As so often happens, I get so much from my daily Bible reading and study.
Here's what I saw, particularly relationships between the NT, Psalms and Proverbs passages:
February 23, 2009
Mark 6: " ... Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here![c]” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in."
The judgment that someone has a 'hard heart' in the Bible seems to be made only by God. Jesus used the description for the Pharisees, but here it is his own disciples. It means someone who is unresponsive and doesn't understand. It may range from an arrogant and prideful attitude that resists the words of God to another who is a Christian, but does not understand like they should. While the intentions are generally good, there remain barriers to belief and trust that make them insensitive and unresponsive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
All cases are very serious, even those from believers who generally work at their spiritual condition. As one writer says it, they don't take God at his word. Another describes it that they allow doubt to enter and do not resist it.
Psalm 40
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 'I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. 3 He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.'
This is a subtle complimentary passage to the one I have described above. King David was blessed as he describes in the end of this Psalm. What was his solution to being hard hearted? He waited on the Lord. Even though he was in a deep problem, he must have chosen to trust and to wait on the Lord.
Proverbs 10:11 'The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain...'
Here is the second complement to the first passage in Mark.
The disciples didn't seem to have anything to say after Christ's feeding of the five thousand. They were at that time 'hard hearted.' But the King, after his test when he waited on the Lord had much to say. He told everyone how great God was, and why he was so great. His words as Proverbs said, became life giving fountains to those who would listen. And surely they bolstered David's faith too.
God's word softens my own heart and gives me a new song to sing.
