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 Correction

The 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 Law

The 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 Warnings

Prophets 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 Conviction

In 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 Discipline

The 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 Accountability

Scripture 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.

Conclusion

The 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.(imp. & p. p.) of Check.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 ...
/hebrew/6113.htm - 6k

The New Testament Checked the Imaginative Creation of Events in ...
... THE ORIGIN OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 7. The New Testament checked the imaginative creation
of events in the scheme of Salvation, whether freely or according to ...
/.../harnack/the origin of the new testament/ 7 the new testament.htm

If God had Anyhow Checked Man's Liberty, Marcion Would have Been ...
... Chapter VII."If God Had Anyhow Checked Man's Liberty, Marcion Would Have Been Ready
with Another and Opposite Cavil. Man's Fall Foreseen by God. ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter vii if god had anyhow.htm

To Prevent any one from Being Checked in the Exercise of Mercy...
... by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. Book I. Chapter XII. To prevent any one
from being checked in the exercise of mercy? To prevent ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xii to prevent any.htm

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 have checked his advance ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xiii but seeing that.htm

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 he checked their indignation with ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter v the answer on.htm

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 ...
/.../augustine/the confessions of saint augustine/chapter xii i closed her.htm

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 be checked: and in ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter x how six of.htm

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 ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/part i god did not.htm

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 been checked." Now the ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether man could commit a.htm

Whether one Ought to Suffer Oneself to be Reviled?
... First, for the good of the reviler; namely, that his daring may be checked, and
that he may not repeat the attempt, according to Prov.26:5, "Answer a fool ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether one ought to suffer.htm

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). ...
/c/checked.htm - 9k

Checker (3 Occurrences)

/c/checker.htm - 8k

Check (9 Occurrences)

/c/check.htm - 11k

Forbidding (6 Occurrences)
... dost come unto me!' (YLT). Mark 3:12 But He many a time checked them, forbidding
them to say who He was. (WEY). Luke 23:2 They began ...
/f/forbidding.htm - 8k

Transgression (70 Occurrences)
... 2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke with a human
voice and checked the madness of the Prophet. (WEY ASV NAS RSV). ...
/t/transgression.htm - 29k

Restrained (51 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). 2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke
with a human voice and checked the madness of the Prophet. (See NAS RSV NIV). ...
/r/restrained.htm - 22k

Deacon (4 Occurrences)
... It was alleged by the Hellenists that their widows were overlooked in the
daily distribution of alms. This spirit must be checked. ...
/d/deacon.htm - 14k

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 were checked...
/p/parthians.htm - 16k

Choke (6 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To be checked, as if by choking; to stick. 8. (n.) A stoppage or irritation
of the windpipe, producing the feeling of strangulation. ...
/c/choke.htm - 9k

Abort (1 Occurrence)
... 2. (vi) To become checked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary
or shrink away wholly; to become sterile. 3. (n.) An untimely birth. ...
/a/abort.htm - 6k

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