Zechariah 7:12 “They made their hearts diamond-hard lest they should hear the law and the words that the LORD of hosts had sent by his Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of hosts.”

I remember a preacher years ago who would often interrupt his sermon with the question, “Are you listening.” I thought it was odd at the time because I was a good listener. I soon found out that many people do not listen, especially, if the information is not what they want to hear. Jesus often admonished His audience to pay attention. Stopping your ears to the truth is not new to the human race. Isaiah spoke of the same behavior in 43: 8, “But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears that they might not hear.”

This verse from Zechariah implies an even further step in refusing to listen to God. They made their hearts as hard as a diamond. When you harden your heart it makes hearing truth an impossibility. This is an example of extreme disobedience. So extreme that it caused God to react with great anger. That can’t be good. To close one’s ears to the prophets is the same as to close one’s ears to God. 

Task for Today: Open your ears and while you are at it, open your heart as well. Keeping your ears closed and your heart hard is a disaster of major proportions.