In biblical literature, the concept of "sloping" is not directly addressed as a specific term, but the imagery and symbolism associated with slopes, hills, and inclines are prevalent throughout the Scriptures. These geographical features often carry significant spiritual and metaphorical meanings, reflecting the challenges and journeys of faith experienced by God's people.

Symbolism of Slopes and Hills

Slopes and hills in the Bible frequently symbolize the challenges and obstacles that believers must overcome in their spiritual journey. They can represent the ascent towards God, the pursuit of holiness, and the striving for a closer relationship with the Divine. The physical act of climbing a slope or hill can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual growth and perseverance.

Biblical References

1. Psalm 121:1-2 : "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." This passage highlights the hills as a place of seeking divine assistance and recognizing God's sovereignty. The upward gaze towards the hills signifies a reliance on God's strength and protection.

2. Isaiah 40:4 : "Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain." Here, the imagery of leveling hills and smoothing slopes is used to describe the transformative power of God, preparing the way for His glory to be revealed. It signifies the removal of obstacles and the establishment of a path for divine intervention.

3. Matthew 5:14 : "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." In this verse, Jesus uses the image of a city on a hill to illustrate the visibility and influence of His followers. The elevated position of the city on a slope serves as a metaphor for the prominent and illuminating role that believers are called to play in the world.

Spiritual Lessons

The concept of sloping, as inferred from biblical references to hills and inclines, teaches several spiritual lessons:

· Perseverance and Faith: Just as climbing a slope requires effort and determination, so does the journey of faith. Believers are encouraged to persevere through trials and challenges, trusting in God's guidance and strength.

· Divine Perspective: The act of looking up to the hills serves as a reminder to maintain a heavenly perspective, seeking God's help and acknowledging His presence in times of need.

· Preparation for God's Work: The leveling of hills and smoothing of slopes symbolizes the preparation required for God's work to be accomplished. Believers are called to remove spiritual obstacles and create a path for God's purposes to be fulfilled in their lives.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not explicitly use the term "sloping," the imagery associated with slopes and hills provides rich spiritual insights. These geographical features serve as powerful metaphors for the believer's journey, emphasizing themes of perseverance, divine assistance, and preparation for God's work. Through these lessons, the faithful are encouraged to navigate the inclines of life with trust and hope in the Lord.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Slope.

2. (a.) Inclining or inclined from the plane of the horizon, or from a horizontal or other right line; oblique; declivous; slanting.

6202. araph -- to break the neck
... A primitive root (identical with araph through the idea of sloping); properly, to
bend downward; but used only as a denominative from oreph, to break the neck ...
/hebrew/6202.htm - 6k

Appendix 1 Massecheth Middoth
... And there was a sloping ascent to the south of the altar, 32 cubits long by 16 broad,
and it had a pit at its west side, into which they put sin-offerings of ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/appendix 1 massecheth middoth.htm

Letter iv. Personal Habits.
... The carpet and papering of the room were of light neutral tints, and the broad sloping
walls which made the sides of the dormer window were ornamented, the one ...
/.../letter iv personal habits.htm

The Annunciation
... kitchen. Three steps, not level but sloping, led up to it, for the floor
of this part of the house rested on a raised ledge of rock. ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/viii the annunciation.htm

Village Washerman.
... his purifying operations. Close to the water's edge there is placed a sloping
piece of wood, or a large flat stone. The washerman ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/hodson/old daniel/chapter fourteen village washerman.htm

The Sower.
... From the water's edge, stretching away upward on the natural gallery formed by the
sloping bank, the great congregation, with every face fixed in an attitude ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/i the sower.htm

The Constellations and the Genii Very Indifferent Gods the Roman ...
... [1067] I say nothing about Ascensus, who gets his name for his climbing propensity,
and Clivicola, from her sloping (haunts); I pass silently by the deities ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xv the constellations and the.htm

Argument: Octavius, Displeased at the Act of this Superstitious ...
... rubbed and made smooth by the tossing of the waves; to take hold of the shell in
a horizontal position with the fingers; to whirl it along sloping and as low ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter iii argument octavius displeased at.htm

The Last Days of Augusta, 1560-1572.
... slowly dawned upon Augusta that his Brethren were ceasing to trust him, and that
the sun of his power, which had shone so brightly, was now sloping slowly to ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter xl the last days.htm

Argument: Then C??cilius Exclaims that He is Vanquished by ...
... remain in my mind, not as resisting the truth, but as necessary to a perfect training
[1840] of which on the morrow, as the sun is already sloping to his ...
/.../the octavius of minucius felix/chapter xl argument then caecilius exclaims.htm

The Heir to the Throne
... There were the same narrow temples with the sloping brow, the same hawked nose,
the same full lips, the same heavy eye with the smoldering ember in its dusky ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter v the heir to.htm

Sloping (2 Occurrences)
... declivous; slanting. Multi-Version Concordance Sloping (2 Occurrences).
Ezekiel 40:16 And the rooms and their uprights had sloping...
/s/sloping.htm - 7k

Slant (1 Occurrence)
... obliquely; to slope. 2. (vt) To turn from a direct line; to give an oblique
or sloping direction to; as, to slant a line. 3. (n.) A ...
/s/slant.htm - 7k

Slope (29 Occurrences)
... 2. (vi) Any ground whose surface forms an angle with the plane of the horizon.
3. (a.) Sloping. 4. (adv.) In a sloping manner. 5 ...
/s/slope.htm - 16k

Architecture
... Fergusson's restoration shows a sloping roof, following the precedent of the
sloping roof of the Tabernacle (Temples of the Jews, 26). ...
/a/architecture.htm - 28k

Slopes (15 Occurrences)

/s/slopes.htm - 11k

Rooms (69 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 40:16 And the rooms and their uprights had sloping windows inside the doorway
all round, and in the same way the covered way had windows all round on ...
/r/rooms.htm - 28k

Zedad (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Side; sloping place, a town in the north of
Palestine, near Hamath (Numbers 34:8; Ezek. 47:15). It has ...
/z/zedad.htm - 8k

Uprights (20 Occurrences)
... Ezekiel 40:16 And the rooms and their uprights had sloping windows inside the doorway
all round, and in the same way the covered way had windows all round on ...
/u/uprights.htm - 12k

Overhangs (1 Occurrence)
... Ezekiel 41:26 And there were sloping windows and palm-trees on one side and on the
other, on the sides of the covered way: and the side-rooms of the house and ...
/o/overhangs.htm - 6k

Lime (4 Occurrences)
... It is usually built on the side of a hill which is slightly excavated for it, so
that the sloping, external wall of the kiln rises much higher from the ground ...
/l/lime.htm - 11k

What was/is the importance of the gates of Jerusalem? | GotQuestions.org

Sloping: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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