The Matter of the Heart
The place of the heart in Scripture
Posted
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
by
Brian Beers
A close reading of Scripture is a dangerous activity. A year ago, I was prompted to examine how the heart is discussed in the Bible. This prompting was to go beyond the direct statements about hearts such as Jeremiah 17:9 (The heart is deceitful above all things). What I found was disturbing. The good news is that we already know that the heart is the âinner man.â The bad news is that those pesky Hebrews used âheartâ in a way that doesnât fit with my anthropology. The good news is that we have translations to smooth out the oddities and obscure otherwise distinctive differences between passages. The bad news is that I decided to dig into the actual Hebrew text. The good news is that I have decided to confess.
My preliminary observations have lead me to believe that the heart was not simply a vague notion of the âinner man.â In the Scriptural understanding of human nature the heart had a particular role. What also fascinates me is that Scripture describes God interacting with his heart in the same way it describes a man interacting with his heart. As we examine these passages, I challenge you to refrain from immediately Westernizing the Scripturesâreducing them to concepts that we already know. This can be disconcerting because they were written thousands of years ago and not according to Western sensibilities. But if we change their meaning by substituting a concept that is easier for us to understand, we forfeit the authority of Scripture.
Heart (lev or levav) is used 865 times in 784 verses. So I figure that if I address 10 occurrences a week, you will be completely fed up with reading about how the Hebrews talked about their hearts about 80 weeks before I finishâ¦so I have decided to restrain myself. I will look first at places where the Scriptures use the phrase el lev âto the [my/his/her/your/etc.] heart.â This only happens 23 times. This first installment will cover occurrences in the Pentateuch. The first two verses are about Godâs heart rather than manâs heart, but the role of the heart of God appears to be similar to the role of the heart of man. I believe that this points out another way in which people are made in the image and likeness of God. After that we find the Pharaohâs heart in Godâs cross-hairs, and then Moses reminds the Israelites of Godâs identity.
Godâs grief
And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.(Genesis 6:6 ESV)
This first passage is the opening death knell of the flood. The NIV renders this verse âhis heart was filled with pain.â The ESV and RSV, however, are the only major translations to preserve the preposition el as âto.â In this verse el indicates the degree to which God was grieved as in, âHe was grieved all the way to his heart.â This suggests that Godâs heart is reserved, protected, and held away from the sorrows of this world. The wickedness of man was so great however, that it even caused grief âto his heart.â
In verse seven God speaks out because of this grief and promises to blot out man.
Godâs promise
And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in [to] his heart [el livo], "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. (Genesis 8:21 ESV)
God smelled the barbecue, and âsaid to his heartâ I wonât destroy everything this way again. This looks like a one-sided conversation. Godâs heart doesnât reply, but God is talking to his heart. I find it interesting that Godâs heart was grieved in 6:6, but in 8:21 he speaks to his heart. Was Godâs heart was not satisfied with how things turned out? Perhaps because manâs heart was still wicked so nothing was really fixed by this flood? Maybe Godâs heart was concerned that things would go south again. Nevertheless we have Godâs vow that he will not do this again.
The seventh plague
For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. (Exodus 9:14 ESV)
The ESV doubles up âyou yourselfâ to bring out the significance of el livka âto your heart.â God tells Pharaoh that all these plagues will be sent âto your heartâ to produce the knowledge âthat there is none like me in the whole earth.â It isnât simply that Pharaoh is to consider these facts and later inform his heart about his conclusions. The plagues are sent, signature required, to his heart. His heart is to perceive these plagues, realize the implications, and then inform Pharaoh that âYes. God was right. There is no one like Him in all the earth. You had better walk softly because He carries the big stick.â
God did not want to dicker over the truth with Pharaoh. He did not want to have an intellectual discussion over whether or not He could prove His existence. God went straight for Pharaohâs heart because the heart is the center of genuine, substantial knowing. If the heart knows something, a person makes decisions accordingly. If the heart is convinced of the existence and uniqueness of God. They surrender to his demandsâ¦at least temporarily like Pharaoh did.
Consider Godâs Deity
Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. (ESV Deuteronomy 4:39)
The new ESV sets it clearest, âlay it to your heart, that the LORD is God.â The construction in Hebrew is so distinctive that there is no Western figure of speech that can be substituted. The heart needs to be allowed to process this truth that âthe Lord, He is God.â Moses gave the Israelites a brief recap of their last forty years. He recounts episode after episode in which they witnessed God at work. He concludes by challenging them to turn this truth over to their hearts in order that it may inform their lives.
The first phrase of the verse gives us the shift in perspective from past actions on Godâs part to how the Israelites should then live. The way that this was to happen was that their hearts were to be allowed to process this truth. Verse 40 holds the result of allowing their hearts to consider Godâs actions and identity: âYou will keep his statutes and his commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you.â
The heart is where this processing takes place. It is not merely a mental activity, a recognition of a fact (know therefore today). The heart realizes the implications of the fact that âthe Lord, He is God.â And if their hearts realize the implications, their lives will reflect this truth, and God will be pleased, âit may go well with you and with your children after you.â
Conclusion
I have suggested that the heart is more than simply a rhetorical device intended to represent the human mind. The heart has a profound decision-making role in a personâs life.
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