Closeness To God And Depth Of Faith According To The Torah
Closeness to God
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (Psalms, 145:18)
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. (Psalms, 62:5)
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Psalms, 25:1)
But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time. (1 Kings, 8:61)
I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me find Me.(Proverbs, 8:17)
... and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life... (Deuteronomy, 30:20)
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. (Deuteronomy, 8:11)
But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. (Joshua, 23:8)
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy, 10:16)
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. (Isaiah, 55:6)
My soul finds rest in God alone... (Psalms, 62:1)
The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him... (Psalms, 145:18-20)
And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. (1 Chronicles, 28:9)
Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the deities your forefathers worshiped... and serve the Lord. (Joshua, 24:14)
Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God... (Deuteronomy, 8:14)
... What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy, 10:12)
Fear the Lord your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name. (Deuteronomy, 10:20)
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.(Deuteronomy, 11:13)
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. (Deuteronomy, 13:4)
But You are a shield around me, O Lord; You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. (Psalms, 3:3)
My shield is God Most High, Who saves the upright in heart. (Psalms, 7:10)
I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalms, 4:8)
... for I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God... (Psalms, 143:9-10)
Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. (Hosea, 6:3)
The Lord says: "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me...." (Isaiah, 29:13)
This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes..." (Jeremiah, 17:5-6)
... I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not done evil by turning from my God. (Psalms, 18:21)
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love... for it is time to seek the Lord... (Hosea, 10:12)
But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. (Hosea, 12:6)
Return... to the Lord your God. Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously..." (Hosea, 14:1-2)
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. (Isaiah, 55:7)
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate... abounding in love... (Joel, 2:13)
Devotion And Loyalty To God
Fear the Lord your God and serve Him. To Him you will cleave and take your oaths in His name. (Deuteronomy, 10:20)
If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and cleave to Him... There will be no man be able to stand before you... (Deuteronomy, 11:20-25)
For I delight in loving kindness, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea, 6:6)
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must fear. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and cleave to Him. (Deuteronomy, 13:4)
Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful... Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. (Psalms, 31:23-24)
Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to Your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to You and righteous and upright in heart..." (1 Kings, 3:6)
... to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to cleave unto Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. (Joshua, 22:5)
He cleaved to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. (2 King, 18:6)
But all of you who kept faith with the Lord your God are still alive today. See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully... (Deuteronomy, 4:4-6)
But cleave to the Lord your God, as you have been till this day. (Joshua, 23:8)
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. (Lamentations, 3:40)
Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My requirements, My commands, My decrees and My laws. (Genesis, 26:5)
He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. It is not by strength that one prevails. (1 Samuel, 2:9)
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. (2 Samuel, 22:26)
"O Lord... You Who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way." (1 Kings, 8:23)
... May Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, may Your saints rejoice in Your goodness. (2 Chronicles, 6:41)
Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. (Psalms, 97:10)
Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. (Joshua, 24:14)
Showing Respect for God
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Revere God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes, 12:13)
Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalms, 33:8-9)
Therefore stand in awe of God. (Ecclesiastes, 5:7)
You who fear the Lord, praise Him! ...honor Him! Revere Him...! (Psalms, 22:23)
For I delight in Your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. (Psalms, 119:47-48)
Have awe of the Lord... my son, and do not join with the rebellious. (Proverbs, 24:21)
... I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. (Ecclesiastes, 8:12)
I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him. (Ecclesiastes, 3:14)
The Excitement and Joy of Faith
Be glad... rejoice in the Lord your God. (Joel, 2:23)
... I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart. (Psalms, 40:8)
I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. (Psalms, 119:14-16)
... The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy, 13:3)
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! (Psalms, 32:10-11)
... I keep Your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in Your law... The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (Psalms, 119:69-72)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy, 6:5)
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms, 1:1-2)
Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in Your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides You; there is no strength like our God." (1 Samuel, 2:1-2)
... for I delight in Your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees. (Psalms, 119:47-48)
Trouble and distress have come upon me, but Your commands are my delight. Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live. (Psalms, 119:143-144)
Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for Your salvation, O Lord, and I follow Your commands. I obey Your statutes, for I love them greatly. (Psalms, 119:165-167)
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. (Psalms, 19:7-10)
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (Psalms, 111:2)
Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (Psalms, 119:23-24)
Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep Your law and obey it with all my heart.Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. (Psalms, 119:33-35)
May Your unfailing love be my comfort, according to Your promise to Your servant. Let Your compassion come to me that I may live, for Your law is my delight. (Psalms, 119:76-77)
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you look for Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy, 4:29)
Then I was... at His side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in His presence, rejoicing in His whole world and delighting in mankind. (Proverbs, 8:30-31)
If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life. (Psalms, 119:92-93)
May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees. May my tongue sing of Your word, for all Your commands are righteous... I long for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my delight. Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me. (Psalms, 119:171-175)
Blessed are they who keep: His statutes and seek Him with all their heart. (Psalms, 119:2)
So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains... (Deuteronomy, 11:13-14)
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and we are His... Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. (Psalms, 100:1-4)
The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him... and I will exalt Him. (Exodus, 15:2)
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms, 37:4)
Praise the Lord. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. (Psalms, 112:1)
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord... Praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord. (Psalms, 104:33-35)
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they exult in Your righteousness. For You are their glory and strength, and by Your favor You exalt the strength. (Psalms, 89:15-17)
But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!" (Psalms, 40:16; Psalms, 70:4)
Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God. (Psalms, 43:4)
When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty. (Jeremiah, 15:16)
But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to His name... (Psalms, 68:3-4)
Accept, O Lord, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me Your laws... Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.(Psalms, 119:108, 111)
I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly Your people who are here have given to You. O Lord... keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to You. And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep Your commands, requirements and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided. (1 Chronicles, 29:17-19)
Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. (Psalms, 81:1-2)
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me... Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me...and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. (Psalms, 51:10-15)
But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create... (Isaiah, 65:18)
Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them. The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for Your commands.(Psalms, 119:129-131)
I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre... My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to You—I, whom You have redeemed. My tongue will tell of Your righteous acts all day long... (Psalms, 71:22-24)
... So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. (2 Chronicles, 29:30)
With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord... And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord... (Ezra, 3:11)
... But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the Lord, Who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the house." (2 Chronicles, 30:19)
My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know. The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.(Job, 33:3-4)
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced. (1 Chronicles, 29:9)
... and everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the Lord for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its service, and for the sacred garments. All who were willing, men and women alike, came... (Exodus, 35:21-22)
... [They] brought to the Lord freewill offerings for all the work the Lord through Moses had commanded them to do. (Exodus, 35:29)
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear Me and keep all My commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! (Deuteronomy, 5:29)
O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of this Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give Your servant success today... (Nehemiah, 1:11)
... You made him glad with the joy of Your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. (Psalms, 21:6-7)
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: "He is good; His love endures forever." (2 Chronicles, 5:13)
I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise You. (Psalms, 63:4-5)
Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious! (Psalms, 66:2)
Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; we will sing and praise Your might. (Psalms, 21:13)
... They rejoice before You as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. (Isaiah, 9:3)
... Levites and priests sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by the Lord's instruments of praise. (2 Chronicles, 30:21)
Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. (Psalms, 34:3)
Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. (Psalms, 149:5)
My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit. (Isaiah, 65:14)
Because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the Lord sends against you. (Deuteronomy, 28:47-48)
"... Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah, 8:10)
... to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.(Joshua, 22:5)
The Importance of Deep Thinking
On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. (Psalms, 63:6)
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms, 1:2)
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds. (Psalms, 77:11-12)
Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors. (Psalms, 119:23-24)
Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on Your statutes. (Psalms, 119:97-99)
I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises. (Psalms, 119:147-148)
I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. (Proverbs, 24:32)
Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what He has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider...(Ecclesiastes 7:13-14)
... I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word. (Psalms, 119:13-16)
Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. (Job, 37:14)
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Joshua, 1:8)
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all Your works and consider... I spread out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. (Psalms, 143:5-6)
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. (Psalms, 111:2)
But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you. (1 Samuel, 12:24)
... for I delight in Your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to Your commands, which I love, and I meditate on Your decrees. (Psalms, 119:47-48)
My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: "Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life." (Psalms, 39:3-4)
One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works, they will tell of the power of Your awesome works. (Psalms, 145:4-5)
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways." (Haggai, 1:5)
"Now give careful thought to this from this day on... I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to Me," declares the Lord. "... Give careful thought." (Haggai, 2:15-18)
So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands. (Ecclesiastes, 9:1)
... When I think of all this, I fear Him. (Job, 23:15)
Passages from the Torah Encouraging Examination of the Signs Leading to Faith
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. (Psalms, 139:13-16)
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He Who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing... The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah, 40:26-28)
Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the Lord, His wonderful deeds in the deep.(Psalms, 107:23-24)
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, Who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, Who has made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself... (Isaiah, 44:24)
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds. (Psalms, 77:11-12)
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. (Psalms, 40:5)
Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are His deeds... He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. (Psalms, 111:2-4)
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Psalms, 107:8-9)
You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has worked wonders for you... (Joel, 2:26)
... I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of Your awesome works, and I will proclaim Your great deeds. (Psalms, 145:5-6)
For You are great and do marvelous deeds; You alone are God. (Psalms, 86:10)
... Teach me Your decrees. Let me understand the teaching of Your precepts; then I will meditate on Your wonders. (Psalms, 119:26-27)
Praise be to the Lord God... Who alone does marvelous deeds.(Psalms, 72:18)
... He Who made the earth, the Lord Who formed it and established it—the Lord is His name. (Jeremiah, 33:2)
He Who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals His thoughts to man, He Who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is His name. (Amos, 4:13)
He Who made the Pleiades and Orion, Who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land—the Lord is His name. (Amos, 5:8)
... You forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth... (Isaiah, 51:13)
For this is what the Lord says -He Who created the heavens, He is God; He Who fashioned and made the Earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited- He says: "I am the Lord, and there is no other." (Isaiah, 45:18)
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. (Isaiah, 45:7)
Did not He Who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers? (Job, 31:15)
Ears that hear and eyes that see—the Lord has made them both. (Proverbs, 20:12)
... The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them... (Psalms, 146:6)
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens—and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground—the Lord God formed the Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis, 2:4-7)
He [the Prophet Solomon (pbuh)] described plant life, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of walls. He also taught about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon's wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom. (1 Kings, 4:33-34)
For, before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape... (Isaiah, 18:5)
Let us go early to the vineyards to see if the vines have budded, if their blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates are in bloom... The mandrakes send out their fragrance, and at our doors are all sorts of fruit, both new and old... (Song of Solomon, 7:12-13)
I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.(Song of Solomon, 6:11)
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. (Genesis, 1:11)
... He shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall again make corn to grow, and shall blossom as the vine... (Hoshea, 14:6-8)
Statements from the Torah Regarding the Transient Nature of This World
All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. (Psalms, 90:9-10)
... Our days on earth are like a shadow... (1 Chronicles, 29:15)
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them... (Zephaniah, 1:18)
Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow... (Psalms, 144:4)
The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust. (Job, 20:11)
... For death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. (Ecclesiastes, 7:2)
By the sweat of your brow, you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. (Genesis, 3:19)
And said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." (Job, 1:21)
He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure. (Job, 14:2)
My heart grew hot within me, and as I meditated, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. "But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in You." (Psalms, 39:3-7)
For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. As for man, His days are like grass, He flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him... (Psalms, 103:14-18)
Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike... Those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for Him—the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough—that he should live on forever and not see decay. For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure;he is like the beasts that perish... Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—and men praise you when you prosper—he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish. (Psalms, 49:1-2, 6-20)
They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them and they will be discarded. But You remain the same, and your years will never end. (Psalms, 102:26-27)
With Me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. (Proverbs, 8:18)
... Riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations. (Proverbs, 27:24)
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs, 31:30)
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. (Proverbs, 11:28)
... The wealth they acquired is gone. (Jeremiah, 48:36)
In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. (Isaiah, 3:18-24)
What will you do on the Day of Reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? (Isaiah, 10:3)
Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. (Proverbs, 23:5)
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath... (Proverbs, 11:4)
A man's riches may ransom his life... (Proverbs, 13:8)
He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading... He cannot save himself by his treasure. (Job, 20:17-20)
My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me. (Job, 17:1)
Then the Lord said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal..." (Genesis, 6:3)
At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. (Proverbs, 5:11)
Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? (Isaiah, 2:22)
... During the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the Sun after he is gone? (Ecclesiastes, 6:12)
No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death... (Ecclesiastes, 8:8)
You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning- though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. (Psalms, 90:5-6)
I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees... I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone... I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces... I became greater by far than anyone... I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure... Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the Sun. (Ecclesiastes, 2:411)
... Wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune... as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand... As a man comes, so he departs... (Ecclesiastes, 5:13-16)
... for youth and vigor are meaningless. (Ecclesiastes, 11:10)
Remember Him—before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God Who gave it. "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!" (Ecclesiastes,12:6-8)
