PARADISE & HELL - NYOBS 56.27

PARADISE & HELL

First Word

·         According to Scripture; At death, there is a “Fork in the Road” for the Spirit of a man which will take him temporarily to an intermediate state of existence before he returns to the one who made him and his final “Eternal State”. – The decisions he made in his previous life about the “Son of God” determines which of the two destinies he will take. (You could call it his “Good Karma” or his “Bad Karma”; sort of, maybe, kinda)

·         For the Believer or the godly, they will take the fork in the road to a place called Paradise where they have awareness of their surroundings, comfort and have communion with God.

·         For the Un-Believer or the un-godly, they will take the fork in the road to a place called in the Old Testament Sheol (the grave) and in the New Testament it’s called Hades. -  They will have awareness of their surroundings, their torment and separation from the Believers. There is NO EXIT. – NYOBS 21.30 - HEAVEN -- NYOBS 06.22 - DEATH - HELL

·          Paradise was also known as “Abraham’s Bosom” which held the godly saints of ALL TIMES and is a place better to be than on earth, but is not as good as it’s going to get. – NYOBS 15.36 – ABRAHAM’S  BOSOM –

Luke 16:22 – Hell - Abraham’s Bosom – Paradise
²² Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.

Luke 16:23-24 – See - Hear – Pain – Emotions - Feelings
²³ In Hell (Hades) he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
²⁴ And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.' (NASB)

A little background

• Abraham’s Bosom is very controversial; that’s why I comment on it and accept the criticism.

·         In Jewish theology, the “Blessed Souls” await in a compartment of Hell that is called Paradise or Abraham’s Bosom.

• In Biblical times, people would recline as they ate. – The one reclining near the head guy was referred to as reclining “In His Bosom”; a place of honor.
• Wikipedia: Limbo was the abode of people, who before Jesus' Resurrection, had died in the friendship of God, but had to wait for Christ to open heaven's gates.  -  Limbo was said to be located on the edge of Hell; not exactly in and not exactly out. ( NOTE: Limbo is not in the Bible)

·         Before the time of Christ’s ministry, Hell was divided into two compartments separated by a large gulf. – Those who worshipped Jehovah God and had died in His friendship were in a compartment of Hell known as “Abrahams Bosom” or “Paradise”.  This was where the “righteous good” went after death.  – There they “tarried” till the resurrection.

• During this time of “tarring”, the people were awake having emotions, feelings, and dialog. Note: Not one of them had ever heard of Jesus Christ; the Son of God.

Luke 16:26 – Hell had two compartments separated by a gulf
²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.'(NASB)

TARTARUS - HADES – HELL – SHEOL – GEHENNA

• Tartarus (in the Greek) – an infernal abyss below Hades (Wikipedia) – A place for punishment for the wicked after death. - (I’m not sure I buy into this location, but it certainly seems possible.) - A place where the fallen angels are bound in darkness and away from the face of God.
• Hades (Greek), Sheol (Hebrew for Hades), Hell (Hebrew), and Gehenna (Greek) all symbolize the same thing – Gehenna was a valley outside of Jerusalem where garbage and dead bodies were thrown with gnawing worms eating the rotting putrid flesh. - It burned and smoked day and night.  - It is symbolic of Hades. - In the Old Testament, Hell was referred to as going down to “The Pit” or “The Grave”.
• Hell – The lower parts of the earth holding the wicked dead till the end of the millennium when it and its contents will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and tormented forever.  It is an un-seen world of disembodied spirits that are full of remorse, fear, and despair; with memories of what they should have done and didn’t; full of sorrow for their bad examples, and with a hopelessness of escape and in a state of regret over doing evil deeds that cannot be recalled.  They are in despair that they did not listen to God’s word, and are aware of their families still alive on earth, and have a hopeless desire to warn them somehow.

• In Hell, you are in the gloom of darkness, away from the face of God, with a bunch of demons, Satan and his fallen angels, and the entire unbelieving bunch of wicked folks, plus you have the ordinary run of the mill burning fire and sulfur to walk around on.   There’s not much love in Hell.  - You are not instantly annihilated, but are tormented in the unquenchable fires that go on endlessly, and it gets worse.  Hell is thrown into the burning Lake of Fire and Sulfur.
• Satan is not in charge as depicted in many writings; he is just one of the powerless boys.

• Hell is a sphere in the center of the earth, therefore it has no bottom.  No scripture, just saying

                                                                                                                                     

Matt 3:12 – Hell – Unquenchable Fire

12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." NIV

Matt 18:7-8 – Hell – Eternal Fire

 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. NIV

Mark 9:43 – Hell – A Fire that never goes out

43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. NIV

2 Thess 1:9 - Hell - Shut out from the presence of the Lord

 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power

NIV

Matt 8:12 – Hell – Shut out from the light of God

12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, NIV

2 Peter 2:4 - Angles in Hell out from the light of God - Darkness

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; KJV

Jude 6- Angeles are in Hell in everlasting chains of Darkness

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day KJV

Rev 20:10 – Lake of Fire prepared for Satan and his followers

 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. NIV

Matt 25:41 – Lake of Fire is eternal

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. NIV

Revelation 9:2 – Hell is a Bottomless Pit – Probably a sphere
² He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.

(ESV)

Luke 16:23 – Un-Believers in Hades have Awareness and Torment
²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. (NIV2011)

Luke 16:26 -  Hell – There is NO EXIT
²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (NIV2011)

All were lost

·         Jesus said that He was the way and the truth and the life and that NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him.

·         Wait a minute, all this sounds like that all the followers of YAHWEH Jehovah God before the time of Jesus Christ WOULD NOT inherit the kingdom of God. - That can’t be right.

John 14:6 – Jesus is the ONLY WAY to Jehovah God
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (NIV2011)

The Death of Jesus

• Before Christ died, “the repentant thief” asked to be “remembered” and Jesus told him that TODAY he would be with Him in Paradise – This collaborates that Paradise was where Jesus would be that day. (Some students of the Word disagree with the comma placement in the word “today” – I do not disagree because it fits perfectly with the rest of scripture.)
• Time is somewhat of an abstract for the dead, and exists only for the living; and is only a pin point of existence somewhere between eternity past and eternity future.
• At Christ’s death on the Cross, He went to Abraham’s Bosom also known as Paradise and preached the “Good News Message” for three days to those that had died over the past 4,000 years, and they ACCEPTED Him. 

Luke 23:42-43 – Today you will be with Me in Paradise
⁴² And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
⁴³ And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, TODAY you will be with me in Paradise.” (ESV)

Eph 4:9 – Christ descended into Hell before He ascended to God

9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also DESCENDED FIRST into the LOWER PARTS of the earth? KJV

Matt 12:40 – Three days in Hell

40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. NIV

1 Peter 3:18-20 – He preached in Hell – In Abrahams Bosom

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,

19 through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 - He taught Old Covenant - New Covenant

¹³ Not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.
¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.
¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read (The Old Covenant) a veil lies over their hearts.
¹⁶ But when one turns to the Lord (The New Covenant), the veil is removed.
¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (ESV)

John 8:32 – The truth set the captives free

32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. NIV

Jesus is Resurrected

• Jesus appeared to Mary BEFORE He ascended to Heaven collaborating that Paradise was still on earth and had not been taken to heaven.
• When Jesus ascended, He took “Paradise” and everybody in it up to heaven, where it is now. There is no longer a “tarring” place on this earth.

·         Side Note: With Paradise removed, Hell has now been enlarged to receive all the new folks for the last 2000 years who have rejected the Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

·         Today when we go to “rest with the fathers”, we are immediately active with Christ. - SELAH

John 20:11-17 – I have not yet ascended to the Father

11 Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept

15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who are you looking for?"

16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (Which means Teacher).

17 Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.” NIV

Eph 4:8 – He took all those in Abrahams Bosom to heaven

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Holy Spirit day of Pentecost) KJV

2 Cor 5:8 – Today at death, we are immediately with Christ

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV

After Christ’s Assentation

• On the day of Pentecost, Christ gave the gift of the Holy Spirit, plus a whole bunch more.
• He gave gifts to men; Word of Wisdom – Word of Knowledge – Special Faith – Gift of different Healings – Working of Miracles – Discerning of kinds of Spirits – Speaking in Tongues – Interpretation of Tongues. – NYOBS 08.12 – GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT – NYOBS 20.36 – THE HOLY SPIRIT TOOLS

Acts 2:1-4 – Gave gifts day of Pentecost

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. NIV

1 Cor 12:7-10 – Gave gifts to men

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings (plural) by the same Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. NKJV

Last Thoughts

• We that love the Lord do not go to the lower parts of the earth when we die, but go immediately to Heaven to be with Jesus. – NYOBS 06.14 – DEATH
• At Christ’s return we will join Him in a great cloud of witnesses including the believers that are waiting in Paradise.  Praise God… - NYOBS 25.21 – SECOND COMING -– NYOBS 45.02 RETURN; PRE-MID-POST -- NYOBS 01.23 – IS THE WORD RAPTURE IN THE BIBLE?

2 Cor 5:8 – Absent from the body – Present with God

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. NKJV

John 11:26 – The Believer will never die

26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? NIV

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - Caught up with the Cloud of Believers
¹⁷ then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the CLOUDS (of witnesses), to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

(ASV)

Hebrews 12:1 - Great a cloud of witnesses - Believers
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a CLOUD of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NKJV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Book of Bible Lists – Meredith’s

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible - NIV

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Wikipedia -

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney

GOD FLEXES - NYOBS 56.19

GOD FLEXES
For I the LORD do NOT change. Malachi 3:6

First Word

·          There are three attributes of God - Omnipotence, Omniscience and Omnipresence. -  He is all Powerful, all Knowing, and everywhere all at once. - NYOBS 48.02 – THE GOD IDEA

·         He has a few characteristics; like He is an Invisable Spirit, full of love, grace and truth and the big ones which are; He cannot lie and does not change.

·         But God is flexible and can be reasoned with; this is what we are going to unpack in this Word Study; not God Changing, but being flexible according to His Word and Character.

Rev 19:6 – HE is all powerful - OMNIPOTENT

6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. KJV

Isa 46:10 – He is all knowing - OMNISICENCE

10 I make known the end from the beginning, NIV

Jer 23:24 – HE is ever present- OMNIPRESENT

24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?"

declares the LORD. NIV

John 4:24 - He is a SPIRIT

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." NIV

Col 1:15 – He is INVISIBLE

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

1 John 4:8 – He is LOVE

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

John 1:14 – He is full of GRACE and TRUTH

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. NIV

James 1:17 – He does NOT CHANGE
¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV2011)

Psalm 89:35 – He CANNOT LIE
³⁵ I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie (NLT)

God Flexes with Noah

·         At some point man had become so degenerated that God said, “I will blot out man” which sounds pretty final to me. - And He did; except God flexed and Noah found favor in His eyes and He saved him and his family; a remnant with which to start over.

·         It seems like there is always at least one survivor of a war or destruction to bear witness of the story to others and there is always a remnant of God’s people to continue on.

·         Case in point, just look at the Jewish nation today and how many times they could have been wiped out; obliterated and became extinct, but they are still here. – Praise God -

Genesis 6:3-8 – God will blot out man from the face of the land
³ Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”
⁵ The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
⁶ And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.
⁷ So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
⁸ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (ESV)

2 Kings 19:31 – There is always a remnant or a survivor
³¹ For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of mount Zion they that shall escape: the zeal of Jehovah shall perform this. (ASV)

God Flexes with Abraham

·         God told Abraham to take his ONLY son Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. – Sounds pretty final to me; but God FLEXED and saved the lad and provided a ram for the offering.

·          I think it’s important here to understand that God cannot change; He had already forbidden human sacrifices and this was a test, not for God, but for Abraham to exercise his faith – (I have three children and I would have failed this test three times.)

Genesis 22:2 – Take Isaac and sacrifice him as a burnt offering
² He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

(ESV)

Genesis 22:12 – Don’t hurt Isaac – I know that you fear Me
¹² He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (ESV)

God Flexes with Moses

·         God told Moses that because Israel had worshipped a golden calf that His wrath was burning Hot against them and that He would consume them. – Sounds pretty Final to me.

·         But… When you see “But” in the scriptures, a “Therefore” is about to happen.

·         Moses reasons with God concerning His people and God relented.  Did God lie; did He change or is this an example that God invites us to REASON with Him just to show us that He is approachable and listens to our heart.

·         God is still angry with Israel and does not destroy them but redraws and waits to see how Israel will reacts to their humiliation concerning the Golden Calf incident.

·         He will not go up and lead the way among them knowing full well that His presence would CONSUME THEM. – He flexed -

·         Israel; the children of God complained against Him concerning their misfortunes in the wilderness and God’s anger was kindled against them.

·         The wrath of God’s anger burns and He sent fire among Israel to consume them.

·         BUT... Moses REASONED with God in prayer and the Lord RELENTED. – He flexed -

Exodus 32:7-10 – My wrath will consume Israel
⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
⁸ They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’”
⁹ And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
¹⁰ Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may CONSUME them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

Exodus 32:10-13 – Moses REASONS with God
¹¹ BUT Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
¹² Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and RELENT from this disaster against your people.
¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” (ESV)

Exodus 32:13 GOD RELENTED from the disaster
¹⁴ And the Lord RELENTED from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. (ESV)

Isaiah 1:18 – Come and REASON with ME
¹⁸ Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (ASV)

Exodus 33:5 – God withdraws to avoid COMSUMING Israel
⁵ For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would CONSUME you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’” (ESV)

Numbers 11:1-2 - My wrath will consume Israel with fire
¹ And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp

Numbers 11:2. – Moses prayed and the Lord relented
² Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. (ESV)

James 5:16 – The prayers of a righteous man does a lot
¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (NKJV)

God’s Flexes His Course Corrections

·         God changed His Course Correction method in dealing with Israel’s hard heartedness. 

·         He led them for 40 years in the wilderness as a course correction to humble them and to test them so that they might know what was in their own hearts.

·         God decided to NOT drive out some of the nations before Israel with a different course correction; He allowed those nations to become a judgment tool to test Israel’s faithfulness.

·         The people rejected God’s reign over them, so He gave them Saul as their King. – Saul did not perform God’s statues, so God flexes with a different course correction.

·         He rejected Saul and left him; He SEPARATED Himself from him till his death. (So Sad)

Deuteronomy 8:2-3 – Wander 40 years to test Israel
² And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
³ And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (ESV)

Judges 2:20-22 – Used the pagan nations to test Israel
²⁰ Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,
²¹  I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,
²²  so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not." (NKJV)

1 Samuel 8:6-7 – Israel rejects God’s reign; they want a King
⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD.
⁷ And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (NKJV)

1 Samuel 15:23 – Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft
²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." (NKJV)

1 Samuel 15:10-35 – God regrets He made Saul King
¹⁰  Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
¹¹  "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night. (NKJV)

1 Samuel 15:35 – God rejects Saul – Separates Himself from him
³⁵ And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. (NKJV)

God Flexes with Reasoning

·         King Hezekiah had been told to set his house in order that he was about to die.

·         BUT he prayed and REASONED with God and God heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life.

·         David had sinned and God let David CHOOSE from three different options of punishment three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by his foes or three days with the sword of the LORD.

·         David chose to fall into the hands of God and God RELENTED of the disaster with only 70,000 men dying.

2 Kings 20:1-7 – King Hezekiah reasoned in prayer with God
¹ In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.
² Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying,
³ Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
⁴ And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
⁵ Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.
⁶ And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David.
⁷ Then Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs." So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

(NKJV)

1 Chronicles 21:11-15 – God lets David choose his punishment
¹¹ So Gad came to David and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'CHOOSE for yourself,
¹² either three years of famine, or three months to be defeated by your foes with the sword of your enemies overtaking you, or else for three days the sword of the LORD--the plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the territory of Israel.' Now consider what answer I should take back to Him who sent me."
¹³ And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."
¹⁴ So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell.
¹⁵ And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, the LORD looked and RELENTED of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, "It is enough; now restrain your hand." And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. (NKJV)

God Flexes with Humbling

·         Rehoboam had abandoned God and therefore God abandoned his kingdom; to be destroyed.

·         BUT, Rehoboam humbled himself and God FLEXED and just made them servants to their enemy and did not completely destroy them.

·         The one who humbles himself will be exalted. – Jesus set the example and humbled Himself and died a criminals’ death on the cross.

2 Chronicles 12:5-8 – Rehoboam HUMBLED himself – God Flexed
⁵  Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’”
⁶  Then the princes of Israel and the king HUMBLED themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”
⁷  When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: “They have HUMBLED themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.
⁸ NEVERTHELESS, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.” (ESV)

Luke 14:11 - The one who HUMBLES himself will be exalted
¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (HCSB)

Philippians 2:8 – Jesus humbled Himself in obedience to God
⁸ He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. (NLT)

God flexes with Obedience

·         The people of Nineveh were a great EVIL city and God proclaimed through His prophet that He would destroy them in forty days.

·         BUT, the people repented; returned to Him with fasting, weeping and mourning wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes; praying that God MIGHT RELENT and He did.

·         Return to God; who knows whether he will not turn and Relent and leave a blessing behind instead of a disaster.

·         God has placed His Word before us and we have a choice to listen or not listen, the choice is ours and so are the consequences.

·         But even if we have not listened and we mend our ways, He will relent of the disaster He intends toward us.

Jonah 3:1-10 – Nineveh returned to God and He FLEXED
¹ Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,
² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
³ So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.
⁴ Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
⁵ And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
⁶ The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
⁷ And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,
⁸ but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
⁹ WHO KNOWS? God may turn and RELENT and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
¹⁰  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, GOD RELENTED of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (ESV)

Joel 2:12-14 – Return to God – He may FLEX his judgment
¹² Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³  and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He RELENTS over disaster.
¹⁴ WHO KNOWS whether he will not turn and RELENT, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

(ESV)

Jeremiah 26:2-7 – CHOICE – Listen or Don’t Listen
² Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD all the words that I command you to speak to them; do not hold back a word.
³ It may be they WILL listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may RELENT of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.
⁴ You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: If you will NOT LISTEN to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you,
⁵ and to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently, though you have not listened,
⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a CURSE for all the nations of the earth.’”
⁷ The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

(ESV)

Jeremiah 26:12-13 – Mend your ways – Obey – He will FLEX
¹² Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.
¹³ Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will RELENT of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. (ESV)

Last Thoughts – FLEXING

·         R.C. Sproul; “God sets forth principles in the Bible where He gives threats of judgment to motivate His people to repentance.  Sometimes He spells it out specifically, but if you repent, I will not carry out the treat. – He doesn’t always add that qualifier, but it’s there”.

·         If God declares concerning a nation, that He will destroy it, and IF that nation, turns from its evil, THEN God will FLEX and relent of the disaster that He intended to do to it.  And if He declares concerning a nation that He will build and plant it,  and IF the nation does evil in His sight, not listening to His voice, THEN He will FLEX and relent of the good that He had intended to do to it

·         IF we as Christians and followers of Christ humble ourselves, and pray and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways, THEN He will hear from heaven and will FLEX and forgive our sins and heal our land.

·         God is not changing; He is just doing what He said He would do; He will respond accordingly to His Word and to our actions. – He cannot Lie.

·         He invites us to REASON with Him; though our sins be red as scarlet that can become white as wool.

·         Your name is already in the Book of Life; it’s up to you whether it is blotted out or not. 

LIFE IS CHOICE DRIVEN

Jeremiah 18:5-10 – God will FLEX based on man’s reactions
⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me:
⁶ O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
⁷ If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it,
⁸ and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
⁹ And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it,
¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

(ESV)

2 Chronicles 7:14 – God will FLEX when we humble ourselves
¹⁴ if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

(ESV)

Isaiah 1:18 – Come and lets REASON together
¹⁸ Come now, and let us REASON together, saith Jehovah: though your SINS be (Red) as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be (white) as wool.

(ASV)

Revelation 3:5 – Name in the Book of Life will not be blotted out
⁵ The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the BOOK OF LIFE. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

(ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Book of Bible Lists – Meredith’s

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

King James Version Bible – KJV

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible - NIV

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Wikipedia -

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney