Thematic Bible: The reward for rejecting the lord


Thematic Bible




Then all the elders of Israel gathered them together and came to Samuel unto Ramah, and said unto him, "Behold, thou art old and thy sons follow not thy ways. Now, therefore, make us a king to judge us, as all other nations have." But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed unto the LORD. read more.
And the LORD said unto Samuel, "Hear the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee. For they have not cast thee away, but me: that I should not reign over them. And as they have ever done - since I brought them out of Egypt unto this day, and have forsaken me and served other gods - even so do they unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet, testify unto them and show them the duty of the king that shall reign over them." And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked a king of him, and he said, "This shall be the duty of the king that shall reign over you: he will take your sons and put them to his chariots and make his horsemen of them and they must run before his chariot, and will make him captains of them over thousands and over fifties, and set them to ear his ground, and to gather in his harvest, and to make instruments of war and apparel for his chariots. And he will take your daughters and make them the dressers of his ointments, and his cooks and bakers. And he shall take the best of your fields, and of your vineyards and of your olive trees, and give them to his servants. And he shall take the tenth of your seed and of your vines, and give it to his lords, and to his servants. And he shall take the best of your menservants and maidservants and young men, and of your asses, and do his work with them. And he shall take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants. And when ye cry out at that time upon your king which ye shall have chosen you, the LORD will not hear you at that day."

And they refused his ordinances and his covenant that he had made with their fathers, and the witness which he had witnessed to them and followed vanity and became vain, like to the heathen that were round about them, of which the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. But they left the commandments of the LORD their God and made them Images of metal, even two calves: and made groves and bowed themselves unto all the Host of heaven, and served Baal. And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters in fire, and used witchcraft and enchantments, and were sold to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, for to anger him. read more.
Wherefore the LORD was exceeding wroth with Israel and put them out of his sight, that there was left but the tribe of Judah only. And thereto Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the ordinances of Israel which they had made. Therefore the LORD cast up all the seed of Israel and vexed them and delivered them into the hands of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. And Israel divided themselves from the house of David, and made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Which Jeroboam thrust Israel away from the LORD and made them sin a great sin. And so the children of Israel walked in all the sin of Jeroboam which he had set up, and departed not therefrom, until the LORD had put Israel away out of his sight, as he said by all his servants the prophets. And so he translated Israel out of their land to Assyria, even unto this day.

But unto whom shall I speak, whom shall I warn, that he may take heed? Their ears are so uncircumcised, that they may not hear. Behold, they take the word of God but for a scorn, and have no lust thereto. And therefore I am so full of thine indignation, O LORD, that I may suffer no longer. "Shed out thy wrath upon the children that are without, and upon all young men. Yea the man must be taken prisoner with the wife, and the aged with the cripple. Their houses with their lands and wives shall be turned unto strangers, when I stretch out mine hand upon the inhabiters of this land," sayeth the LORD. read more.
"For from the least unto the most, they hang all upon covetousness: and from the prophet unto the priest, they go all about with falsity and lies. And beside that, they heal the hurt of my people with sweet words, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace at all. Therefore they must be ashamed, for they have committed abomination. But how should they be ashamed, when they know nothing, neither of shame nor good nurture? And therefore they shall fall among the slain; and in the hour when I shall visit them, they shall be brought down," sayeth the LORD. Thus sayeth the LORD, "Go into the streets, consider and make inquisition for the old way: and if it be the good and right way, then go therein, that ye may find rest for your souls. But they say, 'We will not walk therein.' And I will set watchmen over you, and therefore take heed unto the voice of the trumpet. But they say, 'We will not take heed.' Hear therefore ye Gentiles; and thou, congregation, shalt know what I have devised for them. Hear thou earth also: behold, I will cause a plague come upon this people, even the fruit of their own imaginations. For they have not been obedient unto my words and to my law, but abhorred them.