Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Ecclesiastes, Part 1

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Our stroll through the  Bible looking at words the NIV 84 translated as "heart" or "hearts" has brought us to the rather gloomy book of Ecclesiastes.   Sarcasm, cynicism, delusion, and finally recognition of the actual wisdom of living in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to his commandments.

So, we can expect some rather pessimistic opinions as we search through this book; as we are only looking at verses that contain 'Heart/ Hearts', we likely will not see the conclusion at the end.  But we will definitely see the grappling the author (who refers to himself as 'The Teacher' and is believed to be Solomon himself, from the clues about his wisdom, his riches, his building program and, um, other characteristics) did with the Big Questions of Life.

I've split this up into four chunks of roughly an equal number of verses; today, we're looking at chapter 2, which starts right off with a verse containing 'Heart':

I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good."  But that also proved to be meaningless.  -- Ecc. 2:1; 'Heart' is the familiar Strong's H 3820 - Leb: inner man, mind will, heart, understanding. 

The Teacher is not really discussing his searching with anyone else...this is something that is internal.  He himself is asking questions of life, looking for answers and meaning; something that satisfied his heart ('I will test you').

I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.  I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well -- the delights of the heart of man. -- Ecc. 2:8 the word translated 'Heart' isn't 'heart' at all in the Hebrew...it's Strong's 254, ben, which means  son, grandson, child, member of a group. 

The KJV translates that phrase 'the delights of the sons of men' and 'harem'  is translated 'musical instruments'...but when I looked up that phrase, (Strong's H 7705,sida),  I found that, while the word literally means musical instrument...the usage implies wife, concubine or harem.  A polite euphemism, perhaps?  In any case, these are all things that will delight men in general, so I suppose the implication is that if a thing delights a man, it certainly delights his heart.  But that's an interesting translation decision.  I checked the Amplified, which is probably the plainest of the three in exactly what the delight is: 'I provided for myself male singers and female singers and the delights and pleasures of men -- many concubines.'  As we know, Solomon had a ridiculous number of concubines....

I am going to chase a rabbit here; something that always comes up when I'm looking at Solomon, by looking at the requirements God had for a king, way back in Deuteronomy 17:16 - 20:

The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt t get more of them, for the LORD has told you, "You are not to go back that way again.  He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.  He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.  When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the priests, who are Levites.  It is to be with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself  better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left.  Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

I find it rather telling that the Teacher freely admits to failing almost all of these requirements (we also know from other passages that Solomon sent to Egypt for a passle of horses...2 Chron. 1:14, 16); we can infer that he also failed the main one...to make himself a copy of the Law and read it daily.  This was not just a suggestion, but there's no evidence that any king followed that instruction; certainly Solomon didn't or he would have recognized his errors.  I'm just going to link an old post about the value of reading God's word for oneself, then consider that rabbit run to ground and go back to the topic at hand....

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.  -- Ecc. 2:10-11;  both instances of 'heart' are H3820.

He does allow that the delight his heart took in his accomplishments was the reward for his work, but ultimately decided that didn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things.  It didn't last; it had no eternal value.

 He considered living wisely vs. living foolishly or even madly, and concluded that it was better to be wise than foolish...but, again, ultimately it didn't matter.

Then I thought in my heart, "The fate of the fool will overtake me also.  What do I gain by being wise?"  I said in my heart, "This too is meaningless."  For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten.  Like the fool, the wise man too must die!  -- Eccl 2: 15 - 16;  both instances of 'heart' are H 3820 again.

I have written a note in the margin of my Bible here -- 'Not quite ...we all still remember Solomon.  He was not considering legacy.'  Solomon, in his despondency, did not consider all the writings he was leaving behind.  True, he faced the same physical fate as a foolish person, but he is not forgotten; in fact, he still has some degree of influence millennia after he penned those words.  I wonder if he could have seen into the future to know that we are still reading his writings and still learning from his history if he would feel like it was useless to pursue wisdom.  He failed to pass his wisdom to his son, but it was recorded for generations to come.

And because Solomon couldn't see the future value...he wrote

So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. -- Ecc. 2:20; 'heart' is H 3820 again.

I'm going to throw one more idea into this mix; the Enemy had an audience here.  That's his narrative.  'You're no good.  You're useless.  All this work you've done is for nothing.  It's not changing anything."  I dare say every one of us has heard that condemning voice at some point.  It's hard to realize that there might be another perspective...an eternal perspective...a legacy, a lesson that can come from all circumstances.  And if that voice can darken and burden the heart of someone as wise as the Teacher, then all of us need to be on guard against it.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Proverbs, part 9

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I have a ton of work that's all, like, urgent, so I ended up working yesterday (a normal off day) and today to try and get some work cranked out...which means I'm a bit late with this week's installment.  And we're going to be pushing through today but we will catch the last verses in Proverbs that mention 'heart/ hearts'...or at least, the ones translated that way in the 1984 edition of the New International Version.

We're starting in chapter 25 today, which begins with a note that the next batch of proverbs (through chapter 29, if I'm interpreting things correctly) were penned by Solomon, and copied by the order of King Hezekiah.  I'm kind of guessing the original  manuscripts were deteriorating, so Hezekiah had them copied to preserve the writings...but that's just a guess.

As the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable. -- Prov. 25:3; 'hearts' is Strong's H 3820, Leb - inner man, mind, will, heart understanding.   If you've been following this study, you know that's the most commonly used Hebrew word translated 'Heart'.

I am wondering what makes the heart of a king more unsearchable than the heart of any other person.  Maybe because their decisions affect so many people?  And the masses don't understand WHY someone would make those choices?  That's the best reasoning I can come up with for that statement...which could apply to anyone in a position of power, not just kings.

Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart. -- Prov. 25:20; 'heart' is H3820 again.

As anyone who's ever tried to cheer up a determinedly morose teenager knows...it's  not well received. But beyond teen angst is a heart that's genuinely grieving, and even well intended attempts to help can seem insensitive.  

Like a coating of glaze over earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.  A malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his heart, he harbors deceit.  Though his speech is charming, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.  Prov. 25:23-25;  'heart' is H3820 in verses 23 and 25, but verse 24 is  Strong's H7130, Qereb --midst, among, inner part, middle

Truly evil people have the ability to mask their agenda with a carefully calculated persona that seems to be friends, chums. allies...and then, when it benefits them,  betrayal.  Which can often be disguised further with a disclaimer of a misunderstanding.  An honest heart will not anticipate such actions and may get caught in multiple traps before realizing the truth:  that's a player at work.  And, what struck me there was that,  even if there is forgiveness...'do not trust him'.   Trusting someone who has broken trust is not a condition or characteristic of forgiveness.  A deceitful heart is not trustworthy.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel.   -- Prov. 27:9; 'heart' is H 3820.

I chuckled when I read that, because I have a sensitivity to most fragrances, and, generally speaking, perfume and incense bring me a raging headache, lol.  But I get the analogy.  The earnest counsel of a true friend (contrasted with the fake friend above) is a comfort and a joy.  Definitely not a headache.

Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt. -- Prov. 27:11; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

We have had the thought before that seeing one's children act wisely is a true source of joy to parents; but this goes just a step further...knowing that one's offspring are doing well and wisely goes a long way to handling someone's dismissive or even scornful treatment.  There really is nothing comparable to watching the kiddos do well...or the pain of watching them suffer because of poor decisions.  Both are very nearly physical sensations.

(It was really late Saturday when I was at that point and I hit a wall...it was crazy to stop with only two verses to go but I was done in.  Anyway, starting late and finishing later...)

As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man. -- Prov. 27:19; 'Heart' is H3820...again.

This is an interesting verse because the reflection in water is easily seen, but the reflection in the heart is not so easily seen....but what is in the heart certainly is the core of an individual.

And...the last verse to reference 'heart' in Proverbs is 28:14 - 

Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.  'Heart' is, once more, H3820

We have seen a number of verses referencing hardening ones' heart and I don't think I've said this before...I have come to the conclusion that 'hardening ones' heart' is basically a refusal to see/ hear the truth. Pharoah refused to hear Moses' request to let the people go, for example.  A hardened heart is not teachable.   Being teachable is one of the primary characteristics of personal growth, so one who is not teachable...is going to be rather stunted.  And it could be in just one or two areas...those stubborn places that we just don't want to yield to God.  The structure of the verse implies that the opposite of a hardened heart is the proper fear of the Lord.  Not being afraid...but awe and respect.    The fear of the Lord will protect from a hardened...unwilling, unhearing, unseeing...heart.

A good thought to ponder 

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Proverbs, Part 8

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ok, I am going to push it today; I don't have quite enough 'heart/hearts' verses in Proverbs for three more posts but going to make a couple of rather long posts, and I'm only covering two chapters.  Diving in...and including verses as necessary for context.

Do not eat the food of a stingy man, do not crave his delicacies; for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.  "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you. -- Prov. 23:6-7;  'Heart' is the familiar Strong's H3820, Leb - inner man, mind will, heart, understanding.

I read those verses and saw in my head the old Winnie-the-Pooh cartoon, in which he consumes all of Rabbit's honey, while Rabbit is saying, while shaking his head, "Are you sure you won't have some more?"  This is just fatherly advice here; read the room, lol.

Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.  -- Prov. 23:12; 'heart' is H3820 again.

This is pretty much the theme of Proverbs;  the importance about being intentional to obtain knowledge and wisdom.  It takes intentionality to apply one's heart to anything.

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad. -- Prov. 23:15;  both instances of 'heart' are H 3820.

As a parent...I can confirm that this is absolutely so.  I have joked that it's harder to be a parent than to be a college student... in college, you study hard, take the test, know immediately if you did well or messed up.  In parenting...it's 20ish years before you find out if you messed it up or not.  Seeing the offspring make wise decisions/ speak wise words is one of the greatest reliefs known, lol.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. -- Prov. 23:17; Heart is H3820 once more.

I would say being zealous for the fear of the Lord is protection against developing envy for anyone...the temporal pleasures they have are all pretty shallow compared to the glory of God.  If the fear of the Lord is valued; the temptation to envy others will not have anywhere to flourish.

Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path. -- Prov. 23:19; 'heart' is, again, H3820.

Once more, wisdom is  shown to be intentionally attained (by listening) and equated with keeping the heart...and by implication, one's life...on the right path.  Of course, this also implies that there are paths that are not right...so that's worth a bit of consideration as well.

And the wise father offers one more way to the son to avoid evil influences:

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways. -- Prov. 23:26; 'heart' is, again, H3820.

Basically, dad is saying "follow my example".  Of course, that means that dad is confident that his life has been committed to the zeal of the Lord, to seeking wisdom and listening to wise counselors.  If there is no other reason to do those things, setting the example for our kids to follow would be enough.

On to the next chapter....

Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about making trouble.   -- Prov. 24: 1-2; 'hearts' is, once more Strong's H3820.

This strikes me as quite a contrast to the discussion of  'heart' in the previous chapter...that is, the heart that is wise, is applied to seeking wisdom, is following the wisdom of parents...these are hearts that plot violence and whose conversation is about causing trouble.  Confirms that there ARE hearts that are consumed with wickedness.

 If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?  Does not he who guards your life know it?  Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?  -- Prov.24:12; 'Heart' is Strongs H3826, Liba, which is the noun meaning 'heart'.  Like, the actual organ is weighed.

Feigned ignorance will not avail. This has popped up before...God KNOWS our hearts. He knows if we have just ignored something, if we've stuck our fingers in our ears and sang 'la la la' to avoid knowing a thing.  The verse before is actually a reference to rescuing folks who are heading for destruction, but I think it can apply to any area in which we rather artfully avoid confronting and acknowledging truth.

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice.  -- Prov. 24:17; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Schadenfreude is a real temptation.  Oh, how glorious to see an opponent...an antagonist...even just someone who has behaved in an entitled manner...get served a heaping helping of humble pie.  But.  You know, sooner or later, every one of us will have that plate set in front of us to consume.  Snarky responses to another's pain...deserved or not...has a way of biting back. Much better to remember that we are all fallible and if that person stumbled this week...it may be me next week.    Rather, pray that they learn something of God's grace while they're down.

One more verse today...and it's in the middle of a long thought.  The author observed the property of someone known to be lazy and lacking in judgement; seeing the thorns and the weeds and the fallen stone wall, he considers the situation.

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: -- Prov. 24:32; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Sometimes wisdom comes not just from listening to those older and wiser, but from keen observation of cause and effect around us. The author noted in the next couple of verses that it doesn't take much neglect of responsibility to result in chaos.

One more week in Proverbs, ya'll.  It has been kind of interesting to see that the verses are, by and large, repeating the same themes.

I Left it in the Water....

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Something happened this weekend that surprised me as much as anyone....but, of course, there's a story...and I gotta start way back...get a cup of tea or coffee and settle in; there's a lot here, lol.

My faithful friends who have been reading the blog since I started back in 2008 have been with me through highs and lows and struggles and confessions...all the stuff of life.  So, some of this will sound a little familiar, perhaps.

My church believes in inner healing ministry.  I was first exposed to it back in 2002; our co-pastor, who would just be called the pastor's wife in many churches, led a ladies study of a book called Prayers that Heal the Heart.  That was a completely new area for me; the concepts of  identifying lies we'd believed and lived by, and forgiving ourselves and others for the messes those lies caused, were paradigm shifting.

I did the class twice.

Years later, the church offered a curriculum called 'Elijah House', which went deeper into the same subject matter.   I kinda felt like I had covered it well enough,  and there were one or two points that I had heard about in that curriculum that I wasn't sure I could agree with.  And, at the time, I was teaching two - three classes per week in the Girls' ministry, so I didn't have time to listen to the CD lessons, read the books, answer the questions, and attend a 5.5 hour class every other week for three months.  Nonetheless, there were folks who worked in that ministry who were ....strongly encouraging me to take the class.  'Everyone needs it!' They'd say.  

I dodged it for quite a while, but when the classes I was teaching ended in 2014 I didn't have a good excuse anymore.  So, just being honest, I took the first and second level classes, which were what was offered at our church, so I wouldn't have to fend off the encouragers, lol.  The classes were good; and yes, there was one particular area that I just could not fall in line with, but overall I did learn.  

I also went to Rita Springer's DIVE school that fall, and in the gift bag that all students got was a set of CD's of Gateway church's inner healing ministry.  I've listened to them two or three times through...and they are very good .

In 2018 or maybe early 2019, a couple of ladies from Bethel came and took us through a Sozo class...which is Bethel's inner healing model.  It was somewhat different from the Prayers that Heal the heart/ Elijah House model, and I would like to study that more; it had a stronger emphasis on helping others.

So... over the last 20ish years, I've had a good bit of inner healing coursework, and I came to the conclusion that inner healing basically boils down to 1) forgiveness...of ones' self, others who, intentionally or not, caused wounds, and even recognizing that it was possible to be offended with God over those things; and 2) dealing with the truth.

So, you can imagine my apathy towards a new class we implemented last fall, replacing Elijah House.  Based on the Freedom curriculum from Church of the Highlands, it's nine classes, with small group discussion and a workbook, followed by a conference at the end of the semester.  Our first class was last fall; I worked registration at the conference but could hear most of the sessions on the speakers in the lobby, even if I wasn't in the auditorium.  I was very impressed by one thing...there is a boatload of individual prayer ministry.  There are 7 short sessions, composed mostly of the teacher's own testimony of being delivered from (pride, anger, fear, etc).  Then...and this is the secret sauce...every single person in the conference is directed to the prayer line, where one of the trained prayer workers will talk the individual through identifying the particular lie related to that session, asking for forgiveness for believing and partnering with the lie, forgiving the individual(s) who caused or who reinforced the lie, renouncing the lie, and replacing the lie with the truth about that aspect of life from the scripture.  They ended the conference by having water baptism available for those who wanted,

By the time the conference is over, every single person there will have been prayed for, individually and intentionally, for anywhere from about 35 minutes to an hour.  THAT, my friend, is life changing.  Like I said, I was impressed.

But...you know, I've been through all this inner healing stuff before.  I really didn't want to do it again.  But our Wednesday night offerings were slim, due to construction in the building, and, again, I was getting lots of 'encouragement' from folks to go through the class, lol. And, to be honest, I had a bit of a nudge in my spirit that this was the opportunity, before I had classes to teach again, to do the Freedom class.  And maybe...just maybe...work through some of the disquiet I have been increasingly dealing with.  So I took a deep breath and signed up.  

If I were not familiar with inner healing by now, I probably would have had the same reaction to the course I had back in Prayers that Heal the Heart.  Now, I was reading along, answering questions, and writing out scripture verses with agreement.  Our small group discussion was warm and embracing and really good; I loved that.  We didn't just go through the lesson questions...like we did in Elijah House...we discussed the topics and how they related to our personal struggles. We talked about living out of self versus living out of faith, God's love and mercy, etc.

In addition to this personal contemplation, on Palm Sunday, our pastor did the altar time a bit differently; he specifically wanted just the staff pastoral team to do the altar time, so, he said, the leaders could take advantage of the prayer ministry instead of being the ones called upon to do it.  And, over the course of the message I finally put language to that vague disquiet that had been growing...deep discouragement, in a number of areas.  It's possible that the long-time readers may pick up on some of those areas, but there are a couple  that I haven't shared here.  I knew that awesome prayer time was coming at the end of the Freedom class, and I was tempted to just wait and deal with it there...and then I thought, let's get this one taken care of now, so I'll have one thing out of the way at conference.   Just confessing the discouragement to my friend on staff who prayed for me felt like a shift.

The following Wednesday was  the next-to-last  Freedom lesson, which was the lesson that actually specifically dealt with those lies that shape how we see ourselves and interact with others.  Again, I've done it before so I was just cruising through the workbook, doing my homework before class, nodding at the illustration of dealing with the lie of worthlessness...until I got to the part that said 'Pray forgiveness over the person that spoke worthlessness over you.'...and immediately had a memory from when I was about 9 of something my grandfather said.  Followed by a few more things that he'd said as I grew older, followed by memories of things he didn't say.

I had internalized that message of worthlessness and, despite all the previous coursework, had never dealt with it fully.  Did some work that day...and my resistance to the process got a big crack.  Another shift.

Now I was really starting to believe I could see a change.  At Tuesday night prayer last week, before the conference, in which we have the freedom to walk around the sanctuary and worship and pray and personally take communion...I took my little communion packet to the balcony and sat down on the floor in the alcove behind the projection screen...and asked God to show me what I needed to deal with over the weekend.

I had three mental pictures, back to back, in short order.  The first appeared to be a storage unit...about garage sized...which was empty but the floor was littered with dust, grime, broken plastic bits, shreds of paper and cardboard, etc.  It was especially dirty in the corners and along the edges of the floor.  Empty...but not clean.  The second picture was the sludge in the bottom of my coffee pot, after the coffee is poured out.  The third was a big lump of Pla-Doh, which was rather old and stiff and just a little crusty.  By Friday, the day the conference started, I'd come to the conclusion that  I needed a fresh start.  All the old positions I'd held, ministries I'd worked in; projects or productions I'd worked on...that were now not involving me for one reason or another...I needed to Let. Them. Go.  I was no longer going to be the former (whatever) or the sometimes (other job) or looking for opportunities to bring back one spot or another.  It's all OVER.  Time to move on.

And you know, I got several confirmations in that prayer time over the weekend of fresh vision, new opportunities, moving on.

I went home Saturday evening feeling encouraged and on the verge of something new.  This year they did not have a baptismal service at the end of the conference, because our every-other-month regular church baptism service was Sunday, the very next day.  They were signing people up for that  at the conference.  And I found myself considering signing up for baptism. 

Now, I committed my life to Jesus and was baptized just before I turned 10.  I remember it; I was sincere.  I grew up loving Jesus and, while there are definitely moments that I wish I had made better choices, they were of the humiliating variety, not the life altering variety.  I had worked through some areas of disappointment and not understanding.  I never felt like I needed to do a rededication or a rebaptism...not even when I went to Israel and could have been baptized in the Jordan river. So my first reaction to that idea was to scoff at it.  But I couldn't shake it. That evening,  I talked to my hubby about it and he was supportive. Finally...since I had the power as the data base admin...I signed myself up and went to bed.

And...interesting...when I went to Israel I came very close to getting a small tattoo.  The only thing that prevented it was a terrorist attack that closed the gates to the old city so we couldn't get to the 600 year old tattoo business. The night before we were scheduled to go, I had a very odd sensation that, the next morning, I would be changing the definition of myself by getting a tattoo.  When I went to bed after submitting the registration form I had the exact same emotional reaction...that, with the morning, my perception of myself would change.

I was actually working registration for baptism, so I was last on the list.  Of course, my hubby's camera glitched out on him as he was taking photos, but the church photographer got pics.

And I do feel like there has been a shift.  I have no idea what...if anything outside of just abiding in God's love...is in the near future.  But I don't have to worry about it.  I left that in the water.

Blogging Bible Study: The Heart of the Matter - Proverbs Part 7

 Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I have to keep reminding myself that it doesn't matter how long it takes....although I do admit to being kind of ready to hit some continuity again.  But, Proverbs jumps around so grab your pogo stick and jump with me...we are in the last third of Proverbs, looking at verses containing 'Heart/ hearts'.

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.  -- Prov. 21:1; 'heart' is the familiar Strong's H3820, Leb  - inner man, mind ,will, heart, understanding.

At first glance, this sounds like God just pulls puppet strings to make kings behave as he wishes...which flies in the face of the doctrine of free will. But it could be that this passage is referring to THE king...likely Solomon...who, at least at the moment the proverb was written, had committed his heart to God. That could easily be a prayer of my own...that God would direct my heart according to his desires.  But it could also be referring to the fact that God does direct history towards his purposes, ultimately, even allowing for free will of individuals.  We can see in the accounts of the history of the Israelites that when the king's heart was turned towards God, coming judgement was delayed.

All a man's ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart. -- Prov. 21:2; 'Heart' is the literal Hebrew word for 'heart', Strong's 3826, libbah. It's crazy but that's only the 5th time we've seen this word used so far in the whole study...

This is another reference to self-deception, I believe.  God knows the true motives...regardless of how each of us spins our own actions to make them seem reasonable to us.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin! -- Prov. 21:4 'Heart' is, again, H3820.

However,  the word translated 'lamp' is H5215, nir, which means 'untilled or fallow ground'...it's the same word used in Hos. 10:12 'break up your fallow ground'.  That throws a whole different spin on that verse. Before I checked the interlinear, I was going to talk about the 'Lamp' of the wicked meaning the light by which they see; their pride distorting everything.  But the haughty look and proud heart as fallow ground...untilled, unprofitable, unbroken ground...that carries the connotation of a stubborn refusal to work that soil.  Whichever way that comparison goes, there is no mincing of words here... it is sin. With an exclamation point in the NIV.

He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. -- Prov. 22:11 ; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

This is a person of integrity...pure heart, gracious speech.  If you read this from the viewpoint of the king, who likely wrote it...this is the kind of person the king wants for his friends; it's the kind of friends anyone would want, but especially those in positions of power.  This is a trustworthy individual.

Oh, this one is a hot potato:

Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.  -- Prov. 22:15; 'Heart' is H3820 again.

Let's take the, um, least controversial approach here and just say that the 'rod of discipline' represents unpleasant consequences...you can interpret that as you will.  The truth is that, unpleasant consequences will bring about changes in behavior...if applied consistently and fairly.  Unfair or inconsistent discipline results in...rebellion.  The degree of ...unpleasantness...needed depends on the child.  Some very sensitive kids respond to a stern rebuke; others need a more emphatic consequence.  But the point is that, without discipline, that foolish bent will never be corrected.

Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.   -- Prov. 22:17-18; 'Heart' is H3820 in verse 17, and, in verse 18,  H990, beten (belly, womb, body.) ...'heart' was clearly selected as 'center of the body', which is a very minor stretch.  

I get the notion of acting out of the gut feeling...which is influenced by the teachings of the wise. If one pays attention, listens, considers well wise teachings, then those teachings get down deep into the individual...to use a common illustration, when the pressure's on, those teachings are what will come out.  And NOTHING is as gratifying to a teacher/ mentor as hearing those wise teachings applied in a timely fashion by the student.  It is, indeed, pleasant to hear those lessons repeated back in real time.