“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Six times in the Gospels and eight times in the book of Revelation, Jesus repeats these six words. It’s the simplest of statements, but the implications are exponential. The exhortation is urgent, and God says your destiny depends on it.

When Jesus declared, “Whoever has ears, let them hear,” the Jewish ear would have heard hints of Psalm 40:6: “My ears you have opened.” The Hebrew word for “opened” is archaeological, meaning “to excavate” or “dig through dense material.” I believe the way we do that is by listening with our inner ears. But the word for “opened” can also be translated “to pierce,” which has led many Bible scholars to believe that David was tipping his hat to an ancient ritual outlined at Mount Sinai.

After serving a six-year term, a Hebrew servant was set free in the seventh year. However, if a servant loved his master so much that he did not want to opt out of his servanthood, he was given the option of pledging allegiance to his master for a lifetime. How? By a sacred ritual that involved a pierced ear: “He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.”

He was then called a "bondservant."

In our day and age we don't like to hear the word servant, but listen to God's apostles and prophets:

“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” (Romans 1:1, NASB95)

“Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:” (Philippians 1:1, NASB95)

“James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.” (James 1:1, NASB95)

“Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:” (Jude 1, NASB95)

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,” (Revelation 1:1, NASB95)

They all had their ears pierced as bondservants of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Has your spiritual ear been pierced?

Is your inner ear consecrated to Christ?

Is God's still small voice the loudest voice in your life?

The Latin word for obey is obedire, which means to “give ear.” Obedience starts with a pierced ear. It’s tuning in to God’s frequency and turning up the volume. It’s obeying His whispers, even if a thousand people are screaming something different.

“Tell me to what you pay attention,” said the Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset, “and I will tell you who are you.”

You will eventually be shaped in the image of the loudest voice in your life—the voice you listen to most.

Rejoicing, On the Victory Side!

Beau