The Condition of the Heart Revealed in Scripture
The biblical understanding of the "heart" encompasses the core of human existence, serving as the center of spiritual activity, emotions, thoughts, and reasoning [5, 13]. It is considered the "home of the personal life" [5]. Scripture frequently uses "heart" and "soul" interchangeably, though not always [5].
The condition of the heart is a recurring theme throughout the Old and New Testaments. God is depicted as knowing the secrets of the heart and searching it out [1, 6]. For instance, Psalm 44:21 states, "won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart" [1]. Similarly, Jeremiah 17:10 affirms that God searches the heart [6]. The heart's condition can be revealed, leading to worship, as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:25: "And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed" [2].
Scripture describes various states of the heart. A "healed heart" is associated with life, while envy is linked to "rottenness to the bones" [3]. The heart can be wise, pure, upright, righteous, pious, and good [5]. Conversely, hearts can perish, as in Jeremiah 4:9, where "the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes" [4].
The concept of a "stubborn heart" or "uncircumcised heart" signifies a lack of love for God and persistent disobedience [8]. God promises to "circumcise" such hearts, enabling people to love Him [8]. This transformation involves replacing a "stony, stubborn heart" with a "tender, responsive heart" (a "heart of flesh") and receiving a "new spirit" [10, 11]. This new heart and spirit signify a complete change in one's nature, including new appetites, purified passions, enlightened understanding, corrected judgment, and refined will [12].
A renewed heart is characterized by seeking God, being fixed on Him, and finding joy in Him [7]. It is described as perfect with God, upright, clean, pure, tender, single, sincere, honest, good, broken, contrite, and obedient [7]. Such a heart is filled with God's law, awed by His word, and filled with the fear of God [7]. The prayer that God would "lead" or "make straight" hearts reflects an Old Testament expression, emphasizing the desire for hearts to love as God loves and practice patient endurance [9]. This internal change leads to undivided loyalty to the Lord [10].
Sources
- Psalms “won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart. -- Psalms 44:21”
- 1 Corinthians “And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God is among you indeed. -- 1 Corinthians 14:25”
- Proverbs “Proverbs 14:30 (YLT) — A healed heart <FI>is<Fi> life to the flesh, And rottenness to the bones <FI>is<Fi> envy.”
- Jeremiah ““It shall happen at that day,” says Yahweh, “that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.” -- Jeremiah 4:9”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Heart — According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. "Heart" and "soul" are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp. Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33), but this is not generally the case. The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Gen. 20:5, 6; Ps. 11:2; 78:72), pious and good (Luke 8:15), etc. In these and such passages the word "soul" could not ”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, The — Issues of life are out of -- Pr 4:23. God Tries. -- 1Ch 29:17; Jer 12:3. Knows. -- Ps 44:21; Jer 20:12. Searched. -- 1Ch 28:9; Jer 17:10. Understands the thoughts of. -- 1Ch 28:9; Ps 139:2. Ponders. -- Pr 21:2; 24:12. Influences. -- 1Sa 10:26; Ezr 6:22; 7:27; Pr 21:1; Jer 20:9. Creates a new. -- Ps 51:10; Eze 36:26. Prepares. -- 1Ch 29:18; Pr 16:1. Opens. -- Ac 16:14. Enlightens. -- 2Co 4:6; Eph 1:18. Strengthens. -- Ps 27:14. Establishes. -- Ps 112:8; 1Th 3:13. Should be Prepared to God. -- 1Sa 7:3. Given to God. -- Pr 23:26. Perfect with God. -- 1Ki 8:”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, Character of the Renewed — Prepared to seek God -- 2Ch 19:3; Ezr 7:10; Ps 10:17. Fixed on God -- Ps 57:7; 112:7. Joyful in God -- 1Sa 2:1; Zec 10:7. Perfect with God -- 1Ki 8:61; Ps 101:2. Upright -- Ps 97:11; 125:4. Clean -- Ps 73:1. Pure -- Ps 24:4; Mt 5:8. Tender -- 1Sa 24:5; 2Ki 22:19. Single and sincere -- Ac 2:46; Heb 10:22. Honest and good -- Lu 8:15. Broken, contrite -- Ps 34:18; 51:17. Obedient -- Ps 119:112; Ro 6:17. Filled with the law of God -- Ps 40:8; 119:11. Awed by the word of God -- Ps 119:161. Filled with the fear of God -- Jer 32:40. Meditat”
- 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).”
- 2 Thessalonians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Thessalonians 3:5: 3:5 The prayer that God would lead (literally make straight) their hearts reflects an Old Testament expression (1 Chr 29:18; Prov 23:19). Christians are expected to love as God loves and practice patient endurance as Christ endured.”
- Ezek (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Ezek 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).”
- 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).”
- 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”
- Proverbs (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Proverbs 4:23: 4:23 In the Old Testament, the heart represents the center of emotions, thinking, and reasoning (e.g., Gen 6:5; Deut 4:29; Ps 131:1). The heart is crucial in the battle between wisdom and foolishness, between righteousness and evil (see Matt 5:8; 13:15; John 12:40; Rom 6:17).”