Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

You have seen the signs, under construction, watch for ice on bridge, workman ahead, detour and the like, right? Do you also understand that they only have relevant meaning to the driver of the car? Everyone in the car is at risk, but it is the driver’s responsibility to avoid the danger.

I love those “watch for ice on bridge” signs. They are there in the 110 degree drought and hold no real meaning ninety-nine percent of the time. They are meaningful only when the conditions are right. As a literalist, my humor (or lack thereof), tends to mock those signs. “How long do I have to watch for ice on the bridge in this heat?” My favorite is “reduced speed ahead”. How much do they usually charge?

Perhaps that is a good example of the uncircumcised ear. Our flesh makes light of warnings and do not take them as seriously as we should. Like the ice bridge, it might not apply now, but given the right conditions, danger is upon you; may it not come unawares. We have been warned.

Which words of warning hold the most significance? How about heresy, blasphemy, and apostasy? Do the mere sounds of those words scream danger to you? If so, why? Is your understanding of their true meaning a danger as obvious as a “One Way” sign? Or have others used them in a way that is more likened to a rattlesnake’s rattle, don’t come near?

Or perhaps, just perhaps, they only have relevant meaning under the proper conditions. So, it is not just the meaning of words that hold danger at bay, but the proper conditions also. To understand danger one must know both the meaning and conditions or else you are merely afraid of words.