Consideration

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." (Isaiah 1: 3 KJV)

"...they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands." (Isaiah 5: 12 KJV)

"Consider" means to perceive, observe, understand, to be attentive, or to fix one's eyes or mind upon, to think over, to ponder, or to give continuous and careful thought, to weigh something with the mind and judgment, or to take into account when formulating an opinion or plan.

To be "considerate" means "thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others."

In the above words of scripture to fail to "consider" is connected with not "knowing" and with not "regarding." The failure of the people to "consider" or to "know" or to "regard" their God, Lord, and Creator, they were being "inconsiderate" in their relation to him. They were a spiritually "inconsiderate" people as is every lost soul in his sins and in his state of condemnation and spiritual death and depravity.

Men reveal their alienation from their God and Creator by "ignoring" him, by failing to give to him his due attention, in their failing to "consider" him, to ponder his greatness and glory, to "focus their eyes" on his mighty works, of the "operations" of his providence. They are quick and consistent in their "considering" the works of their own hands, or of others their fellow creatures, but they neglect giving consideration to God and his works. A great sin and one that reveals the inner averseness to God and a knowledge of him. Sinful man would much more prefer to consider or think upon himself than upon his God and Creator.

"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways." (Haggai 1: 2-7 KJV)

"Consider" this correctly! Do not err in your interpretation of events in your life! See them for what they truly are! This is the basic import of these words of warning from the Lord through his prophet. Why are you having your earnings lost to inflation and other causes? Why is it that your wages go into a proverbial "bag with holes"? Why are you not prospering in your labors and business? "Consider your ways" is the antidote. Have you put God's house first in your life, ahead of your own "house"?

"Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else." (Deuternonomy 4: 39 KJV)

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee." (Deuteronomy 8: 2-5 KJV)

"Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." (Deuteronomy 32: 7, 8 KJV)

"Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king." (I Samuel 12: 23-25 KJV)

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8: 3, 4 KJV)

"I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it." (Isaiah 41: 19, 20 KJV)

Remember and consider Lord God and his works! Consider your relationship to him! Consider how you live by his will, he being the Giver of your every breath! Consider how great he is and how little you are! Consider God's greatness, sovereignty, and his benevolence and goodness! Think deeply on these things! Do not simply give them a "passing" consideration, but a full and complete one!

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble." (Psalm 41: 1 KJV)

"The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it." (Proverbs 29: 7 KJV)

This is one of the ways men most commonly show themselves to be "inconsiderate," of their being "willingly ignorant" (II Peter 3: 5); they are not "thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others." They lack "thoughfulness" and "consideration" for others.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." (Proverbs 6: 6 KJV)

"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man." (Proverbs 24: 30-34 KJV)

"Consider the ant"! Consider the lazy man! Think deeply on what God intended that you learn by beholding these things! What does God show you by the behavior of ants? What does he call you to "consider" and "ponder" when he calls you to focus your thoughts upon the life of the slothful? Notice how Solomon speaks of "considering well." Do some not poorly consider things?

"The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness." (Proverbs 21: 12 KJV)

We might say that the "righteous" man considers well, or properly, when he considers the ant, the life of the lazy, or the life of the wicked, or of the irreligious man, or the man without God or without divine love in his heart.

"The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly." (Jeremiah 23: 20 KJV)

"The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he hath done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." (Jeremiah 30: 24 KJV)

Whether the "latter days" be understood as the latter days of one's individual life, or his old age, or of the latter days of Israel's national history, the point is nevertheless evident that there are levels or degrees of "considering" something. Some consider well, and some do not. Some consider "perfectly" or fully, with greater understanding and attention, while others only faintly or dimly consider things.

"And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face." (Hosea 7: 2 KJV)

By "heart" (Greek 'cardia') in scripture is meant the "inner place of thought or meditation." It does not directly connect with "emotion" but with "cognition." When the Lord indicts the people for their failure to "consider in their hearts" he is condemning them for failure to "set their minds upon" or to "focus their thoughts upon" the Lord and his word and works. Man's sin lies chiefly in his non-interest or aversion to the things of God, of heavenly knowledge, preferring carnal or sinful knowledge.

"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6: 27-29 KJV)

"Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?" (Luke 12: 34 KJV)

This is really a call to consider how unbelieving and distrusting men are of God. It is "natural" to distrust God, to disbelieve him and his word, to not "consider" his works of creation and providence. Faith is the product of being "considerate" of God, of bringing our minds daily to center upon him.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7: 3 KJV)

Men are quick to "consider" and focus their thoughts and attention upon the errors, faults, and sins of others, but are they as quick to judge and condemn themselves? Do they ponder their own sins?

"And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened." (Mark 6: 51, 52 KJV)

Failure to consider well the things of God is due to man's "hardness" or "blindness" of heart, because he has an "attraction" elsewhere, a place his mind, heart, and thoughts are "drawn" to other things, carnal and sinful things, rather than to God.

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Galatians 6: 1 KJV)

"Consider yourself"! Oh how men need to do this! Oh how they need inner insight and Spirit led "introspection" of their own selves! Oh how they need to consider the cause of their lack of spiritual consideration! "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." (I Corinthians 11: 31 KJV)

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." (Hebrews 10: 24 KJV)

"Be considerate of one another"! Do this as Christians and as real neighbors to others! Don't lack empathetic and sympathetic thought for the well being of others! Yes, consider yourself, but also consider God and be considerate of your neighbor.

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 3: 1 KJV)

"For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12: 3 KJV)

Above all things, "consider" diligently and fervently the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Emmanuel, or "God with us"! Consider his mission or coming into the world, his earthly career, his death for sin, and his resurrection to the right hand of God, and of his coming again. The apostle intimates that all who give such "consideration" to God and his word wil be preserved or kept from spiritual fatigue, or weariness and fainting in the Christian journey. Salvation is connected with a proper "consideration" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory." (Psalm 64: 9, 10 KJV)

"Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things." (II Timothy 2: 7 KJV)

Friend, as you "consider" all these things, I pray that the Lord who commands you to do so will be pleased to give you "understanding" so that your "considerations" will yield all the blessed things promised to those who "wisely consider."