Quick To Hear (James 1:19)

Introduction

That, thanks to Scott, was just recently posted to the website, and Neil has already listened. From prison to palace, your rags to riches story. You didn’t get a chance to hear that one. I think that particular lesson has quite a bit of merit to listening to it if you’ve not done so. But one of the things we ended up doing in that lesson, as we talked about our journey from prison to palace, is we looked at a verse in James chapter 1 and verse 18. Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth. What an incredible statement that is in James Epistle. Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits among his creatures.

We notice that verse immediately follows verse 17. Every good gift, it’s sort of hard to read, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. And so this is just an outstanding example of God’s good gifts that he can bring us to the place of salvation.

It isn’t very soon. It’s several weeks later. But then it just hit me this week. I had not come back to James chapter 1. And this familiar verse, James chapter 1 and verse 19, which simply says, Be quick to hear. This you know, my beloved brethren. Let everyone be quick to hear. Slow to speak, and slow to anger. You’ve heard that before, right? Familiar statement in James chapter one. Thank you, Scott, for the nice graphic. And the post to Facebook and our website.

What you might be surprised to discover, however, is that the background might apply to one lesson more than the other. When we talk about this verse, James chapter 1 and verse 19. Quick to listen, quick to hear, I think King James version says, slow to speak, slow to anger. What do we normally talk about? We talk about what that picture was seeming to suggest. We talk about interpersonal relationships. That is how we interact with others, particularly in the closest relationships that we have. And we might turn to a passage like this, and we might simply summarize by saying, don’t be a knucklehead. And that would be a good answer. Don’t be a knucklehead. Certainly there’s some wise counsel here about how to function successfully in relationships.

Stay calm. Calm, closing the lips. And really listening to what the other person is saying. And that could pay benefits in those relationships. Don’t get angry.

1. Look at the Context of James 1

There’s some benefit to that, but I’m not so certain that’s really the thing under primary consideration in James 1.19. And that might be shocking to you. I want you to look at the context in which we find this statement in James chapter 1. Always, we should always first look at a statement that is made in its context to see if that has any bearing on our understanding of the statement. And when you look at the context of James chapter 1, back in verse 2, he immediately addresses the trials, the various trials that brethren could encounter and the testing of their faith in verse 3 that produces endurance. He will say in verse 12, blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. For once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, the hilltops of glory, which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

I think James 1 and verse 12 is a tremendous verse that ought to be on our minds on a regular basis. And then we come to verse 16, and he says, Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren, as he talks about how sin, lust gives rise to sin, and sin when it’s conceived brings forth death. And he says, Don’t be deceived about the impact sin can have on your life. The following context after the statement of verse 19 and 20. He talks about laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness. So he goes really back to the ideas of sin discussed in verses 13 through 16 and says, lay aside everything that is filthy, receive the word implanted. Now, he has just said, remember our verse 18, we are brought forth by the word of truth.

He says, receive the word implanted. Same context, which is able to save your souls. And then the very famous part where he talks about being doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. And then he says, if a man does not bridle his tongue, his religion is vain. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, take notice of the less fortunate, and to keep oneself unstained by the world, if you’ll allow me to paraphrase that. And so, as I come back to verses 19 and 20. While I must not deny the benefit of employing this wisdom in interpersonal relationships, that is how you relate to other people. For example, the Proverbs, a soft answer turns away wrath, a soft answer.

Proverbs 15 and verse 1, and James has been called the Proverbs of the New Testament. And so it could be echoing those kinds of sentiments that we have throughout the Proverbs about the use of the tongue, restraining the tongue, quick to hear. You know, how many times have you been into the discussion where it’s back and forth and you’re audibly hearing the words the person is saying, but the person says, you’re not hearing me. No, I heard every word you said. But no, you’re not hearing me, you’re not really listening and reading between the lines to get at the bigger picture here. So sometimes it’s important to stop talking and really try to digest what someone is telling you, and to get angry rarely nets positive results in conflict.

So I’m not going to deny that it has an application there. I’m just going to suggest to you that contextually, there may be something else going on in these very two familiar verses. Because what I see in chapter one and the verses that I read in the whole chapter, and then what I see flowing into chapter two, all the discussion about faith and works, what James is saying is that true Christianity is seen in its deeds. What faith is prompted to do as a result of having heard the word of God.

2. Stop and Really Listen to God

Because they sort of seem to stand out on an island that they’re talking about interpersonal relationships, because there’s nothing else about interpersonal relationships in James chapter 1. That maybe it’s more about response to the will of God in challenging circumstances. You know, we read those verses 2, 3, 12, and 16, and then the verses that follow about receiving the word implanted, which is able to save our souls. And so I begin to wonder as I look at this verse, is it really foremost about interpersonal relationships? And perhaps it’s more about what I just mentioned. Perhaps it’s more about our tendency to want to choose our own way. Maybe it’s more about wanting to argue with God’s ways. Maybe this passage is talking about sometimes in the midst of life, we get unpset and unhappy and even angry about God’s life.

About how we are to live our lives, to receive the word implanted, which is able to save our souls. Maybe this is more about, in the midst of the challenges of life, to really stop and listen. Not to others, yes, do that, but to stop and really listen to God. Be quick to listen when circumstances are challenging and difficult. Don’t open your mouth. Don’t be hasty to speak a word in the presence of God. I would throw in Ecclesiastes 5 in there. Perhaps we need to stop talking, be slow to speak, and really start listening to God and not be angry with what he is instructing us to do, because after all, the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. You see, this conclusion makes me think that he’s not just talking about don’t get angry in relationships.

But he’s talking more about achieving the righteousness of God in our lives. And when we start, in essence, arguing with God. This is really what I think it’s about. It’s about an argument with God. I don’t like what you’re instructing me to do here. I’m in pain here. I’m going through a difficult time. And I really don’t like your solution to the situation. And so we want to argue with God and choose our own way. When we need to realize that this anger, this responsive anger does not achieve the righteous of God. And so what I think really is going on here is that this is more about wisdom exposure. It’s about what we’re listening to in the midst of life’s challenges. And it’s sort of like Psalm 46, that passage that says, Be silent and know that I am God.

You see, there’s some precedent here in the Old Testament. Cease striving, be still, and know that I am God. God is our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble. Verse 1. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. You see, that sort of sounds like the trials of James chapter 1, doesn’t it? Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake in its swelling pride, there is a river whose streams make glad, the city of God, sort of our study in Ezekiel, thy holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her and so on. And so maybe this passage is more about the sentiments of Psalm 46.

3. Listen to the Wisdom From Above

But though the earth should change, look, don’t question. The exalted wisdom that comes to you from God. And this also has precedent as James chapter 1 is really sort of fleshed out in the rest of the book of James. I mean, James chapter 1 is sort of the template for everything that follows. And so when you come out to James chapter 3, what does he say? Who among you is wise and understanding? The wisdom, verse 15. This wisdom is not that which comes from above. This wisdom that would promote jealousy and selfish ambition. He says, It’s earthly and natural and demonic, and where that is, there is disorder in every evil thing. He says, But the wisdom from above is pure. I think really James 1, 19 through 20 is his introduction to these comments in James chapter 3.

Make sure you’re listening to the right source of information. Do not trust and rely on the message of the world. Or what you may be hearing, even from yourself about how you should respond to life circumstances. Pause. Reflect. Versus just react. Patience in the midst of pain. Because I’ll tell you how sometimes we respond in the midst of pain. It is not unlike the people of Ezekiel’s day who were in captivity and said, We don’t deserve to be here. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. And so at the end of the chapter, they’re saying what? The Lord’s ways are not right. In the midst of your pain. Better listen to God’s prophet. Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

4. Where We Argue With God

So I want to give you some examples, some specifics where we might struggle to do what James is saying.

Sort of hard to change the slides. But I should have had salvation requirements in here because that’s where a place where people get angry. What we studied with people is that this is what God’s book instructs you to do to be brought forth by the word of truth. You need to listen to God’s instruction about salvation. Has anybody ever gotten angry with you about that? They’re not angry with me. I don’t take it personally. They’re angry with God. And what is critical that they do in that moment? Swift to hear. Slow to speak. Slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. You have to set aside whatever that has caused you to be impassioned, the fact that you haven’t come to those conclusions before, or what they might mean to people that you love and all of those kinds of things that get people upset.

You need to stop and just listen to God’s wisdom and embrace that, regardless of the implications. Man, as excited as I’ve gotten about that, I should have had that on the slides. But I thought about a lot about other things. But I want to drink. Everybody in society drinks. One beer isn’t gonna hurt. A little social drinking isn’t gonna hurt. The Bible doesn’t condemn social drinking. Careful with that one. So often in the discussion of the consumption of alcoholic beverages, we’re not comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. We’re talking about a highly intoxicating substance. We’re talking about the strong drink of the Bible when we consume a beer, and particularly when we consume wine. Sobriety is quickly forfeited. There’s a lot of non religious people who would tell you that.

But sometimes when the Bible’s teaching on sobriety is in view, people want to argue with God about that. But I want to do this. Swift to hear. And in a lot of the justifications for alcohol, it’s more about people choosing their own way and what they want rather than a careful examination. See how people get angry with God? I don’t like what you had to say here. The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Period. But in most relationships, after a while, people. That’s what they do. And so I’m going to be like them. How am I supposed to have a relationship in this world and not commit fornication? Everybody does it. Haven’t you watched television? We start arguing with the wisdom of God.

I don’t want to abstain. I don’t want to refrain. I don’t want to be pure, as the Bible teaches. So we start arguing with God, don’t we? Modesty. That’s not on the slide, should have been on the slides. We start arguing with God about how we ought to properly display ourselves before the world. We argue with God about marriage. Marriage, divorce, and remarriage. You mean one man, one woman for life, one exception? Yeah, that’s what the Bible says. I don’t want to see it that way. I want to approve of multiple marriages. God doesn’t expect me to live alone. And all of this kind of stuff. People get angry with God. The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Really, every area of discipleship, the kind of commitment to which he calls us.

Our involvement with the local church, but I don’t want to do it that way. I don’t want to be involved. I want to show up just once a week. Leave me alone. I don’t want to interact with brethren. I want to do church my way. People are angry with God. Well, what does the text say? Receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. That needs to determine everything. The wisdom that comes from above, not the wisdom of this world that says I can do religion that way. You see the point of this? To me, it just makes a lot more sense in relation to these kinds of thoughts. About what it means to be a member of the local church. I don’t get to be a Christian, how I define it.

God defines it. Or I just put next world, I had to keep it short. The need to be patient for the ultimate payment for our faith. I think we want shortcuts. We want pleasure now. We want, we want, we want to get our due in the here and now. And so much about the scripture is telling us you have to wait. All the wrongs will not be righted here. All of our circumstances will not be blissful here. And sometimes they will go sour and they will remain sour.

5. Old Testament Men Who Illustrate This

Our hopes are in the next. And so often we want to blame God and get angry with God. But the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Three quick examples. Then I thought about some Old Testament men who illustrate this. Elijah, after the great event of Mount Carmel, and Jezebel’s wanting to kill him. He runs for his life. And there he is at Horeb in the cave. And he says, I’m the only one. I’m it. I’m the only one that’s left. Kill me. Let me die. Why am I still around? He’s having a pity party for himself. I get it.

But what does God say to Elijah? You’re absolutely right. He says, What are you doing here? What are you doing here, Elijah? There are still 7,000. You’re not the only one. There’s still 7,000 that have not yet bowed the knee to Baal. And I’ve got some work for you to do. I’ve got you, I’ve got some men. I’ve got some kings and a prophet for you to anoint. So get busy. Get out of here. What are you doing here? Elijah had a moment, had a fit. We’ve all tended to throw one here and there. Elijah had a fit about his place in God’s scheme of things and what God wanted to do and the role that he was playing. And he had to get, as my dad always used to say, an attitude correction.

Not going to tell you how he brought that about. Very rarely, I might add. Jonah. I don’t, I really don’t like what you’ve done here, God. You are saving those evil Ethereans because they repented. You should have just obliterated all of them. That’s really what Jonah is saying in chapter 4. That’s all you have to have the plant grow up over Jonah to teach him the lesson about his place and gratitude. Jonah was angry with God. And then Habakkuk, you know, this is really evils going on. God, you need to do something. God says, Oh boy, am I about to do something? You wouldn’t believe it if I told you. I’m going to bring the Chaldeans. And then Habakkuk says, What are you doing? That’s not right.

You can’t bring those evil people against us. And so what I’m here, but here’s what Habakkuk did. Habakkuk did this. He goes, I’m going to station myself right here on the rampart, since I don’t have one, I’ll just let this be my rampart. I’m going to station myself right here on the rampart and wait to see what he’s going to say to me next. And then at the end, we know how it all turns out. Habakkuk says, if everything else falls apart, I’m still going to trust you, God. Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. And then we can talk about, as I thought about in class, Judas. Judas just got angry. And never got here. And the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

6. Three Important Things From These Men

So I come to Psalm. Well, I’ll make three observations before I move on from the end. What we learn from these three men are three important things. That in the midst of challenging circumstances, however painful your circumstance might be, however disgruntled and upset and discouraged, whatever you want to call it, however, down and out you get. These three men teach us that we must stay spiritually steadfast. You can’t give up on the wisdom of God. Receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not merely hearers. A crown of life awaits for us. Count your blessings in the midst of your struggles. Jonah, don’t you see? You have a lot going your way. Look at how blessed you are.

You’ve been employed as a prophet of the living God. Count your blessings. Elijah could too. We all can, even in the midst. In everything. Give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. And I would say all of them teach us this. And this is our problem. We tend to get myopic and look on our situation and just see around ourselves and what’s going on in our little cubicle of the world. Focus on a bigger picture. Faithful confidence. In Psalm 78, verses 7 and 8. The psalmist says that the generation to come might know. They need to be instructed in the wisdom of God, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation.

Conclusion

A generation that did not prepare its heart. And whose spirit was not faithful to God. I quote these verses because I think the last part of that is the wisdom that James is getting at. Prepare your heart. A spirit that is faithful to God. Be quick to listen. Embrace it. Have an appetite for it. Want to hear it again at five o’clock. Be quick to hear. Slow to speak. And slow. So there are no satisfying and lasting solutions in the wisdom of this world as they, in the midst of your pain, might grab your ear. And they might tell you things like faith isn’t worthwhile. Faith is for the foolish. Really, just be concerned about yourself. Just put yourself up on a pedestal, serve yourself. That’s where you’ll find the magic.

By exalting self above everything else. This is the wisdom of the world. Pleasure. Find some escape, something that makes you happy, that takes the edge off. Dabble in drugs. Forget sobriety. Take some drinks. Pleasure is the ultimate achievement. This is what the world is telling us and preaching to us loud and long every day. No wonder we get one now. If we are not quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to work. And so I would emphasize this even when I don’t understand, even when I am disillusioned and discouraged. God’s ways are the answers that I desperately need. That is always true. And finally, God’s rewards are more filling and infinitely more valuable than anything our adversary says, here, I’ve got something for you. God’s ways and God’s rewards are worth it all.

You’re subject to his invitation. Come now as we stand.