Topical Encyclopedia
In the context of biblical themes and narratives, the concept of being "checked" can be understood as being restrained, corrected, or held accountable. This idea is woven throughout Scripture, where God, through His laws, prophets, and the Holy Spirit, provides guidance and correction to His people.
Divine Restraint and CorrectionThe Bible frequently illustrates how God checks the actions of individuals and nations to align them with His will. In
Genesis 20:6, God intervenes to prevent Abimelech from sinning with Sarah, saying, "Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her." Here, God's direct intervention serves as a check against sin.
Similarly, in the account of Balaam, God checks Balaam's intentions through the angel of the Lord and a speaking donkey (
Numbers 22:21-35). This narrative highlights how God can use extraordinary means to correct and redirect His people.
The Role of the LawThe Law given to Moses serves as a divine check on human behavior, providing a standard of righteousness and a means of identifying sin. In
Galatians 3:24, Paul explains, "So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The Law acts as a tutor, checking humanity's sinful tendencies and pointing towards the need for a Savior.
Prophetic WarningsProphets in the Old Testament often served as God's mouthpieces to check the moral and spiritual decline of Israel and Judah. For instance, the prophet Nathan confronts King David after his sin with Bathsheba, saying, "You are the man!" (
2 Samuel 12:7). Nathan's bold confrontation serves as a divine check, leading David to repentance.
The Holy Spirit's ConvictionIn the New Testament, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in checking believers' hearts and actions. Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit in
John 16:8, saying, "When He comes, He will convict the world regarding sin and righteousness and judgment." The Spirit's work of conviction is an internal check that guides believers towards holiness.
Church DisciplineThe early church practiced discipline as a means of checking sinful behavior within the community. In
1 Corinthians 5:12-13, Paul instructs the church to judge those inside the church, saying, "Expel the wicked man from among you." This form of accountability serves to maintain the purity and witness of the church.
Personal AccountabilityScripture encourages personal accountability and self-examination as a form of self-check. In
2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul exhorts believers, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves." This call to introspection is a personal check to ensure one's life aligns with the teachings of Christ.
ConclusionThe concept of being checked in the Bible encompasses divine intervention, the guidance of the Law, prophetic warnings, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, church discipline, and personal accountability. These elements work together to guide believers towards a life that honors God and reflects His righteousness.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Check.
Strong's Hebrew
6113. atsar -- to restrain, retain... root Definition to restrain, retain NASB Word Usage able* (2), bond (5),
checked (3), closed fast (1), confined (3), could (1), detain (2), detained (1), held
...Library
The New TestamentChecked the Imaginative Creation of Events in...
... THE ORIGIN OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 7. The New Testamentchecked the imaginative creation
of events in the scheme of Salvation, whether freely or according to...
If God had AnyhowChecked Man's Liberty, Marcion Would have Been...
... Chapter VII."If God Had AnyhowChecked Man's Liberty, Marcion Would Have Been Ready
with Another and Opposite Cavil. Man's Fall Foreseen by God....
To Prevent any one from BeingChecked in the Exercise of Mercy...
... by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. Book I. Chapter XII. To prevent any one
from beingchecked in the exercise of mercy? To prevent...
But Seeing that Paradise is the Home of Living Spirits...
... those who by virginity have desisted from this process have drawn within themselves
the boundary line of death, and by their own deed havechecked his advance...
The Answer on the Imaginary Chastity of the Philosophers.
... of boys," and his scholars rushed at him, and brought him to their master and wanted
to avenge the insult, it is said that hechecked their indignation with...
I Closed Her Eyes; and There Flowed Withal a Mighty Sorrow into My...
... But when she breathed her last, the boy Adeodatus burst out into a loud
lament; then,checked by us all, held his peace. In like...
How Six of These Faults are Related, and the Two which Differ from...
... first be expelled: in order to quell anger, covetousness must be trampled under
foot: in order to root out covetousness, fornication must bechecked: and in...
God did not Make Evil, nor is He at all in any Way the Author of...
... to support what was the cause of its own destruction; while the fig-tree, torn away
by the roots, dies; in the same way also, God, the builder,checked by the...
Whether Man could Commit a Venial Sin in the State of Innocence?
... that the tempter would have overcome man, unless first of all there had arisen in
man's soul a movement of vainglory which should have beenchecked." Now the...
Whether one Ought to Suffer Oneself to be Reviled?
... First, for the good of the reviler; namely, that his daring may bechecked, and
that he may not repeat the attempt, according to Prov.26:5, "Answer a fool...
Thesaurus
Checked (11 Occurrences)... (imp. & pp) of Check. Multi-Version Concordance
Checked (11 Occurrences). Mark
3:12 But He many a time
checked them, forbidding them to say who He was. (WEY).
...Checker (3 Occurrences)
Check (9 Occurrences)
Forbidding (6 Occurrences)
... dost come unto me!' (YLT). Mark 3:12 But He many a timechecked them, forbidding
them to say who He was. (WEY). Luke 23:2 They began...
Transgression (70 Occurrences)
... 2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke with a human
voice andchecked the madness of the Prophet. (WEY ASV NAS RSV)....
Restrained (51 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). 2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke
with a human voice andchecked the madness of the Prophet. (See NAS RSV NIV)....
Deacon (4 Occurrences)
... It was alleged by the Hellenists that their widows were overlooked in the
daily distribution of alms. This spirit must bechecked....
Parthians (1 Occurrence)
... in to aid him in his war with Sidetes, and his successor likewise, and it was only
on the accession of Mithridates in 124 BC that these barbarians werechecked...
Choke (6 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To bechecked, as if by choking; to stick. 8. (n.) A stoppage or irritation
of the windpipe, producing the feeling of strangulation....
Abort (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (vi) To becomechecked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary
or shrink away wholly; to become sterile. 3. (n.) An untimely birth....
Resources
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