Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Abraham » God's covenant with
When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and announced, "I am God Almighty. Live in constant awareness that I'm always with you, and be blameless. I'll establish my covenant between me and you, and I'll greatly increase your numbers." Then Abram fell to the ground as God continued speaking to him. read more.
"Look, I've made a covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. Your name is no longer to be Abram. Instead your name will be Abraham, since I'll make you the father of many nations. I'm going to cause you to have many descendants, and I'll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you. I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, and with your descendants who come after you, generation after generation, as an eternal covenant, to be your God and your descendants' God after you. I'll give to you and to your descendants the land to which you have traveled all the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. I will be their God." God continued to speak to Abraham, "You and your descendants who are born in the future are to keep my covenant that is, you and your descendants, generation after generation. Here is my covenant that you are to observe, between me and you and your descendants: Every male among you is to be circumcised. You are all to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and this is to be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Generation after generation, every male among you is to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, including the servant born in your house or the one purchased from a foreigner, who is not of your offspring. The servant born in your house or the one purchased with money is to be circumcised. My covenant is to remain in your flesh as an eternal covenant. Any uncircumcised male who does not have the foreskin of his flesh circumcised on the eighth day after his birth is to be eliminated from his people because he has broken my covenant." God told Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai any longer, because her name is to be Sarah. I will bless her. Furthermore, I will give you a son from her. I will bless her, so that nations, kings, and people will come from her." Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and told himself, "Can a child be born to a 100-year-old man? Can a 90-year-old Sarah give birth?" So Abraham responded to God, "If only Ishmael would live in constant awareness that you're always with him!" But God replied, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son, and you are to name him Isaac. I'll confirm my covenant with him as an eternal covenant for his descendants. And as for Ishmael, I've heard you. I'll bless him, and he'll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he'll father twelve tribal leaders, and I'll cause his descendants to become a great nation. Now as to Isaac, I'll confirm my covenant with him, to whom Sarah will give birth as your son at this time next year." With that, God finished talking to Abraham, and ascended, leaving him.
"Look, I've made a covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. Your name is no longer to be Abram. Instead your name will be Abraham, since I'll make you the father of many nations. I'm going to cause you to have many descendants, and I'll bring nations from you. Kings will come from you. I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, and with your descendants who come after you, generation after generation, as an eternal covenant, to be your God and your descendants' God after you. I'll give to you and to your descendants the land to which you have traveled all the land of Canaan as an eternal possession. I will be their God." God continued to speak to Abraham, "You and your descendants who are born in the future are to keep my covenant that is, you and your descendants, generation after generation. Here is my covenant that you are to observe, between me and you and your descendants: Every male among you is to be circumcised. You are all to be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and this is to be the sign of the covenant between me and you. Generation after generation, every male among you is to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, including the servant born in your house or the one purchased from a foreigner, who is not of your offspring. The servant born in your house or the one purchased with money is to be circumcised. My covenant is to remain in your flesh as an eternal covenant. Any uncircumcised male who does not have the foreskin of his flesh circumcised on the eighth day after his birth is to be eliminated from his people because he has broken my covenant." God told Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are not to call her Sarai any longer, because her name is to be Sarah. I will bless her. Furthermore, I will give you a son from her. I will bless her, so that nations, kings, and people will come from her." Abraham fell to the ground, laughed, and told himself, "Can a child be born to a 100-year-old man? Can a 90-year-old Sarah give birth?" So Abraham responded to God, "If only Ishmael would live in constant awareness that you're always with him!" But God replied, "No, but your wife Sarah will give birth to your son, and you are to name him Isaac. I'll confirm my covenant with him as an eternal covenant for his descendants. And as for Ishmael, I've heard you. I'll bless him, and he'll have many descendants. I will multiply him greatly, he'll father twelve tribal leaders, and I'll cause his descendants to become a great nation. Now as to Isaac, I'll confirm my covenant with him, to whom Sarah will give birth as your son at this time next year." With that, God finished talking to Abraham, and ascended, leaving him.
You will remain true to Jacob, and merciful to Abraham, as you promised our ancestors long ago.
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the Law, but through the righteousness produced by faith.
For I tell you that the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God's truth in order to confirm the promises given to our ancestors,
For when God made his promise to Abraham, he swore an oath by himself, since he had no one greater to swear by. He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants."
In the same way, Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." You see, then, that those who have faith are Abraham's real descendants. Because the Scripture saw ahead of time that God would justify the gentiles by faith, it announced the gospel to Abraham beforehand when it said, "Through you all nations will be blessed." read more.
Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the one who believed. Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!" Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because "The righteous will live by faith." But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them." The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who is hung on a tree!" This happened in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn't say "descendants," referring to many, but "your descendant," referring to one person, who is the Messiah. This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified. For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham.
Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham, the one who believed. Certainly all who depend on the actions of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who does not obey everything that is written in the Book of the Law!" Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because "The righteous will live by faith." But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them." The Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, "A curse on everyone who is hung on a tree!" This happened in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn't say "descendants," referring to many, but "your descendant," referring to one person, who is the Messiah. This is what I mean: The Law that came 430 years later did not cancel the covenant that God ratified previously. The promise was never nullified. For if the inheritance comes about through the Law, it no longer comes about through the promise. But it was through a promise that God so graciously gave it to Abraham.
And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham's descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise.
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman. Now the slave woman's son was conceived through human means, while the free woman's son was conceived through divine promise. This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery. read more.
Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery along with her children. But the heavenly Jerusalem is the free woman, and she is our spiritual mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless woman, who cannot give birth to any children! Break into song and shout, you who feel no pains of childbirth! For the children of the deserted woman are more numerous than the children of the woman who has a husband." So you, brothers, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as then the son who was conceived according to the flesh persecuted the son who was conceived according to the Spirit, so it is now. But what does the Scripture say? "Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman." So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery along with her children. But the heavenly Jerusalem is the free woman, and she is our spiritual mother. For it is written, "Rejoice, you childless woman, who cannot give birth to any children! Break into song and shout, you who feel no pains of childbirth! For the children of the deserted woman are more numerous than the children of the woman who has a husband." So you, brothers, are children of the promise, like Isaac. But just as then the son who was conceived according to the flesh persecuted the son who was conceived according to the Spirit, so it is now. But what does the Scripture say? "Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman." So then, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.
Business life » Contracts » Binding force of
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
Contracts » Scriptures illustrative of the binding force of
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
"When you acquire a Hebrew servant, he is to serve for six years, and in the seventh he is to go out a free man without paying anything. If he came in by himself, he is to go out by himself. If he was married, his wife is to go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and children belong to her master, and he is to go out by himself. read more.
But if the servant, in fact, says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out a free man,' then his master is to bring him before the judges and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.
But if the servant, in fact, says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out a free man,' then his master is to bring him before the judges and he is to bring him to the door or to the doorpost. His master is to pierce his ear with an awl, and he is to serve him permanently.
The LORD told Moses, "A person sins against the LORD by acting treacherously toward his neighbor regarding something entrusted to his care, regarding security for a loan, robbery, if he has oppressed his neighbor,
If that person has sinned and has been found guilty, then he is to return the stolen thing that he took or obtained by oppression, or the security that had been entrusted to him, or the lost thing that he had found, or the thing about which he had given a false oath. He is to restore it in full, add a fifth to it, then give it to whom it belongs the very day he's found guilty. Now as to his guilt offering, he is to bring to the LORD a ram without defect from the flock, estimated as to its value, to the priest. read more.
Then the priest is to make atonement for him in the LORD's presence, and it will be forgiven him regarding whatever he did."
Then the priest is to make atonement for him in the LORD's presence, and it will be forgiven him regarding whatever he did."
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they took the initiative by preparing their provisions shrewdly: they took tattered sacks for their donkeys, worn-out, torn, and mended wineskins, worn-out, patched sandals for their feet, and worn-out clothes. All of their food was dried out and covered in mold. read more.
Then they approached Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and addressed him and the Israelis, "We've arrived from a distant country, so please make a treaty with us right now." But the Israelis responded to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live in our midst. If this is so, how can we make a treaty with you?" So they responded to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua asked them, "Who are you? And where did you come from?" They answered, "Your servants have arrived from a very distant land, because of the reputation of the LORD your God, because we've heard a report about all that he did in Egypt,
Then they approached Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and addressed him and the Israelis, "We've arrived from a distant country, so please make a treaty with us right now." But the Israelis responded to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live in our midst. If this is so, how can we make a treaty with you?" So they responded to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua asked them, "Who are you? And where did you come from?" They answered, "Your servants have arrived from a very distant land, because of the reputation of the LORD your God, because we've heard a report about all that he did in Egypt,
They made a treaty with them, guaranteeing their lives with a covenant, and the leaders of the congregation confirmed it with an oath to them. But three days after they had made the treaty with them, they learned that they were their neighbors and were living in their midst.
The Israelis did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had made an oath with them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the entire congregation grumbled against their leaders. Then all of the leaders spoke to the entire congregation, "We have sworn to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them. So this is what we'll do to them: we'll let them live, so that wrath won't come upon us because of the oath that we swore to them." read more.
The leaders told them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which is what the leaders had decided concerning them. Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, "Why did you deceive us by saying "We live far away from you,' even though you were, in fact, living in our midst? Now therefore you are under a curse. Some of you will always be slaves, wood cutters, and water carriers for the house of my God." They replied to Joshua, "Because your servants had been informed that the LORD your God had certainly commanded his servant Moses to give you the entire land and to destroy all of the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were terrified for our lives because of you. That's why we did this. Now we're under your control: do to us as it seems good and right in your opinion." So this is what Joshua did for them: he saved them from the Israelis, and they did not kill them. However, on that very day Joshua made them become wood cutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the LORD's altar in the place that he should choose, and this tradition continues to this day.
The leaders told them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which is what the leaders had decided concerning them. Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, "Why did you deceive us by saying "We live far away from you,' even though you were, in fact, living in our midst? Now therefore you are under a curse. Some of you will always be slaves, wood cutters, and water carriers for the house of my God." They replied to Joshua, "Because your servants had been informed that the LORD your God had certainly commanded his servant Moses to give you the entire land and to destroy all of the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were terrified for our lives because of you. That's why we did this. Now we're under your control: do to us as it seems good and right in your opinion." So this is what Joshua did for them: he saved them from the Israelis, and they did not kill them. However, on that very day Joshua made them become wood cutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the LORD's altar in the place that he should choose, and this tradition continues to this day.
"The kingdom from heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. After agreeing to pay the workers one denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. read more.
He told them, "You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So off they went. He went out again about noon and about three o'clock and did the same thing. About five o'clock he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, "Why are you standing here all day long without work?' They told him, "Because no one has hired us.' He told them, "You go into the vineyard as well.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, "Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' Those who were hired at five o'clock came, and each received a denarius. "When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner, "These last fellows worked only one hour, but you paid them the same as us, and we've been working all day, enduring the scorching heat!' "But he told one of them, "Friend, I'm not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn't you? Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last man as much as I gave you. I am allowed to do what I want with my own money, am I not? Or are you envious because I'm generous?' "In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen."
He told them, "You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So off they went. He went out again about noon and about three o'clock and did the same thing. About five o'clock he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, "Why are you standing here all day long without work?' They told him, "Because no one has hired us.' He told them, "You go into the vineyard as well.' "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, "Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' Those who were hired at five o'clock came, and each received a denarius. "When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner, "These last fellows worked only one hour, but you paid them the same as us, and we've been working all day, enduring the scorching heat!' "But he told one of them, "Friend, I'm not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn't you? Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last man as much as I gave you. I am allowed to do what I want with my own money, am I not? Or are you envious because I'm generous?' "In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen."
Contracts » Binding force of
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
Covenant » Binding
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
The Israelis did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had made an oath with them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the entire congregation grumbled against their leaders. Then all of the leaders spoke to the entire congregation, "We have sworn to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them. So this is what we'll do to them: we'll let them live, so that wrath won't come upon us because of the oath that we swore to them."
This is this message from the LORD that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem proclaiming release for them. Each person was to set free his male and female slaves who were Hebrews, so that no Jewish person would enslave his brother. All the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant agreed that each would set his male and female slaves free so that they would not enslave them any longer. They obeyed and they released them. read more.
But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves that they had set free, and they forced them to become male and female slaves. Then this message from the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "I made a covenant with your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. I told them: "At the end of seven years, each of you is to set free your fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you and has served you for six years. You are to send him out from you with no further obligation." But your ancestors didn't obey me or pay attention. You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming release for one another, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name. But then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves whom you had set free according to their desire, and you forced them to become male and female slaves."' "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "You haven't obeyed me by each of you proclaiming a release for your brothers and neighbors. Now I'm going to proclaim a release for you,' declares the LORD, "a release to the sword, to plague, and to famine, and I'll make you a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. I'll give over the men who transgressed my covenant, who haven't fulfilled the terms of the covenant that they made before me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. I'll give them to their enemies who are seeking to kill them, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land. I'll give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials into the domination of their enemies, to those who are seeking to kill them, and to the army of the king of Babylon that is coming against them.
But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves that they had set free, and they forced them to become male and female slaves. Then this message from the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "I made a covenant with your ancestors on the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. I told them: "At the end of seven years, each of you is to set free your fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you and has served you for six years. You are to send him out from you with no further obligation." But your ancestors didn't obey me or pay attention. You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming release for one another, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name. But then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves whom you had set free according to their desire, and you forced them to become male and female slaves."' "Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "You haven't obeyed me by each of you proclaiming a release for your brothers and neighbors. Now I'm going to proclaim a release for you,' declares the LORD, "a release to the sword, to plague, and to famine, and I'll make you a horrifying sight to all the kingdoms of the earth. I'll give over the men who transgressed my covenant, who haven't fulfilled the terms of the covenant that they made before me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. I'll give them to their enemies who are seeking to kill them, and their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the land. I'll give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials into the domination of their enemies, to those who are seeking to kill them, and to the army of the king of Babylon that is coming against them.
in order to humiliate the kingdom so it wouldn't be able to return to power, but would still be able to continue as long as he keeps his covenant. But he rebelled against the king of Babylon by sending his messengers to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Or will the one who did this escape? Will he break the covenant, but still be delivered?'" "As long as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "in Babylon, that place where the king has enthroned him, whose oath he despised so as to break his covenant, he'll die with him. read more.
Pharaoh, with his massive army and large battalions won't protect him when mounds and siege walls are built to destroy many people. He despised the oath he had made and broke the covenant. Look! Because he willingly submitted, yet he has done all these things, he won't escape.
Pharaoh, with his massive army and large battalions won't protect him when mounds and siege walls are built to destroy many people. He despised the oath he had made and broke the covenant. Look! Because he willingly submitted, yet he has done all these things, he won't escape.
Covenant » Of God with men » Binding
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
"Listen to the words of this covenant, and convey them to the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem. You are to say to them, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "Cursed is the person who does not listen to the words of this covenant
Covenant » Sacred
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
The Israelis did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had made an oath with them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. Nevertheless, the entire congregation grumbled against their leaders. Then all of the leaders spoke to the entire congregation, "We have sworn to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them. So this is what we'll do to them: we'll let them live, so that wrath won't come upon us because of the oath that we swore to them." read more.
The leaders told them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which is what the leaders had decided concerning them.
The leaders told them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, which is what the leaders had decided concerning them.
Covenants » When confirmed, unalterable
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.
Will » A testament » May not be annulled
Brothers, let me use an example from everyday life. Once an agreement has been ratified, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.