◄ Psalm 81:12 ►
So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
Study Bible
So I gave them up
This phrase reflects a divine decision where God allows His people to follow their own desires. The Hebrew root here is "nathan," meaning to give or allow. Historically, this reflects moments when God, respecting human free will, permits individuals to pursue their own paths, even when those paths lead away from Him. This is a sobering reminder of the consequences of persistent disobedience and the importance of aligning our will with God's.

to their stubborn hearts
The term "stubborn" is derived from the Hebrew word "sarar," which conveys a sense of rebellion or obstinacy. In the biblical context, the heart is often seen as the seat of will and emotion. A "stubborn heart" indicates a willful resistance to God's guidance. This phrase serves as a warning against hardening one's heart to divine instruction, emphasizing the need for humility and openness to God's leading.

to follow their own devices
The word "devices" comes from the Hebrew "moetsah," which can mean plans or schemes. This phrase suggests a reliance on human wisdom and understanding rather than divine guidance. Historically, Israel's tendency to follow their own plans often led to idolatry and moral decline. This serves as a cautionary tale for believers today, highlighting the importance of seeking God's wisdom and direction in all aspects of life.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The speaker in this verse, expressing His response to the Israelites' disobedience.

2. Israelites
The people of God who are being addressed in this Psalm, known for their history of rebellion and idolatry.

3. Stubborn Hearts
A metaphorical description of the Israelites' resistance to God's guidance and commandments.

4. Devices
Refers to the plans or schemes that the Israelites pursued, which were contrary to God's will.

5. Psalmist
Traditionally attributed to Asaph, who is conveying God's message to the people.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Stubbornness
Stubbornness in our hearts can lead us away from God's will and into spiritual danger. We must remain open to God's guidance.

Consequences of Disobedience
When we persist in our own ways, God may allow us to experience the consequences of our choices, which can serve as a wake-up call.

God's Patience and Justice
While God is patient, there is a point where He allows us to face the results of our rebellion, emphasizing His justice.

Self-Examination
Regularly examine your heart and motives to ensure they align with God's will, avoiding the pitfalls of self-reliance.

Seeking God's Guidance
Actively seek God's wisdom and direction in all areas of life to prevent the hardening of your heart.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern examples of "stubborn hearts" and "devices" that people might follow today?

2. How can we recognize when we are being stubborn in our relationship with God?

3. In what ways does God "giving us up" to our own devices serve as both a judgment and a form of mercy?

4. How can we apply the lessons from Psalm 81:12 to avoid the same mistakes as the Israelites?

5. What steps can we take to ensure we are following God's guidance rather than our own plans, and how can other scriptures support these steps?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Romans 1:24-28
This passage discusses God giving people over to their sinful desires, similar to Psalm 81:12, highlighting the consequences of persistent disobedience.

Proverbs 14:12
This verse warns that there is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way of death, paralleling the idea of following one's own devices.

Exodus 32
The incident of the golden calf illustrates the Israelites' stubbornness and the consequences of following their own devices.

Jeremiah 7:24
This verse speaks of the Israelites not listening to God but following the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts.

Acts 7:39-42
Stephen recounts Israel's history of rebellion, including God giving them over to worship the host of heaven, echoing the theme of Psalm 81:12.
Sermons
Our Own Way Our Worst WoeS. Conway Psalm 81:12
A Revelation of Three Great SubjectsHomilistPsalm 81:1-16
Exhortation to Sing God's PraisePsalm 81:1-16
AbandonedL. A. Banks, D. D.Psalm 81:11-12
Danger of Presuming on God's MercyPlain Sermons by Contributors to the, Tracts for the Times. "Psalm 81:11-12
Deliverance to a Man's Own Lust Involves the Greatest RuinHomilistPsalm 81:11-12
Given UpS. Conway Psalm 81:11, 12
Man Divinely Abandoned to His LustsHomilistPsalm 81:11-12
The Case of Those Who are Given Up to Their Own Hearts' LustsJohn Shower.Psalm 81:11-12
The Day of GraceJohn Shower.Psalm 81:11-12
The Groundless Doubts and Mistaken Apprehensions of Some as to Their Being Finally Forsaken and Left of GodJohn Shower.Psalm 81:11-12
People
Asaph, Jacob, Joseph, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Counsels, Desires, Devices, Enmity, Evil, Follow, Heart, Hearts, Lust, Purposes, Stubborn, Stubbornness, Walk, Walked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 81:11-12

     5541   society, negative
     5901   loneliness
     6245   stubbornness

Psalm 81:11-13

     6231   rejection of God

Library
Chapter I Beginning and Early Days of the Orphan Work.
BEGINNING AND EARLY DAYS OF THE ORPHAN WORK. "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."--1 Peter, i. 7. Mr. George Mueller, the founder of the New Orphan-Houses, Ashley Down, Bristol (institutions that have been for many years the greatest monuments of modern times to a prayer-answering God), gives in that most valuable and instructive book, "A …
George Müller—Answers to Prayer

Ask what I Shall Give Thee. 1Ki 3:05
 …
John Newton—Olney Hymns

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Religion Pleasant to the Religious.
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."--Psalm xxxiv. 8. You see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claims He has upon our love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Him. He would not be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less happy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

The Heart's Desire Given to Help Mission Work in China.
"Sept. 30 [1869].--From Yorkshire L50.--Received also One Thousand Pounds to-day for the Lord's work in China. About this donation it is especially to be noticed, that for months it had been my earnest desire to do more than ever for Mission Work in China, and I had already taken steps to carry out this desire, when this donation of One Thousand Pounds came to hand. This precious answer to prayer for means should be a particular encouragement to all who are engaged in the Lord's work, and who may …
George Müller—Answers to Prayer

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
When the traitor returned from Jerusalem on the Wednesday afternoon, the Passover, in the popular and canonical, though not in the Biblical sense, was close at hand. It began on the 14th Nisan, that is, from the appearance of the first three stars on Wednesday evening [the evening of what had been the 13th], and ended with the first three stars on Thursday evening [the evening of what had been the 14th day of Nisan]. As this is an exceedingly important point, it is well here to quote the precise …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Spiritual Hunger Shall be Satisfied
They shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 I proceed now to the second part of the text. A promise annexed. They shall be filled'. A Christian fighting with sin is not like one that beats the air' (1 Corinthians 9:26), and his hungering after righteousness is not like one that sucks in only air, Blessed are they that hunger, for they shall be filled.' Those that hunger after righteousness shall be filled. God never bids us seek him in vain' (Isaiah 45:19). Here is an honeycomb dropping into the mouths of …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Second Coming of Christ.
^A Matt. XXIV. 29-51; ^B Mark XIII. 24-37; ^C Luke XXI. 25-36. ^b 24 But in those days, ^a immediately after the { ^b that} ^a tribulation of those days. [Since the coming of Christ did not follow close upon the destruction of Jerusalem, the word "immediately" used by Matthew is somewhat puzzling. There are, however, three ways in which it may be explained: 1. That Jesus reckons the time after his own divine, and not after our human, fashion. Viewing the word in this light, the passage at II. Pet. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Covenanting Adapted to the Moral Constitution of Man.
The law of God originates in his nature, but the attributes of his creatures are due to his sovereignty. The former is, accordingly, to be viewed as necessarily obligatory on the moral subjects of his government, and the latter--which are all consistent with the holiness of the Divine nature, are to be considered as called into exercise according to his appointment. Hence, also, the law of God is independent of his creatures, though made known on their account; but the operation of their attributes …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Man's Inability to Keep the Moral Law
Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them, in thought, word, and deed. In many things we offend all.' James 3: 2. Man in his primitive state of innocence, was endowed with ability to keep the whole moral law. He had rectitude of mind, sanctity of will, and perfection of power. He had the copy of God's law written on his heart; no sooner did God command but he obeyed. …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

How Does it Come?
How does the Filling of the Spirit come? "Does it come once for all? or is it always coming, as it were?" was a question addressed to me once by a young candidate for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are many asking the same question. We have considered how the Fullness is obtained, but now we proceed to consider, How does the Fullness come? In speaking of the blessing of being filled with the Spirit, the New Testament writers use three tenses in the Greek--the Aorist, the Imperfect, and the …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

The Nature of Spiritual Hunger
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness Matthew 5:6 We are now come to the fourth step of blessedness: Blessed are they that hunger'. The words fall into two parts: a duty implied; a promise annexed. A duty implied: Blessed are they that hunger'. Spiritual hunger is a blessed hunger. What is meant by hunger? Hunger is put for desire (Isaiah 26:9). Spiritual hunger is the rational appetite whereby the soul pants after that which it apprehends most suitable and proportional …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Justifying or Sanctifying Grace
Sanctifying grace is defined by Deharbe as "an unmerited, supernatural gift, imparted to the soul by the Holy Ghost, by which we are made just, children of God, and heirs of Heaven." As it makes sinners just, sanctifying grace is also called justifying, though this appellation can not be applied to the sanctification of our first parents in Paradise or to that of the angels and the sinless soul of Christ. Justification, as we have shown, consists in the infusion of sanctifying grace, and hence it …
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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