Audio Download

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will” Part 1

(Pro 21:1-5)

[Study Aired November 6, 2025]

Pro 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
Pro 21:2  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
Pro 21:3  To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Pro 21:4  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
Pro 21:5  The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

Having the mind of Christ (1Co 2:14-16), is what it takes to have the “king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD”, and with that spirit within us as our hope of glory (Col 1:27), we will be “as the rivers of water: [that] he turneth it whithersoever he will.”(Php 2:12-13, Rom 8:14-16).

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: [the hope of obedience]

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (contrasted with this verse Mat 10:28).
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God [“as the rivers of water: [that] he turneth it whithersoever he will.”], they are the sons of God.
Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;(1Jn 4:17) but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.(Heb 5:7, Eph 5:30 , 1Jn 4:3)
Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Proverbs 21 is a reminder to God’s elect that all human affairs, including the decisions of rulers, are being caused by God (Eph 1:11-12, Joh 19:11).

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ (Rom 8:28).

Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

The success and the safety of the body of Christ do not depend on human effort or the wisdom of men (1Co 2:4-5), but on the LORD’s power working in the body of Christ (Zec 4:6, Rev 11:3).

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Zec 4:6  Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

It is to the praise of His glory that we should be the kind of first fruits who first trusted in Christ, and that trust is formed by God’s goodness in our lives that leads us unto repentance (Rom 2:4) so that we can continue to put off fleshly carnal reasoning through judgement (1Pe 4:16-17, 1Jn 4:17), which will in turn give us the boldness that we need in this day of judgement.

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed (Rom 1:16, Rom 5:5, Heb 2:11); but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 5:5  And hope (Col 1:27) maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.(Eph 2:8)

Heb 2:11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world (Eph 6:19).

It is through the sanctification process that God’s elect are going through that we will put off our carnal reasoning and fears (1Jn 4:18) that would cause us to deny Christ, as Peter did at first; and we all would continue to do without Christ giving us that boldness to be fulfilling our Father’s will in this age.

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

With this backdrop of verses we’ll look at these proverbs that can help us further understand how “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD (Rom 5:5), as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will”, and how that heart is now accompanied with, love, power and soundness of mind (2Ti 1:7).

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Pro 21:1  The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

We’ve discussed the positive use of the word “king” in the introduction, and now we’ll look at the negative example of a king with ‘the king of Tyre’, a type of Satan and the man of perdition within us, which must be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming into our heavens, into our hearts and minds (2Th 2:4-8).

This evil king’s heart is also “in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will”, as we read in (Joh 19:11), the lesson being that it is God who forms the light and creates darkness, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isa 45:7), and Satan’s role in darkness was fulfilled by the evil spirit that was in him, being made that way (Isa 27:1, Job 26:13), a spirit that continues to dominate the world, “determined before to be done” (1Co 4:4, Act 4:27-28).

Joh 19:11  Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

While that man of perdition is on the throne of our hearts, our minds are in an exalted state, claiming to be the master of our own destiny (Eze 28:2-4).

Eze 28:2  Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Eze 28:3  Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:(1Co 13:2)
Eze 28:4  With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:

This prophecy in (Eze 28:7-8) foretells the destruction of Tyre by foreign nations, which nations represent what is within our first carnal heart and mind, our own iniquities that chasten us (Jer 2:19).

Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

Eze 28:7  Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
Eze 28:8  They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.

The king of Tyre is also described as being wise and beautiful, which represents the pride-filled life that precedes our great fall (Eze 28:17-18).

Eze 28:17  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Eze 28:18  Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

And finally, the way this king within us is destroyed is through Christ, who is typified by Joshua in this story of five kings who were killed, the five kings representing the chastening grace that is going to come upon the man of perdition within us (Jos 10:1-12).

Jos 10:1  Now it came to pass, when Adonizedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;
Jos 10:2  That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
Jos 10:3  Wherefore Adonizedek king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
Jos 10:4  Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
Jos 10:5  Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon (Rev 17:10), gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
Jos 10:6  And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us [all the kings is another way of saying the sins of the Amorites are full Gen 15:16].
Jos 10:7  So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
Jos 10:8  And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee [Joh 8:36].
Jos 10:9  Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
Jos 10:10  And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
Jos 10:11  And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword [This same principle is expressed with these verses in Judges (Jdg 16:30)].
Jos 10:12  Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.

The victory is certain in this battle that Israel is in, typifying the work that the Lord is doing within us. God will move heaven and earth to accomplish this feat. In this case, the sun and moon stand still, representing our waiting on the Lord who is winning the battle for us [Christ and the elect] (Mal 4:2). With the sun and moon standing still, the battle can continue to its completion against these five kings, and to be sure we get the point that the battle is the Lord’s, we see that “ they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword”. This hail is what ‘wipes away the refuge of lies’ in our heavens that cannot hide from God (Isa 28:17).

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Pro 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

As we see in the definition below, the LORD “pondering” our hearts is an active verb, with a very ongoing active balancing, measuring, arranging, equalizing, levelling, estimating, bearing up, directing,  and meting out of every predestined step of our lives. We are deceived at first to think that our ways are right because of the path that we think we have chosen, until we’re given to see God’s sovereignty over all things (Eph 1:11, 1Co 3:22-23, Rom 8:28-29).

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

H8505 pondereth tâkan taw-kan’
A primitive root; to balance, that is, measure out (by weight or dimension); figuratively to arrange, equalize, through the idea of levelling (mentally estimate, test): – bear up, direct, be ([un-]) equal, mete, ponder, tell, weigh.
Total KJV occurrences: 18

Pro 21:3  To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

We can’t read this proverb without thinking of King Saul, who is us in our appointed time taking matters into our own hands, unable to present our lives a living sacrifice to God, and which leads to our being rejected as kings and priests, unless the Lord shows mercy to us in this age (1Sa 15:13-23).

1Sa 15:13  And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
1Sa 15:14  And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
1Sa 15:15  And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
1Sa 15:16  Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
1Sa 15:17  And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?
1Sa 15:18  And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
1Sa 15:19  Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?
1Sa 15:20  And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

[This lesson is for us, when we think we have apprehended and overcome, thinking we have fulfilled all the Lord’s will when in fact we must endure to the end and love not our life to the end, and be granted the humility to know at the very end that we are yet unprofitable servants who have done that which was expected of us through Christ  (Php 3:13-14, Mat 24:13, Luk 17:10)]

1Sa 15:21  But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
1Sa 15:22  And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams [“To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice”].
1Sa 15:23  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Pro 21:4  An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

The “high look”, and “proud heart” are all within us at first, spirits that are instrumental in “the plowing^H5215 of the wicked”, where we defile the vineyard that we were supposed to maintain until Christ’s return (Luk 11:50, Mat 20:1-16). In God’s mercy toward the elect in this age, He deals with this pride of life and vanity of flesh that we are subject unto (Hos 10:12-13, Pro 16:5-6, Rom 8:19-21).

Hos 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground^H5215: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hos 10:13  Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.

Pro 16:5  Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Pro 21:5  The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

Pro 21:5  The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity, but everyone who is always in a hurry ends up in poverty.  (GW)

We are all hasty at first in life when we are only operating in our flesh and not waiting on the Lord and patiently possessing our souls (Pro 13:11-13, Luk 21:19-21).

Pro 13:11  Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
Pro 13:12  Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Pro 13:13  Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

The solution to possessing our souls patiently is to look to the Lord, and keep pressing toward “the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”, expressed in this parable of Christ’s (Luk 21:20-21),

Luk 21:20  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,[within us] then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Luk 21:21  Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains;(Php 3:14) and let them which are in the midst of it depart out;(Php 3:14) and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. (Php 3:14)

The “thoughts of the diligent” that God’s elect are blessed to dwell upon are the sum of God’s word that, if we are blessed to continue in, will set us free (Rev 1:3, Joh 8:32-33, Psa 119:160).

The spiritual “plenteousness” being spoken of here is not having more physical stuff in this life, but rather having the measure of faith needed to know that God will provide for all our needs [physical and spiritual] as we live Godly lives that are filled with contentment (1Ti 6:6-14). That faith of Christ brings us to believe that He has, He does, and He will care for us (1Pe 5:7-9), blessing us as the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2-3).

1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain.
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1Ti 6:11  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness  [flee fornication, idolatry, youthful lusts, riches, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness].
1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life (Php 3:14), whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
1Ti 6:13  I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
1Ti 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant (Php 3:14); because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

This is only made possible when “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will”.