Skip to main content

Heartthrobs

Did you have a heartthrob at some point in your life?

A heartthrob, by the way, is someone who is considered to be an object of romantic desire. The word is also often used in the phrase “teen heartthrob”, referring to a young person, especially a musician or actor, who is the object of teenagers’ romantic affection.

Even the Old Testament seems to have a precursor to that!  Really?  Take a look at what Isaiah said in chapter 60:  “your heart will throb.”

So was this referencing an OT version of a hunky young Jewish man being the heartthrob for all the young Jewish women?  

Definitely not, especially as you consider that the term heartthrob can be used to simply describe a rapid heartbeat. It can also be used figuratively to refer to a passionate emotion.  And there definitely should have been a passionate emotional response to what Isaiah was saying.

“Your heart will throb” is part of verse 5 of chapter 60 which reads as follows:  “Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.”

The context of the verse gives us an idea as to why their hearts would throb and it has little to do with a heartthrob, as in the object of a teenager’s romantic affection, but it had everything to do with God and His blessings being poured out:

“The splendor of the Lord shines on you” and “His splendor appears over you.” (60:1-2). Splendor here could be defined as “the brightness of His presence”.

“Nations come to your light…” (60:3).  This likely refers to God’s people reflecting the brightness of God’s presence and other nations were drawn to that light.

“Your sons come from far away…” (60:4).  As the Jewish people are drawn to and gathered around the light of God’s presence; this would cause them to “look and be radiant” and would cause their “hearts to throb and swell with joy”.  These were the very passionate emotions they were to experience.

Another aspect of the meaning of heartthrob is this:  “One who is considered pleasing to the senses, often resulting in increased respiration, increased circulation to the face, and a noticeable "pounding" in the chest.”

While that could certainly describe the teenage heartthrob experience, I’m wondering if it should actually be something we feel as we experience the brightness of God’s presence.

 May the Lord’s splendor shine on us so that our hearts will throb in the brightness of His presence!  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can't Get No Satisfaction

One of the songs that were popular in my youth was not particularly upbeat or helpful but it probably did express some of the angst of my generation.  It was not one that particularly resonated with me but as I recently read the book of Haggai, it did come to mind, well, at least some of the lyrics did.  It was the Rolling Stones song with the lyrics “I can’t get no satisfaction”.  Take a look at the chorus of that bleak song:   I can't get no satisfaction; I can't get no satisfaction; Gonna try and I try and I try and I try; I can't get no - I can't get no –   Now take a look at Haggai 1:6 – “ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” It sure sounds like the people of Judah couldn’t get any satisfaction with the things of life that normally should have brought some type of s...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Horse Of Course

In Biblical times, horses represented military power and strength.  And if you had both horses and chariots, well, that was the ultimate of military powers and wars were often won with them. Yet in seeking to have what would normally be considered insurmountable military strength, there was one factor that was often overlooked.  The Psalmist made it clear what that factor was when he wrote:  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   (Ps 20:7) While Israel did at times trust in the name of the Lord, there were other times when they tried to trust in horses and chariots to win their battles.  This is what the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah:  “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,   who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots   and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord .”  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stouthearted!

Steve the Stouthearted; it has a nice medieval ring to it, maybe even middle earth overtones.  I noticed that word “stouthearted” recently in Psalm 138, verse 3:   “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”   (NIV, 1973) The word stouthearted is used in the Bible to describe individuals who exhibit courage, determination, and resilience, often in the face of adversity or opposition. This characteristic is seen as a virtue, reflecting steadfastness in faith and purpose. The stouthearted are those who remain firm in their convictions and are not easily swayed by fear or doubt (from The Bible Hub website). And yet to be bold and stouthearted for most is not something that just comes naturally, we need the Lord to make us bold and stouthearted.   And, from the verse above, it appears that he does so in response to us calling on him.   So it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those who have been made bold and stouth...
Post a Comment
Read more