of listener, and we are to study Him.

There is good wisdom in good listening. The wise man says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Prov. 12: 15. “My son, if thou wilt . . . incline thine ear unto wisdom, . . . then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.” 2: 1-5.

God is wonderful in counsel (Isa. 28: 29), and He gives us good counsel in Rev. 3: 18.

It is ill-bred and ill-mannered not to give respectful hearing to those addressing us; it is worse than that to do so when God speaks. “The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Hab. 2: 20.