Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Doctrine of the Emotions of the Soul, Part 5. Emotions are tested by God.
Friday, January 19, 2001
Point 3. Old Testament Words for Emotion.
Racham – bowels – used to designate the emotions and points to having mercy; GEN 43:30; 1KI 3:26.
me`ah – intestines or the abdomen, stomach, belly, the place of emotions, JOB 30:27.
JOB 30:27 “I am seething within [me`ah], and cannot relax; Days of affliction confront me.”
Beten – something that is hollow; the belly, the abdomen, designated as the emotion; PRO 13:25; PRO 18:8;PRO 26:22.
Kilyah – “reins,” used to designate the emotions, refers to the fat pads which cover the kidneys and adrenal glands.
The adrenal glands secrete the hormone epinephrine which is the fright, flight, or fight hormone.
Used in PSA 139:13, PRO 23:16; JER 12:12; JER 20:12.
Point 4. Emotions are tested by God.
PSA 7:9 “For the righteous God tests the right lobes and the emotions.”
PSA 26:2 “Test my emotions and my right lobe.”
kilyah leb – kilyah is in the feminine plural meaning a kidney as an essential organ; the mind as the interior-self, reins, used of seat of emotion and affection.
Testing is used as an anthropomorphism to determine your capacity for life.
Testing your emotions refers to testing the response of your emotions to this information.
Point 5. Emotion and spirituality must be related to the correct dispensation.
In the Church-age, spirituality or the filling of the Holy Spirit produces the character of Christ.
The filling of the HS produces the character and glory of Christ, without emotion being an integral part of spirituality, GAL 5:22-23; GAL 4:19; ROM 5:5.
Emotion is never designed to produce character, but to respond to character.
Appreciation of Jesus Christ comes through perception of doctrine rather than emotional function.
Emotion is a responder to doctrine, the laws of divine establishment, love, and patriotism, but emotional response is never the filling of the Holy Spirit.