The term "closest" in a biblical context often refers to relationships, proximity, or the nearness of God to His people. Throughout Scripture, the concept of closeness is significant in understanding the nature of God's relationship with humanity, the fellowship among believers, and the intimacy of personal relationships.

Closeness to God

The Bible frequently emphasizes the importance of being close to God. James 4:8 states, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." This verse highlights the reciprocal nature of our relationship with God, where human initiative to seek God is met with His promise of nearness. The closeness of God is also evident in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who is described as "Immanuel," meaning "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). This divine proximity is a central theme in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to abide in Christ (John 15:4).

Closeness in Relationships

The Bible also addresses the closeness of human relationships, particularly within the family and the community of believers. In marriage, the closeness between husband and wife is described in Genesis 2:24 : "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." This union signifies the deepest form of human closeness, reflecting the covenant relationship between Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).

Among believers, closeness is encouraged through fellowship and mutual support. Acts 2:42 describes the early church as devoted to "the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This communal closeness is a model for Christian communities, emphasizing unity and shared life in Christ.

Closeness in Friendship

The Bible also speaks to the value of close friendships. Proverbs 18:24 notes, "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother." This proverb highlights the depth and loyalty that can exist in friendships, often surpassing even familial bonds. The friendship between David and Jonathan is a biblical example of such closeness, characterized by loyalty, love, and mutual support (1 Samuel 18:1-3).

Closeness in Worship

Worship is another context where closeness is significant. The Psalms frequently express a desire for closeness to God through worship. Psalm 73:28 declares, "But as for me, it is good to draw near to God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may proclaim all Your works." Worship is seen as a means of drawing near to God, experiencing His presence, and expressing devotion.

Closeness in Trials

In times of trial, the closeness of God provides comfort and strength. Psalm 34:18 assures, "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit." This promise of divine closeness offers hope and reassurance to those who are suffering, affirming that God is intimately aware of and involved in the lives of His people.

In summary, the concept of "closest" in the Bible encompasses the nearness of God to His people, the intimacy of human relationships, the fellowship among believers, and the comfort found in divine presence during trials. These themes underscore the importance of seeking and maintaining closeness with God and others in the Christian life.1350. gaal -- to redeem, act as kinsman
... root Definition to redeem, act as kinsman NASB Word Usage avenger (13), bought back
(1), buy back (1), claim (1), close relative (3), closest relative (3 ...
/hebrew/1350.htm - 6k

Christianity, by Its Provision for the Flesh, Has Put on it the ...
... Chapter VIII."Christianity, by Its Provision for the Flesh, Has Put on It the Greatest
Honour The Privileges of Our Religion in Closest Connection with Our ...
/.../on the resurrection of the flesh/chapter viii christianity by its provision.htm

The Climax of Jesus' Suffering.
... Purity's finest and sin's coarsest were coming together in the closest touch thus
far, in this Man under those old brown-barked gray-leaved, gnarly trees. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks about jesus/the climax of jesus suffering.htm

A Secret Life of Prayer.
... An inner life of closest contact with Him, that the outside folks know nothing
about. Notice again the four statements in that good-by word. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on service/a secret life of prayer.htm

Taken into the Innermost Life.
... Now comes the third bit of that evening's closer wooing.[120] And this is the tenderest,
the most personal, the least resistible bit, the closest wooing of all ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/taken into the innermost life.htm

Jesus and the Beloved Disciple.
... together. There must have been certain qualities in John which fitted him
in a peculiar way for being the closest friend of Jesus. ...
/.../miller/personal friendships of jesus/chapter vi jesus and the.htm

Fellowship with God
... During the incarnation, he was one of the favored three who had enjoyed the closest
intimacy with the Redeemer; he had seen Christ in his transfiguration, had ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/fellowship with god.htm

Jesus Recognised by all the Race.
... And all these recognized Him as some one kin to themselves, bound by closest
spirit-ties, to whom they were drawn by the strong cords of His common kinship ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/jesus recognised by all the.htm

The Christian view of Sorrow
... Closest in our consciousness, because they will be most vivid to us in our darkest
and our last hours, are those incidents by the grave of Lazarus, and over ...
/.../chapin/the crown of thorns/the christian view of sorrow.htm

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
... It is evident that this doctrine stands in the closest connection with the
Christology,"that it forms, indeed, its theological foundation and ground-work. ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the angel of the lord.htm

Still Another Triplet
... It should not be necessary to insist that the closest mutual concord amongst all
believers is but an imperfect manifestation, as all manifestations in life of ...
/.../romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/still another triplet 2.htm

Closest (8 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Closest (8 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). Jeremiah
22:15 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? ...
/c/closest.htm - 8k

Bosom (47 Occurrences)
... 5; 2 Samuel 12:8). Christ is said to have been in "the bosom of the Father," ie,
he had the most perfect knowledge of the Father, had the closest intimacy with ...
/b/bosom.htm - 26k

Unchangeableness (1 Occurrence)
... He is so great that His relations to the created universe cannot begin to exhaust
His Being, and yet He stands in the closest relations to man and the world as ...
/u/unchangeableness.htm - 27k

Unchangeable (4 Occurrences)
... He is so great that His relations to the created universe cannot begin to exhaust
His Being, and yet He stands in the closest relations to man and the world as ...
/u/unchangeable.htm - 28k

Closet (3 Occurrences)

/c/closet.htm - 9k

Backslide
... conclusion of Genesis. Notwithstanding these differences, there yet exists
the closest connection between the two books. Exodus 1 ...
/b/backslide.htm - 88k

Zeruiah (25 Occurrences)
... and Asahel (1 Chronicles 2:16), who were the three leading heroes of David's army,
and being his nephews, they were admitted to the closest companionship with ...
/z/zeruiah.htm - 17k

Ur (5 Occurrences)
... may be that Harran owed its foundation to a king of Ur; at any rate the two cities
were bound together by the worship of the same deity, the closest and most ...
/u/ur.htm - 15k

Union (24 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Acts 17:28 For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and
have our being; as in fact some of the poets in repute among yourselves have said ...
/u/union.htm - 15k

Join (70 Occurrences)
... join: Of the New Testament words, kollao, literally, "glue," "weld together," and
its compounds, designate the closest form of personal union, as in Luke 15:15 ...
/j/join.htm - 28k

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Closest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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