Let us delve into the Word of God, relying solely upon the authority of the KJV Bible to examine on the matter of hearing, for how a man heareth is of eternal consequence and to illuminate these distinct levels of hearing.

1. Superficial Hearing: The Wayside Hearer | 听听

This initial level describes a hearing that is merely physical. The sound of the words enters the ear, but there is no engagement of the heart or mind. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself provides the most vivid illustration of this in the Parable of the Sower.

Scriptural Foundation: Matthew 13:3-4, Matthew 13:19

"And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up."

"When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."

Commentary

• Matthew 13:4, "some seeds fell by the way side": The "way side" refers to the hard-trodden paths that ran alongside or through the fields. This ground was not tilled or prepared; it was hard and impenetrable. Spiritually, this represents a heart hardened by the constant traffic of worldly cares, sin, and unbelief. The Word of God cannot penetrate such a heart.

• Matthew 13:19, "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not": Herein lies the core of superficial hearing. The message is heard, but there is a complete lack of understanding or spiritual perception. The Greek word for "understandeth," suniēmi, implies a putting together, a grasping of the meaning. This hearer fails to do so. As the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge cross-references, this state is described prophetically in Isaiah 6:9-10: "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed."

• "then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart": The consequence of this superficial hearing is immediate and dire. Satan ("the wicked one," see also Mark 4:15, "Satan cometh immediately"; Luke 8:12, "then cometh the devil") finds no resistance. The Word lies exposed on the surface of the heart and is easily snatched away before it can have any effect.

Theological Implication: A person at this level may sit in a church service or read the Bible, but their heart remains a public thoroughfare for every passing thought and temptation. There is no personal application, no contemplation, and thus, no possibility of salvation or spiritual growth. This is the hearing of apathy and spiritual deadness.

2. Listening: The Forgetful Hearer | 听闻

This level is a step above the first, in that the information is received and perhaps even momentarily acknowledged. However, it fails to move from the mind to the will. It is a passive reception without any corresponding action, leading to self-deception.

Scriptural Foundation: James 1:22-24

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was."

Commentary

• James 1:22, "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only": The Apostle James draws a sharp and critical distinction. The danger is not in hearing, but in only hearing. To stop at the intellectual reception of God's commands is to fall short of the purpose for which the Word was given.

• "deceiving your own selves": This is a most solemn warning. The hearer who does not obey convinces himself that the act of listening is sufficient. He mistakes knowledge for piety, and familiarity with scripture for a relationship with God. This is a profound and dangerous self-delusion.

• James 1:23-24, "he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass...": The Word of God is likened to a mirror 1 Corinthians 13:12. It reveals our true state before a holy God—our sins, our flaws, our need for a Saviour. The forgetful hearer looks into this mirror, sees his condition, but then walks away and does nothing about it. He "straightway forgetteth." The impression is fleeting and produces no change.

Theological Implication: This individual may be able to discuss doctrine and quote scripture, but their life remains unchanged by the power of the Word they hear. Their religion is a form without power 2 Timothy 3:5. This level of hearing produces hypocrites, not disciples.

3. Hearing & Recognizing: The Shepherd's Sheep | 听见

Here we transition from passive hearing to relational hearing. This level involves not just processing sounds or information, but recognizing the voice of the speaker, implying a relationship of trust and familiarity.

Scriptural Foundation: John 10:3-5, John 10:27

"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"

Commentary

• John 10:3, "the sheep hear his voice": This is more than acknowledging a sound. The sheep are attuned to the specific timbre and call of their own shepherd. In a world full of voices—the voice of culture, of false teachers, of self—the true believer learns to distinguish the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• John 10:4, "they know his voice": Knowledge here is ginōskō in the Greek, signifying an intimate, experiential knowledge. This comes from time spent with the Shepherd. Through prayer, reading His Word, and walking in fellowship with Him, the believer's spiritual ear is trained to recognize His leading.

• John 10:5, "a stranger will they not follow": The corollary to knowing the Shepherd's voice is the ability to detect a counterfeit. The believer who is intimately familiar with the truth as it is in Jesus will have a holy and immediate aversion to false doctrine and ungodly counsel. As the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge points to 2 Timothy 3:6-9 and 1 John 4:1, there is a necessity to "try the spirits whether they are of God."

Theological Implication: This is the beginning of true discipleship. Hearing is now personal. God is not an abstract concept, but the Good Shepherd whose voice guides, comforts, and directs. This recognition is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a mark of genuine salvation Romans 8:14.

4. Hearing & Internalizing: The Pondering Heart | 听进

This level moves beyond recognition to deep meditation and reflection. The Word is not merely heard or identified, but is taken into the heart to be cherished, examined, and pondered.

Scriptural Foundation: Luke 2:19, 51; Psalm 119:11

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."

"And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart."

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

Commentary

• Luke 2:19, "Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart": In the midst of the miraculous events surrounding the birth of Christ, Mary did not let the words of the shepherds or the angels become a fleeting memory. She "kept" them (Greek, suntēreō, to preserve) and "pondered" them (Greek, sumballō, to throw together, to compare and analyze). She treasured these truths, turning them over and over in her mind to understand their full import.

• Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart": This is the psalmist's testimony to the same principle. To "hide" the Word in the heart is to make it the central treasure of one's inner life. It is not for show, but for personal guidance and sanctification. It becomes the internal resource from which one draws strength. The purpose is explicit: "that I might not sin against thee." A Word that is merely on the lips or in the mind is easily forgotten in the moment of temptation; a Word hidden in the heart becomes a powerful deterrent to sin.

Theological Implication: This is the practice of biblical meditation Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2. It is how the Word of God transforms a believer from the inside out. By internalizing scripture, it becomes part of our very being, informing our thoughts, shaping our desires, and renewing our minds Romans 12:2.

5. Understanding: The Fruitful Ground | 听明白

This level is the cognitive and spiritual breakthrough where the internalized Word is fully comprehended. It is the "aha!" moment of the soul, where the Holy Spirit illuminates the meaning and application of the text.

Scriptural Foundation: Matthew 13:23; Nehemiah 8:8

"But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

"So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."

Commentary

• Matthew 13:23, "heareth the word, and understandeth it": The Lord Jesus returns to the crucial element of "understanding" (suniēmi), which was absent in the wayside hearer. The good ground represents a heart that is prepared, honest, and good Luke 8:15. Such a heart not only hears and receives the Word, but with the aid of the Holy Spirit, it grasps its divine meaning.

• "which also beareth fruit": Understanding is not an end in itself. True, spiritual understanding is evidenced by its effect: it produces fruit. The fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23, good works, and winning others to Christ are the inevitable outcome of a Word that is truly understood.

• Nehemiah 8:8, "gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading": This verse from the Old Testament provides a wonderful model for how understanding is achieved. The Levites did more than just read the words of the law. They expounded upon it, explained its meaning ("gave the sense"), and ensured the people comprehended its relevance to their lives. This is the task of faithful preaching and teaching.

Theological Implication: Spiritual understanding is a divine gift 1 Corinthians 2:14 sought through prayerful study. It bridges the gap between knowing what the Bible says and knowing what it means for me, here and now. Without this level, the Word remains a dead letter; with it, the Word becomes living and powerful Hebrews 4:12.

6. Obeying: The Wise Builder | 听从

This is the final and highest level of hearing, where understanding culminates in action. It is the ultimate purpose of all communication from God to man. To hear, recognize, internalize, and understand the will of God is of no profit unless it is obeyed.

Scriptural Foundation: Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 11:28

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock."

"But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

Commentary

• Matthew 7:24, "whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them": At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus makes obedience the non-negotiable proof of wise hearing. The foundation of a stable Christian life is not the hearing, but the doing. The wise man and the foolish man Matthew 7:26 both heard the exact same words. The difference was in the application.

• "I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock": The "rock" is Christ and His unchanging Word. To obey His commands is to build one's life—one's salvation, one's family, one's eternal hope—upon a foundation that cannot be moved by the storms of life or the judgment of God.

• Luke 11:28, "blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it": A woman in the crowd pronounced a blessing on the mother of Jesus. But the Lord elevated the standard beyond physical connection to spiritual obedience. The supreme blessedness, the highest state of divine favour and happiness, belongs to the one whose hearing is consummated in "keeping" (Greek, phulassō, to guard, to observe, to fulfill) the Word of God.

Theological Implication: Obedience is the proof of love John 14:15, the evidence of faith James 2:17-18, and the pathway to blessing Deuteronomy 28:1-2. All other levels of hearing are but preparatory steps to this final act of worshipful submission. It is in obedience that our hearing is perfected and God is most glorified.

Conclusion

The Holy Scriptures presents a clear and challenging progression in the act of hearing. We are called to move beyond the hard-hearted, superficial hearing of the wayside; to reject the self-deceiving listening of the forgetful hearer; and to press on to the relational hearing where we recognize the Shepherd's voice. We must then take that Word and hide it in our hearts, pondering it until the Spirit grants true understanding. Finally, and most critically, we must allow that understanding to transform our will and our actions, proving ourselves to be wise builders who not only hear the Word of God, but keep it. This is the path of the true disciple, from apathy to action, from being a hearer to being an inheritor of the blessings of God.

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