Condescension of God

Passages on this topic

From Nave’s Topical Bible (1896), a historical reference index. The groupings are Nave’s; the verses are shown in the text used across this site.

In reasoning with his creatures

Sets forth his reasons for sending the flood

• Genesis 6:11–13 Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and full of violence. And God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all living creatures has come before Me, because through them the earth…

Enters into covenant with Abraham

• Genesis 15:1–21 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram continued, “Behold, You ha…
• Genesis 18:1–22 Then the LORD appeared to Abraham by the Oaks of Mamre in the heat of the day, while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. “My lord,” said…

Indulges Abraham's intercession for Sodom

• Genesis 18:23–33 Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous ones in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous ones who are there? Far be it from You to do such a thing — to k…

Warns Abimelech in a dream

• Genesis 20:3–7 One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.” Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent? Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘Sh…

Reasons with Moses

• Exodus 4:2–17 And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. “Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caug…

Sends flesh to the Israelites in consequence of their murmuring

• Exodus 16:12 “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’”

Indulges Moses' prayer to behold his glory

• Exodus 33:18–23 Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name — the LORD — in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” But He added, “You cannot see…

Indulges Gideon's tests

• Judges 6:36–40 Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, then behold, I will place a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

Reasons with JOB

• Job 38 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge? Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who fi… (whole chapter)
• Job 39 “Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn? Can you count the months they are pregnant? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; they deliver their newborn. Their young ones thrive and grow up in the open field; the… (whole chapter)
• Job 40 And the LORD said to Job: “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who argues with God give an answer.” Then Job answered the LORD: “Behold, I am insignificant. How can I reply to You? I place my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, but I have no answer — twice, but I have nothin… (whole chapter)
• Job 41 “Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly? Will he make a covenant with you to take him as a slave for life? Can you pet him like a bird or put him on… (whole chapter)

Invites sinners, saying, "Come now, and let us reason together,"

• Isaiah 1:18–20 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured…

Expostulates with backsliding Israel

• Isaiah 41:21–24 “Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob. “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming. Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know t…
• Isaiah 43:1–19 But now, this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm y…
• Isaiah 65:1–16 “I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’ All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, to a peopl…
• Jeremiah 3:1–15 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers — and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD. “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any p…
• Jeremiah 4:1–31 “If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver, and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they wil…
• Jeremiah 7:1–34 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim this message: Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the LORD. Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel: Correct your way…
• Ezekiel 18:25–32 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is it My way that is unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, he will die for this. He will die because of the iniquity he has committed. But if a…
• Ezekiel 33:10–20 Now as for you, son of man, tell the house of Israel that this is what they have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins are heavy upon us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we live?’ Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wick…
• Hosea 2 “Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’ Rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not My wife, and I am not her husband. Let her remove the adultery from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. Otherwise, I will strip her naked and expose her like… (whole chapter)
• Micah 6:1–9 Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment, you enduring foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against His people, and He will argue it against Israel: ‘My people, what have I don…

Scriptures Relating to

• Psalm 8:4–6 what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet:
• Psalm 113:5–6 Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high? He humbles Himself to behold the heavens and the earth.
• Psalm 144:3 O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
• Isaiah 45:11 Thus says the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: “Concerning things to come, do you question Me about My sons, or instruct Me in the work of My hands?
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
• Romans 5:8 But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Hebrews 2:11 For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
• Hebrews 6:17–18 So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath. Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
• 1 John 4:10 And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
• 1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.