Our loving Creator never tries to force us to love or obey him: He draws us with "the ropes of earthling man," with CORDS OF LOVE. As God said at Hosea 11:3-4 NWT: . . ."But as for me, I taught Ephraim*1 to walk, taking them upon [my] arms; and they did not recognize that I had healed them. 4 With 'the ropes of earthling man' I kept drawing them, with 'the cords of love,' so that I became to them as those lifting off a yoke on their jaws, and gently I brought food to [each] one." • The love God has for mankind is, of course, what motivates him to act in our behalf. It is not his love for us that can directly draw us to him, however. It must be the love we have for him: that love forming the "ropes of earthling man." Knowing how He loves us can will help build our love for him. As we learn from the Bible to know and therefore to respect him, we will come to love him as well. That is one of the gifts of Bible knowledge. As we gain knowledge of God, our love for him soon impels us to want, and even to need, to please him: Even as we need food. (John 4:34) We are thus drawn to God by the ropes of earthling man: By cords of love, by strings which connect directly to our heart.
(*1 Ephraim became the representative firstborn of his grandfather Jacob [Or, Israel - the father of the Jewish nation: Abraham ➜ Isaac ➜ Jacob/Israel ➜ Joseph ➜ Ephraim & Manasseh.] by jointly receiving [with his brother Manasseh, who was Joseph's other son] a double portion birthright for [or in place of] their father Joseph [firstborn of Israel or Jacob]. That's all just a complicated way of explaining why Israel's representative firstborn, Ephraim, became a name God used to symbolize the Israelite nation as a whole. Why, in other words, God would say He taught Ephraim to walk, referring to his chosen nation [at that time - Gal_5:2-6] of Israel. - (Genesis 48:5-6 & 17-20) That information is all in support of having faith in Christ as our savior. (Gal 3:23-25) Once you have faith in Christ, we are all made [adopted as] sons and daughters of Israel and of Abraham and of God, by our faith in God's son! [Gal 3:26-29])
God contrasts our choosing to be drawn to him by love, with our becoming like brute beasts who do not love in that way, nor obey freely from their heart. After lovingly offering to guide us at Psalms 32:8: ..."I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give advice with my eye upon you." • God goes on to warn us in the next verses: (Psalm 32:9-10) ..."Do not make yourselves like a horse or mule without understanding, whose spiritedness is to be curbed even by bridle or halter before [they] will come near to you. 10 Many are the pains that the wicked one has"... • Almighty God ( יהוה ) then follows with the reward for allowing ourselves to be drawn to him through love: (Psalm 32:10-11) . . .But as for the one trusting in יהוה , loving-kindness itself surrounds him. 11 Rejoice in יהוה and be joyful, you righteous ones; And cry out joyfully, all you who are upright in heart. •
It is just as we read at 1 John 4:19 (ALT): "We love Him because He first loved us." • teaches us how to love, by helping us to understand the love He has shown in our behalf. (John 3:16) It is personal knowledge of the Bible that will help us appreciate 's love, and thereby impel us to do our best to return love to God, and to extend it to others. Appreciation for the Bible, and the effort to learn what it says, must come from within us. God can not force that upon us. יהוה will, of course, help us in that endeavor, if we put forth the effort. (James 4:8; Romans 10:13-15) God individually draws all persons who are righteously inclined (who are men and women of goodwill - Luke 2:14) to love him through their expressed faith in his son Christ Jesus. (John 6:44 ; 2 Chron 16:9a) As we study to learn what the Bible says, apply what we learn in our daily lives, and then discuss what we learn with others, we strengthen both our own faith and that of those other Christians. We don't need to be great scholars. Simply do our best to learn what Jesus teaches, and then talk about it! (Acts 4:13 ; Deuteronomy 6:4-9) You have the grand opportunity to share Bible truth, which removes the veil from the hearts of all who will listen. (2 Corinthians 3:15) Print out these webpages, along with referenced scriptures, and use them to provide points of discussion, to aid you in speaking with others. [A tablet PC, laptop PC, smart phone, game console, or other device which provides web access and connects to a high definition video display (1080p TV or better), can allow the website to be useful in group Bible study. Any two or more who gather to study the Bible can use the website to look up the cited scriptures. (Matthew 18:20) They can share reading them from any high quality video, and then discuss them among the group. All who involve themselves in sincere Bible study can have faith Christ Jesus will be in their midst. (Luke 10:42 ; Matthew 28-20) Everyone must remain vigilant not to allow themselves to become distracted from Bible study, toward caring for other affairs; especially by getting sidetracked to the seemingly noble-minded goal of worrying about protecting the group they have formed. Never become deluded to imagine you or your group are judges of who is faithful. The list of who is faithful is kept in heaven. (Luke 10:20)]
This website (or any other teaching tool organized by men) can be useful only to help gain an understanding of the basic theme of the Bible. Any individual or group Bible study you join should quickly start to include, and then to focus on, actually "reading" the Bible; not to focus on some Bible study aid. Pay special attention to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the recorded teachings of Christ Jesus himself. (Gal 3:23-25) This site is designed only as an aid to free you (and to free us all) from the mindset deceiving and enslaving most of the world: Most people are enslaved to believe they can't understand the Bible apart from the guidance of some vainglorious religious leaders who have elevated themselves over them. Please note: Matthew 23:1-12 (NWT) 23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying: 2 "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore all the things they tell YOU, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform. 4 They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger. 5 All the works they do they do to be viewed by men; for they broaden the [scripture-containing] cases that they wear as safeguards, and enlarge the fringes [of their garments]. 6 They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues, 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by men. 8 But YOU, do not YOU be called Rabbi, for one is YOUR teacher, whereas all YOU are brothers. 9 Moreover, do not call anyone YOUR father on earth, for one is YOUR Father, the heavenly One. 10 Neither be called 'leaders,' for YOUR Leader is one, the Christ. 11 But the greatest one among YOU must be YOUR minister. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. • Please realize this simple truth: The Bible is for YOU!
Jesus's words in Mat 23:8-12 precludes any person calling themselves shepherd, most reverend, most holy, priest, prophet, elder, deacon, ministerial servant or any other title to distinguish them as something special. (Matthew 23:8 ; Revelation 22:9) All who serve Christ are simply brothers and sisters in Christ - they are Christians. (Acts 11:26) Learn the truth of the Bible and be drawn to God (and to those who love him) by the ropes of earthling man, by cords of love. (Hosea 11:3-4) Doing so means your very life. - (John 17:3) May you gain peace through the knowledge of God (Philippians 4:4-7), which in turn ingrains love for all, and obedience to God out of our heart's desire. (Colossians 1:9-11 , 1 John 5:3 ; Isaiah 48:17) You don't have to be the strongest, most popular, richest, toughest, most beautiful, or any other thing. Fact is, none of those things will help you. You need only have faith in the teachings of God's son Christ Jesus. (Pro_30:4) Please listen to our Heavenly Father (Mat 17:5) by becoming familiar with Jesus's teachings from your own Bible! (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ; Isaiah 30:21 ; Isaiah 9:6-7 ; Isaiah 11:1-12 ; John 6:67-69) God's peace to all. (Luke 10:5-6)
One of the "Cords of Love" can be thought of as a singular scarlet cord of faith, running from the first promise of the sacrificial Messiah in Gen 3:15, all the way through the finished Revelation of Christ as God's appointed King. Some believe that Bible theme is represented by Rahab's scarlet cord. (Joshua 2:18)
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(*1 Ephraim became the representative firstborn of his grandfather Jacob [Or, Israel - the father of the Jewish nation: Abraham ➜ Isaac ➜ Jacob/Israel ➜ Joseph ➜ Ephraim & Manasseh.] by jointly receiving [with his brother Manasseh, who was Joseph's other son] a double portion birthright for [or in place of] their father Joseph [firstborn of Israel or Jacob]. That's all just a complicated way of explaining why Israel's representative firstborn, Ephraim, became a name God used to symbolize the Israelite nation as a whole. Why, in other words, God would say He taught Ephraim to walk, referring to his chosen nation [at that time - Gal_5:2-6] of Israel. - (Genesis 48:5-6 & 17-20) That information is all in support of having faith in Christ as our savior. (Gal 3:23-25) Once you have faith in Christ, we are all made [adopted as] sons and daughters of Israel and of Abraham and of God, by our faith in God's son! [Gal 3:26-29])