The concept of "prematurely" in the Bible often relates to events or actions occurring before their appointed time, which can lead to negative consequences or divine disapproval. The Bible provides several instances where acting prematurely is depicted as contrary to God's will or timing.

Biblical Examples:

1. Saul's Impatience (1 Samuel 13:8-14): One of the most notable examples of acting prematurely is King Saul's unlawful sacrifice. Saul, under pressure from the Philistines and seeing his troops scatter, offered a burnt offering himself instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel. This act of impatience and disobedience led to God's rejection of Saul's dynasty. Samuel rebuked Saul, saying, "You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you" (1 Samuel 13:13).

2. Abraham and Hagar (Genesis 16:1-4): Another instance is when Abram (later Abraham) and Sarai (later Sarah) acted prematurely in trying to fulfill God's promise of a son. Instead of waiting for God's timing, Sarai gave her maidservant Hagar to Abram to bear a child. This led to familial strife and long-term consequences, as Hagar's son Ishmael became a source of conflict. This narrative highlights the complications that arise from not waiting on God's timing.

3. The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32): In the parable of the prodigal son, the younger son prematurely demands his inheritance and squanders it in reckless living. His impatience and lack of foresight lead to his downfall and eventual repentance. This account illustrates the dangers of seeking immediate gratification without considering the future or the wisdom of waiting.

Theological Implications:

The Bible emphasizes the importance of patience and waiting on God's timing. Acting prematurely often reflects a lack of faith or trust in God's plan. Scriptures such as Psalm 27:14 encourage believers to "Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD" . This theme is echoed throughout the Bible, where waiting on God is associated with strength, renewal, and divine blessing (Isaiah 40:31).

Practical Applications:

For believers, the concept of acting prematurely serves as a caution against impulsive decisions and actions that are not aligned with God's will. It encourages a posture of prayerful waiting and discernment, seeking God's guidance in all matters. The Bible calls for a reliance on God's wisdom rather than human understanding, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" .

In summary, the biblical perspective on acting prematurely underscores the value of patience, trust, and obedience to God's timing, warning against the pitfalls of haste and self-reliance.3318. yatsa -- to go or come out
... leave* (2), leaves (2), led (2), left (4), loses (1), loss (1), march forward (1),
originate (1), paid (1), passing (1), pluck (1), prematurely (1), proceed (4 ...
/hebrew/3318.htm - 8k

Refutation of the Homeric view of the Soul's Detention from Hades ...
... Body's Being Unburied. That Souls Prematurely Separated from the Body Had
to Wait for Admission into Hades Also Refuted. There arises ...
/.../tertullian/a treatise on the soul/chapter lvi refutation of the homeric.htm

The Finished Life
... Was it not, on the contrary, a terribly unfinished life, prematurely cut short,
without any visible effect of his work, and with everything left to live for? ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/lxv the finished life.htm

On Infants' Early Deaths.
... to go at a foot's pace through the problem which your wisdom has proposed; namely,
this"what we are to think of those who are taken prematurely, the moment ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/on infants early deaths.htm

Moreover, Wisdom, when it is Found in a Man...
... But this I know, that the impious are snatched prematurely from this life, and
put out of the way because they have given themselves to vanity. ...
/.../a metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes/chapter viii moreover wisdom when.htm

From Patriarchal, Tertullian Comes to Legal, Precedents.
... And thus, for fear that such as had died childless, not from natural inability,
but from being prematurely overtaken by death, should be judged equally ...
/.../tertullian/on monogamy/chapter vii from patriarchal tertullian comes.htm

Womanhood Self-Evident, and not to be Concealed by Just Leaving ...
... Set before yourself each (of these two); one prematurely [315] compressed in woman's
garb, and one who, though advanced in maturity, persists in virginity with ...
/.../on the veiling of virgins/chapter xii womanhood self-evident and not.htm

The Power of Sorrow.
... There are spirits in which it developes the seminal principle of life; there are
others in which it prematurely hastens the consummation of irreparable decay. ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/viii the power of sorrow.htm

Lessons.
... homes in that sequestered village, and spread desolation in other hearts, but surely
the Church's Lord will not suffer one of its pillars so prematurely to fall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macduff/memories of bethany/iii lessons.htm

Why we are to Use the Bath.
... places for fulling [1654] men, since they wrinkle men's bodies sooner than they
ought, and by cooking them, as it were, compel them to become prematurely old. ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter ix why we are to.htm

Death of Archdeacon Bridge
... Archdeacon Bridge was prematurely carried off, in the midst of his zealous
and successful labours, at the end of February, 1856. ...
/.../murray/kalli the esquimaux christian /death of archdeacon bridge.htm

Prematurely (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Prematurely (1 Occurrence). Exodus 21:22 "If men
fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth ...
/p/prematurely.htm - 6k

Slink (1 Occurrence)
... 3. (vt) To cast prematurely; -- said of female beasts; as, a cow that slinks her
calf. 4. (a.) Produced prematurely; as, a slink calf. 5. (a.) Thin; lean. ...
/s/slink.htm - 7k

Warp (9 Occurrences)
... 6. (vt) To cast prematurely, as young; -- said of cattle, sheep, etc. ... 13. (vi) To
cast the young prematurely; to slink; -- said of cattle, sheep, etc. 14. ...
/w/warp.htm - 12k

Untimely (5 Occurrences)
... 2. (adv.) Out of the natural or usual time; inopportunely; prematurely;
unseasonably. Multi-Version Concordance Untimely (5 Occurrences). ...
/u/untimely.htm - 8k

Offender (6 Occurrences)
... Exodus 21:22 "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth
prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the ...
/o/offender.htm - 8k

Woman's (20 Occurrences)
... Exodus 21:22 "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth
prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the ...
/w/woman's.htm - 12k

Ithamar (20 Occurrences)
... While Nadab and Abihu were prematurely cut off for offering strange fire before
the Lord (Leviticus 10:1, 2 Numbers 3:4; Numbers 26:61), and Eleazar was ...
/i/ithamar.htm - 16k

Injury (21 Occurrences)
... Exodus 21:22 "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth
prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the ...
/i/injury.htm - 13k

Fined (4 Occurrences)
... Exodus 21:22 "If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth
prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the ...
/f/fined.htm - 7k

Forcing (25 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Force. 2. (n.) The accomplishing of any purpose violently,
precipitately, prematurely, or with unusual expedition. ...
/f/forcing.htm - 15k

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