The Bible Study Podcast, episode 483. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of

Proverbs with chapter 21. Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

We're going to jump into Proverbs 21 with 31 new

Proverbs. In the Lord's Hand, the king's heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him.

The interesting thing about this is it talks about an active God, a God who is at work, including at work in rulers and in

authorities, the stream of water that he can direct in different directions. It talks about the

sovereignty of God, basically, that God is working to work out his purposes. Whether the king is for

him or against him, God is working on him.

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

Don't we all mostly think that our ways are right? I mean, we know we do wrong sometimes,

but we probably overestimate how much our politics are right, how much our beliefs

are right, how much our actions are right. But it says we don't have the last word, God does.

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. This is one of those

recurrent themes in the Bible that God loves

obedience more than sacrifice. And for us, that means that it's not just about going to church.

It's not even just about listening to Bible study podcasts and reading the Bible regularly or praying

regularly. It's what we do. Hottie eyes in a proud heart,

the unplowed field of the wicked produce sin. The unplowed field of the wicked, it's

interesting phrase. I get the impression here that haughty eyes and a proud heart are that that

will lead to sin, that if we think too much of ourselves, if we're looking

down on others because we don't see their value, that that is heading us in the wrong direction.

The unplanned field, I get the feeling here that it's precursor to, in some ways, to sin.

...