28 Bible Verses about Motives, Examples Of

Some there are which preach Christ of envy and strife, and some of goodwill. The one part preacheth Christ of strife, and not purely, supposing to add more adversity to my bonds. The other part of love, because they see that I am set to defend the gospel.read more.
What then? So that Christ be preached all manner ways, whether it be by occasion, or of true meaning, I therein joy: Yea and will joy.

Nevertheless, Michal Saul's daughter loved David. And when it was showed Saul, the thing pleased him well. And he said, "I will give him her that she may be a snare to him, to bring the hand of the Philistines upon him." And Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law again." And Saul commanded his servants to commune with David secretly and say, "Behold, the king hath a favour to thee, and all his servants love thee - be therefore the king's son-in-law."read more.
And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. But David answered, "Seemeth it to you a light thing to be the king's son-in-law, when I am a poor man and of small reputation?"

And it was in the heart of David my father, to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. But the LORD God said unto David my father, 'In that it was in thine heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well, that thou wast so minded. Nevertheless, thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come out of thy loins, he shall build a house for my name.'

And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel: But the LORD said to David my father, 'Forasmuch as it was in thine heart, to build a house for my name, thou didst well that thou hadst it in thine heart. Notwithstanding, thou shalt not build the house, but thy son which shall issue out of thy loins, he shall build a house for my name.'

The birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came to dwell together, she was found with child by the holy ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a perfect man, and loath to make an example of her, was minded to put her away secretly. While he thus thought, Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: For that which is conceived in her is of the holy ghost.

And his brethren hated him, but his father noted the saying.

And when they saw him afar off before he came at them, they took counsel against him, for to slay him, and said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh; come now and let us slay him and cast him into some pit, and let us say that some wicked beast hath devoured him, and let us see what his dreams will come to."read more.
When Reuben heard that, he went about to rid him out of their hands, and said, "Let us not kill him." And Reuben said moreover unto them, "Shed not his blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hands upon him." For he would have rid him out of their hands and delivered him to his father again. And as soon as Joseph was come unto his brethren, they stripped him out of his gay coat that was upon him, and they took him and cast him into a pit. But the pit was empty and had no water therein. And they sat them down to eat bread. And as they lift up their eyes and looked about, there came a company of Ishmaelites from Gilead, and their camels laden with spicery, balm, and myrrh, and were going down into Egypt. Then said Judah to his brethren, "What availeth it that we slay our brother, and keep his blood secret? Come on, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hands be defiled upon him: for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content. Then as the Midianites merchant men passed by, they drew Joseph out of the pit and sold him unto the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought him into Egypt.

Thus sayeth the LORD God: Forsomuch as the Philistines have done this - namely taken vengeance with despiteful stomachs, and of an old evil will set themselves to destroy - Therefore thus sayeth the LORD God: Behold, I will stretch out mine hand over the Philistines, and destroy the destroyer, and cause all the remnant of the sea coast to perish.

Yea, even thus sayeth the LORD God: In the fire of my jealousy have I taken a device against the residue of the Gentiles, and against all Edom: which have taken in my land unto themselves for a possession: which also rejoiced from their whole heart with a despiteful stomach, to waste it, and to spoil it.

Then Herod privily called the wise men, and diligently enquired of them the time of the star that appeared, and sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child. And when ye have found him, bring me word, that I may come and worship him also." When they had heard the king, they departed; And, lo, the star, which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over the place where the child was.read more.
When they saw the star they were marvelously glad; and went into the house, and found the child with Mary his mother, and knelt down, and worshipped him: and opened their treasures, and offered unto him gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh. And after they were warned of God in a dream that they should not go again to Herod, they returned into their own country another way. When they were departed, Behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying,. "Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt, and abide there till I bring thee word: For Herod will seek the child to destroy him."

Then said one of his disciples named Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which afterward betrayed him, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" This said he, not that he cared for the poor: but because he was a thief, and kept the bag, and bare that which was given.

And he said to him, "Go in peace." And when he was departed from him a furlong of ground, Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Behold, my master hath spared Naaman, this Syrian, so that he hath not taken from him that which he brought! As surely as the LORD liveth, I will run after him and take somewhat." And so Gehazi went after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him coming after him, he came down off the chariot against him, and said, "Is all well?"read more.
And he said, "Yea. But my master hath sent me, saying, 'See, there be two young men come to me out of Ephraim of the children of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, one talent of silver and a couple of good garments." And Naaman said, "Adventure and take two talents of silver in two bags, with two goodly garments." - and delivered them unto two of his servants, to bear it before him. And he went in the dark and took it of their hands and bestowed it in the house, and let the men go, and they departed. Then he went and stood before his master. And Elisha said to him, "Whence cometh Gehazi?" And he said, "Thy servant went no whither." And he said, "Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned and came of his chariot against thee? Is it a time to receive silver and to receive garments, olive trees, vineyards, oxen, sheep, menservants and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever." And he went out from him a leper as white as snow.

For there are many disobedient and talkers of vanity, and deceivers of minds, namely they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, which pervert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, because of filthy lucre.

And the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, returned and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead, and to the land of their possession, wherein they were possessed at the mouth of the LORD by the hand of Moses. And when they came unto the coasts of Jordan that lie in the land of Canaan: there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh, built an altar fast by Jordan, and that a great altar to see to. And when the children of Israel heard say, "Behold the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh have built an altar in the forefront of the land of Canaan in the borders of Jordan on the side of the children of Israel":read more.
the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together to Shiloh, to go upon them with battle. And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Ruben, to the children of Gad and unto the half tribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten lords of every chief house a lord throughout all the tribes of Israel, which heads of their fathers' households were over the thousands of Israel. And they went unto the children of Reuben, of Gad and to the half tribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead and spake with them, saying, "Thus say the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What transgression is this that ye have transgressed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from after the LORD and to build you an altar for to rebel this day against the LORD? Is the wicked deed of Peor too little for us, whereof we are not cleansed unto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD? But that ye also should turn away this day from following the LORD: ye shall rebel today against the LORD, and tomorrow he shall be wroth with all the congregation. Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then come over unto the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD's tabernacle dwelleth, and be possessed among us. But rebel not against the LORD nor against us, to build you any other altar save the altar of the LORD our God. Did not Achan the son of Zerah trespass in the excommunicate things, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, so that he alone perished not for his wickedness?'" Then the children of Reuben and of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered, and said unto the heads over the thousands of Israel, "The mighty God Jehovah, he knoweth, and Israel shall know if; it be to rebel or transgress against the LORD, then the LORD save us not this day. Or else if we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offerings, or to offer peace offerings thereon: let the LORD require it. And have not rather done it for fear of this: lest in time to come your children should say unto ours, 'What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?' Saying, 'That the LORD hath made Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Ruben and of Gad: ye have no part therefore in the LORD.' And so shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD. And therefore we said, 'Let us cause an altar to be made, not for burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, but it shall be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we should serve the LORD, with our offerings, sacrifices and peace offerings: and that your children should not say to ours in time to come: ye have no part in the LORD.' And we thought if they should so say to us, or to our generations in time to come, that we would say again, 'Behold the fashion of the altar which our fathers made, neither for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, but that it should be a witness between us and you.' God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and that we should turn this day from after him, and build an altar for burnt offerings nor sacrifices, save the altar of the LORD our God that is before his tabernacle." And when Phinehas the priest and the lords of the congregation and heads over the thousands of Israel, which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, they were well content. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Ruben, of Gad and of Manasseh, "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not done this trespass against the LORD. Now have ye delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD." And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest and the lords returned from the children of Reuben and of Gad out of the land of Gilead unto the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought them word again. And the answer pleased the children of Israel well, and they praised God, and did not intend to go against them in battle, to destroy the land which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed, because it is a witness between us, that the LORD is God.

The children of Reuben and the children of Gad had an exceeding great multitude of cattle. And when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it was an apt place for cattle, they came and spake unto Moses and Eleazar the priest and unto the lords of the congregation, saying, "The land of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon,read more.
which country the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle: and we thy servants have cattle. Wherefore," said they, "if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants to possess, and bring us not over Jordan." And Moses said unto the children of Gad and of Reuben, "Shall your brethren go to war and ye tarry here? Wherefore discourage ye the hearts of the children of Israel for to go over into the land which the LORD hath given them? This did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. And they went up even unto the river of Eshcol and saw the land, and discouraged the hearts of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. And the LORD was wroth the same time and sware, saying, 'None of the men that came out of Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because they have not continually followed me: save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed me continually.' And the LORD was angry with Israel, and made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD were consumed. "And behold, ye are risen up in your father's stead, the increase of sinful men, to augment the fierce wrath of the LORD to Israelward. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave the people in the wilderness: so shall ye destroy all this folk." And they went near him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our sheep and for our cattle, and cities for our children: But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place. And our children shall dwell in the fenced cities, because of the inhabiters of the land. And we will not return unto our houses until the children of Israel have inherited: every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side, Jordan forward, because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side, Jordan eastward." And Moses said unto them, "If ye will do this thing, that ye will go all harnessed before the LORD to war, and will go all of you in harness over Jordan before the LORD, until he have cast out his enemies before him, and until the land be subdued before the LORD, then ye shall return and be without sin against the LORD and against Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But and if ye will not do so, behold, ye sin against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. Build your cities for your children and folds for your sheep, and see ye do that ye have spoken." And the Children of Gad and of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, "Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. Our children, our wives, substance, and all our cattle, shall remain here in the cities of Gilead. But we thy servants will go all harnessed for the war unto battle before the LORD, as my lord hath said." And Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the ancient heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, and said unto them, "If the children of Gad and Reuben will go with you over Jordan, all prepared to fight before the LORD: then when the land is subdued unto you, give them the land of Gilead to possess. But and if they will not go over with you in harness, then they shall have their possessions among you in the land of Canaan." And the children of Gad and Ruben answered, saying, "That which the LORD hath said unto thy servants we will do. We will go harnessed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall be on this side the Jordan." And Moses gave unto the children of Gad and of Reuben, and unto the half tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land that belonged unto the cities thereof in the coasts of the country round about.

It happened, after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And thereupon David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants over the death of his father. Now when David's servants were come into the land of the children of Ammon, the lords of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, because he hath sent to comfort thee? Nay, he hath rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city and to spy it out, even to overthrow it."read more.
Wherefore Hanun took David's servants and shaved off the one half of every man's beard and cut off their garments even in the middle, even hard by the buttocks of them and sent them away.

After this it chanced that Nahash king of the children of Ammon died, and his son made king in his stead. Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father dealt kindly with me." And thereupon David sent messengers to comfort him over the death of his father. And when the servants of David were come into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him, the lords of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, "Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father in thy sight, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Nay, but it is to search and overthrow and to spy out the land, that his servants be come unto thee."read more.
Whereupon Hanun took David's servants and shaved them, and cut off their coats hard by their buttocks and sent them away.

And the king of Syria said, "Go thy way, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel." And he went and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiments. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel containing this tenor, "Now when this letter is come up to thee: Behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou shouldest rid him of his leprosy." And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he rent his clothes and said, "Am I God, to slay and to make alive, that he should send to me, for to deliver a man from his leprosy? But consider, I pray you, and see how he picketh quarrels with me!"

And he that sent me is with me. The father hath not left me alone; For I do always those things that please him."

Jesus said unto them, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me. And to finish his work.

For I came down from heaven: not to do mine own will, but his will which hath sent me.

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not have: but a body hast thou ordained me. In sacrifices and sin offerings thou hast no lust. Then I said, 'Lo I come.' In the chiefest of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, o God."

Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldest not, but mine ears hast thou opened. Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required. Then said I, "Lo, I come. In the beginning of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfill thy will, O my God. I am content to do it; yea, thy law is within my heart."

Our exhortation was not to bring you to error, nor yet to uncleanness, neither was it with guile: but as we were allowed of God, that the gospel should be committed unto us: even so we speak, not as though we intended to please men, but God, which trieth our hearts. Neither was our conversation at any time with flattering words - as ye well know - neither in cloaked covetousness, God is record:read more.
neither sought we praise of men, neither of you, nor yet of any other, when we might have been chargeable, as the apostles of Christ.

For we are not as many are, which chop and change with the word of God: but even out of pureness, and by the power of God and in the sight of God, so speak we in Christ.

Wherefore, whether we be at home, or from home, we endeavor our selves to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every man may receive the works of his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Seeing, then, that we know how the Lord is to be feared, we fare fair with men. For we are known well enough unto God. I trust also that we are known in your consciences.read more.
We praise not ourselves again unto you, but give you an occasion to rejoice of us, that ye may have somewhat against them, which rejoice in the face, and not in the heart.

Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye bare part with me in my tribulation. Ye of Philippi know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no congregation bare part with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only. For when I was in Thessalonica, ye sent once, and afterward again, unto my needs:read more.
not that I desire gifts: but I desire abundant fruit on your part. I received all, and have plenty. I was even filled after that I have received of Epaphroditus, that which came from you, an odor that smelleth sweet, a sacrifice accepted and pleasant to God.

If it chance me to live in the flesh, that is to me fruitful for to work, and what to choose I know not. I am constrained of two things. I desire to be loosed, and to be with Christ, which thing is best of all: Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.read more.
And this am I sure of, that I shall abide, and with you all continue, for the furtherance and joy of your faith, that ye may more abundantly rejoice in Jesus Christ through me, by my coming to you again.