Stopping Your Ears at the Poor - Proverbs 21:13

In the book of Proverbs Solomon said, “The righteous man wisely considers the house of the wicked: but God overthrows the wicked for their wickedness”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse thirteen of Proverbs Solomon shared about, “whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor” where we read,

Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, 

he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

The verse begins, “Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, ...” Solomon began with the words, “whoso stops his ears” or “whatever person whether male or female shuts up and closes their physical ears used for hearing and perceiving” “at the cry” which means “at the outcry, distress and clamor” “of the poor” or “belonging to people who are impoverished and in want, need and destitute”. Solomon referred to people who close their hearing “ears” when the impoverished and destitute cry out for help. 

The verse goes on to say, “... he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” Solomon added the words, “he also shall cry himself” or “he, the person who stops their ears at the cry of the poor, will even so and indeed outcry, distress and clamor, their own selves”, “but shall not be heard” which means “however, notwithstanding, nonetheless and moreover will in no way or manner be answered, responded to or have attention paid to them”. Solomon said the person who “stops” their “ears at the cry of the poor” will shout aloud themselves, however they will in no way be responded to or answered. 

When we think through Solomon's words in this verse, we discover how there is a reciprocation for people who shut their“ears” to the outcries of people who are impoverished. Because they have decided not to listen to people who are in want, they will not be “heard” when they are in need. God wants us to care for the “poor”, and when they cry out, we are to listen. God hears us when we call aloud unto Him, and He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind. When we surrender our lives to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and teach us to listen to the impoverished and to rely upon Him when we are in need. 

Next time Solomon says, “a gift in secret pacifies anger”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".