Nephesh נֶפֶשׁ
My Mind” – “nephesh” is Hebrew for vitality, living thing, breathing (H5315).
There are two scriptures where this Hebrew word is translated “Mind”. The word in this passage for mind means something living and breathing. It is sometimes translated “soul”. God lives and has given us a mind like He has. It is more of a “matter of fact” word. Doesn’t describe deep thought, just the fact that there is thought given.
1 Samuel 2:34-35
God rejected Eli’s priesthood from continuing.
He said that He would raise up a faithful priest who would do
“according to what is in His (God’s) ________________________ and ___________ “
God can have an “unfavorable” mind toward people
Jeremiah 15:1
God tells Jeremiah that his_______________ could not be toward Israel.
They wallowed in idolatry and sin for so long that He was going to put them out of His mind, He was not favorable toward them.
מַחֲשָׁבָה Machashabah
“My thoughts or plans” – Machashabah (H4284), usually translated “thoughts” means plans or intentions.
What does God wish for Israel? What kind of thoughts does He have toward us?
What do we learn about God’s thoughts in the following passages:
Jeremiah 29:11________________________________________________________
Psalm 40:5____________________________________________________________
Psalm 139:17-18_______________________________________________________
Jeremiah 23:18-20______________________________________________________
What are the two rhetorical questions in this passage?_________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
What does it mean to “perform the thoughts of His heart”?_____________________
Who is it that does not know the “thoughts of the Lord”?_______________________
Why can they not understand His counsel?__________________________________
The wicked do not know the thoughts of the Lord because they do not listen to His Word. They cannot understand His counsel because they have hardened their hearts and won’t let His Word penetrate.
Isaiah 55:8-11
What two things does the Lord tell us about His thoughts?______________________
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What two things does the Lord say the His word will do in verse 12? _____________
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νοῦς Nooce
n the following scriptures the Greek word translated mind is “nooce” (G3563)and means the intellect, thoughts or feelings. Websters definition #2a: the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and especially reasons.
Romans 11:33-34
Paul says we can’t know the mind of the Lord or teach Him anything.
He alludes to Isaiah 40:13 and Jeremiah 23:18.
What are unsearchable and past finding out?________________________________
What does this mean?___________________________________________________
Can we “counsel” God in anything?________________________________________
How can we know the mind of the Lord?____________________________________
1 Corinthians 2:9-11
Who is it that reveals the deep things (mind) of the Lord?______________________
1 Corinthians 2:16
Paul asks a rhetorical question. Can we “instruct” our Lord on anything?__________
The “mind” of the Lord and the “mind” of Christ (another lesson) are the same greek word.
Job 11:7-9
Underline (or hi-lite) “what can you do?” and “what can you know?”.
These phrases should humble us as we seek to know God.
How are the “deep things” of God described (4 things)?________________________
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We can know God’s mind (and thoughts) through His Word and what He has chosen to reveal to us. And yet, we can never know the mind of the Lord on our own or even “instruct” Him in anything as Paul said. Therefore, we need to love and appreciate the fact that God has chosen to reveal what He has; enough for us to know how much He loves and cares for us and how often He thinks of us.
Labe לֵב
“My Mind”- Hebrew “labe” (H3820)- the heart, feelings, the will.
What was on the Lord’s mind in Exodus 20:3?________________________________
What does Israel do in the following passages that was NOT in God’s mind?________
This word is most often translated “heart” but 3 times in Jeremiah it is translated “mind” (in the NKJV)
Jeremiah 19:5_________________________________________________________
Jeremiah 32:35________________________________________________________
Jeremiah 44:20-22______________________________________________________
What did NOT come into God’s mind in these 3 passages?______________________
It was never God’s will or intention for man to worship anything (or anyone) other than Him. Jeremiah seems to say in these passages that God could hardly believe what they were doing. It was not something He wanted for them, and He knew that it would be harmful to their souls.
God pays attention! He is not aloof nor disinterested in the ways of man. He thinks about us, He knows about us and He remembers!
What does the Lord remember in these passages?
Hosea 7:2_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________
Revelation 18:5 (speaking of Babylon)______________________________________
Ezekiel 21:23-24________________________________________________________
Jeremiah 14:10________________________________________________________
What does He not remember?
Isaiah 38:17 (words of Hezekiah)__________________________________________
Was Hezekiah repentant?________________________________________________
What has God done with our sins?_________________________________________
Isaiah 43:22-26
Verse 22: Write what Isaiah says…
About being a prayerless people___________________________________________
About despising God____________________________________________________
Verse 24:
What had their sins and iniquities done to God?______________________________
Verse 25:
Only God can pardon sin. He does not do it for their sakes but for His.
“Not because you deserve it, or have any claim, or that it would not be right to punish you. Not even primarily to promote your happiness and salvation, but for my sake; to show the benevolence of my character and to promote my glory by your forgiveness.” (ALBERT BARNES COMMENTARY – E-SWORD Isaiah 43)
Jeremiah 31:34
“For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin________________________________ “
The Hebrews writer quotes this verse in Hebrews 8:12 and Hebrew 10:17.
God does what he does, not because we are deserving of anything, but because he is righteous, and he keeps his promises. He made a covenant with Israel first. He kept his part, they did not. But because of this covenant promise, Christ came into the world and now we have a new covenant, more precious and promising, not a promise of an earthly Canaan, but of a spiritual an eternal one. (Hebrews 7:22; 8:7-10; 13:20; Mark 14:24)
Ezekiel 16:60
What will God remember and establish?____________________________________
Daniel 9:13-14
What did the Lord “keep in mind”?_________________________________________
Φρόνημα Phronema
“The mind of the Spirit” – In this verse, the Greek word for “mind” is “phronema” (G5427) meaning inclination or purpose.
Romans 8:27
Who is “He who searches the hearts”?______________________________________
The Spirit makes intercession according to what?_____________________________
The mind of the Lord searches and knows our hearts.
Psalm 44:20-21________________________________________________________
Matthew 6:8__________________________________________________________
Acts 1:24_____________________________________________________________
Acts 15:8_____________________________________________________________
Revelation 2:23________________________________________________________
Hebrews 4:13_________________________________________________________
We are on the Lord’s mind always. He has plans for our lives and wants us first to be holy which then will make us happy and content.
The next lesson is the Remembering Mind. What has God told us to remember?