1-- Should We Wish And Want

“Wish” and “Want” Bible Study (compiled and formatted by Bill Stevenson) Note:

The word “wish” is only found 6 times in the King James Version Bible. Ask who is wishing and why. Should you wish? If so, what for?

Job 33:6-7 After Elihu had declared his opinions about Job, he claimed: “6 “Behold, I am according to your wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay. 7 Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you.” Psalms 40:13-14 David sang: “13 “Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.” Psalms 73:5-9 Asaph sang: “5 “They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasses them about as a chain; violence covers them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the Earth.” Romans 9:1-4 The Apostle Paul wrote: “1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”

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2 Corinthians 13:7-9 The Apostle Paul wrote: “7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that you should do that which is honest though we be as reprobates. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad, when we are weak, and you are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.” 3 John 1-4 “1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, even as you walked in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth Note:

The word “want” is found 33 times in the King James Version Bible, but 27 of them are in the Old Testament. A Hebrew word sometimes translated into English as “want” means “lack”. Again for each Scripture passage, (1) ask who is wishing and why, (2) determine why I put it after the previous, and (3) figure out what you should want and not want.

Job 24:1 & 5-7 “1 Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do those who know Him not see His days? 5 Behold, as wild donkeys in the desert, they go forth to their work, searching for food: The wilderness yielded food for them and for their children. :6 They reap every one his corn in the field and they gather in the vintage of the wicked. 7 They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.” Job 30:3-4 Job said about young mockers against him: “3 They were thin and bony from want [lack] and famine, fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste, 4 who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.” Job 31:19-22 “19 If I have seen any perish for want [lack] of clothing or any poor without covering, 20 if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: 22 then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.”

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Deuteronomy 28:56-57 “56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter, 57 and toward her young one who cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children who she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straightness, wherewith your enemy shall distress you in your gates.” Proverbs 14:28 “In the multitude of people is the king's honor; but in the want [lack] of people is the destruction of the prince.” Proverbs 13:23-25 “23 Much food is in the tillage of the poor; but there is that is destroyed for want [lack] of judgment. 24 He who spares his rod hates his son; but he who loves him chastens him betimes. :25 The righteous eats to the satisfying of his soul; but the belly of the wicked shall want [lack].” Proverbs 22:16 “He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely come to want [lack].” Proverbs 6:6-11 “ 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 provides her meat in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. 9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep-11 so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler and your want [lack] as an armed man.” Proverbs 24:30-34 “30 I went by the field of the slothful and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 34 So shall your poverty come like a prowler and your want [lack] as an armed man.” Proverbs 21:5 “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.”

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Deuteronomy 28:47-48 Moses said the Israelites: “47 Because you served not The Lord your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies which The Lord shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and He shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until He have destroyed you.” Judges 18:9-10 The five spies to Laish reported to their brethren at Zorah and Eshtaol: “ 9 And they said, ‘Arise, that we may go up against them, for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good; and are you still? Be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land. 10 When you go, you shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God has given it into your hands; a place where there is no want [lack] of any thing that is in the earth.’ Judges 19:18-19 A certain Levite, with his father-in-law, said to an old man from Ephraim: ”18 ….We are passing from Bethlehemjudah toward the side of mount Ephraim, from where I am, and I went to Bethlehemjudah, but I am now going to the house of The Lord; and there is no man who received me to house. 19 Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for your handmaid, and for the young man who is with thy servants; there is no want of any thing.’” Jeremiah 35:13-14 & 18-19 “13 Thus says The Lord Of Hosts, The God Of Israel; ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to My words?” says The Lord. “14 ‘The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment. Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but you hearkened not unto Me.’ 19 Therefore thus says The Lord Of Hosts, The God Of Israel; ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want [lack] a man to stand before Me for ever.’” Lamentations 4:6-9 “6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.”

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Ezekiel 4:16-17 “16 Moreover He said unto me, ‘Son of man, behold, I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with anxiety; and they shall drink water by measure, and with dread, 17 that they may want [lack] bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and waste away for their iniquity.’” Amos 4:6-7 “6 ‘And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want [lack] of bread in all your places; yet have you not returned unto Me’, says The Lord. 7 And also I have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.’” Isaiah 34:16 After Isaiah has spoken about the “Fury Against the Nations”, he said this for God to the Israelites: “16 Search from the book of The Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want [lack] her mate. For my mouth it has commanded, and His Spirit it has gathered them. 17 And He has cast the lot for them, and His hand hath divided it unto them by line. They shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.” Jeremiah 33:14-18 “14 ‘Behold, the days come,’ says The Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. 15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause The Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, “The Lord our righteousness”’. 17 For thus says The Lord; ‘David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; 18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.’” Psalms 23:1-2 “1 The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want [lack]. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” Psalms 34:8-10 “ 8 O taste and see that The Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusts in Him. 9 O fear The Lord, you His saints, for there is no want to them that fear Him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they who seek The Lord shall not want any good thing.”

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Proverbs 10:18-21 “18 He who hides hatred with lying lips, and he who utters a slander, is a fool. 19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking; but he who refrains his lips is wise. 20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth. 21 The lips of the righteous feed many; but fools die for want [lack] of wisdom.” Mark 12:41-44 “41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. 42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And He called unto Him His Disciples, and said unto them, ‘Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” Luke 15:11-14 “11 And He said, ‘A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.” And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.” And the Apostle Paul stated the following: 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 “13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and you burdened: 14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 15 As it is written, ‘He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 & 11-12 “ 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 11 being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God.” Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

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