I love this scripture verse. It doesn’t say that I have to be perfect before I come to the Lord. It doesn’t say I have to get it right all of the time. It simply says that if my heart is right and my hands are clean, then I, much like the priest of old, may also stand before the God of the Universe.
Having clean hands and a pure heart takes work and much of that work belongs to the Triune God. Ezekiel 11:19 says this:
“I will give them on heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God]. You mean I just can’t will myself into having a pure heart? According to scripture, that’s exactly what it means. Only the Almighty God can give us a new heart, one that is sensitive and responsive to His touch and His voice. Contrary to popular Hollywood depictions, God speaks to us in a still, small voice. While He is well able to speak in a loud audible voice, the truth is most times He doesn’t. This is why having a pure or sensitive heart is important. It allows us to hear God when He speaks to us.
When our heart grows hard or stony, it puts us in danger on two fronts. First, hardened hearts often mean we’re more likely to hurt other people. Have you ever seen an animal that’s been wounded over and over again? It typically tries to attack anyone that comes near it, even those who have the means to heal it. Such is the case with human beings. We tend to lash out at anyone that approaches us, be they friend or foe.
Second, stony-hearted individuals tend to miss the will and voice of God. Because we’re unable to hear God, we tend to rely on our own wisdom and understanding which often results in increased anguish, frustration and heart ache. The Talmud says that the highest form of wisdom is kindness. True kindness can only be released from a softened heart. God desires to soften our hearts so that we can hear his voice and receive the many blessings He wants to give us. Without a heart that is sensitive to God’s voice we run the risk of becoming rebellious or stiff-necked. Remember when Moses was on the mountain with God and the people rebelled by having Aaron build them a golden-calf? How about when they were in the wilderness and complained about God’s miraculous provisions of quail and manna?
Having a hardened or impure heart causes us to look at the miraculous provisions of God and scoff at or rebuke them. It causes us to become ungrateful, narrow minded and foolish.
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