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New Heart Requirement in Old Testament Prophecies

The Old Testament prophecies, particularly in the book of Ezekiel, speak of a divine promise to bestow a "new heart" and a "new spirit" upon God's people [1, 2]. This concept signifies a profound internal transformation, moving beyond mere external adherence to the law.

Ezekiel 36:26 states, "I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" [1]. A similar promise appears in Ezekiel 11:19 [2]. Commentators understand the "new heart" to refer to the mind and will, while the "new spirit" denotes the motive and principle of action [4]. The "stony heart" is characterized as unimpressible and unfit for receiving spiritual truth, akin to the "stony ground" in the parable of the sower [4]. In contrast, the "heart of flesh" is described as impressible, docile, and receptive to God's word [4].

This promised transformation is not merely a human endeavor but a divine gift. While Ezekiel 18:31 commands individuals to "make you a new heart, and a new spirit," implying human responsibility, the prophecies in Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26 emphasize God's sovereign action: "I will give them" and "I will put within you" [4, 5, 8]. This highlights the interplay between human responsibility and divine grace, driving individuals to seek God's Holy Spirit for this internal change [8].

The "new heart" and "new spirit" represent a renewed nature, infused with new life, light, will, affections, and desires [6]. This renewal is often equated with the "new man" or "new creature" mentioned in the New Testament [6]. Adam Clarke suggests that this change involves purifying and refining appetites and passions, and renewing the mind, understanding, judgment, and will [7]. The "one heart" mentioned in Ezekiel 11:19 can signify a unified loyalty to God, in contrast to the previous state of distraction and idolatry [5, 9]. It also implies a collective unity among God's people in seeking Him [5].

This internal transformation is also linked to the concept of "circumcision of the heart." The physical circumcision of males marked God's covenant with Israel [10]. However, a "stubborn heart" (literally an "uncircumcised heart") indicates a lack of love for God and persistent disobedience [10]. God promised to "circumcise" these uncircumcised hearts, enabling His people to love Him, a theme echoed in Deuteronomy and Jeremiah [10].

The New Covenant, often referred to as the "new testament," is understood to supersede the "old covenant of works" [3]. Under this new covenant, God's laws are not merely external commands but are intrinsically written on people's minds and hearts [11]. This means that individuals would possess renewed hearts and minds, with God's law serving as an internal motivation for obedience [11]. This internal change contrasts with the Old Covenant, where people were commanded to take the law to heart, and kings were judged by their adherence to it [11]. The prophecies of a new heart and spirit thus anticipate a more profound and internal relationship with God, characterized by an inherent desire to follow His ways.

Sources

  1. Ezekiel “I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. -- Ezekiel 36:26”
  2. Ezekiel “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh; -- Ezekiel 11:19”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — (Luke 22:20), rather "New Covenant," in contrast to the old covenant of works, which is superseded. "The covenant of grace is called new; it succeeds to the old broken covenant of works. It is ever fresh, flourishing, and excellent; and under the gospel it is dispensed in a more clear, spiritual, extensive, and powerful manner than of old" (Brown of Haddington). Hence is derived the name given to the latter portion of the Bible. (See [438]TESTAMENT.)”
  4. Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 36:26: new heart--mind and will. spirit--motive and principle of action. stony heart--unimpressible in serious things; like the "stony ground" (Mat 13:5, Mat 13:20), unfit for receiving the good seed so as to bring forth fruit. heart of flesh--not "carnal" in opposition to "spiritual"; but impressible and docile, fit for receiving the good seed. In Eze 18:31 they are commanded, "Make you a new heart, and a new spirit." Here God says, "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." Thus the responsibility of man, and the sovereig”
  5. Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 11:19: I will give them--lest they should claim to themselves the praise given them in Eze 11:18, God declares it is to be the free gift of His Spirit. one heart--not singleness, that is, uprightness, but oneness of heart in all, unanimously seeking Him in contrast to their state at that time, when only single scattered individuals sought God (Jer 32:39; Zep 3:9) [HENGSTENBERG]. Or, "content with one God," not distracted with "the many detestable things" (Eze 11:18; Kg1 18:21; Hos 10:2) [CALVIN]. new spirit-- (Psa 51:10; Jer 31:33). Realized fully in th”
  6. Ezekiel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Ezekiel 36:26: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you,.... A "new heart" and a "new spirit" are one and the same; that is, a renewed one; renewed by the Spirit and grace of God; in which a new principle of life is put; new light is infused; a new will, filled with new purposes and resolutions; where new affections are placed, and new desires are formed; and where there are new delights and joys, as well as new sorrows and troubles; the same which in the New Testament is called the "new man", and the new creature, Eph 4:24. The Targum paraphrases i”
  7. Ezekiel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 36:26: A new heart also will I give you - I will change the whole of your infected nature; and give you new appetites, new passions; or, at least, the old ones purified and refined. The heart is generally understood to mean all the affections and passions. And a new spirit will I put within you - I will renew your minds, also enlighten your understanding, correct your judgment, and refine your will, so that you shall have a new spirit to actuate your new heart. I will take away the stony heart - That heart that is hard, impenetrable, and cold; the affections and passions”
  8. Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 18:31: Cast away from you--for the cause of your evil rests with yourselves; your sole way of escape is to be reconciled to God (Eph 4:22-23). make you a new heart--This shows, not what men can do, but what they ought to do: what God requires of us. God alone can make us a new heart (Eze 11:19; Eze 36:26-27). The command to do what men cannot themselves do is designed to drive them (instead of laying the blame, as the Jews did, elsewhere rather than on themselves) to feel their own helplessness, and to seek God's Holy Spirit (Psa 51:11-12). Thus the outwa”
  9. Ezekiel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ezekiel 11:19: 11:19 The external change in the fortunes of God’s people would be matched by an internal change; their singleness of heart would mark undivided loyalty to the Lord and replace their wayward affections of the past. A tender, responsive heart (literally a heart of flesh) would replace their stony, stubborn heart (literally the heart of stone), and in place of the old idolatrous spirit they would receive a new spirit (see 36:26-27).”
  10. Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 26:41: 26:41 Physical circumcision of males was the mark of God’s covenant with Israel (Gen 17:9-14; Exod 4:25-26). Stubborn hearts (literally uncircumcised hearts) do not love God and demonstrate it by persistent disobedience. God promised to “circumcise” Israel’s uncircumcised hearts so that the people could love him (see also Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; Ezek 36:25-27).”
  11. Hebrews (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Hebrews 8:10: 8:10 Under the old covenant, the people were commanded to take the words of the law to heart (Deut 32:46), and the kings of Israel and Judah were judged on whether or not they followed the law of God wholeheartedly (2 Kgs 10:31; 2 Chr 31:21). A difference in the new covenant is that God’s laws would be in people’s minds and on their hearts. People would have renewed hearts and minds, with God’s law as an intrinsic, internal motivation.”
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