by Dr. J. Nathan Clayton, Assistant Professor of Old Testament
The OT contains a rich theology of the heart. Two Hebrew nouns are translated as “heart” in our English versions: lev (לֵב)and levav (לֵבָב). These two words have the same basic meaning and function, and they occur often throughout the OT canon: lev about 600 times, and levav about 250 times. I have four observations to share with you, so as to whet your appetite towards further exploration of the “heart” in the OT, and in Scripture overall:
- Sin has affected our heart radically. The first occurrence of lev/levav is in Gen 6:5. It is part of a tragic summary of the spread of sin, which began in Genesis 3: “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (NIV). While the anthropomorphic use of lev/levav for God is fairly rare, we find an important example of it in the next verse, in Gen 6:6, “[the LORD’s] heart was filled with pain.” This last phrase could be translated literally as “[the LORD] was hurt to his heart.” Thus, as our hearts, our inner persons, are completely devasted by sin, so God’s “heart” is full of pain for us.
- Covenant faithfulness to God starts in the heart. Despite our broken hearts, God continues to pursue us in the Pentateuch (and beyond!), to provide a way of restoration and redemption. Heart language comes to the fore especially in Deuteronomy, where lev/levav occurs about 50 times, and it usually refers to the human heart vis-à-vis God. These passages help us see that faithfulness to God starts in the inner person, not it external actions or religious rituals. One such text is found in Deut 10:12-13, “And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD you God, walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (NIV)
- God promises that our broken heart can be radically transformed. One way of reflecting on the Old Testament is to see it as the story of broken human hearts in need of complete renewal, to be able to respond to God’s gracious offer of redemption. We see this in the later ministry of the OT prophets, especially, with the promise of a “new covenant” that will be written on our “hearts” (Jer 31: 31, 33). Sin makes our heart as “stone”, but with this new covenant relationship, God promises to restore us with a new “heart of flesh” (Ezek 36:26).
- Our hearts have reason to sing! Our Lord Jesus Christ is the full and final mediator of this new covenant. As the NT makes clear, through Christ, we can draw near to God “with a true heart (καρδία/kardia, in the Greek) in full assurance of our faith” (Heb 10:22, NIV). From our perspective as followers of Christ, then, we can vigorously join in with the psalmist’s call for one’s heart and one’s flesh to sing to the living God (Psa 84:2).
While our inner persons may feel overwhelmed and weighed down, we remember here that our good and faithful God is the only one who can effectively renew us from the inside out, from the heart outwards, as we walk with Him in faith. So, my friends, take heart, and may we all experience such a renewal!