The Human Heart's Tendency to Wander from God
The human heart's tendency to wander from God is a pervasive theme in biblical and theological literature. According to the prophet Jeremiah, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" [9]. This propensity for sin and rebellion against God is rooted in the heart's natural inclination towards evil.
The biblical account describes the human heart as being prone to wickedness, with "the mind of the flesh" being "hostile towards God" [2]. The book of Proverbs notes that "the foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord" [3]. This rebelliousness is often associated with idolatry and the pursuit of worldly desires, as seen in Baruch 1:22, where the people are said to have "gone away every man after the inclinations of his own wicked heart, to serve strange gods, and to do evil in the sight of the Lord" [1].
The consequences of this tendency are severe. According to Torrey's Topical Textbook, backsliding, or turning away from God, is a serious offense that brings guilt and punishment [4]. The textbook also notes that spiritual death, or alienation from God, is a consequence of the fall and is characterized by carnal-mindedness, spiritual ignorance, and unbelief [5].
Theological traditions have long recognized the human heart's propensity for sin. John Gill's commentary on Proverbs 27:7 notes that a person who wanders from their place is like a bird that leaves its nest, exposed to danger and prey [7]. Similarly, Matthew Henry's commentary on Psalms 14:1 describes sin as a malignant and epidemic disease that affects humanity [10].
The biblical account also highlights the role of temptation in leading individuals astray. Torrey's Topical Textbook identifies the devil as the author of temptation, which often arises through worldly desires, poverty, prosperity, and other factors [6]. The textbook notes that temptation can lead to a range of negative consequences, including sin and rebellion against God.
In understanding the human heart's tendency to wander from God, it is essential to recognize the complex interplay between human nature, sin, and temptation. As the biblical account and theological traditions attest, this tendency is a deeply ingrained aspect of the human condition, requiring a profound response of repentance and faith [4, 5].
The biblical writers and theologians offer a nuanced understanding of this issue, highlighting both the heart's natural inclination towards evil and the need for divine intervention to restore a right relationship with God. As Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's commentary on Genesis 14:12 notes, whenever we go out of the path of duty, we put ourselves away from God's protection [8].
Sources
- Baruch “Baruch 1:22 (DRC) — And we have gone away every man after the inclinations of his own wicked heart, to serve strange gods, and to do evil in the sight of the Lord our God.”
- Romans “because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be. -- Romans 8:7”
- Proverbs “Proverbs 19:3 (KJV) — The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Backsliding — Is turning from God -- 1Ki 11:9. Is leaving the first love -- Re 2:4. Is departing form the simplicity of the gospel -- 2Co 11:3; Ga 3:1-3; 5:4,7. God is displeased at -- Ps 78:57,59. Warnings against -- Ps 85:8; 1Co 10:12. Guilt and consequences of -- Nu 14:43; Ps 125:5; Isa 59:2,9-11; Jer 5:6; 8:5,13; 15:6; Lu 9:62. Brings its own punishment -- Pr 14:14; Jer 2:19. A haughty spirit leads to -- Pr 16:18. Proneness to -- Pr 24:16; Ho 11:7. Liable to continue and increase -- Jer 8:5; 14:7. Exhortations to return from -- 2Ch 30:6; Isa 31:6; Jer 3:12,14,22;”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Death, Spiritual — Alienation from God is -- Eph 4:18. Carnal-mindedness is -- Ro 8:6. Walking in trespasses and sins is -- Eph 2:1; Col 2:13. Spiritual ignorance is -- Isa 9:2; Mt 4:16; Lu 1:79; Eph 4:18. Unbelief is -- Joh 3:36; 1Jo 5:12. Living in pleasure is -- 1Ti 5:6. Hypocrisy is -- Re 3:1,2. Is a consequence of the fall -- Ro 5:15. Is the state of all men by nature -- Ro 6:13; 8:6. The fruits of, are dead works -- Heb 6:1; 9:14. A call to arise from -- Eph 5:14. Deliverance from, is through Christ -- Joh 5:24,25; Eph 2:5; 1Jo 5:12. Saints are raised from -- R”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Temptation — God cannot be the subject of -- Jas 1:13. Does not come from God -- Jas 1:13. Comes from Lusts. -- Jas 1:14. Covetousness. -- Pr 28:20; 1Ti 6:9,10. The devil is the author of -- 1Ch 21:1; Mt 4:1; Joh 13:2; 1Th 3:5. Evil associates, the instruments of -- Pr 1:10; 7:6; 16:29. Often arises through Poverty. -- Pr 30:9; Mt 4:2,3. Prosperity. -- Pr 30:9; Mt 4:8. Worldly glory. -- Nu 22:17; Da 4:30; 5:2; Mt 4:8. To distrust of God's providence -- Mt 4:3. To presumption -- Mt 4:6. To worshipping the god of this world -- Mt 4:9. Often strengthened by the perversi”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 27:7: As a bird that wandereth from her nest,.... To seek for food for herself and her young; or that leaves it without returning to it, and so her eggs or her young are exposed, and she herself liable to fall into the hands of birds of prey, or of the fowler, when she would be safe in her nest; as there was a law in Israel in her favour, Deu 22:6; or as one that is forced out and obliged to wander from place to place, Isa 16:2; so is a man that wandereth from his place; who, in time of famine and distress, goes into other parts for bread, as Jacob's sons went down into”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 14:12: they took Lot . . . and his goods, and departed--How would the conscience of that young man now upbraid him for his selfish folly and ingratitude in withdrawing from his kind and pious relative! Whenever we go out of the path of duty, we put ourselves away from God's protection, and cannot expect that the choice we make will be for our lasting good.”
- Jeremiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jeremiah 17:9: 17:9-10 By nature, the human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Only the Lord really knows how bad it is.”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 14:1: If we apply our hearts as Solomon did (Ecc 7:25) to search out the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness, these verses will assist us in the search and will show us that sin is exceedingly sinful. Sin is the disease of mankind, and it appears here to be malignant and epidemic. 1. See how malignant it is (Psa 14:1) in two things: - (1.) The contempt it puts upon the honour of God: for there is something of practical atheism at the bottom of all sin. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. We are sometimes tempted to think, "Surely there ne”