The Unrestrained Heart Is Horrid

Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

One man I like to listen to on the Internet is Dr. Jordan Peterson. Though not a Christian (I don’t believe), he is open to Christian teaching, and a practicing clinical Psychologist. Peterson made this telling statement:

“When people read the history of Nazi Germany, they always think they’re Schindler, they always think they’re the person who would have saved Anne Frank … They never read history as a perpetrator. They think, ‘I wouldn’t have done that’. Did you watch people during the Pandemic? In Canada, 30% of my neighbors were thrilled that they had the opportunity to inform on the people around them. Thrilled! They would have worn those … masks for the rest of their life if the payoff would have been they could feel morally superior and inform. … People have a very dark side.”

The human heart, unrestrained by the God Who made us, is a horrible thing. Jesus knows this. When He preached His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said:

Matthew 5:27-28 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 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.

When Jesus declared “you heard it was said”, or “it is written”, He was referring to how people interpreted the seventh Commandment, “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” (Exodus 20:14). The religious and self righteous believed that if you avoided the physical act of adultery, then you met the requirements of God. They thought that this was all the commandment was about. But our Lord Jesus said that if you “look on {blepō, turn the thoughts to or direct the mind to, to contemplate, weigh carefully, or examine} a woman to lust after {epithymeō, to covet, long for, to seek the forbidden} her” that this was the same as adultery.

When you dwell or think on the evil, in time you will likely DO the evil.

Proverbs 15:26 The thoughts of the WICKED are an ABOMINATION to the Lord…

The “WICKED” (Hebrew raʿ) is not a reference to a wayward believer, but a person who is unsubmitted to God. A person who rejects the direction of God’s commandments. A person who toys with sin for pleasure. Jesus was not condemning the casual glance or the errant thought. He was pinpointing the source of evil. When a WICKED person THINKS WICKED THOUGHTS while gazing at another man’s wife or another woman’s husband, it will not be long before they begin to plot how they shall accomplish the evil. This is the state of the wicked.

Adultery does not begin when the clothes come off, but begins when the wicked mind rejects the Word and Command of God.

Jesus applied this to the sixth commandment against murder.

Matthew 5:21-22 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said {or “it is written”} by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill {phoneuō, slay the innocent, do murder}; and whosoever shall KILL {murder} shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca {raka, a simpleton, a moronic person, a person without sense}, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool {mōros, the one who is godless, one whom God does not care for}, shall be in danger of hell fire.

When you minimize someone in your heart, making them useless or nothing, and you are angry with them without good cause, then you begin to justify your thought process. First that person is RACA, an empty head, a simpleton. They are of no value. Next that person is MOROS, useless, Godless, something that God would take pleasure in you hating. As you in your thought process diminish your enemy – real or imagined – it becomes easy to allow actual murder to creep in.

When we remake people to be like furniture or animals in our hearts, then we it is easy to do evil toward them. This happened in America, in our Constitution. When Chattel Slavery existed in these United States, Article 1, Section 2 of our Constitution had a three-fifths clause:

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

Though slaves were not directly addressed, the “Three Fifths Clause” implied that slaves were only three fifths of a free person when determining the number of seats in the House of Representatives. Ratified in 1788, this horrible clause was rescinded by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment, adopted July 9, 1868.

If we diminish a person in our hearts, or justify an evil in our HEARTS, it is not long before we are pursuing the evil with our HANDS.

The unrestrained heart is DECEITFUL and DESPERATELY WICKED (Jeremiah 17:9). Our Lord Jesus said:

Mark 7:21-23 (KJV) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The WICKED, rather than coming to Christ in repentance, seeking His saving Grace, they preserve the evil in their hearts. This is why God says “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination {tôʿēḇâ, disgusting or abhorrent} to the Lord”. God uses the Hebrew tôʿēḇâ to describe idolatry (Exodus 8:26), homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), bestiality (Leviticus 18:23), Incest (Leviticus 18:7-16), Adultery (Leviticus 18:20), giving God the leftovers (Deuteronomy 17:1), Transvestite Behavior (Deuteronomy 22:5), and other perversions (Proverbs 3:32).

Though the Word of God will be offensive to the wicked, the text tells us:

Proverbs 15:26 … but the WORDS of the PURE are PLEASANT words

God’s Word, though often hated, brings life and light. His Word is “PLEASANT words”. Wickedness and wicked thoughts bring the opposite – they bring destruction. In the days before the Noahic Flood the Bible says, “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5)”. The heart is where evil is brewed, and becomes sinful action. “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7). The “PURE” seek purity because they have “stored up God’s Word in their hearts, so they might not sin against Him” (Psalm 119:11).

Greed Hurts The House

Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth GIFTS {matānâ, presents, bribes, sometimes used of sacrificial offerings} shall live.

This text is a reference to BRIDES and EXTORTION. God forbade His people from giving or receiving bribes. Bribes are gifts given to seek to pervert justice, to convey false information, to twist an outcome so as to bless the wicked. God said:

Exodus 23:8 (NKJV) you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

Bribes keep justice from making the proper judgment, a judgment that honors God. Again,

Deuteronomy 16:19 (NKJV) You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

To bribe someone, or to take a bribe, is to go against the very nature of God Himself. The Bible says “Does God subvert judgment? Or does the Almighty pervert justice?” Absolutely not!

Many of those who are so called activists are only criminals and extortioners, evil before the gaze of God.

Bribes take many forms. Usually monetary, it can be used in other ways. I have heard of people who are purposely destroying Teslas that are not their own in order to force Elon Musk to do or act a certain way. That is evil. During one of the Southern Baptist Conventions I attended, homosexual rights activists marched out front and even invaded the meetings in order to attempt to force us to agree with their stance. That is extortion – and a bribe.

I suspect that the day will come when the Church in America will be told, “Do as we say, or lose your tax exempt status”. On that day many local Churches will acquiesce and agree to their terms in order to keep the peace. The visible Church in China and North Korea must preach only what the state allows them to preach. During the Covid Pandemic, Gavin Newsom demanded that Grace Community Church (John MacArthur’s Church) close, or have no more than 100 congregants.When the Church refused to close indefinitely, the state threatened the Church with $1000 per day fine or arrest for not complying. The Church refused both! The Supreme Court ruled that the state had no authority to restrict believers from worship, and the Church was awarded $800,000 in attorney fees from Los Angeles County and the state of California.

Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house…

When Abraham was offered money by the King of Sodom, he refused it (Genesis 14:22-23). When Peter was enticed by Simon the Sorcerer, Peter rebuked him (Acts 8:18-20). Taking a bribe for any reason hurts the family, the community, the Church, or the nation. The truth must be held sacred, and God glorified – or we bring destruction on ourselves!

Those Who Are Saved Fear The Lord,
And Heed His Commandments

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth {hāḡâ, to meditate on, to carefully devise} to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

There is an old saying in carpentry: measure TWICE, cut ONCE. To do less is to waste effort and blessings. The same is true in what we say as believers. THINK TWICE, SPEAK ONCE.

The righteous person – the believer in Christ – should not practice blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. The righteous imitate Christ, Who often answered His critics with:

“It is WRITTEN”

Jesus never blurted out an answer to a question, but carefully considered His answer in the light of Scripture.

In the Christian walk, righteousness, wisdom, humility, and self-control all go hand in hand. When the Apostle spoke of the fruit of the Spirit, he wrote:

Galatians 5:22-24 (ESV) … the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

A judgment day is coming for both the Righteous as well as the Wicked. In the Book of Malachi we are told of God’s “Book of Remembrance”:

Malachi 3:16 (NKJV) those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

Those who are written in the “Book of Life” have their works written in a “Book of Remembrance”. In ancient times Kings had scribes who wrote down great things that their subjects did, so that they could be rewarded and their memory cherished (Esther 6:1-3). The WICKED will stand before God, and their works will damn them (Revelation 20:12). But God’s children, saved by faith in Christ, will even have their TEARS RECORDED in God’s Book (Psalm 56:8). “The eyes of the Lord are TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS and His ears TOWARD THEIR CRY” (Psalm 34:15).

PREACH: Though rewards are delayed for serving the King, the Book of Remembrance reminds us that God will bless our imitation of Christ. Jesus often spoke of our future reward (Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:23; Revelation 22:12). What happens on earth is forever recorded in Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10). The same Book of Remembrance that blesses the Christ follower will help damn the Wicked.

The Presence Of God Is What We Seek

I do not follow the Lord just because of future judgment, but because I desire His Presence every moment of every day. Our next verse states:

Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked: but HE HEARETH the prayer of the RIGHTEOUS.

God is not just far from the WICKED in the afterlife, but He is far from the WICKED in this life. The Apostle wrote:

1 Peter 3:12-15 (NKJV) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. 13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

In 1 Peter 3:12 the Apostle is quoting Psalm 34:15. God both watches over and listens to those who love Him. But those who practice evil, the WICKED, God turns away from them. His face is against them. He neither hears their prayers, nor watches over them.

The thought of Heaven is wonderful, but the best part of being a Christ follower is that you are following Christ – and He is always with you!

How do you gain the blessing of the Presence of God? We are told:

Proverbs 15:30-32 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. 31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. 32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

It is LIGHT that blesses our hearts, not darkness. Darkness may bring pleasure for a moment, but has horrible and evil side effects. The embrace of the strange woman may temporarily satisfy, but she shares with you the diseases of the hundreds of men she has laid with before you. A drug may make you feel like superwoman, but the addiction that follows destroys your life. We all must repent, and heed the good Word of God!

a good report maketh the bones fat

Good news blesses us from the inside out. The greatest news of all is the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ. When the Shepherds guarding their flock by night heard the Good News, they could not wait to share it:

Luke 2:15 (NKJV) Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.

Leaving the manger that night, they didn’t return to their sheep right away. They first went and told others, so that others could be blessed (Luke 2:17-18). To those who hear the glorious Gospel, to them that HEAR THE REPROOF of wickedness and, denying themselves they REPENT and give themselves to Jesus, they “ABIDE AMONG THE WISE”. But those who reject the Gospel, refusing the Call to salvation and to the leadership of Christ, they “despise THEIR own soul”.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.

There is no blessing from God without humbling yourselves before the Lord. Let us heed His Word. “before honor is humility”. God demands our total submission to Him and His Will. The Bridges Commentary notes:

“The exaltation of the Lord’s people in Providence, is therefore often conducted through the valley of Humiliation. Joseph was raised from the prison to the throne. Moses and David were taken from the Shepherd’s fold to feed the Lord’s inheritance. Gideon acknowledged himself to be of “the least of the families of Israel.” Ruth was humbled by adversity, ere she was raised to the high honor of a Mother in Israel, and progenitor of the Savior. Abigail confessed herself unworthy to wash the feet of her lord’s servants, before she was honored if to be his wife. And in the daily walk of life, the lowest place is the path-way to honor. And was not this the track of our beloved Lord–Before honor, humility–the Cross before the Crown? How deep was that descent, by which He, Who was infinitely more than Man, became “a worm and no man” (Psalm 22:6). And yet the honor, which rewarded this humility, what tongue can tell! (Philippians 2:9). We must not disdain to follow Jesus Christ.”

May God bless your hearts with His Word.