Heart 3

The next word is nephesh. I do not understand why the translators translated this as heart. Let me show you a verse or two that will show you how the word nephesh is used.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Here it is the word soul. Man is a living soul as opposed to a dead soul or a lost soul. This word just means he was living and breathing. Nothing to do with who he or she is.

Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof.

This is the meaning of the word creature. A creature has instinct but no seat of the personal life. A dog can make no value judgment about if what it is doing is right or wrong. We as humans can make those kind of decisions.

The next word is libbah. This word is in the Hebrew 8 times and is simply translated heart.

Psalm 7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

Psalm 125:4 Do good, O LORD, unto [those that be] good, and [to them that are] upright in their hearts.

Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction [are] before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?

Proverbs 17:3 The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth the hearts.

Proverbs 21:2 Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

Proverbs 24:12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render to [every] man according to his works?

Isaiah 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; [and] their hearts, that they cannot understand.

Ezekiel 16:30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these [things], the work of an imperious whorish woman;

You will notice in all of the above strength is involved. You have a heart that is tried or tested and you show of your inclination to God. You can have a weak or a closed heart. It is still talking about what makes you. Or in the case of Ezekiel have a domineering in a haughty manner.

Our next word is sekviy, It is only used once translated heart it refers to a celestial appearance or phenomenon. Also meaning dubious. You have to read it in context to see it.

Job 38:36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

The rest of the words are translated hearted such as strong hearted, or tender hearted, faint hearted and such. So well turn from the Hebrew or Aramaic to the Greek scriptures.

Our First Greek word is kardia. The outline of its biblical usage is:

1)      the heart

a)      that organ in the animal body which is the center of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life

b)     denotes the center of all physical and spiritual life

1)      the vigor and sense of physical life

2)      the center and seat of spiritual life

a)      the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors

b)     of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence

c)      of the will and character

d)     of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions

c)      of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate

I see no place where it is talking about an animal. So that reference can be discarded for our purpose. 

So let’s see some of these verses. It is used 159 times so we will only look at some of the usages.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

This is from the sermon on the Sermon on the Mount. Here it is very clearly talking about what you think and believe your inclination. We have been made pure by Christ. Always remember what Jesus said was spoken to Israel so it was conditional we have a different set of rules because of what Christ accomplished. That could not have been spoken of by Jesus because he had not yet finished his work at the time he was speaking. This was the first Greek usage.

Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Here are a few more Gospel uses:

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

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Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

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Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

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Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

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Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with [their] lips; but their heart is far from me.

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Mark 2:6 But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,

7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?

8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

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Mark 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with [their] lips, but their heart is far from me.

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Luk 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience.

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Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

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Luke 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

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John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

That is some of the uses in the Gospels

Here is a couple from the book of Acts.

Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Here it says they had singleness of heart. They had common thinking they were all trying to achieve the same goal of spreading the word. That is now our mission. We are to reconcile men to God. Now it's up to us!.

Acts 7: 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

Just so you know the is in the context in fact it is used with both words so it reads the Spirit the Holy making it a reference to God the giver and not the gift

52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:

53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

This is just before they stoned Stephen. The Jewish leaders all seem to have this problem of not listening to God and what he says to do. They all thought they were okay because they were the seed of Abraham. It is not your lineage that gets you saved it is believing that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and making him your lord that gets you saved now days.

 Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

This is talking about the gift so no article the is in the text.

Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There is the proof   that what I said is what the word says. Notice also Paul wanted Israel to come to God by believing That God raised Christ from the dead.

2Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

The holy spirit dwells in our heart not the one that beats but the one that is the seat of our life.

Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Again Christ dwells in our heart. The part that makes you, you.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Peace of God is to rule in our hearts that is pretty peaceful.

Colossians 2:2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

This is how the body of Christ heals the same way the wound in the skin will by knitting itself together. We form unity of purpose!

1Thessalonians  2:17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Even if Paul wasn’t with them they had the same desire to move the word.

1Titus 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is out of a pure heart, and [of] a good conscience, and [of] faith unfeigned:

The word unfeigned means sincere we are supposed to have a sincere faith in our father and our brother Jesus Christ. Though Paul was no longer with them in presence he still had unity of purpose.

And our last one today.

Hebrews 3:15 While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation

Don't allow your heart to harden no matter what happens.