Deuteronomy 29:19 says, “And it shall come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:”
Imagination can be a dangerous thing. It causes us to move from reality to insanity. As a little boy, sleeping alone in my dark bedroom, I imagined a number of times a man was standing by my doorway. In the light I could see a plaster-molded tulip hanging on the wall with one leaf reaching beyond the doorjamb about an inch. At night I knew what it was, yet looking at it with my eyes squinting, it seemed to move. There was no way out of the room other than going past it. I screamed out to Mom. She came in, turning on the light, and showed me it was only the leaf. That helped that night. Other nights my strong imagination still got the best of me.
The imagination in our text is a very subtle, self-deceiving choice that ends with the damnation of our soul. The verse before is actually the first half of this sentence. It speaks of a person that knows the Lord and yet turns away from Him to follow other gods. The serious part is that this person is still among the followers of God. His heart is set to go serve other gods. The result is a bitter spirit developing in the people of God; “…lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.” This spirit can destroy a church.
Down deep in his heart the person that embraces this imagination knows better. “Though I walk in the imagination of mine heart” is a choice. It is his response upon hearing the curse that comes from such a walk. It is a walk that offers sorrow in the end. Proverbs 14:12-13 states, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.”
When the truth is preached, some call it “hell fire and damnation” preaching, and make fun of the preacher—the imagination walker doesn’t see repentance as his duty or choice. Instead he blesses himself in his heart saying, “I shall have peace.” This self blessing is dangerous. It is progressive, “to add drunkenness to thirst.” There comes a point of no return and “the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven” (Deuteronomy 29:20).
Some have found a temporary, false peace in drunkenness. It is easier for God to rescue this man than the one that stays in the church with a feeling of peace about his soul’s condition, walking in the “imagination” of his heart.
The condition spoken of in the text was yet to take place. The Israelites were actually standing before Moses to make a new covenant (V. 1). They were about to enter Canaan where there would be many powerful temptations. They were not to touch “the accursed thing” (Joshua 6:18). After the battle of Jericho, Achan took the accursed thing (Joshua 7:1). He and his family were stoned, burned and buried in the Valley of Achor (Joshua 7:24-26). He may have imagined that he would have peace and a blessing from the silver and gold he took. He did not repent until he was found out.Â
The warning is also for us today (Deuteronomy 29:15). Let us guard our heart and walk after the Spirit (Romans 8:1), not after the imagination!
