Put your hand over your heart. To more appreciate God’s heart; let’s understand what He created in our bodies and how it reflects His very essence. The human heart weighs approximately 11 ounces, is the size of a large fist. It is the strongest muscle in the body and pumps 1,800 gallons of blood. The heart beats 100,000 times a day. I’m so glad the heart of God isn’t a fist, but an outstretched hand.
Thank Him that His heart beats for you – a small patch of tissue called the sinus node causes the heart to beat. It is referred to as a pacemaker tissue. It sends electric currents every 0.8 seconds to certain nerve fibers in the heart muscle to stimulate muscular contractions and send blood flowing up to ten miles per hour throughout the body. The blood moves through the body, supplying oxygen to every cell and then returns to the heart. From there it’s pumped to the lungs and re-oxygenated and sent back through the body. If sinus node isn’t functioning, there are backup generators – the A.V. (atrioventricular node -atria and ventricles) and purkinje. In Song of Solomon 4:9 the bridegroom says: you have made my heart beat faster (NASV). You have stolen (my thought: taken my breath away) or encouraged to come closer – achoth (awkhoth), enclosed me in. Seeing you, my sister and bride (Hebrew – kalal) – this term is generally used of the bride just before ceremony, but committed to the bridegroom/wedding, just like we are part of the bride of Christ, even though the marriage supper of the Lamb hasn’t occurred yet. I took this detail of the beating of the heart from a closer look at the evidence. We did take His breath away literally.
God’s heart in three parts – I Samuel 13:14. King Saul had been removed from the heart of God’s purpose because he saw the people scattering and didn’t hear the word of the prophet, he took matters into his own hands and offered the burnt offering. God rejected him in favor of one who was a man after God’s own heart. This is talking about Yahweh and saying that God is seeking such a person. The heart here is “lebab” (lay-bawb) = the inner man, mind, will, heart (soul and spirit together). In the word pronounced is the word “lay”; meaning, God is looking for those who will lay down their lives and become one in His heart. The Hebrew word for seek is baqash (baw-kash), meaning seek to find with accusative of the thing or person. As another reflection of the nature of the creator, the human heart reminds us here of the triune God we serve: the human heart is enclosed in a sac called the pericardium, which protects and anchors it, surrounds its structure, prevents the overflowing of the heart with blood. This outer wall has three layers: 1) outer-epicardium, where pericardial fluid lubricates motion between the inner and outer layers; 2) middle – myocardium – the muscle itself. When someone has an M.I., it is a myocardial infarction – heart attack; 3) the inner – endocardium, which is in contact with the blood that the heart pumps. In a general sense, the outer layer of the heart of God is the Holy Spirit, who provides the ointment, oil of gladness, that which protects us in this world. The middle layer is Jesus – the middle man on the cross; the muscle of our faith – the one who did the work. The inner is the Father – who is in contact with the bloodshed by Christ, and is the provider for our life and being. God is seeking those who have His heart, just like David – whose name means beloved. We are God’s beloved, if we seek what is important to Him.
His love is forever – His creation mirrors His glory, power and presence. His heart and love will never cease. In Revelation 19:13, where He comes back, He will be wearing a robe-vestment dipped in blood, but it won’t be the blood of the lamb. It is the blood spatter of the nations, world (Isaiah 63:3). The word dipped is Greek word “bapto”, from where baptism comes. It means to dip, dye, color, or stain. Jesus, in a very real sense, was splattered with our blood and sin, and dyed (died) our garments white.