DIRT Blog

Want a good starter for teaching on guarding your heart? Here it is...

Proverbs 4:23  “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” (NAS)

So I am in the third week of a teaching series on temptation...
Week 1: Hebrews 4:15 Jesus knows how we feel struggling with temptation.
Week 2: Matthew 4:1-11 We're tempted like Jesus, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Week 3: Proverbs 4:20-27 Even a monkey knows you have to guard the gates!

The Illustration: “The Three Wise Monkeys”
The source (picture above) that popularized this pictorial proverb is a 17th century carving over a door of the famous Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan. Together they embody the proverbial principle to "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are:

1. Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil.
2. Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil
.
3. Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil.


Did you know there was a fourth Monkey?
Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the three others; the last one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of "do no evil". He may be shown crossing his arms.

Now here is the illustration's Proverb...
It is vitally important to guard our spiritually heart. This is the holy place of who we are. It is the sacred enclosure where we commune with Jesus, the living water, from which "flow the springs of life.” Such an important spiritual wellspring must be guarded from any filth that might contaminate this precious fountain!

In this Proverb passage, chapter 4:20-27, you can find four gates mentioned that have a great impact on our heart and soul. They are the "Ears" what are you hearing? (v.20), "Eyes" what are you seeing? (v.21,25), "Lips" what are you speaking? (v.24), and "Path" what are you doing? (v.26-27). How about that? Just like the Monkeys. Have fun with this one. I plan to this Sunday!