Title: The God Who Searches the Heart
[Min Byeong-seok’s Proverbs Explained] 49
God who searches the heart
Text: (Proverbs 21:1 - 3)
Today's exposition on Proverbs is about to receive grace under the title, “The Lord who searches the souls.” Please follow verse 2 together. ( )
The word inspection means to examine, to see through, to reveal every detail. We have no idea what the image of God is. The Bible does not mention the appearance of God, and no one can see it. The Bible tells us that no one can see the true form of God and live. However, in the Bible, you can see that God's ears, eyes, and arms are often spoken of.
When the Israelites wept because they wanted meat, God said to Moses, “I will feed them meat, but I will not feed them for a day or two; When Moses heard these words of God, he couldn't help but be amazed. Moses complained to God, saying, 'God, 600,000 walkers of this people who are with me alone are enough for you to slaughter flocks and cattle for them, and to gather all the fish of the sea? What did God say? He said to Moses, "Is the hand of the Lord short? Now you will see whether my words will answer you."
This is how God said that he had a hand. The Bible calls this hand the hand of power. What did God do with this hand of power? Please see Isaiah 48:113. He said that he laid the foundations of the earth. It is said that God's right hand stretches out the heavens. What else does this arm do? He rescues us from the hand of our enemies and leads us in the way of life.
God has ears too. When the Israelites were murmuring against God, God became angry with them and said, “As you have heard in my ears, I will do to you.” He said that our ears hear our grievances and our prayers. Psalm 18:6 says, “My cry has been heard in his ears.” David said that while he was praying, his prayer was heard in the ears of God. A prayer like this is probably an expression of the conviction that the prayer has been delivered to God. The work of answers comes down on such prayers.
God also has eyes. God's eyes are completely different from the eyes of people who only look at certain specific places. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 it says, “The eyes of the Lord go through all the earth, to show power in behalf of those whose heart is devoted to him.” Search all over the land ? (He shows his power for those who turn to him with all their heart). Where on earth can anyone escape from the eyes of the LORD, who scans all the earth? Psalm 101:9 says, “My eyes will search the faithful of the earth, and they will dwell with me, and he who walks in the path of perfection will minister to me.” It is a promise that God will examine the faithful and make them dwell with God. The path of such a person is prosperous. This person is blessed.
God's eyes see us. What we can see here is that God's eyes are on our hearts.
1. Our sins that cannot be hidden from God
We have nowhere to hide from the looking eyes of God. In Job 28:24 it is said, “He searches to the ends of the earth, and sees all the world.” When Jonah used a trick and turned back to Tarshish, the steps that God sent to Nineveh, he hid in the bottom of the boat knowing that it would be fine if he ran far away, but he could not escape God's eyes.
Let's see if there is a place we can go to avoid God. Please find the words of Amos 9:1-4. 'I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and saying, Strike the head of the pillar and move the threshold, and let it break and fall on the heads of the multitudes; and I will slaughter the remnant with the sword, and not one of them will escape, and not one of them will escape. Even if I go into it, my hand will take it from there; if it goes up to heaven, I will take it from there and bring it down. If I hide on the top of Mount Carmel, I will find it there; though I hide from my eyes under the sea, I will command the serpent there to bite it. Even if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword to slaughter, and I will pay attention to them and bring woe and no blessing.” He said that he would find him wherever he went, and that the purpose of finding him was not to bring blessings to them, but to bring wrath to them.
Space science is advancing at an incredible rate right now. It is a long time ago that space rockets were sent to the moon, but now they are sent to Venus or Saturn, and they are saying that the time will come when a spacecraft with a human will go to Venus soon. Do you know why human space science is developing like this? He ascends to heaven to escape the judgment of the seventh bowl at the end of mankind. Will such a human plan, then, succeed? This is what it says in Ob 1:4. “Though you soar high like an eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” said the LORD. Even if you nest among the stars, he will bring you out from there. Why are you dragging it down? This is so that they may be judged by God's fire.
Then, who can receive God's protection from God's final judgment? Among the words given to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10, because I have kept the word of patience, the Lord is saying that He will also protect them from the time of temptation. If we live according to God's Word, even if we cannot fly to Venus, Saturn, or the Moon on a rocket, God is saying that He will deliver us from any tribulation.
David confesses in Psalm 139 that he has nowhere to hide from the presence of God who sees him. “Where shall I go from Your Spirit, where shall I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Hades, You are there. Even if I flap my wings at dawn and dwell at the ends of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand. He will uphold me'.
After Adam sinned, he was afraid of God and hid behind a tree in the garden. Then, could Adam escape the face of God? He had no choice but to come out of the place where he hid in the voice that called ‘Adam, Adam’. He said, "I hid myself because I was naked," and he revealed his nakedness to God.
Hiding doesn't solve the problem. God is looking for me until the very end. So you put my sins before me.
A man named Achan of Israel disobeyed the word of God and coveted a beautiful cloak from Mount Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a nugget of gold, and buried them in the ground without anyone knowing. Because of this, God defeated Israel in battle, and captured Achan, stoned him to death, burned him, and piled it up in heaps of stones. Do you know what this place is called? (Vale of Achor)
When Moses grew up, one day he went out to a place where his people worked as liars and beat an Egyptian and buried him in the sand. So is that over? no. As a result of this incident, Moses was relegated to the land of Midian, and he was reduced to the position of a shepherd in the life of a luxurious prince in the Egyptian royal family, and he stayed for 40 years until God called him. Jesus also said, “There is nothing that is hidden that will not be revealed, and that there is nothing that is hidden that will not be made known.”
2. Why God Inspects
Then why does God examine us? In Proverbs 24, it is said, “He will recompense each one according to his deeds.” He examines us in order to repay everyone according to all the deeds they have done for themselves.
How did you say that the wicked will recompense? It is said that God pours out His wrath on his head. How did you say that the righteous will recompense? He said that he would do it with a crown in heaven.
We must pass before God who examines us.
How can I pass?
(1) The heart must be pure. In Psalm 51:6 it says, “You desire truth in the heart, and in me you will make known wisdom.” God said that He wants truth at the heart. The center refers to a pure heart without lies. Our heart must be truthful before God. It doesn't matter if you sin or not. What matters is the truth of the heart. Even if you have committed a sin, if you repent with a sincere heart, you will soon be forgiven and cleansed of your sin and receive God's grace. However, even if you have done righteous deeds, if you are not sincere, your righteousness will become pride and your glory, so you will not be able to pass before God.
(2) Our prayers must be sincere. Only sincere prayers come up before God. Sincere prayers are answered. Sincere prayer is gracious and can receive God's help in the troubled day of trouble in the day of tribulation. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who ask him, to all who ask him in truth.”
The life of prayer lies in sincerity. Praying a lot and praying a little is not such a big deal. A prayer that is sincere, even if it is brief, is worthwhile.
Conclusion: God who examines the heart is still constantly looking at who is a true worker, who is a true servant, and who has a sincere heart. God is still diligently looking for such people. It is to find these people and use them as good workers for the church of God.
I hope that the members of the new church will be true workers before God. On the day when disaster strikes on this earth, on the day when all mankind wanders in chaos, God does not use anyone but a true worker. I hope that all of you will become true stewards of God so that you can be used happily by God.