Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Proverbs, Part 6

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Running a bit late again; still in recovery mode after a really busy weekend last week.  But...hanging onto the schedule by my fingernails; here's a look at the verses containing the word 'heart/ hearts' in Proverbs. 17 - 20:

We jump right into it:

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.  -- Prov. 17:3; 'heart' is H3826 Libbah, which is actually the feminine noun for 'heart'.  If my count is right, this is the 4th time we've encountered this word.

This verse refers to the smelting process that purifies fine metals, and indicates that it is the Lord who refines the heart, removing impurities.  By the analogy, one could conclude that the process of testing/ refining the heart is an...uncomfortable...process. But the result is something in which the Lord can see himself reflected.

A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue s deceitful falls into trouble.  -- Prov. 17:20; 'heart' here is the familiar H 3820, Leb, inner man, mind will, heart, understanding. 

But we all know folk who have a twisted, unbalanced perception of the world who nonetheless seem to manage to amass fortune and favor, so is this right?  Ultimately...yes.  We have a tendency to look at things from a materialistic point of view, but God does not.  All the fortune and favor the world can offer doesn't match up to one who is secure and contented in God's purpose, and that doesn't even take into account the final judgment, in which all that fortune-and-favor will count for exactly nothing.  

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov. 17:21; 'heart' is H3820 again.

I remember reading somewhere, quite a while ago, that one of the best indications of who would do well in a cancer battle was the individual's attitude.  All else being equal, someone who had a positive outlook had a statistically significant chance of a better outcome.  It really is true...a cheerful heart IS good medicine.

Before his downfall, a man's heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.  -- Prov. 18:12; 'heart' is once more H 3820.

This is interesting; the verse reads as if  honor is a result of humility, but downfall comes not as a result of the proud heart, but suddenly and unexpected, the 'proud heart' being a symptom of cluelessness of the pending disaster.  Perhaps a proud heart is over-confident and doesn't consider what could go wrong?

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, the ears of the wise seek it out. -- Prov. 18:15; 'Heart is, again, H 3820.  

This is one of the prime themes in Proverbs...the heart that seeks knowledge/ wisdom/ understanding.

A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the LORD. -- Prov. 19:3; 'Heart' is, once more, H 3820.

This is the truth.  Bad decisions, selfish ambition,  short sighted pleasure seeking...all of it adds up to yield a life of struggle...yet God gets blamed.  And it's the heart that's angry at God; that anger may not be detectible to most folks, but it's deep and it's there.  One who owns his (or her) folly is near to repentance, forgiveness, and redemption.  

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.  -- Prov. 19:21; once again, 'Heart' is H 3820.

Another theme we have touched on before...a person can make all sorts of plans, but ultimately God will do what he has planned.  It's interesting...it's not necessarily the EVENTS that are determined, but the PURPOSES.  God may change the circumstances, owing to an individual's free will, but the purpose will be accomplished...one way or another.

The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.  - Prov. 20:5; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Interestingly, the King James (which is the default translation in the lexicon) renders it 'The counsels of a man's heart...', which kind of shades the meaning a bit.  The word used there is etsah, Strong's H6098, which means 'advice; by implication, plan; also prudence: -- advice, advisement, counsel(-lor), purpose'.

Given the verse we looked at just above, it seems to me that the KJV seems to make a bit more sense...the idea of pulling counsel or advice out of folks...that someone with understanding will see the value in listening to counsel.  Just for grins, I checked the Amplified, and it reads "A plan (motive, wise counsel) in the heart of a man is like water in a deep well, but a  man of understanding draws it out."...which aligns with the idea that a person of understanding will draw on the wisdom of others...because not everyone is willing to share a perspective, or maybe not everyone considers his/her perspective worth sharing...but someone with understanding will always pull that from those around him/her.

Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?"  -- Prov. 20:9; 'Heart' is, once again, H3820.

And, wow, what a verse to end on...the rhetorical question that has all the hearers looking at their feet...none of us have succeeded in keeping our own hearts pure.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Proverbs, Part 5

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Trying hard to squeeze the blog post in the midst of a very busy weekend, lol.  I'm going to make it easy on myself and just look at Proverbs 16, in which we find 5 verses containing the word heart/ hearts...at least, in the 1984 edition of the NIV translation.

And we hit it right away in verse 1:

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.  'Heart' is the most frequently seen Hebrew word, Strong's 3820, Leb - inner man, mind will, heart, understanding.

Ok, this verse...is odd.  I looked up the Hebrew for all of it, and right off discovered that we have a word in this verse that is unique...this is the only place Strong's H4633 maarak is used, although the root word from which it is derived, Strong's H6186, arak, is used several dozen times..  Maarak is noun; arak is a verb, meaning to arrange, set or put or lay in order; set in array; prepare, order, ordain, handle, furnish, esteem, equal, direct, compare.  So it makes sense that the noun derived from this would be plan, counsel, arrangement,...and there is a note that indicates that Prov. 16:1 is a plural constructions, so...plans, counsels, arrangements.

My paraphrase is...The heart of man makes plans, but God has the final say.  And that is absolutely a paraphrase, but it does make sense.

I should not have said I was 'making it easy on myself', lol.  Moving on...

The LORD detests all the proud of heart.  Be sure of this:  They will not go unpunished. -- Prov. 16:5: 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Again, an interesting verse.  My first thought was that punishment is usually connected with the wicked, but here...it is the proud who are guaranteed punishment.  And, in our current society, pride is not considered so terribly sinful.  So I looked up the Hebrew here, too, and found that 'proud' is Strong's H1362, gaba - high, proud, haughty.  I also found that 'be sure of this'...the phrase in the NIV...is actually 'hand joined in hand' in the Hebrew.  Idiomatic speech?  Or is it a reference to deal making...joining hands or, as we do now, shaking hands.  

I dug through and came up with "All proud Hearted  (are an) abomination (to) Yawheh, hand (to) hand be cut off not unpunished."

Suddenly I realized that 'hand to hand' does indicate a deal struck or an assurance that the proud hearted would be cut off and not unpunished.  So that does make sense in an idiomatic way.

But it occurred to me that God is not the subject of the verb in the Hebrew..as in the NIV, which reads 'The LORD detests' (NIV); in Hebrew, the subject is the Proud... 'The proud in heart are an abomination to the LORD'.  That's a pretty subtle difference, but I do think it is worth noting.  I think we have a tendency to subconsciously blame God for the offense sin is to him.  But I believe the nature of sin...whatever it is...is so opposite to the nature of God that it cannot come into his presence.  Like...what happens if you try to bring darkness into light?  It can't be done.  The nature of light dispels darkness.  The nature of God obliterates sin...and anything hanging on to it. And a proud heart, that refuses to heed/ submit/ consider God or his word...what hope has that heart of the necessary repentance?  No wonder it it an abomination to God.

Whew.  This is heavy stuff today...

Next...

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps -- Prov. 16:9; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

This is basically a repetition of the thought in the first verse...Man makes plans, but God in still in charge.  Recovery after the workout, lol.

The wise in heart are called discerning, and pleasant words promote instruction. -- Prov. 16:21; once again, 'Heart'  is  H3820.  There is a marginal reading noted in my NIV...pleasant words make a man persuasive.  Seeing the notes; I'm going to go ahead and list the last verse for today as well..

A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction -- Prov 16:23; heart is still H3820, and the marginal reading is ...heart guides his mouth, and makes his lips persuasive.

These two verses really say the same thing; wisdom resides in the heart and manifests in speech. The fine line between instruction and persuasion probably doesn't matter much here.  One who listens to a wise person will receive the instruction and be persuaded to follow it.

A blessed Resurrection Sunday to all!

Blogging Bible Study - The Heart of the Matter: Proverbs, part 4

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

We are midway through Proverbs on our look at 'heart/ hearts' as translated by the NIV 84, and, as there are several reverences in chapters 14 and 15, that's our portion for this week's study.  And, as expected, these verses don't possess any kind of continuity, so it is a challenge to dig into this...but perhaps it's not meant to be too deep.

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.  - Prov. 14: 10; 'Heart' is  our old friend Strong's H3820, leb- inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.

This is an interesting proverb, one that I really hadn't paid much mind to before.  But...yeah,   The emotions of the heart are...in the heart.  We can try to express it; we can try to understand someone else's emotions, but ultimately, it's only fully expressed in the heart.

Another cheerful proverb...(koff koff)

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief. - Prov. 14:13; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

A fickle thing is our heart; to go from one extreme to the next in an instant...or even experience two conflicting emotions at the same time.  Especially in times of grief.... such as happiness for a current situation while still missing the person who, for whatever reason, is not present.

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. -- Prov. 14: 30; 'Heart' is, again, H 3820.

It is interesting that the state of the emotions (heart) is stated as having an effect on the physical body, even as long ago as Solomon's kingdom.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known. -- Prov. 14:33; ....H3820 again.

There is some discrepancy about the translation of the second statement; some read as the NIV...that wisdom is even found among fools;  but some translations indicate that what is in the fool will make itself known.  I think both things are true.  Wisdom is always available to anyone who decides to pursue it...even someone who has been in pursuit of folly.  And for the person who continually chooses folly...the contents of his/ her spirit will be manifested.  Either way.  But...for someone who develops that spirit of discernment...wisdom is easily accessible.

On to chapter 15.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools. -- Prov. 15:7; you guessed it - H3820.  

A fool's heart does NOT spread wisdom.  There is none there to share.

Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD -- how much more the hearts of men! -- Prov. 15:11;   'hearts' here is Strong's 3826, liba -- heart. (feminine noun).

In the Hebrew, 'Death and Destruction' are literally places...Sheol (H7585) - hell, grave, the pit;  and Abbadon (H11), the place of destruction, ruin.  If God can see into these places, which are not of this world...how much more easily can he see into the hearts of people, which are right here?  And that whole 'God knows my heart' thing...Yes.  He does.  Absolutely and without deceit.  He KNOWS.

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.  All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.-- Prov. 15:13-15;  all three references are H3820.

Spirit crushing heartache is contrasted with the cheerful face because...it shows.    Even if we try not to let it show...it slips out.   Which also means we need to be aware of the countenance of those around us who might need a bit of encouragement.  A fool feeding on folly is contrasted with a wise person seeking knowledge...the heart desires to increase what's there.  And a cheerful heart can even overcome oppression....which reminds me of Corrie Ten Boom's sister Betsy, who found something to rejoice about in every situation...even the flea infestation in their barracks, because the German guards would not come in, due to the fleas, and the ladies could have their precious Bible study times undetected.

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. -- Prov. 15:28; H 3820 again.

Oooo....how quick am I to spout off the first thing that pops into mind?  That has gotten me into hot water more times than I can count...I am learning, far too slowly, to weigh my answers.

And the last verse for today...

A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.  -- Prov. 15:30; H3820 again.

A true observation if ever there was one.

Blogging Bible Study: the Heart of the Matter - Proverbs, part 3

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Verse 1 in chapter 10 of Proverbs begins "The proverbs of Solomon:" ...and we begin a journey through a rather random compilation of Solomon's wise sayings; some of which get repeated.  We're not really going to be dealing with a general train of thought, as we were in the earlier chapters we covered.  So I'm just going to take the next 7 verses that mention heart/ hearts  as 'all I can manage today', lol.  Our first stop is Proverbs 10:8 - 

The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.  'Heart' is Strong's H3820, leb- inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding; which is the most common Hebrew word that we have seen.

This is a common device for Hebrew poetry...a phrase that is stated, and then either confirmed or contrasted.  We will see (statement) and/ but (statement) over and over again as we look at these proverbs.  

Remember the earlier posts in Proverbs, in which we found that the heart is where instruction is either embraced or rejected...this is echoing that.  One whose heart has wisdom to accept instruction is compared to someone who babbles his own mind instead...and has a less than desirable outcome. 

Moving on to verse 20 of the same chapter:

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.  Heart is H3820 again.  

'Tongue of the righteous' would mean the words, speech, or teaching from a righteous person...contrasted with the heart (where wisdom is embraced or rejected) of a wicked person.  One has great value...the other has little.  Interesting that these two proverbs flip the discussion; the first is heart vs speech; the second is speech vs. heart.

The next one is...ominous...

The LORD detests men of perverse heart but delights in those whose ways are blameless.   -- Prov. 11:20; Heart is H3820 again.

Now we have God's perspective on the heart...and having a perverse (H6141 -Iqqes: Twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, perverted) heart is, well, a problem.  How do we reconcile that with 'God is love?'   The word the NIV translates as 'detests' is H8441, toeba -- a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.  It might be a shade more accurate to say 'A perverse heart is an abomination to the LORD', which is pretty close to the King James.   That actually makes the action of the statement on the heart...it's the perverse heart that's doing the thing; it wasn't initiated by God.  If a thing is detestable, abominable...then the reasonable reaction is to despise, detest, abhor that thing.  However, the ball is in the heart's court.  God does provide a way to correct and renew a perverse heart....and thus become a delight.  This isn't two different people here...it's two different life choices.

Pauses to think on that a moment before continuing...

I  am quickly coming to expect that any verse with 'heart' in it in Proverbs is going to expound on the same theme.

There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace. -- Prov. 12:20; 'Heart' is once more H3820.

Deceit and joy seem to be different kinds of things...like, deceit is an action while joy is an emotion or experience.  How does our impression of 'deceit' (H4820 - mirma: deceit, treachery) change if we consider it to be a state comparable to 'joy'?  As in, deceit has an effect on the individual...comparable to the effect of joy?  Deceit as an emotional state?  The result upon oneself from plotting evil...planning wrong doing...  I am suddenly reminded of a post I recently saw on social media, talking about a particular actor who was constantly in character of the villain he portrayed (I am deliberately being vague to avoid search engine hits) .  Problem was, that character was so dark and so twisted that the actor couldn't shake it off...and died of a drug overdose soon after completing the filming.  Even actual pretend evil...had a horrible effect.

A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.   Prov. 12:23; 'heart' is H3820 once again.  

This brings to mind a modern proverb...maybe from Will Rodgers?...'Better to keep one's mouth shut and be considered a fool than to start talking and remove all doubt.'  This one is hard, for one who has just discovered she's in the half of the population that has a continuous inner narration going on.  I have words  coming out my ears, lol, and too often I have spoken when it would have been much better to hold my peace.  In those cases I usually didn't have all the background info, or I had heard something out of context, or whatever, and by talking I proved that I didn't know squat about the subject. Because it was a heart-level ignorance.  Folly.   Ouch.  Humiliation is bitter...but it isn't fatal and can be educational.  If we allow it.

An anxious heart weights a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.  Prov. 12:25; 'heart' is ...you guessed it...H3820.    

Another video I recently saw on social media (Facebook Reels is a bottomless time-sucking pit, but there are some gems there.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad...) made the point that studies have shown that all it takes is 8 minutes with a friend to help pull someone out of a anxious spot.  "Do you have 8 minutes?" became, to the individual and a friend, a code phrase meaning...'I really need an encouraging word right now'.  I think that's a great idea. Encouragement is a gift...and it doesn't cost anything but  a few minutes of time.

The last verse for today is Prov. 13:12, which is a familiar one:

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  Of course, 'heart' is H3820.

Funny thing about humans, though...we focus on the deferred hope and kinda ignore the fulfilled longings.  Sure, there are things that I have been hoping for ...for years...and if I focused on those things I could get very, very blue.  But in so many ways I am living my dream...and I tend to take that all for granted. The antidote to the 'hope deferred' illness is...gratefulness for the fulfilled longings.  

And that is a good selah spot to stop for this week...