Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Now Tobiah the Ammonite was with him, and he said: Such is their building that if a fox climbs to the top of it, their stonewall will be broken down.

He caught three hundred foxes. Two at a time, he tied their tails together and put torches in the knots.

Swords will cut them down. Their dead bodies will be left as food for jackals.

(Her Brothers) Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.




Arrow snakes will make their nests there, lay eggs, and hatch them. They will gather their young under their shadow. Vultures also will gather there, each one with its mate.

Where the birds build their nests, the stork, whose home is the fir tree.

Even small birds have built a nest, and the swallows have their own home. They keep their young near your altars O Jehovah my king and my God.



Where the birds build their nests, the stork, whose home is the fir tree.

Mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. Yet when it grows it becomes as large as a tree. In fact the birds of heaven lodge in the branches.








The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed some fell by the side of the road. It was trampled under foot and the birds of heaven devoured it. Other seed fell on the rock. As soon as it grew it withered away because it had no moisture. Still other seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew with it, and choked it. read more.
Other seed fell on the good ground. It grew and produced fruit a hundredfold. As he said these things he cried. He said: He who has ears to hear let him hear. His disciples asked him what this illustration means. He said: You are meant to know the secrets of the kingdom of God. I speak to the rest in illustrations, that seeing they may not see and hearing they may not understand. Now the illustration is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the side of the road are they who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are those who receive the word with joy. These have no root. They believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. The seeds that fell among the thorns are people who hear the word and go their own way. They are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and do not produce fruit. The good ground represents the honest and good-hearted people. They hear the word, hold fast to it and produce forth fruit with patience.

You change your mind so easily. You will be shamed by Egypt as you were shamed by Assyria.

What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.

As a bird that wanders from her nest, so is a man who wanders from his place.

My son, respect Jehovah and the king. Do not associate with those who want to change things. Their calamity will rise suddenly! Who knows the ruin from both of them?

Ephraim mixes with other nations. Ephraim, you are like a half-baked loaf of bread.

The peoples hearts are deceitful. They must suffer for their sins. Jehovah will break down their altars and destroy their sacred pillars.

A scribe came to him and said: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied: Foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. One of his disciples said: Lord, first allow me to go bury my father. read more.
But Jesus said to him: Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one takes away that which was sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away. read more.
He that was sown among thorns hears the word. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

These are they by the wayside where the word is sown. When they have heard; Satan comes and takes away the word that has been sown in them. The same is so of the word sown upon the rocky places. When they have heard the word and receive it with joy, they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. They stumble when tribulation or persecution arise. read more.
There is the word sown among the thorns. These have heard the word, but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things enter in and choke the word. So it becomes unfruitful.

He told another: Follow me. But he said: Lord first let me go bury my father. Let the dead bury the dead. You go and publish abroad the kingdom of God. Jesus replied. Another said: I will follow you Lord, but first let me go say good by to my relatives. read more.
Jesus responded: No man, who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.


However he must ask in faith, not doubting: for he who doubts is like a surging wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. Do not let that man think that he will receive anything from God. A double-minded man is unstable (inconsistent) in all his ways.














Jesus traveled to parts of Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples: Who do men say that the Son of man is?




When evening arrived Jesus said: Let us go over to the other side. They took him with them on the boat and left the people. Other boats were with him also. A great windstorm came up and the waves came into the boat. read more.
He was in back of the boat sleeping on a cushion. They woke him. They said: Master is it nothing to you that we are in danger of destruction? He awoke from sleep and commanded the wind and sea. He commanded the sea to be at peace and rest. And he commanded the wind to go down and there was a great calm. He said: Why are you full of fear? Do you have no faith? Their fear was great. They said to themselves: Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey his orders?

He said to his disciples: Let us go to the other side of the lake. Then he and his disciples boarded a boat and did so. Jesus fell asleep as they sailed to the other side. A large windstorm came to the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They awoke him saying: Master, Master, we parish! He rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and there was calm. read more.
He asked them, Were is your faith? They were afraid and they marveled. They asked: Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

Now when Jesus saw how large the crowd was growing, he gave orders to depart to the other side of the lake. A scribe came to him and said: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied: Foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. read more.
One of his disciples said: Lord, first allow me to go bury my father. But Jesus said to him: Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead. When he entered a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a storm blew in and the boat was covered with waves. Jesus was asleep. And they came to him, woke him, and cried: Save us, Lord, or we will perish. He said to them: Why are you afraid, you of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea. Suddenly there was a great calm. The disciples were in awe. They asked: What kind of man is this, for even the winds and the sea obey him?








They zealously (eagerly) seek you in no good way. They desire to shut you out, that you may seek them.

You heard about the way I lived as a Jew. How I persecuted the congregation of God beyond measure. In fact I tried to destroy it! I advanced as a Jew beyond many of my own age among my countrymen. I was more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

I testify that they have zeal for God, but not according to [precise and correct] knowledge. They are ignorant of God's righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God.


Those who heard it glorified God. They said to him: You see brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed. They are all zealous for the law.


A scribe came to him and said: Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus replied: Foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

On the way a man came to him and said: I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus told him: Foxes have holes and birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.

Some preach Christ from envy and strife and some from good will. The latter ones do it out of love, knowing that I am set (appointed) (placed here) for the defense of the good news. But the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition without pure motives, thinking to cause me great suffering and distress in my imprisonment. read more.
What then? That in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed! For that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice!




For even Christ did not please himself. However it is written, The reproaches (insults) hurled at you have fallen on me. (Psalm 69:9)

This time the Devil took Jesus to an extremely high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world with all their greatness. I will give all this to you, the Devil told Jesus, if you kneel down and worship me. Go away, Satan! demanded Jesus. It is written, It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.' (Deuteronomy 6:13-15)

He existed in the form (shape and nature) of God but did not try to be equal with God. He did not even consider it! He emptied (humbled) himself by taking the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of men. He obtained the appearance as a man, humbled himself, and became obedient even to death, yes, death on the stake.