Jer 55 2/14/71

DOCTRINE OF THE REINS

A. Etymology.

1. NEPHROS, meaning kidneys, occurs only once in the New Testament.

2. The Hebrew word, KILJAH, refers to the fat pads which protect the kidneys and the adrenal glands. So the word “reins” in the Old Testament refers to the emotions. There is a close relationship between the fat pads, kidneys, adrenal glands, and the emotions of the soul.

B. The Analogy. The reins are comparable to the right woman as a responder. This comes from the feminine gender of KILJAH. The heart is comparable to the right man, the aggressor. Therefore, the emotions are the appreciator of the soul, and are linked to the heart in the following verses: Jer 11:20, 17:10, 20:12; Ps 7:9, 26:2.

C. Since the reins refer to the adrenal glands, where the emotional hormone resides, there are Biblical references that link the reins to fear, Job 16:13, 19:27.

1. One emotional hormone from the adrenal glands is the “fight, flight, and fright” hormone. Job 16:13, “His archers surround me round about. He cleaves my reins asunder.” When one is under great pressure, the stimulation of the emotional hormone occurs. Often this allows an individual under great danger to accomplish remarkable and desperate things. “He pours out my gall upon the ground.” The backing up of the gall bladder makes breathing very difficult, as occurs with some types of fear. So there is a direct analogy between physiology and the function of the soul.

2. Job 19:27, “Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not a stranger, though my reins be destroyed within me.” Under the possibility of death, the emotional pattern is destroyed.

3. These two verses show a relationship between the emotion of the soul, the function of fear, and the physiological relationship to the adrenal glands. Mental attitude sins move into the emotions and cause a reverse, where the emotions control the right lobe. But only if doctrine in the right lobe dictates to and controls the emotions is there true response, producing capacity for life.

D. Capacity for life is linked to the reins.

1. There are two reins: the left fat pad is capacity for spiritual life; the right fat pad is capacity for temporal life. These fat pads and what they protect (kidneys and adrenal glands) represent the emotions of the soul.

2. The plural “reins” indicates that there are two facets to our emotions: capacity for spiritual and temporal life. Response to doctrine in the right lobe gives the capacity for both areas of life.

3. Therefore, the reins or emotions respond to Bible doctrine. Ps 16:7, “I will bless the Lord who has given me doctrine categorically [counsel]. My reins also instruct me in the night season.”

4. Doctrine was communicated in the daytime in the ancient world. At night, after having been learned, that doctrine comes into memory center, and the emotions respond to what you have learned.

5. Doctrine also enhances temporal life, and the emotions respond in those areas. Verse 8-9, “Therefore I have set the Lord always before me [occupation with Christ] because He is at my right hand; I shall never be unstable. Therefore, my right lobe rejoiced, my glory [edification complex of the soul] rejoiced; my flesh [whole life] shall also be tranquil.” This refers prophetically to the Lord Jesus Christ; experientially it is a “Mikhtam", a precious golden psalm of perspective from David.

E. The doctrinal content of the right lobe determines appreciation and capacity for God’s grace in the emotions of the soul, Ps 26:2-3.

1. “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; test my reins and my heart. For Thy lovingkindness [grace supplied] is before my eyes, because I have walked in doctrine.”

2. This doesn’t say that God blesses you if you get doctrine. What it does say is that doctrine is the only way you can respond to God’s love. Once David has doctrine, he has capacity for love. And no matter how timid your personality, when you have the capacity to love someone, you’re very bold. Capacity for love gives a boldness, as David has here. Relaxation in a relationship brings on boldness.

F. Daily function under GAP results in maximum emotional response and capacity for responding to God’s love, Ps 139:13, “For Thou hast possessed my reins; Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.”

1. When you have maximum doctrine in the soul, God possesses your emotional responses, and by so doing, He gives you in grace the most fantastic capacity for life!

2. Even in the mother’s womb, the parts of the soul necessary to have a functioning right lobe filled with doctrine were all provided.

3. Obviously, you need a functioning left lobe and right lobe. Without these you cannot have doctrine in the right lobe and therefore be possessed of God. God didn’t give us all the same IQ, but in the womb, He made sure that for the fulfillment of His plan, you would be born with two frontal lobes, with everything necessary to get doctrine in the right places inside of you would be provided.

4. So the last part of this verse is physiological grace; the first part is spiritual grace.

G. Mental attitude sins from the old sin nature hinder capacity for life and love, Prov 23:15-17. 1. “My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even my very own; yea, my reins shall rejoice when your lips speak what is right.” Note that the heart is mentioned before the reins. Happiness in the right lobe from doctrine finds a response in the emotions of the soul, just as a man who is happy makes his right woman happy.

2. “Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in occupation with the Lord all day long.” If the old sin nature takes over, the mind is filled with jealousy (or any mental attitude sin), and then emotion revolts, which starts wide emotional swings, psychosis, neurosis, and self-induced misery. Now there is a nagging emotion and a sick soul. The worst sins are mental attitude sins.

H. The back-up of mental attitude sins causes the reins to dominate the heart, creating a monster or beast in the soul, Ps 73:21-22.

1. “Thus, my heart was grieved. I was punctured in my reins. So I was foolish, and ignorant [of Bible doctrine]; I was an animal before Thee.”

2. The believer-animal has reverse functions: the emotion becomes the dictator to the right lobe. This results in legalism, human good, tongues, liberals, draft-dodgers, traitors, etc. So some of the most useful people to Satan are believers in apostasy.

I. Divine discipline is administered to the emotions of the soul, Lam 3:13- 15. “He has caused the arrows of His quiver [discipline] to enter into my reins. He has filled me with bitterness.” Cf. Rev 2:23.

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R. B. Thieme, Jr. Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740

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