Topical Bible: The Wisdom of God: Exhibited in Knowing: The Heart

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The wisdom of God is a central theme throughout the Bible, and one of its most profound aspects is His ability to know the heart of man. This divine attribute underscores God's omniscience and His intimate involvement in the lives of His creation. The heart, in biblical terms, often refers to the inner being of a person, encompassing thoughts, emotions, intentions, and will. God's knowledge of the heart is a testament to His perfect wisdom and understanding.

God's Omniscience and the Heart

The Bible consistently affirms that God possesses complete knowledge of the human heart. In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord instructs Samuel, saying, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart." This passage highlights the contrast between human perception and divine insight, emphasizing that God's wisdom penetrates beyond external appearances to the very core of a person's being.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 17:10, God declares, "I, the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve." Here, God's ability to search the heart is linked to His justice, as He evaluates individuals based on their true character and intentions rather than mere outward actions.

Jesus Christ and the Knowledge of the Heart

The New Testament further reveals God's wisdom in knowing the heart through the person of Jesus Christ. In John 2:24-25, it is written, "But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man." Jesus' divine insight into human nature is a reflection of His unity with the Father, demonstrating that He shares in the divine attribute of omniscience.

Moreover, in Mark 2:8, when Jesus perceives the thoughts of the scribes questioning His authority to forgive sins, He addresses their unspoken doubts, saying, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?" This incident illustrates Jesus' ability to discern the hidden thoughts and intentions of individuals, affirming His divine wisdom.

The Heart as the Seat of True Worship

God's knowledge of the heart is also crucial in the context of worship. In John 4:23-24, Jesus teaches that true worshipers will worship the Father "in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." This passage underscores that genuine worship arises from a heart aligned with God's truth, rather than mere ritualistic observance.

The Call to a Pure Heart

Given God's intimate knowledge of the heart, the Bible calls believers to cultivate purity and sincerity within. In Psalm 51:10, David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." This plea for divine intervention in purifying the heart reflects an understanding of God's ability to transform and renew the inner person.

Furthermore, Proverbs 4:23 advises, "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." This exhortation highlights the importance of maintaining a heart that is aligned with God's wisdom and righteousness, recognizing that the heart is the wellspring of one's actions and life.

Conclusion

The wisdom of God, as exhibited in His knowledge of the heart, is a profound aspect of His divine nature. Through His omniscience, God discerns the true character and intentions of individuals, calling them to a life of sincerity, purity, and genuine worship. This divine insight serves as both a comfort and a challenge to believers, encouraging them to seek a heart that is pleasing to God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 44:21
Shall not God search this out? for he knows the secrets of the heart.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Proverbs 15:11
Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
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Luke 16:15
And he said to them, You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Consolation
... the death of His Son could have exhibited His righteousness ... and bears those signatures
of infinite wisdom, power and ... the Gospel of the grace of God meets with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon i the consolation.htm

Jesus as a Friend.
... by an English preacher that Christ exhibited the blended ... God sustains us so that
we faint not; and then ... benediction is upon us, giving us wisdom, and imparting ...
/.../miller/personal friendships of jesus/chapter xv jesus as a.htm

The Work of Grace a Unit.
... The work of grace exhibited in the eternal counsel can ... the fall, but even before
creation, His wisdom rejoiced in ... Nay, the love of God never works toward the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/ii the work of grace.htm

Pricked in their Heart
... he used not the words of man's wisdom or eloquence. ... against the ever-blessed Son
of God, who became ... of the Holy Spirit, these people exhibited obedient faith. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/pricked in their heart.htm

The Faith of Abraham.
... Faith, with higher wisdom, makes sure that the delay ... to the faith which they had
exhibited in their ... in a deathless translation to higher fellowship with God. ...
/.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xi the faith of.htm

The Hope of the Calling
... now, and as they are capable of being exhibited in this ... The Apostle prays that God
may give to these Ephesians ... the gift of the Divine Spirit of wisdom, a man's ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the hope of the calling.htm

Translated from the Greek.
... of the words of the writings themselves, and of the things which are exhibited in
them ... of this world, who come to nought; but we speak the wisdom of God in a ...
/.../origen/origen de principiis/translated from the greek.htm

His Gospel
... possessed the oracles of God, in which the divine nature was exhibited in a ... the wants
of human nature, its wonderful unfolding of the wisdom of God in the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/stalker/the life of st paul/chapter iv his gospel.htm

The Existence of Moral Evil, or Sin, Reconciled with the Holiness ...
... It was taught, says Plutarch, by the Persian Magi, whose views are exhibited by
him in his ... he cannot see the wisdom and power of God manifested in the ...
/.../a theodicy or vindication of the divine glory/chapter vi the existence of.htm

The Object of Theology
... inscrutable is this mystery; yet it is exhibited in Christ ... which is the true and
only wisdom in relation ... name, with these heavenly beings, and that God will in ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/oration i the object of.htm