Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Afflictions made beneficial » In teaching us the will of God
It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes.
Verse Concepts
With my soul have I desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
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The LORD's voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
Verse Concepts
Condescension of God » Expostulates with backsliding israel
Produce your cause," says the LORD. "Bring forth your strong reasons," says the King of Jacob. "Let them announce, and declare to us what shall happen. Declare the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or show us things to come. Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and see it together. read more.
Behold, you are of nothing, and your work is of nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.
Behold, you are of nothing, and your work is of nothing. He who chooses you is an abomination.
But now thus says the LORD who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel: "Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. read more.
Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life. Do not be afraid; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will tell the north, 'Give them up.' and tell the south, 'Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth? everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.'" Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, "That is true." "You are my witnesses," says the LORD, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am the LORD; and besides me there is no savior. I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses," says the LORD, "and I am God. Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?" Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick): "Do not remember the former things, and do not consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Do you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you; therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life. Do not be afraid; for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west. I will tell the north, 'Give them up.' and tell the south, 'Do not hold them back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth? everyone who is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed, yes, whom I have made.'" Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, "That is true." "You are my witnesses," says the LORD, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am the LORD; and besides me there is no savior. I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses," says the LORD, "and I am God. Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?" Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; who brings forth the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty man (they lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched like a wick): "Do not remember the former things, and do not consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. It springs forth now. Do you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
"I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me. I was near to those who did not seek me. I said, 'Here I am. Here I am.' to a nation that did not call on my name. I have spread out my hands all the day to a disobedient and obstinate people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts; a people who provoke me to my face continually as they sacrifice in gardens and burn incense on bricks; read more.
who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; who say, Stand by yourself, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day. "Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yes, I will recompense into their bosom, your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together," says the LORD, "who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills; therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom." Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, 'Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it:' so will I do for my servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah they shall inherit my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought me. "But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny; I will destine you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight." Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be disappointed; behold, my servants shall sing in gladness of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. You shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen; and the Lord GOD will kill you; and he will call his servants by another name: so that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.
who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat pig's flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels; who say, Stand by yourself, do not come near to me, for I am holier than you. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all the day. "Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, yes, I will recompense into their bosom, your own iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together," says the LORD, "who have burned incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills; therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom." Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, 'Do not destroy it, for a blessing is in it:' so will I do for my servants' sake, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, and from Judah they shall inherit my mountains; and my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought me. "But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny; I will destine you to the sword, and you shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I did not delight." Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be disappointed; behold, my servants shall sing in gladness of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. You shall leave your name for a curse to my chosen; and the Lord GOD will kill you; and he will call his servants by another name: so that he who blesses himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.
"They say, 'If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again?' Wouldn't that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me," says the LORD. "Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see. Where have you not been lain with? You have sat for them by the ways, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain; yet you have a prostitute's forehead, you refused to be ashamed. read more.
Will you not from this time cry to me, 'My Father, you are the guide of my youth?' "'Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?' Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way." Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute. I said after she had done all these things, 'She will return to me;' but she did not return; and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, did not fear; but she also went and played the prostitute. It happened through the lightness of her prostitution, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks. Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense," says the LORD. The LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, you backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful,' says the LORD. 'I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,'" says the LORD. "Return, backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am a husband to you. I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Will you not from this time cry to me, 'My Father, you are the guide of my youth?' "'Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?' Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way." Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, "Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the prostitute. I said after she had done all these things, 'She will return to me;' but she did not return; and her treacherous sister Judah saw it. I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, did not fear; but she also went and played the prostitute. It happened through the lightness of her prostitution, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks. Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense," says the LORD. The LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, 'Return, you backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'I will not look in anger on you; for I am merciful,' says the LORD. 'I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,'" says the LORD. "Return, backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am a husband to you. I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
"'Yet you say, "The way of the Lord is not equal." Hear now, house of Israel: "Is my way not equal? Aren't your ways unequal?" When the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies therein; in his iniquity that he has done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. read more.
Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is not fair." "House of Israel, aren't my ways fair? Aren't your ways unfair?" "'Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,' says the Lord GOD. 'Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,' says the Lord GOD: 'therefore turn yourselves, and live.'"
Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is not fair." "House of Israel, aren't my ways fair? Aren't your ways unfair?" "'Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,' says the Lord GOD. 'Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, in which you have transgressed; and make yourself a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him who dies,' says the Lord GOD: 'therefore turn yourselves, and live.'"
"You, son of man, tell the house of Israel: 'Thus you speak, saying, "Our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?"' Tell them, 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, house of Israel?' "You, son of man, tell the children of your people, 'The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his disobedience; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness; neither shall he who is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sins.' read more.
When I tell the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he has committed, therein shall he die. Again, when I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him: he has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. "Yet the children of your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal': but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die therein. When the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways."
When I tell the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in his iniquity that he has committed, therein shall he die. Again, when I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die'; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him: he has done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. "Yet the children of your people say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal': but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die therein. When the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' House of Israel, I will judge every one of you after his ways."
Listen now to what the LORD says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear what you have to say. Hear, you mountains, the LORD's controversy, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel. My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. read more.
For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD." How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? The LORD's voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
For I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage. I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD." How shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams? With tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my disobedience? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does the LORD require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? The LORD's voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. read more.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field," says the LORD of hosts. "All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts. "Your words have been stout against me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?' You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? Now we call the proud blessed; indeed, those who work wickedness prosper. They even tempt God and escape.'
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for. I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field," says the LORD of hosts. "All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of hosts. "Your words have been stout against me," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?' You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? Now we call the proud blessed; indeed, those who work wickedness prosper. They even tempt God and escape.'
Judgments » Are from God
The LORD's voice calls to the city, and wisdom sees your name: "Listen to the rod, and he who appointed it.
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"See now that I, even I, am he, There is no god with me. I kill, and I make alive. I wound, and I heal. There is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
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He increases the nations, and he destroys them. He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive.
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Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city, without the people being afraid? Does disaster happen to a city, unless the LORD has done it?
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