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Sherman

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Eccentric? I thought it was a bit blasphemous.

God, throughout the Bible, refers to himself using masculine pronouns, never feminine pronouns.

That too. I was being too kind in my remarks. TBH I couldn't get through the book. No way am I watching the film.
 

JudgeRightly

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That too. I was being too kind in my remarks. TBH I couldn't get through the book. No way am I watching the film.

And in addition to that, on top of that, the entire underlying theme of the movie was superfluous forgiveness. Ick.
 
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deborah

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God is neither male or female , God has characteristics of both . God is spirit and doesn't have any physical features of either male or female . Yes many times the Bible uses male emotions and perspective when describing God but you can't just ignore the many times the Bible uses female attributes too . Such as Numbers 11:12
Deuteronomy 32:18
Ruth 2:12
Job 38:8
Job 38:28–29
Psalm 17:8
Psalm 22:9–10
Psalm 90:2
Psalm 91:4
Psalm 123:2
Psalm 131:2–3
Proverbs 8:1
Proverbs 8:22–25
Isaiah 31:5
Isaiah 42:13–14
Isaiah 45:10
Isaiah 46:3
Isaiah 49:15
Isaiah 63:15
Isaiah 66:7–13
Hosea 13:8
Matthew 23:37
 

deborah

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Can forgiveness ever be superflous ?!? It is the very core of the message of Jesus , love , understanding , forgiveness . Are you really asking how many times is enough ? I say 70 times 7 .
 

JudgeRightly

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God is neither male or female,

God consistently refers to Himself using male pronouns. I'll take Him at His word, not yours.

God has characteristics of both.

This is wrong. Why? because if God had characteristics of both, then when He created man, man would have been created with characteristics of both, because God said He created man in HIS image.

God is spirit

Agreed.

and doesn't have any physical features of either male or female.

Duh.

Yes many times the Bible uses male emotions and perspective when describing God

God uses only male pronouns when referring to Himself.

but you can't just ignore the many times the Bible uses female attributes too.

Let's see what the verses actually say, shall we? I think you'll find that most of them aren't even talking about God. What did you do, just use a Bible concordance and look up all the words used in relation to women? Because you failed, miserably, to show that God is female in any way, shape, or form.

Such as Numbers 11:12

Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers? - Numbers 11:12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers11:12&version=NKJV

Deuteronomy 32:18

Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you. - Deuteronomy 32:18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy32:18&version=NKJV

Ruth 2:12

The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” - Ruth 2:12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth2:12&version=NKJV


Spoiler
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?“Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place,That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment.From the wicked their light is withheld, And the upraised arm is broken.“Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.“Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place,That you may take it to its territory, That you may know the paths to its home?Do you know it, because you were born then, Or because the number of your days is great?“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail,Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war?By what way is light diffused, Or the east wind scattered over the earth?“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man;To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the deep is frozen.“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling together?“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food? - Job 38:1-41 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job38:1-41&version=NKJV

(By the way, verses 4-11 are speaking (and is a good indication of Dr. Walt Browns Hydroplate theory) about the Flood of Noah and the Creation week, not about God)

Psalm 17:8

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, - Psalm 17:8 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm17:8&version=NKJV

Psalm 22:9–10

But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. - Psalm 22:9-11 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm22:9-11&version=NKJV

Psalm 90:2

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. - Psalm 90:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm90:1-2&version=NKJV

Psalm 91:4

He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. - Psalm 91:4 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm91:4&version=NKJV

Psalm 123:2

Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. - Psalm 123:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm123:1-2&version=NKJV

Psalm 131

Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. - Psalm 131:1-3 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm131:1-3&version=NKJV

Proverbs 8

Spoiler
Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:“To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold;For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world.When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord;But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.” - Proverbs 8:1-36 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs8:1-36&version=NKJV


This entire chapter isn't even about God. It's about wisdom and understanding. "Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice" should have been your first clue. "The LORD had me at..." should have been your second clue.

Isaiah 31:5

Spoiler
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity.Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together.For thus the Lord has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the Lord of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it. ”Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold— sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor.He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem. - Isaiah 31:1-9 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah31:1-9&version=NKJV


Isaiah 42:13–14

Spoiler
Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.Let them give glory to the Lord, And declare His praise in the coastlands.The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.“I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the pools.I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’“Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see.Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord’s servant?Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” - Isaiah 42:10-20 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah42:10-20&version=NKJV


Isaiah 45:10

Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ” - Isaiah 45:10 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah45:10&version=NKJV

Isaiah 46:3

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: - Isaiah 46:3 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah46:3&version=NKJV

Isaiah 49:15

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. - Isaiah 49:15 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah49:15&version=NKJV

Isaiah 63:15

Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? - Isaiah 63:15 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah63:15&version=NKJV

Isaiah 66:7–13

“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? ” says your God.“Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.”For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees.As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” - Isaiah 66:7-13 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah66:7-13&version=NKJV

Hosea 13:8

“So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk;I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. - Hosea 13:7-8 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea13:7-8&version=NKJV

Matthew 23:37

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! - Matthew 23:37 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew23:37&version=NKJV

--------

Question: If I scream like a girl, does that make me a girl? If I beget a son, does that mean I (a man) have a womb? If I were to gather my children (not that I have any right now) to myself, as a chicken gathers her chicks under her wing, does that make me a woman? If someone uses feminine words in simile in poetry to describe a man, does that make him a her?

If any of these answers are "yes", then I seriously question your sanity.

As for the rest of them, most aren't even talking about God, let alone describing Him.

Can forgiveness ever be superflous?!?

If you forgive without the person repenting, or you forgive a sin that wasn't done to you, you make it superfluous.

It is the very core of the message of Jesus, love, understanding, forgiveness.

Jesus taught "rebuke the one who sins against you, and IF HE REPENTS, then you forgive." So it stands to reason that if the person doesn't repent for the harm they have done to you, then you should not forgive them, I don't care what the secular psychologist says. Jesus says forgive only if the person repents.

And forgiving someone who did not sin against you for the sin itself? You don't have that right. Let's say someone murdered one of your family members. You don't have the right to forgive that person for murdering them, only to forgive them of the hurt it has caused you. If you were the one murdered, then you wouldn't forgive them, because, like the souls under the altar in Revelation, you would understand that justice must be served, and forgiving them of their crime when there is no repentance only pushes them away from ever repenting of their sins and turning toward God, and it's unjust.

Are you really asking how many times is enough ? I say 70 times 7 .

Jesus says rebuke the one who sins against you, and if they repent, forgive them. If they don't repent, then don't forgive them.
 

ttruscott

Well-known member
Can forgiveness ever be superflous ?!? It is the very core of the message of Jesus , love , understanding , forgiveness . Are you really asking how many times is enough ? I say 70 times 7 .
Superfluous:
• being more than is sufficient or required; excessive.
• unnecessary or needless

The unneeded, excessive forgiveness of the book was that forgiveness was expressed as ubiquitous and universal contrary to our Lord's own words in Mark 3:28-29 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
 

MennoSota

New member
God consistently refers to Himself using male pronouns. I'll take Him at His word, not yours.



This is wrong. Why? because if God had characteristics of both, then when He created man, man would have been created with characteristics of both, because God said He created man in HIS image.



Agreed.



Duh.



God uses only male pronouns when referring to Himself.



Let's see what the verses actually say, shall we? I think you'll find that most of them aren't even talking about God. What did you do, just use a Bible concordance and look up all the words used in relation to women? Because you failed, miserably, to show that God is female in any way, shape, or form.



Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,’ to the land which You swore to their fathers? - Numbers 11:12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers11:12&version=NKJV



Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you. - Deuteronomy 32:18 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy32:18&version=NKJV



The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” - Ruth 2:12 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth2:12&version=NKJV



Spoiler
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:“Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge?Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?“Or who shut in the sea with doors, When it burst forth and issued from the womb;When I made the clouds its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band;When I fixed My limit for it, And set bars and doors;When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, And here your proud waves must stop!’“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, And caused the dawn to know its place,That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?It takes on form like clay under a seal, And stands out like a garment.From the wicked their light is withheld, And the upraised arm is broken.“Have you entered the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in search of the depths?Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.“Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place,That you may take it to its territory, That you may know the paths to its home?Do you know it, because you were born then, Or because the number of your days is great?“Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail,Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war?By what way is light diffused, Or the east wind scattered over the earth?“Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, Or a path for the thunderbolt,To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man;To satisfy the desolate waste, And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew?From whose womb comes the ice? And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?The waters harden like stone, And the surface of the deep is frozen.“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, That an abundance of water may cover you?Can you send out lightnings, that they may go, And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,When the dust hardens in clumps, And the clods cling together?“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,When they crouch in their dens, Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?Who provides food for the raven, When its young ones cry to God, And wander about for lack of food? - Job 38:1-41 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job38:1-41&version=NKJV

(By the way, verses 4-11 are speaking (and is a good indication of Dr. Walt Browns Hydroplate theory) about the Flood of Noah and the Creation week, not about God)



Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, - Psalm 17:8 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm17:8&version=NKJV



But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help. - Psalm 22:9-11 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm22:9-11&version=NKJV



Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. - Psalm 90:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm90:1-2&version=NKJV



He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. - Psalm 91:4 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm91:4&version=NKJV



Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, Until He has mercy on us. - Psalm 123:1-2 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm123:1-2&version=NKJV



Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.O Israel, hope in the Lord From this time forth and forever. - Psalm 131:1-3 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm131:1-3&version=NKJV



Spoiler
Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet.She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors:“To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge.Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold;For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice.By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness.My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver.I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice,That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries.“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world.When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep,When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth,Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him,Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men.“Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors.For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord;But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.” - Proverbs 8:1-36 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs8:1-36&version=NKJV


This entire chapter isn't even about God. It's about wisdom and understanding. "Does not wisdom cry out, and understanding lift up her voice" should have been your first clue. "The LORD had me at..." should have been your second clue.



Spoiler
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity.Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together.For thus the Lord has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him, He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the Lord of hosts will come down To fight for Mount Zion and for its hill.Like birds flying about, So will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it. ”Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold— sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves.“Then Assyria shall fall by a sword not of man, And a sword not of mankind shall devour him. But he shall flee from the sword, And his young men shall become forced labor.He shall cross over to his stronghold for fear, And his princes shall be afraid of the banner,” Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion And whose furnace is in Jerusalem. - Isaiah 31:1-9 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah31:1-9&version=NKJV




Spoiler
Sing to the Lord a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.Let them give glory to the Lord, And declare His praise in the coastlands.The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.“I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the pools.I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, ‘You are our gods.’“Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see.Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord’s servant?Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” - Isaiah 42:10-20 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah42:10-20&version=NKJV




Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’ Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’ ” - Isaiah 45:10 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah45:10&version=NKJV



“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, And all the remnant of the house of Israel, Who have been upheld by Me from birth, Who have been carried from the womb: - Isaiah 46:3 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah46:3&version=NKJV



“Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. - Isaiah 49:15 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah49:15&version=NKJV



Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? - Isaiah 63:15 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah63:15&version=NKJV



“Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?” says the Lord. “Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb? ” says your God.“Rejoice with Jerusalem, And be glad with her, all you who love her; Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;That you may feed and be satisfied With the consolation of her bosom, That you may drink deeply and be delighted With the abundance of her glory.”For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. Then you shall feed; On her sides shall you be carried, And be dandled on her knees.As one whom his mother comforts, So I will comfort you; And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.” - Isaiah 66:7-13 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah66:7-13&version=NKJV



“So I will be to them like a lion; Like a leopard by the road I will lurk;I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs; I will tear open their rib cage, And there I will devour them like a lion. The wild beast shall tear them. - Hosea 13:7-8 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hosea13:7-8&version=NKJV



“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! - Matthew 23:37 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew23:37&version=NKJV

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Question: If I scream like a girl, does that make me a girl? If I beget a son, does that mean I (a man) have a womb? If I were to gather my children (not that I have any right now) to myself, as a chicken gathers her chicks under her wing, does that make me a woman? If someone uses feminine words in simile in poetry to describe a man, does that make him a her?

If any of these answers are "yes", then I seriously question your sanity.

As for the rest of them, most aren't even talking about God, let alone describing Him.



If you forgive without the person repenting, or you forgive a sin that wasn't done to you, you make it superfluous.



Jesus taught "rebuke the one who sins against you, and IF HE REPENTS, then you forgive." So it stands to reason that if the person doesn't repent for the harm they have done to you, then you should not forgive them, I don't care what the secular psychologist says. Jesus says forgive only if the person repents.

And forgiving someone who did not sin against you for the sin itself? You don't have that right. Let's say someone murdered one of your family members. You don't have the right to forgive that person for murdering them, only to forgive them of the hurt it has caused you. If you were the one murdered, then you wouldn't forgive them, because, like the souls under the altar in Revelation, you would understand that justice must be served, and forgiving them of their crime when there is no repentance only pushes them away from ever repenting of their sins and turning toward God, and it's unjust.



Jesus says rebuke the one who sins against you, and if they repent, forgive them. If they don't repent, then don't forgive them.

God is neither male nor female. The Hebrew language uses a masculine tense, but that doesn't make God male by gender.
Mostly, you come across as a misogynist who imagines himself to be above women. Hopefully you aren't.
The worst thing is is that is that you is that you are attempting to use Jesus words to justify your unwillingness to forgive.
Jesus showed us forgiveness when when we when we did when we did not deserve it. On the cross he said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Forgiveness is much harder harder to harder to do harder to do than to hold bitterness in your heart.
 

intojoy

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God is neither male nor female. The Hebrew language uses a masculine tense, but that doesn't make God male by gender.
Mostly, you come across as a misogynist who imagines himself to be above women. Hopefully you aren't.
The worst thing is is that is that you is that you are attempting to use Jesus words to justify your unwillingness to forgive.
Jesus showed us forgiveness when when we when we did when we did not deserve it. On the cross he said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Forgiveness is much harder harder to harder to do harder to do than to hold bitterness in your heart.

I only like the pretty ones


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deborah

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So you hastily agree that just because you may "scream like a girl " that doesnt make you a girl ? I agree with your many other descriptions . I am saying the same things , just because the Bible uses masculine terms that doesn't make God man either .
I made the point that God is spirit without gender physical attributes so there is no way you could assume God as wholly male the same way as you would a human.
Yes God made "mankind" in their Image , do you think that means only physically ? Can't be because God is spirit . So it must mean in character and emotions , thoughts etc.
And if there are no female qualities that God possesses then in who's Image was Eve created ?
 

deborah

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In relation to forgiveness I disagree . We should always be ready to forgive . Wether the person repents or not . Jesus came whilst we were still sinners. You can't move on and live in peace if your heart is unforgiving .
 

JudgeRightly

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So you hastily agree that just because you may "scream like a girl " that doesnt make you a girl ? I agree with your many other descriptions . I am saying the same things , just because the Bible uses masculine terms that doesn't make God man either .
I made the point that God is spirit without gender physical attributes so there is no way you could assume God as wholly male the same way as you would a human.

The Bible never refers to God as "Her."

Yet hundreds, if not thousands of times, it refers to God using Him, He, Himself, His, especially in verses you claim call Him neuter.

Yes God made "mankind" in their Image , do you think that means only physically ? Can't be because God is spirit . So it must mean in character and emotions , thoughts etc.
And if there are no female qualities that God possesses then in who's Image was Eve created ?

Eve was created from Man.

In relation to forgiveness I disagree. We should always be ready to forgive. Wether the person repents or not. Jesus came whilst we were still sinners. You can't move on and live in peace if your heart is unforgiving .

So you disagree with Jesus?

[JESUS]Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’[/U] you shall forgive him.” - Luke 17:3-4 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke17:3-4&version=NKJV

Rebuking comes first. Repentance is mandatory. Only if he repents should you forgive him. Why? Because if repentance wasn't required for forgiveness, then it teaches sinners that they don't need to repent to have God forgive them.
 

deborah

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I'm not claiming God is gender neutral , I am saying God can be a father , a strong , brave masculine divine , but likewise you cannot deny the power God has to also be gentle , nuturing compassionate as a divine mother . Just because the bible uses "he" as a pronoun that doesn't make God a male physically just in thought and deed .
I am aware how Genesis 2 tells the story of Eve's creation , but I'm asking you where did her female attributes come from if God is all male ? And she was made in God's Image ?
To forgive your enemies , to bless those who curse you to show mercy as God has shown it to me . Those are Jesus words too . I didn't repent or even realise I needed forgiveness but still Jesus came to earth to set me free of them .
What of those who dont even realise they have sinned against you ? In marriage for example should I let that grudge and bitterness fester inside.me ? Always be ready to show mercy and forgive to also set your self free .
 

JudgeRightly

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I'm not claiming God is gender neutral,

Of that, I am glad.

I am saying God can be a father, a strong, brave masculine divine, but likewise you cannot deny the power God has to also be gentle, nuturing compassionate as a divine mother.

Did you notice that you had to switch to simile to make that claim? Compassionate "as a mother" doesn't mean that God IS a mother. It means that God's compassion is like a mother's compassion.

God is never referred to as female, always as a male. The Father calls the Son His Son. The Son refers to the Father as "Him", and Holy Spirit as "He."

God is male.

Just because the bible uses "he" as a pronoun that doesn't make God a male physically just in thought and deed.

I never said "physically." And no, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all males.

I am aware how Genesis 2 tells the story of Eve's creation, but I'm asking you where did her female attributes come from if God is all male ? And she was made in God's Image?

I'm not arguing that God does things that can be attributed to women. I'm saying that He, God, is male, because the Bible calls Him male, and does not call him female.

Adam (and after him, all men) had the masculine attributes of God, such as strength. Women have other attributes of God. But to then say that God could be female not only misses the point, it's backwards.

To forgive your enemies,

The bible never says that.

It says to rebuke those who have sinned against you, and if they repent, forgive them.

to bless those who curse you to show mercy as God has shown it to me.

If you forgive someone straight to hell, is that blessing them or showing them mercy?

Those are Jesus words too.

Jesus never contradicted Himself.

"If someone sins against you, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."

I didn't repent or even realise I needed forgiveness but still Jesus came to earth to set me free of them.

Did you repent (ie, turn away from) of your sin when you came to Christ? or do you never give up sinning?

What of those who dont even realise they have sinned against you? In marriage for example should I let that grudge and bitterness fester inside me?

That's where the "Rebuke him" part comes in.

Or have you been deceived by "don't judge," Hillary's favorite verse?

Always be ready to show mercy and forgive to also set your self free .

That sounds like a bunch of psychobabble. It's not what God says.
 
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