A tender heart quickly and readily yields when offered correction; however, as a heart becomes hardened, the times of yielding become fewer and farther apart. During the hardening process, the individual finds the true nature of the heart more difficult to grasp. As the heart further hardens, the individual finds himself involved in further defiance. The mischief may start as seemingly insignificant, but a hardening heart will ultimately lead to greater depths of wickedness, some seemingly unimaginable only a short time ago. Some of the worst sins committed in the Bible by God's people were committed by those who shortly before had displayed a tender heart. Yet, they allowed their hearts to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
The Bible admonishes believers to be stedfast and unmoveable (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are to be grounded and settled (Colossians 1:23) in the faith—much like a tree planted by the rivers of waters (Psalm 1:3). Yet, today's passage points to the dangers of a hardened heart set in rebellion. It is likened to a stone and a millstone. We should remain stedfast in our commitment to serve the Lord, yet our hearts should remain tender and pliable to Him and His will. A stony heart hinders the seed of God’s word from taking root (Matthew 13:5-6). This hardness hinders the possibility of spiritual fruit from taking root and maturing. A soft heart and a stedfast walk exhibit the godly balance that God desires for each of us.
The Bible seems to point to Pharaoh most often as an example of someone with a heart hardened through sin and the deceitfulness of power and fame. Pharaoh's hardened heart led him from one rebellious act to the next. He constantly fought against the Lord and the Lord’s man. Even after all of the miracles in Egypt and the abundance of judgments, he chose to pursue the children of Israel as they departed from Egypt. Pharaoh's hardened heart led him to pursue them to the Red Sea. Out of all the troublesome effects of a hard heart, the most troubling aspect is that it refuses to hearken to the words of the Lord. On at least five occasions, the Lord makes this connection (Exodus 7:13, 22; Exodus 8:15, 19; Exodus 9:12). A hard heart closes the ears to the truth and sets the individual up for greater judgment.
Pride shows itself as an unyielding adversary of a tender heart. A prideful heart remains hard and obstinate toward the things of the Lord. According to scripture, such a heart is stubborn and self-willed. However, those who choose to humble themselves actually tenderize their heart so that God can work according to His purpose and will. The humbled heart does not focus on whether the outcome looks good, nor does it focus upon who receives credit for a certain act. Today's passage reveals Josiah accepting the coming judgment, repenting by rending his clothes, and weeping before the Lord. The Lord heard his servant’s plea. Yet, Josiah's tender heart kept him from complaining or arguing with the Lord concerning God's looming judgment.
Sometimes the most effective means of defining a Bible word involves researching those words commonly associated with the word in question. Delicate is such a word. On four occasions, the Bible associates the word delicate with variations of the word tender (Deuteronomy 28:54, 56; Isaiah 47:1). This association provides the Bible student with the sense that a delicate person is easily broken spiritually. Additional Bible study demonstrates that a tender heart remains pliable and prone to brokenness before the Lord. Conversely, the Bible points to a hardened heart as remaining obstinate. The word obstinate conveys an inflexibleness or stubbornness. As believers, we should aspire to be tenderhearted before the Lord with a heart easily moved to accomplish His will.
The church of God at Corinth offered the apostle Paul some type of support which he refused to receive from them. The Bible does not tell us whether Paul's actions toward this church were appropriate. However, we do know that Paul admitted the possibility that he could have been wrong and asked for their forgiveness in the matter. We are not informed exactly why he asked for their forgiveness, but the Bible simply states that he might have wronged these believers. Paul wrote more books of the Bible than anyone else and was not “behind the very chiefest apostles” (2 Corinthians 12:11). Yet, he did not use his vaunted position or noted authority to avoid responsibility for his actions. Instead, he sought forgiveness from these carnal Corinthians. Believers today should likewise follow the apostle Paul's example of seeking forgiveness from those whom they have wronged or even those possibly wronged. Who is right or wrong lacks relevance when it comes to one's relationship with fellow believers no matter the position or station in life!
The two epistles addressed to the Corinthian church clearly highlight many of the problems associated with the carnal church of Corinth. Today's passage specifically deals with the restoration of those who had fallen into sin. All church discipline, though frequently neglected, should initially focus on the restoration of the individual rather than his simple condemnation. In fact, Galatians 6:1 instructs spiritual believers to consider themselves by restoring “such an one in the spirit of meekness.” Unfortunately, people oftentimes seem to glory in the judgment aspect of discipline while diminishing or completely neglecting the joys involved with the restoration of the individual into fellowship. Careful attention to the wording of 2 Corinthians 2:7 reveals two important aspects of this church discipline: believers “ought” to forgive; and additionally believers ought “rather” to forgive. Unlike those who are quick to condemn, the Bible emphasizes forgiveness rather than the punishment aspects of discipline.
The Christian life is a life of continual blessings, though it also contains many experiences in life's difficulties. The believer is blessed by God’s provisions in the past and offered hope through God’s promised future provisions. Psalm 68:19 proclaims that the Lord “daily loadeth us with benefits.” These benefits include both spiritual and physical blessings of salvation, answered prayers, good health, and family. However, David specifically described the blessedness of a man imputed righteousness apart from his works. Our passage records his words as he proclaimed, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.” Though forgiven of past, present, and future sin, man's capacity for sinning remains unabated within his natural body. Every faithful Bible student knows never to minimize forgiveness of one's sin as one of the greatest blessings of all!
This psalm, like many of the others, records a prayer of David. David expressed how he desperately wanted God's attention and ear. He begins by boldly proclaiming God’s preserving power and mercy and then pleading for a restoration of the joy he once had but had now lost. This psalm clearly reveals David's single hope—the fact that the Lord remains “ready to forgive.” When a believer approaches God confessing his sins, he finds an ear ready to hear his petitions and pleas. Man needs only come and seek the forgiveness with a sincere heart because God remains ready and waiting to grant that forgiveness. The Lord stands watching for His people to come to Him in true repentance (similar to the father of the wandering son in Luke chapter 15).
Psalm 78 provides remarkable insights into God’s dealings with His people, the nation of Israel. His interactions with them differ considerably from His dealings with the Church today. Regardless, the individual's natural man has remained unchanged for 6,000 years now. The Old Testament records many examples of men rebelling against God in spite of God’s goodness. Following God’s corrective hand, men sometimes exhibit faithfulness. Yet all too often, this faithfulness is short-lived as the individual returns to the folly that will again require God's corrective actions. Regardless, man seems to repeat the never ending cycle of folly and forgiveness. Knowing this makes one wonder why God continues to forgive. His forgiveness originates from His innate compassion for His creation. God's word says that the Lord forgives because He is full of compassion (Psalm 78:38). In other words, the Lord forgives man because He suffers with man as man continues his cycle of inconsistent living. Praise God for His compassionate forgiveness.
