Proverbs 28:9 prayers

[Remnantrob]

So Proverbs 28:9 says:

⁹ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

What does the scripture say about hearing?

Romans 10:17

¹⁷ So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Is there a correlation between faith  and the law and your prayers being heard from God?  These 2 text come to mind when I think about it:

Romans 2:13

¹³ (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

and James 1:22

²² But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

In a christian age where christian's who uphold the law(10 commandments) are labeled legalistic and those put it away are seen as too liberal, is there a balance in light of Proverbs 28:9? 

Edited October 17, 2016 by Remnantrob

[Leonardo Von]

·        “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Proverbs 28:9).

·        “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Romans 2:13).

 

All who want to live by the law are separating themselves from true righteousness (Romans 3:21, 22; Galatians 5: 4) that came with Jesus (John 1:17).

It must be made clear that the covenant of the law is called the ministry of condemnation and death:

 

·        “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.” (2 Coríntios 3.7-9).

 

And the reason is simple: as it is necessary to hear the whole law to be justified (James 2:10), the more the individual tries to be faithful to the law, the more he is getting bogged down in sin:

 

·        “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” (Romans 3.19);

·        “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5.20).

·        “Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.” (Romans 4.15);

·        “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” (Romans 7.9-13).

 

Hence Paul says:

 

·        “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3.20);

·        “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” (Romans 3.28);

·        “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2.15,16).

 

Let's think: why are we going to try to follow something that is already proven not to work?

·        “Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?” (Acts 15.22).

 

In other words, these verses above, as well as any others that seem to instruct us to keep the law, are only a way for the Eternal to show us how heavy the yoke of those who try to live by the law is (Leviticus 18:5; Ezequiel 20.11,13,21; 33.19; Romans 10:5), so that anyone who dares to think of abandoning faith and grace in Jesus (as the Galatians and Hebrews began to do - Galatians 3: 2-3, Hebrews 10: 24,25) to live by Law to be discouraged.

Now let's look at the other two verses:

 

·        “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22).

·        “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17).

 

Notice how we should be abiding by the Word of the Eternal One, which is Jesus Himself (Revelation 19:13). Understanding that Jesus is God and God is love (1 John 4.8,16), then what is being said is that we should listen to Love and let it be part of us and guide our thoughts, feelings, plans and desires.

If we do so, we will be able not only to obey the law but to be the fulfillment and confirmation of the whole law:

 

·        “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13.8-10).

 

In this case, we will be open for the Spirit of the Eternal to intercede for us (Romans 8:26) and thus our prayer will be acceptable to Him (1 John 5:14).

May Jesus fill us with His Spirit and the fruit that no law can combat:

 

·        “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5.22,23)