The Candle of the Lord

This verse highlights the inward faculty God uses to expose and evaluate human motives. The “spirit of man” refers to the inner, immaterial part of a person – comprising mind, conscience, will, and moral awareness. Solomon describes this spirit as a “candle” or lamp in the Lord’s hand, illuminating the hidden chambers of a person’s inner life.

God searches every thought, motive, and intention (Psa 139:23; Jer 17:10; Rom 8:27; 1 Cor 2:10; Rev 2:23). The human spirit becomes the instrument through which divine scrutiny occurs. Conscience convicts, memory recalls, reason evaluates, and the will responds. Nothing within a person – no attitude, desire, or secret plan – remains unknown to God. He uses this inward lamp to reveal what is righteous and what must be corrected.

God searches the heart (1Sam. 16:7; 1Chron. 28:9; Ps. 139:1, 23-24; Jer. 17:10). The Spirit searches all things (Rom. 8:27; 1Cor. 2:10-11). Christ examines the reins and hearts (Rev. 2:23). God uses the human spirit – conscience, intellect, and inner awareness – as His lamp to expose hidden motives and moral conditions. Nothing within a person escapes divine inspection. The conscience is thus both a witness and a searchlight (Rom. 2:14-15).