Thematic Bible
Thematic Bible
Exaltation » Of self » Self-exaltation, the folly of
He who loves transgression loves strife and is quarrelsome;
He who [proudly] raises his gate seeks destruction [because of his arrogant pride].
“For you [Babylon] have trusted and felt confident in your wickedness; you have said,
‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and your knowledge have led you astray,
And you have said in your heart (mind),
‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’
And you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit upon the mount of assembly in the uttermost north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.
“Though you build [your nest] on high like the eagle,
Though you set your nest among the stars,
I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
It is not good to eat much honey,
Nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.
Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you.
“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says the Lord God,
“Because your heart is lifted up
And you have said and thought, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of the gods
In the heart of the seas’;
Yet you are [only] a man [weak, feeble, made of earth] and not God,
Though you [imagine yourself to be more than mortal and] think your mind is as [wise as] the mind of God—
And you have said and thought, ‘I am a god,
I sit in the seat of the gods
In the heart of the seas’;
Yet you are [only] a man [weak, feeble, made of earth] and not God,
Though you [imagine yourself to be more than mortal and] think your mind is as [wise as] the mind of God—
‘Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the thick boughs and the clouds, and its heart is proud of its height,
They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit [with You], one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory [Your majesty and splendor in Your kingdom].”
Great » Joy, occasions of » Men
A man’s gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
“Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise,
Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.
Do not be boastfully ambitious and claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Guest » Rules for the conduct of
When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider who and what are before you; For you will put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to desire. Be not desirous of his dainties, for it is deceitful food [offered with questionable motives].
Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men; For better it is that it should be said to you, Come up here, than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whose eyes have seen you.
If one of the unbelievers invites you [to a meal at his home] and you want to go, eat whatever is served to you without asking questions [about its source] for the sake of your conscience.
Eat not the bread of him who has a hard, grudging, and envious eye, neither desire his dainty foods; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. As one who reckons, he says to you, eat and drink, yet his heart is not with you [but is grudging the cost]. The morsel which you have eaten you will vomit up, and your complimentary words will be wasted.
Let your foot seldom be in your neighbor’s house,
Or he will become tired of you and hate you.
Whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this household! [ Freedom from all the distresses that result from sin be with this family]. And if anyone [worthy] of peace and blessedness is there, the peace and blessedness you wish shall come upon him; but if not, it shall come back to you. And stay on in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house.
Now He told a parable to those who were invited, [when] He noticed how they were selecting the places of honor, saying to them, When you are invited by anyone to a marriage feast, do not recline on the chief seat [in the place of honor], lest a more distinguished person than you has been invited by him, And he who invited both of you will come to you and say, Let this man have the place [you have taken]. Then, with humiliation and a guilty sense of impropriety, you will begin to take the lowest place. read more.
But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher! Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit [at table] with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank).
But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when your host comes in, he may say to you, Friend, go up higher! Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit [at table] with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled (ranked below others who are honored or rewarded), and he who humbles himself (keeps a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly) will be exalted (elevated in rank).
King » Rights and duties of
The king establishes (stabilizes) the land by justice,
But a man who takes bribes overthrows it.
If a king faithfully and truthfully judges the poor,
His throne shall be established forever.
O house of David, thus says the Lord:
“Administer justice in the morning,
And rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor,
That My wrath will not roar up like fire
And burn so [hotly] that none can extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.
And rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor,
That My wrath will not roar up like fire
And burn so [hotly] that none can extinguish it,
Because of the evil of their deeds.
If a ruler pays attention to lies [and encourages corruption],
All his officials will become wicked.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness (moral and spiritual rectitude in every area and relation). Be not forward (self-assertive and boastfully ambitious) in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men;
By patience and a calm spirit a ruler may be persuaded,
And a soft and gentle tongue breaks the bone [of resistance].
Kings » Be not presumptuous before
Do not be boastfully ambitious and claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
Men » Great
A man’s gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him
And brings him before great men.
“Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise,
Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.
Do not be boastfully ambitious and claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;
So I became great and excelled more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Respect » To rulers
Do not be boastfully ambitious and claim honor in the presence of the king,
And do not stand in the place of great men;