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Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of YAHWEH is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.


Lets examine some scriptures about the heart of man

This is a very serious topic.. the condition of our heart determines our
salvation

Oftentimes, a person uses the condition of their heart as an excuse to
continue in error

For instance, when I share the truth that the Father's name really isn't
"The LORD", I will often get the reply, "Well, He knows my heart"

They are right about that.. Yahweh does know our heart!

He knows whether we are seeking to please Him, or please man

The word 'heart' is found in scripture 1028 times. The sheer number of
times that the heart is mentioned shows its importance.

How important is the state of our heart?

Consider that an evil heart caused Yahweh to destroy the entire world
with the flood:

Genesis 6:5 - And Elohim saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually.


So yes the entire human race was destroyed because the thoughts of men's
hearts were evil.

This grieved Yahweh in His 'heart'

Genesis 6:6 - And it repented YAHWEH that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart.


After destroying the flood, Yahweh spoke in His heart:

Genesis 8:20 - And Noah builded an altar unto YAHWEH; and took of every
clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the
altar.

Genesis 8:21 - And YAHWEH smelled a sweet savour; and YAHWEH said in his
heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake;

for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will
I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.


So even from the very beginning Yahweh knew that the imagination of
man's heart is evil even from his youth.

Psalms 58:3 - The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies.


The heart might be best described as the 'inner man'. From it flow the
issues of life:
Proverbs 4:23 - Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life.

What does it mean to keep one's heart?

We are told to keep it with all diligence

This same Hebrew word that is translated "Keep" in the above verse is
translated "Watchmen" and "Guard" in other places.
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