Thematic Bible: Condescension of God


Thematic Bible



Stand at your cause, sayeth the LORD, and bring forth your strongest ground, counseleth the King of Jacob. Let the gods come forth themselves, and show us the things that are past, what they be: let them declare them unto us, that we may take them to heart, and know them hereafter. Either, let them show us things for to come, and tell us what shall be done hereafter: so shall we know, that they be gods. Show something, either good or bad: so will we both knowledge the same, and tell it out. read more.
Behold, ye gods are of naught, and your making is of naught; yea, abominable is the man that hath chosen you.

But now, the LORD that made thee O Jacob, and he that fashioned thee O Israel, sayeth thus, "Fear not, for I will defend thee. I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine own. If thou goest through the water, I will be with thee, that the strong floods should not pluck thee away. When thou walkest in the fire, it shall not burn thee, and the flame shall not kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Saviour. I gave Egypt for thy deliverance, the Ethiopians and the Sabees for thee: read more.
because thou wast dear in my sight, and because I set by thee, and loved thee. I will give over all men for thee, and deliver up all people for thy sake. Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the East, and gather thee together from the West. I will say to the North, 'Let go.' And to the South, 'Keep not back: but bring me my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the world: Namely, all those that be called after my name. For them have I created, fashioned, and made for mine honour.'" Bring forth that people which is blind, yet hath eyes; which is deaf yet hath ears. All nations shall come in one, and be gathered in one people. But which among yonder gods shall declare such things, and tell us what is to come? Let them bring their witnesses, so shall they be free: for then men shall hear it, and say, "It is truth." But I bring you witnesses, sayeth the LORD: even those that are my servants, whom I have chosen - to the intent that ye might be certified and give me faithful credence. Yea, and to consider, that I am he before whom there was never any God, and there shall be none after me. I, even I, am the only LORD, and without me there is no Saviour. I gave warning, I made whole, I taught you when there was no strange god among you. And this record must ye bear me yourselves, sayeth the LORD: that I am God. And even he am I from the beginning, and there is none that can take anything out of my hand. And what I do, can no man change. Thus sayeth the LORD the holy one of Israel, your redeemer, "For your sake I have sent to Babylon, and brought down the strongest of them. All they are fugitive with the Chaldeans that boast them of their ships: Even I the LORD your holy one, which have made Israel, and am your King." Moreover, thus sayeth the LORD, even he that maketh a way in the sea, and a footpath in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariots and horses, the host and the power, that they may fall asleep and never rise, and be extinct, like as towe is quenched: "Remember not things of old, and regard nothing that is past. Behold, I shall make a new thing, and shortly shall it appear. Ye shall well know it; I told it you afore, but I will tell it you again. I will make streets in the desert, and rivers of water in the wilderness.

They shall seek me, that hitherto have not asked for me, they shall find me, that hitherto have not sought me. Then shall I say immediately to the people that never called upon my name, "I am here, I am here." For thus long have I ever holden out my hands to an unfaithful people, that go not the right way, but after their own imaginations: To a people that is ever defying me to my face. They make their oblations in gardens, and their smoke upon altars of brick; read more.
they lurk among the graves, and lie in the dens all night. They eat swine flesh, and unclean broth is in their vessels. If thou comest nigh them, they say, "Touch me not, for I am holier than thou." All these men when I am angry, shall be turned to smoke and fire, that shall burn forever. Behold, it is written before my face, and shall not be forgotten, but recompensed. I shall reward it them into their bosom: I mean your misdeeds, and the misdeeds of your fathers together, sayeth the LORD, which have made their smokes upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their old deeds into their bosom again. Moreover, thus sayeth the LORD: like as when one would gather holy grapes, men say unto him, "Break it not off, for it is holy," even so will I do also for my servants' sakes, that I will not destroy them all. But I will take a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah, one to take possession of my hill. My chosen shall possess these things, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a sheepfold, and the valley of Achor shall give the stalling for the cattle of my people, that fear me. But as for you, ye are they that have forsaken the LORD, and forgotten my holy hill. Ye have set up an altar to Fortune, and given rich drink offerings unto the planets. Therefore will I number you with the sword, that ye shall be destroyed all together. For when I called, no man gave me answer: when I spake, ye hearkened not unto me, but did wickedness before mine eyes, and chose the thing that pleased me not. Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall have hunger. Behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall suffer thirst. Behold, my servants shall be merry, but ye shall be confounded. Behold, my servants shall rejoice for very quietness of heart: But ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and complain for vexation of mind. Your name shall not be sworn by among my chosen, for God the LORD shall slay you, and call his servants by another name. Whoso rejoiceth upon earth, shall rejoice in the true God: And whoso sweareth upon earth, shall swear in the true God. For the old enmity shall be forgotten, and taken away out of my sight.

Commonly, when a man putteth away his wife, and she goeth from him, and marrieth with another, then the question is: should he resort unto her any more after that? Is not this field then defiled and unclean? But as for thee, thou hast played the harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, sayeth the LORD. Lift up thine eyes on every side, and look, if thou be not defiled. Thou hast waited for them in the streets, and as a murderer in the wilderness. through thy whoredoms and shameful blasphemies, is the land defiled. This is the cause that the rain and evening dew hath ceased. Thou hast gotten thee a whore's forehead, and canst not be ashamed. read more.
Else wouldst thou say unto me, 'O my father, thou art he that hast brought me up, and led me from my youth: Wilt thou then put me away and cast me off for ever? Or wilt thou withdraw thyself clean from me?' Nevertheless, thou speakest such words, but thou art ever doing worse and worse." The LORD said also unto me, in the time of Josiah the king, "Hast thou seen what that shrinking Israel hath done? How she hath run up upon all high hills, and among all thick trees, and there played the harlot? Hast thou seen also, when she had done all this, how I said unto her that she should turn again unto me, and yet she is not returned? Judah, that unfaithful sister of hers also saw this: Namely, that after I had well seen the adultery of the shrinking harlot Israel, I put her away, and gave her a bill of divorcement. For all this, her unfaithful sister Judah was not ashamed, but went back and played the whore also. Yea, and the noise of her whoredom hath defiled the whole land. For she hath committed her adultery with stones and stocks. Nevertheless, her unfaithful sister Judah is not turned unto me again with her whole heart, but feignedly, sayeth the LORD." And the LORD said unto me, "The shrinking Israel is more righteous than the unfaithful Judah: and therefore go preach these words toward the north, and say, 'Thou shrinking Israel, turn again, sayeth the LORD; and I will not turn my face from you, for I am merciful, sayeth the LORD. And I will not always bear displeasure against thee: but on this condition, that thou know thy great blasphemy: Namely, that thou hast unfaithfully forsaken the LORD thy God, and hast made thyself partaker of strange gods under all green trees, but hast had no will to hear my voice, sayeth the LORD. O ye shrinking children, turn again, sayeth the LORD: and I will be married with you. For I will take one out of the city, and two out of one generation from among you, and bring you out of Zion: and I will give you herdsmen after mine own mind, which shall feed you with learning and wisdom.

But you will say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' Here I pray you, ye house of Israel. Is not my way equal? If a righteous turn from his righteousness and do wickedly, and die therefore: in the wickedness which he did he shall die. And when a wicked turneth from his wickedness and doth justly and righteously, he shall save his soul: read more.
because he feared and turned from all his wickedness which he did, he shall live and not die, saith the Lord almighty. And yet sayeth the house of Israel, 'Tush, the way of the LORD is not equal.' Are my ways unright, O ye house of Israel? Are not your ways rather unequal? "As for me, I will judge every man, according to his ways, O ye house of Israel, sayeth the LORD God. Wherefore be converted, and turn you clean from all your wickedness, so shall there no sin do you harm. Cast away from you all your ungodliness that ye have done: make you new hearts and a new spirit. Wherefore will ye die, O ye house of Israel? Seeing I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, sayeth the LORD God; Turn you then, and ye shall live."

"Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel. Yea, say thus, 'Our offenses and sins lie upon us, and we be corrupt in them: how should we then be restored unto life?' Tell them, 'As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but much rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn you, turn you from your ungodly ways, O ye of the house of Israel. Oh, wherefore will ye die?' Thou son of man, tell the children of thy people, 'The righteousness of the righteous shall not save him, whensoever he turneth away unfaithfully. Again, the wickedness of the wicked shall not hurt him, whensoever he converteth from his ungodliness. And the righteousness of the righteous, shall not save his life, whensoever he sinneth. read more.
If I say unto the righteous, that he shall surely live, and so he trust to his own righteousness, and do sin: then shall his righteousnesses be no more thought upon, but in the wickedness that he hath done he shall die. Again; If I say unto the wicked, 'Thou shalt surely die,' and so he turn from his sins, and do the thing that is lawful and right: Insomuch that the same wicked man giveth the pledge again, restoreth that he had taken away by robbery, walketh in the commandments of life, and doth no wrong: Then shall he surely live, and not die. Yea the sins that he hath done, shall never be thought upon: For insomuch as he doth now the thing that is lawful and right, he shall live. And yet the children of thy people say, 'Tush, the way of the LORD is not right,' whereas their own way is rather unright. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and doeth the thing that is wicked, he shall die therefore. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, doing the thing that is lawful and right, he shall live therefore. Yet ye say, 'The way of the LORD is not equal.' O ye house of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways!'"

Hearken now what the LORD sayeth: Up, reprove the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. O hear the punishment of the LORD, ye mountains, and ye mighty foundations of the earth: for the LORD will reprove his people, and reason with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? Or wherein have I hurt thee? Give me answer! read more.
Because I brought thee from the land of Egypt, and delivered thee out of the house of bondage? Because I made Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead thee? Remember, O my people, what Balak the king of Moab had imagined against thee, and what answer that Balaam the son of Beor gave him, from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the loving-kindness of the LORD. "What acceptable thing shall I offer unto the LORD? Shall I bow my knee to the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, and with calves of a year old? Hath the LORD a pleasure in many thousand rams, or innumerable streams of oil? Or shall I give my firstborn for mine offenses, and the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requireth of thee: Namely, to do right, to have pleasure in loving-kindness, to be lowly, and to walk with thy God. The LORD's voice crieth unto the city, and the man that shall be saved considereth thy name, O LORD. Hear and that thy name may be righteousness. Hear, O ye tribes: who would else give you such warning?

"Ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and since the time of your forefathers have ye not kept them. Turn you now unto me, and I will turn me unto you, sayeth the LORD of Hosts. Ye say, 'Wherein shall we turn?' Should a man use falsity and deceit with God, as ye use falsity and deceit with me? Yet ye say, 'Wherein use we deceit with thee?' In tithes and heave offerings. Therefore are ye cursed with penury, because ye dissemble with me, all the sort of you. read more.
Bring every tithe into my barn, that there may be meat in mine house: and prove me withal, sayeth the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven unto you, and pour you out a blessing with plenteousness. Yea, I shall reprove the consumer for your sakes, so that he shall not eat up the fruit of your ground, neither shall the vineyard be barren in the field, sayeth the LORD of Hosts. Insomuch that all people shall say that ye be blessed, for ye shall be a pleasant land, sayeth the LORD of Hosts. Ye speak hard words against me, sayeth the LORD. And yet ye say, 'What have we spoken against thee?' Ye have said, 'It is but lost labour, to serve God: What profit have we for keeping his commandments, and for walking humbly before the LORD of Hosts? Therefore may we say, that the proud are happy, and that they which deal with ungodliness, are set up: for they tempt God and yet escape.'




What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And what is the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him lower than the angels, to crown him with glory and worship. Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands; and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet -

Who is like unto the LORD our God, that hath his dwelling so high; which humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

LORD, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him? Or the son of man, that thou so regardest him? Verse ConceptsMan, Insignificance OfGod's ThoughtsWhat Value Is Man?Taking Care Of Your Bodyhumanitymindfulnessimportance

Thus sayeth the LORD, even the holy one and maker of Israel: Ask me of things for to come, concerning my sons; and put me in remembrance, as touching the works of my hands. Verse ConceptsMan's Relationship With His CreatorQuestioning GodThe FutureSolar Eclipse

So God, willing very abundantly to show, unto the heirs of promise, the stableness of his counsel; he added an oath, that by two immutable things - in which it was impossible that God should lie - we might have perfect consolation, which have fled, for to hold fast the hope that is set before us:



And the LORD appeared unto him in the oak grove of Mamre as he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day. And he lift up his eyes and looked: and lo, three men stood not far from him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and fell to the ground and said, "Lord, if I have found favour in thy sight, go not by thy servant. read more.
Let a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, to comfort your hearts withal. And then go your ways, for even therefore are ye come to your servant." And they answered, "Do even so as thou hast said." And Abraham went a pace into his tent unto Sara, and said, Make ready at once three pecks of fine meal; knead it, and make cakes." And Abraham ran unto his beasts and fetched a calf that was tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, which made it ready at once. And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them, and stood himself by them under the tree: and they ate. And they said unto him, "Where is Sara, thy wife?" And he said, "In the tent." And he said, "I will come again unto thee as soon as the fruit can live. And lo, Sara thy wife shall have a son." That heard Sara, out of the tent door which was behind his back. Abraham and Sara were both old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sara after the manner as it is with wives. And Sara laughed in herself saying, "Now I am waxed old, shall I give myself to lust, and my lord old also?" Then said the LORD unto Abraham, "Wherefore doth Sara laugh saying, 'shall I of a surety bear a child, now when I am old?' Is the thing too hard for the LORD to do? In the time appointed will I return unto thee, as soon as the fruit can have life. And Sara shall have a son." Then Sara denied it, saying, "I laughed not." For she was afraid. But he said, "Yes, thou laughtest." Then the men stood up from thence and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the LORD said, "Can I hide from Abraham that thing which I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall be a great and a mighty people, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do after right and conscience, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that he hath promised him." And the LORD said, "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is exceeding grievous. I will go down and see whether they have done altogether according to that cry which is come unto me or not, that I may know." And the men departed thence and went to Sodomward. But Abraham stood yet before the LORD,

And so though your sins be like to purple, they shall be made as white as snow; and though they be as red as scarlet, they shall be made like white wool. If ye will agree and hearken, ye shall eat the best of the land, saith the LORD God. But if ye be obstinate and rebellious, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for thus the LORD hath promised with his own mouth.

And he said, "I beseech thee, show me thy glory." And he said, "I will make all my good go before thee, and I will be called in this name Jehovah before thee, and will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and will have compassion on whom I have compassion." And he said furthermore, "Thou mayest not see my face, for there shall no man see me and live." read more.
And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock, and while my glory goeth forth I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will put mine hand upon thee while I pass by. And then I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."

and drew near and said, "Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? If there be fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou destroy it and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee, that thou shouldest do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked: that be far from thee. Should not the Judge of all the world do according to right?" read more.
And the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, I will spare all the place for their sakes." And Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, and yet am but dust and ashes. What though there lack five of fifty righteous, wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five?" And he said, "If I find there forty and five I will not destroy them." And he spake unto him yet again, and said, "What if there be forty found there?" And he said, "I will not do it for forty's sake." And he said, "O let not my LORD be angry, that I speak. What if there be found thirty there?" And he said, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." And he said, "Oh, see, I have begun to speak unto my LORD, what if there be twenty found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy them for twenty's sake." And he said, "O let not my LORD be angry, that I speak yet, but even once more only. What if ten be found there?" And he said, "I will not destroy them for ten's sake." And the LORD went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham. And Abraham returned unto his place.

And the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and was full of mischief. And God looked upon the earth, and lo it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. Then said God to Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is full of their mischief. And lo, I will destroy them with the earth.

And Gideon said unto God, "If thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou hast said: Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the threshing place. And if the dew be on the fleece only, and dry upon all the earth beside: then I shall be sure that thou wilt save Israel by my hand as thou saidest." And it came to pass. And he rose up early on the morrow, and he thrust the fleece together and wrung the dew thereout and filled a bowl of water. read more.
And Gideon said unto God, "Be not angry with me, that I speak once more; let me prove only once again with the fleece. Let it be dry only upon the fleece, and dew upon all the ground about." And God did so that same night: so that it was dry upon the fleece only, and on all the ground about, dew.

And God came to Abimelech by night in a dream and said to him, "See, thou art but a dead man for the woman's sake which thou hast taken away, for she is a man's wife." But Abimelech had not yet come nigh her, and therefore said, "LORD, wilt thou slay righteous people? Said not he unto me, that she was his sister? Yea, and said not she herself that he was her brother? With a pure heart and innocent hands have I done this!" read more.
And God said unto him in a dream, "I know it well that thou didst it in the pureness of thy heart: And therefore I kept thee that thou shouldest not sin against me, neither suffered I thee to come nigh her. Now, therefore, deliver the man his wife again, for he is a prophet. And let him pray for thee that thou mayest live. But and if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou shalt die the death, with all that thou hast."

Then the LORD said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?" And he said, "A rod." And he said, "Cast it on the ground." And it turned unto a serpent. And Moses ran away from it. And the LORD said unto Moses, "Put forth thine hand and take it by the tail." And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod again in his hand. read more.
"That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee." And the LORD said furthermore unto him, "Thrust thine hand into thy bosom." And he thrust his hand into his bosom and took it out. And behold, his hand was leprous, even as snow. And he said, "Put thine hand into thy bosom again." And he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. "If they will not believe thee, neither hear the voice of the first token: yet will they believe the voice of the second token. But and if they will not believe the two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, then take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land. And the water which thou takest out of the river shall turn to blood upon the dry land." And Moses said unto the LORD, "O my Lord. I am not eloquent, no not in times past and namely since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow mouthed and slow tongued." And the LORD said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth, or who hath made the dumb or the deaf, the seeing or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? Go therefore and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say." And he said, "O my Lord, send I pray thee whom thou wilt." And the LORD was angry with Moses, and said, "I know Aaron thy brother, the Levite, that he can speak. And moreover behold, he cometh out to meet thee, and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: he shall be thy mouth, and thou shalt be his God: and take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do miracles."

"I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, tell them therefore and say that at evening they shall eat flesh, and in the morning they shall be filled with bread, and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God." Verse ConceptsAssurance, basis ofBreakfastTwilightIn The MorningGod Paid Attention To Them