The Heart of Man

If we understand what is at the core of every man in his flesh, it will help us to understand exactly what it is that God is calling us to turn from.  It is helpful to understand what went wrong in order to better understand our new heart and what we are to do.

This brings us all the way back to the Tree of Knowledge in the garden of Eden.  Have you ever pondered what was so wrong about knowing right from wrong?  It seems to me that wisdom and discernment are some of the most precious gifts we receive from God.  So what went wrong?

Previous to the fall, Adam and Eve got everything they had from God; including all knowledge.  When they took knowledge for their own, it created a struggle within as they could now see for themselves the difference of good from evil.  Their eyes opened, and they acted upon their own knowledge.  In that moment, they became their own god and judged for themselves what was good and what was not good.  Similar to the Israelites demanding Samuel to give them a king, Adam and Eve rejected God as King and Daily Informant because they could see and act upon their knowledge.

This creates a problem for all Christians.  We are consistently challenged by our ability to judge in our flesh what is good and bad.  There is a constant temptation to take what we know and act on our own, without the Spirit of God.  He tells us that His thoughts are not ours, and He wants to inform us of His perspective.  This allows us to turn our own thoughts and desires to meet God’s will.  In the Old Testament, this information would come through a Prophet or the ephod, which was something the Priest wore in order to determine God’s will.  Today we have the Holy Spirit in us to inform us all day long!  This is just like the relationship Adam and Eve had with God before knowledge got in the way.  We have to be careful to receive all wisdom and discernment from Him about our circumstances, and not use our own knowledge to judge ourself and others.  (That was a free side note :)

Ok, let’s look at a man in the Bible to illustrate what this looks like in reality.  Saul was the anointed one to become Israel’s first king.  The Spirit of God came mightily upon Saul, and Samuel instructed him to do whatever he found to be done, and the Lord blessed Him.  God did what He said He would do and brought great deliverance to the Israelites through Saul.  It was a huge triumph for God and Saul in that day.

But pride crept in and tempted Saul to act on what he knew was good and right.  Saul had been instructed by God through Samuel to wait for Samuel in Gilgal.  Saul waited the seven long days.  Fear surrounded him as the humungous Philistine garrison loomed on the battlefield.  The Israelites were terrified and fled.  Against the Word of the Lord, Saul went ahead and made the burnt offering himself.  Right after the offering was made, Samuel arrived and questioned him.  In defense Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash, I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made the supplication to the Lord.  So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering.” (1 Sam 13:11-12)

You know, fear doesn’t sound like such a bad thing until it causes you to run ahead and rely on yourself.  The spirit of fear and pride hang out together.  One encourages the other.  Can you hear Saul’s self justification?  He totally went against the Lord.  He did his own thing based on the knowledge he had about God and what he believed to be right.  In another instance Saul had the guts to say to Samuel that he had “obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me.”  Samuel rebuked Saul and said, “Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam 15:22)  In other words, “you make your sacrifices based on your own knowledge and will.  I’m more concerned about you obeying my voice than following any set rules about religion.  I am God, not you.”  This is how knowledge of good and evil causes us to stumble: when knowledge leads us to desire to be like God and judge for ourself.

We would be fools to think we aren’t the same way.  We take what we know about the Bible or what we have been taught and run in our own effort without even consulting God to see if it is His will.  We think we know what is good and instead of waiting on His Spirit, we run ahead and do what we want.  And, if we are being honest with ourself, we shake our fist at God when it doesn’t work out.  Like Saul, we are self-righteous in our own way and will justify our actions, sometimes even with Bible verses.

So what is God looking for?  Enter David... a man after God’s own heart.  When we believe Jesus for our salvation, God gives us a new, soft heart.  This heart is sensitive to the Holy Spirit and can sense His promptings and will naturally obey His will.  David spent years and years leaning into the character of God.  He hung out with God and got to know Him as a friend.  He took his fear to God, and listened for His answer.  He let God inform him about his life and circumstances.  David’s heart became like God’s heart as he followed Him through the bends and turns, ups and downs of life.  One of the things I love about the Psalms is that you hear so many emotions, and you hear how God informs and changes those emotions when David comes to Him.  There may be a couple of Psalms when David pours out his natural, human emotions about his circumstances, but then you have these magnificent Psalms elevating God as Supreme Power.  God takes his fear, disappointment, anger and teaches David to see from His perspective.  The natural response is deep felt, genuine praise and adoration.  God personally touches David’s heart and heals the offense.  In this way, David’s heart remains soft, alive, and responsive to the Holy Spirit.

I don’t know about you, but this sounds like really good news to me.  I like the idea of following God innocently like a sheep follows the shepherd.  Having carried pride and self-righteousness, I can personally attest to the burden it brings.  The yoke of responsibility is so heavy it crushes, whereas the yoke of God is light and delightful.  We still live in the mess of this world, but we see beyond the chaos.  Faith and hope become our driving force, and we are. . . truly happy.  Yes, the yoke of God is one of fulfillment, contentment, and smiles!  :)