This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:25-27
25 Who hath divided [palag] a watercourse [ta`alah] for the overflowing of waters [sheteph], or a way [derek] for the lightning [chaziyz] of thunder [qowl];
26 To cause it to rain [matar] on the earth ['erets], where no man ['iysh] is; on the wilderness [midbar], wherein there is no man ['adam];
27 To satisfy [saba`] the desolate [show'] and waste [mashow'ah] ground; and to cause the bud [mowtsa'] of the tender herb [deshe'] to spring forth [tsamach]? KJV-Interlinear
25 'Who has cleft a channel for the flood, Or a way for the thunderbolt; 26 To bring rain on a land without people, On a desert without a man in it, 27 To satisfy the waste and desolate land, And to make the seeds of grass to sprout? NASB
And as for the function of the weather, the rain, the lightning and so forth. Who is it that directs their path? Who decides the where and when's of their activity? How is the quantity and location of the rain decided?
Why doesn't water simply evaporate and then condense, and then fall all at once, and more or less immediately?
How is it that the rain is carried for miles, even thousands of miles, to the many regions of the planet before it falls back to the ground? Why does the rain sometimes fall in one place and not another? Why does the rain seem to fall onto pockets, or in limited areas?
Who establishes the path of the rain? Who establishes the path of the lightning?
Does the weather activity, among other things, follow some form of design, direction, or plan, from some other force? Perhaps even an intelligent force? Or does it all simply happen haphazardly or randomly?
Does the weather exist only where people live, or does it occur in places where people are not? When a tree falls in the woods, does it make any sound? Even when you are not there to hear it?
The whole point, of these questions, is that God controls every aspect of the weather. And in your life, God controls every aspect, except for your decisions, and even then, He saw your thoughts and decisions in eternity past, so He was able to make perfect provision for every aspect in your life. Provisions, which are compatible with your choices, your environment, with your circumstances, with your chosen pattern of lifestyle and so forth.
God not only makes provision for humanity as a whole, for you as an individual, but He also makes provision for everything in this universe, even where people do not exist. Whether the middle of the desert, or the forest, or the ocean, where no one lives or passes by, God is there maintaining all that is there.
There is no place where God does not control. There is no place where God does not exist.
Nothing is ever overlooked, nor is there anything for which provision was not made. Nothing will ever get too hot, or too cold. The planet will always be here and maintained, so long as man has a history on it. Once mans history is completed, then God (and man) will have no further use for this planet or this universe for that matter.
Jesus Christ controls history.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Job 38:25-27
Monday, May 12, 2008
Job 38:22-24
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:22-24
22 Hast thou entered [bow'] into the treasures ['owtsar] of the snow [sheleg]? or hast thou seen [ra'ah] the treasures ['owtsar] of the hail [barad],
23 Which I have reserved [chasak] against the time [`eth] of trouble [tsar], against the day [yowm] of battle [qarab] and war [milchamah]?
24 By what ['ay] way [derek] is the light ['owr] parted [chalaq], which scattereth [puwts] the east wind [qadiym] upon the earth ['erets]? KJV-Interlinear
22 'Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of distress, For the day of war and battle? 24 'Where is the way that the light is divided, Or the east wind scattered on the earth? NASB
As if you have not yet figured the weather out yet, here is but another in a list of examples by which God uses the weather, the sunlight, the various things in life, to control the progress and processes of history.
If you have any sort of education under your belt, or if you have ever watched the History Channel, then you have seen all of the many examples of bad weather, as well as many other circumstances, that have turned history on its ear.
The Norsemen discovered the upper North American coast, but the extreme cold, possibly brought on by volcanic activity in the 500's A.D. sent them back to Europe. That little ice age, caused masses of peoples to migrate throughout Europe.
Arid weather pushed peoples out of the Mesopotamian region to the four points of the compass.
A search for a short route to the Far East caused the later discovery of the New World.
Abundant furs caused a massive migration to the New World.
The discovery of gold caused massive migrations to the many regions where gold was discovered.
Wars were often times decided because of bad weather. World War II Germany fighting Russia would be a good example of extreme winter weather that halted a certain German victory.
Throughout time, weather, resources, social ills, diseases, and more, have served to direct the course of human history.
And here is Gods very own explanation of how something as simple as snow or hail, are in reality, used by Himself, to serve His historical will.
Probably the most common and known example of this concept, are the ten plagues which brought about the release of the Israelites from their slavery to Egypt and Pharaoh.
And as we have mentioned before, all of this global warming issue that is making its way around the news media, and seems to be selling almost everyone now, is really a hoax as far as to its cause.
However, that said, there is one truth to the global warming story. It is caused by humanity but not for the reasons stated in the news. Spiritual deficiency is the cause, not the use of fossil fuels. One volcano eruption can produce more atmospheric pollution than all of the human activity in all of history combined.
And even though we all know that, who will accept it?
And we get back to the question of these verses. Where does the snow start? Where does the hail start? And by that is meant, how are the volumes of snowfall and the locations of hail, determined?
And we add one more question to those above. Were does light get its start, but more important, how is light perpetuated?
We all know how a bicycle runs. We push the pedals with our feet and that turns a chain, which turns on gears which turns the wheels and so forth. We all know how the internal combustion engine works. The fuel is inserted into the valve, and ignited by a spark, which pushes the pistons, which turn the rods, which turn the flywheel, which turns the gears in the transmission, and so forth back to the wheels.
But light, how does it move. A flash or explosion causes the light. A battery causes the glowing of light, but what propels the light along at such a great speed. Light moves at well over 186,000 miles a second. We can't make a car go that fast, or even a rocket. So how can a little battery send light out of a flashlight at such a great speed?
We can come up with many scientific explanations as to how snow and hail form, and we can even come up with explanations regarding light, but how was the earth shrouded in darkness in Genesis 1, and then suddenly bathed in light. Was the sun out, and then God lit it with a huge match? Was there a cloud of dust floating through space, blocking the sunlight?
How is it that the oil reserves, the gold deposits, the location of the continents even their number (7), the timing of weather patterns throughout history, came to be when and where they are?
We recently studied the Tribulation in our study of Revelation. It is at that future time in history, that the most extreme weather will occur. Why then? Why not before?
Why will all of the earths severe weather suddenly come to a halt at the Second Advent, and perfect weather will continue for a thousand years from that moment on?
In the universities around the world, history professors continue to search for the answer to the interpretation of history. And that interpretation has been right before us all for as long as man has existed on this planet.
Jesus Christ is the only interpretation of history. As goes mans attitude toward Christ, so goes history.
A positive attitude produces blessing and prosperity. A negative attitude produces distress and disaster.
The existence of snow and hail are not controlled by natural phenomena alone, but by the will of God, and they are used at His pleasure for determining the direction of history.
Today, China is getting hammered by earthquakes. The other day it was Burma that was hammered by a massive storm. We experience storms and disasters every year, somewhere in each of our respective countries.
One would think that people would get wise to all of this repetition, but then people do not accept that it is God who is behind all of this activity. People ignore God, as a general rule, anyway. And so the repetition continues.
And finally the wind. We cannot see it, so we cannot determine its source or its destination. No one can follow any component of air throughout the world, and yet air is the most common denominator for all of our lives.
We can only begin to predict weather as we see it developing. Through radar and satellites we can see and measure the high and low pressure areas and cloud patterns, but only after they begin forming. Prior to their formation, we are clueless. Otherwise we could accurately predict the weather for weeks, months, or years into the future. But a few days is the best we can do and even that is a tough call.
Hummm, how then can we predict global changes decades in advance, when we cannot even predict the current weather accurately? Do you know what will occur in this next hurricane season?
All of life is a classroom. We can either learn from it, or fail.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Job 38:19-21
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:19-21
19 Where is the way [derek] where light ['owr] dwelleth [shakan]? and as for darkness [choshek], where is the place [maqowm] thereof,
20 That thou shouldest take [laqach] it to the bound [gabuwl] thereof, and that thou shouldest know [biyn] the paths [nathiyb] to the house [bayith] thereof?
21 Knowest [yada`] thou it, because thou wast then born [yalad]? or because the number [micpar] of thy days [yowm] is great [rab]? KJV-Interlinear
19 'Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place, 20 That you may take it to its territory, And that you may discern the paths to its home? 21 'You know, for you were born then, And the number of your days is great! NASB
God inserts a little irony into His comments. Since Job is so old, for Job must have been over a hundred years old by now, then he must know all there is to know about anything and everything. Of course we do not know Jobs exact age at this point in time. That information is never revealed.
But since Job is so old (here is the irony), he must be as old as God, and therefore most certainly knows the answers to anything and everything.
In our day, we can say that mankind has been around nearly as long as God has lived. Our history since Adam has been approximately 6000 years and counting. So, given that amount of time on the planet, man most certainly has come up with all of the answers to everything. Right? And of course this is a little jab at mans lack of history when compared to eternity.
I will tentatively suggest that the celebrations following this Novembers elections, may very well turn to tears of sorrow not too long thereafter, and for only one reason. Not because of the people who are going to be elected, but because the nation and the world seems to be slipping deeper and deeper into a spiritually negative pit.
God asks the obvious question again. Where does light come from? Where does it go at dusk?
Can you go to light or to the darkness and escort it to its various destinations? Can you preserve light? Can you support its existence and perpetuate it along its way?
And in other words, light represents truth. Darkness represents the absence of truth. Can man monitor truth? Can man find the source of truth? Can man escort truth on its way through life?
And of course man has had many thousands of years to demonstrate his abilities in promoting truth, and what have we to show for it all? Well, we have many empires that have come and gone. We have had many nations that have come and gone. We have had many peoples that have run off to uncharted territories in order to escape persecution. We have had many fall into the classes of the unemployed, the sick and the feeble, the persecuted, and the unfairly treated, the cheated, and this list goes on and on.
Never before in history have there been so many opinions and views and philosophies and differences, than we have today. And we know the answers?
Well, the obvious answer to Gods question is, 'No, humanity does not have the answers.'
We have never had the answers, and we never will. That is, we will never have the answers to life, apart from access to God.
The youth of today say what the youth have said in every decade before them. 'It is the 21st century.' 'It is 2008.' As though these latter dates in history carry some meaning of superiority to former generations.
And guess what, the generation of the Rapture will be the absolute last generation in our dispensation, the one immediately prior to the Tribulation, and the seven years of the Tribulation will be the worst of the worst in all of human history, even though it will have the greatest of all of the technologies ever.
So the calendar of human history has absolutely nothing to do with wisdom. In fact, the more knowledge we accumulate, the further we seem to get from truth.
Where does the light come from? From the flow of electrons, from the sun, and is that as far as mans search goes? Is there nothing more?
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Job 38:16-18
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:16-18
16 Hast thou entered [bow'] into the springs [nebek] of the sea [yam]? or hast thou walked [halak] in the search [cheqer] of the depth [tahowm]?
17 Have the gates [sha`ar] of death [maveth] been opened [galah] unto thee? or hast thou seen [ra'ah] the doors [sha`ar] of the shadow of death [tsalmaveth]?
18 Hast thou perceived [biyn] the breadth [rachab] of the earth ['erets]? declare [nagad] if thou knowest [yada`] it all. KJV-Interlinear
16 'Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep? 17 'Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18 'Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. NASB
And so what else is so common to mankind that we should know its beginnings and its ends, its lengths and its breadth?
Here God gives us two simple examples. The seas and the secrets that they hold, and death and the secrets it holds.
Both are right there, close at hand, but neither can be searched out to discover all of their secrets.
Certainly in Job's day, the ocean floor was beyond discovery. And even in our current day, we are now only beginning to discover the vast underwater currents that stream the worlds waters around the globe. We are only now beginning to discover the fountains that spray huge volumes of highly heated water into the ocean depths. Only now are we beginning to discover the vast quantities of life that exist on the ocean floor, even in the deepest of places in the ocean.
But beyond the ocean floor what is there? That question remains unanswered. We can only drill core samples and guess as to the contents of the earths center.
And as for death, Sheol and Hades, what is it we know of them?
Throughout the centuries, man has held hands with man as the latter slips away into death. We see nothing enter when life begins and we see nothing leave when life ends. Can't we catch life in a jar and save it for future use?
But when life leaves the body, it does not return. Angels are at their assigned stations, next to the dying person, there to escort him or her to their next destination. For believers in our current day, the next stop is before the Lord. For unbelievers, the next stop is Torments, one of the four compartments that resides beneath the earth in the underworld we commonly call Hades.
But how many of us have gone there for a visit? How many of us even know where to look? And how many have returned? And the answer to all is, none. If that is your destination, then a temporary stop over is not on your travel agenda.
Though we have discovered a great deal in technology, in science, and such, man has discovered nothing regarding death. We cannot see angels, we cannot see human life. There are many questions of which God knows the answers, but man will never discover in this life.
To man, these questions are complete darkness. To God, the answers are as clear as being seen in the high noonday sun.
Politicians, celebrities, and even poverty-stricken folks may believe that they have the answers, but they do not.
All we have is what God gave us. We live our life in responsibility, while we study the Bible daily. Our Bible study, if nothing else, keeps our eyes open to the distractions of the world. We may not be able to save the world or even change it, but that is of no matter. We are still obligated to be responsible in life while at the same time growing up in His wisdom.
The pattern of world history has already been established, but your personal pattern of life is established by your attitude toward God. Regardless of what path this world takes, God is able to place you on the right path for your life and success in accordance with His will.
Will your life be trouble free, in this life? No. You are going to be troubled with high gas prices, high food prices, subject to unemployment or business downturns. But no matter what this world throws at you, God will have an alternative course for you to follow. It may be difficult from your viewpoint, from time to time, but this is your 'Job' test for life.
Never flinch, and never give up, even to the point of your own death. God has your life in His hands always, and He will never lose you. You are being watched by the angels of heaven, and they celebrate when you successfully pass any given hardship. Why, because you have had the ability to succeed? No. Because you have relied on your faith and you have pursued every obvious avenue that God has placed before you.
Even in not knowing what you should do from one day to the next. Even when you are smothered by the anxieties of life. But you keep on in your spiritual life. And one day passes by, as does one month, and a year and then another. And here you still are, when you should have evaporated from this world long ago. How can that be?
There are many questions for which we will never know the answers. But no matter. Our Bible study is all that we need to succeed, because it reveals our path, our obligations, and our responsibilities.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Job 38:12-15
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:12-15
12 Hast thou commanded [tsavah] the morning [boqer] since thy days [yowm]; and caused the dayspring [shachar] to know [yada`] his place [maqowm];
13 That it might take hold ['achaz] of the ends [kanaph] of the earth ['erets], that the wicked [rasha`] might be shaken out [na`ar] of it?
14 It is turned [haphak] as clay [chomer] to the seal [chowtham]; and they stand [yatsab] as a garment [labuwsh].
15 And from the wicked [rasha`] their light ['owr] is withholden [mana`], and the high [ruwm] arm [zarowa`] shall be broken [shabar]. KJV-Interlinear
12 'Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place; 13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? 14 'It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment. 15 'And from the wicked their light is withheld, And the uplifted arm is broken. NASB
Light is the residence of truth. Darkness is the residence of lies.
Have you ever taken a walk, out in the night, with no light, and tried to distinguish the things around you? You cannot see their color, their outline, their shape, their texture and so forth. Darkness obscures everything.
But when the light rises with the morning sun, then all that is beautiful and wonderful, and even the lies of the world, are revealed. Light reveals the true nature of everything.
The wicked walk in darkness. They walk or operate within their lives, in the darkness or the lies they have adopted for themselves. And so long as there are those who can be fooled, then the darkness rules in society.
This God allows. God allows the darkness and He allows the light. God gives everyone their own choice after seeing both sides of life. And consequently, God enforces the repercussions of each persons choice.
Now, has anyone ever commanded the sun to rise? Has anyone, any human that is, caused he sun to ride across the sky and set at its predefined time and place? The sun rises in the morning at different times in the different seasons, and likewise it sets at different times and positions in the sky as the seasons pass.
Has man ever had a hand in this definition?
And of course we have never had any say in the course of the sun or planets or stars, or anything in creation for that matter. These things are far beyond our limitations. Just another of mans limitations beyond which he will never be able to go.
The sunrise and the sunset are common to all of humanity, and yet man has no say in their actions.
The sunrise spreads its light over all that was dark before. Thus darkness is halted and its true nature revealed, along with everything else that is good and beautiful. Everything in life serves as a parable, an example, an illustration of some principle of the spiritual life. It is for man to recognize these truths, as well as recognize his limitations, and ultimately recognize his need for God in his life.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Job 38:8-11
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:8-11
8 Or who shut up [cakak] the sea [yam] with doors [deleth], when it brake forth [giyach], as if it had issued out [yatsa'] of the womb [rechem]?
9 When I made [suwm] the cloud [`anan] the garment [labuwsh] thereof, and thick darkness [`araphel] a swaddlingband [chathullah] for it,
10 And brake up [shabar] for it my decreed [choq] place, and set [suwm] bars [bariyach] and doors [deleth],
11 And said ['amar], Hitherto [`ad] [poh] shalt thou come [bow'], but no further [yacaph]: and here shall thy proud [ga'own] waves [gal] be stayed [shiyth]? KJV-Interlinear
8 'Or who enclosed the sea with doors, When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; 9 When I made a cloud its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 And I placed boundaries on it, And I set a bolt and doors, 11 And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop'? NASB
In the original creation, the universe came into existence in an instant. Then came the destruction of the earth, at some point after the fall of Lucifer (Satan). And at that time and earth (planet earth) was said to be 'null and void.' It was a dark and lifeless planet.
Then came the six-day restoration period of the earth. On the second and third day, the waters were separated from the atmosphere and assigned into their places in the oceans respectively.
So, God goes from the initial creation, to the restoration period, and in either case, man was not present to witness it, and certainly not there to advise on Gods plan or progress.
In some sort of great tumultuous event, the waters of liquid and the waters of earths atmosphere were separated. The air that we now call our sky or atmosphere, became the thick blanket or cloud like cover, which seals in the waters onto the planet. Like a newborn baby that is wrapped up in its blanket, so the earth was wrapped up in the atmosphere.
God raised up barriers some of which we can identify as the continents, because they are obvious, but God also created the weather systems, the under sea conveyors, gravity, the poles and so forth, and probably many more controls of which we have yet to discover. These things, the obvious and the not so obvious, bring controls and regulation on the atmosphere and the seas of the earth.
Again, all of these things came by means of a predefined design and plan. Nothing happened out of chance or accident. Nothing in life occurs by chance or accident.
But similarly, the seas and their tumultuous nature, is also used as an illustration of human history. Man tries as he may, to define his own destiny, apart from that which God has decreed. But like the seas and the planet in general, man has limitations placed on him too.
We may learn a great deal about our physical universe, but we have our limitations beyond which we will ever be able to go. The first limit is our life span. Man will never discover eternal life on his own. The second limitation is our sin nature. Man will never be able to discard it from his makeup. The third limitation, is more undefined, but it would appear that man will not be able to move permanently from this planet to set up residence somewhere else in he universe.
Much as we will try to express mans imagination in the movies and such, the problems that present themselves will be insurmountable thus preventing mass emigrations off of our planet. Certainly we will go to the moon and probably to a planet or two, but living there in large populations, I personally don't think will ever happen.
To accomplish that, man would need several more centuries of history and I do not believe that we will have that time.
Do not forget the principles of dispensations and mans inherent nature toward sin and self-destruction. Not to mention that there seem to be many indicators of huge problems for humanity in the next few decades. With oil shortages, and population increases, more intense earthquake activity, and such things, all seem to b pointing to bigger problems in our near future.
The most disturbing feature of our contemporary life is not in earthly activities, but in human failure in spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Never before in history have people become so apathetic, so distracted by technology, so superficial in their evaluations of life (the current political election is the best example of this). With mans spiritual state spiraling downward, that means that mans trouble will be on the rise.
No one can know the exact future. We can only attempt to read the characteristics of our contemporary life, and then guess.
But God has a plan. He had a specific plan for creation, for restoration, for dispensations, and for each of our individual lives. Nothing happens by accident.
We were not there prior to the creation of human beings, and most of us do not seem to be here even now, when we are here!!! Don't pull a brain muscle while pondering that one.
God controls the oceans and history. We control neither.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Job 38:4-7
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:4-7
4 Where ['eyphoh] wast thou when I laid the foundations [yacad] of the earth ['erets]? declare [nagad], if thou hast [yada`] understanding [biynah].
5 Who hath laid [suwm] the measures [memad] thereof, if thou knowest [yada`]? or who hath stretched [natah] the line [qav] upon it?
6 Whereupon are the foundations ['eden] thereof fastened [taba`]? or who laid [yarah] the corner [pinnah] stone ['eben] thereof;
7 When the morning [boqer] stars [kowkab] sang [ranan] together [yachad], and all the sons [ben] of God ['elohiym] shouted [ruwa`] for joy? KJV-Interlinear
4 'Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? 6 'On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, 7 When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? NASB
Several things here need to be defined. First, the 'morning stars' is a reference to the angels. And second, the foundation of the earth, is not simply the creation and construction of our planet earth, but of the universe.
In Genesis, we know that God created the heavens and the earth, or in other words, the universe. Here we are told that the angels sang together at its creation. Thus the angels were in existence when the universe was created.
This gives us a timeline for creation. God existed, and there was never a time when He did not exist. Then the angels were created and they existed with total happiness for some undefined timeframe.
Then, the universe was created and the angels were still in a state of happiness and bliss.
But we also know from Genesis that the earth became null and void. Something destroyed the earth. And when the earth was restored in the six-day restoration process, Satan already existed in his fallen state.
Therefore, after the universe was created, Satan fell. And after Satan fell, the earth was destroyed. That destruction was Satan's fault. Both Job 20:27 and Rom. 8:20, 22, teach us that it was Satan who brought about the distresses that this universe now suffers.
The word for foundation is a reference to the actual material used in creating a foundation. The words for 'bases sunk' means more than the footings and walls of a building, it is a reference to the fundamental principles of design and construction.
The setting of the measurements is a reference to an architects drawn plans. The stretching of a line is a reference to the carpenters actual construction in accordance with those plans.
Now, Job did not know of the suspension of the planet in space, nor of its orbit around the sun, nor of the principles of physics that rules over gravity, and such.
And even though we, today, are aware of these facts, remember that Gods truth is vast. Even our current knowledge of science and planetary relationships, of the atomic nature of creation, and so forth, there is far more too Gods design than man has yet to discover.
The plan and construction comments point to a design, an intelligent design. The universe did not accidentally happen, nor did it come into existence by means of the chaotic blast of material. In Genesis, we have already learned that the universe came into existence out of nothing, but was formed by means of a preexisting design.
There was order and planning poured into the creation that currently surrounds us all.
And, by the way, we also know that the angels were duly impressed at the creation of the universe. Something that even they did not remember when Lucifer (Satan) rebelled.
Being impressed by seemingly miraculous events is still not sufficient to keep creatures from sin. It did not work for the angels, and it does not work for humanity.
The more phenomenal and manifestation of God and His essence, the more phenomenal the stupidity of those who disregard it.
And one more thing here. When Adam was created, he was created as an adult. When he was but moments old, his age was that of an adult. Likewise, when the universe was but moments old, its age was most probably the same as though it were here for billions of years. If God can create a thirty-year-old man in an instant, then He can create a billion year old rock in an instant.
So the timeline is:
God who is infinite;
Angels created;
Universe created;
Perhaps plant/animal life on planet earth created, assuming a similar sequence of the six-day restoration;
Satan's rebellion;
Distress of the universe and the destruction of planet earth with its dinosaur life, etc.;
Satan's and fallen angels judgment;
Restoration of planet earth in six days;
Creation of man on the sixth day;
Human history until our current time (approximately 6000 years to date), as divided into dispensations;
The remainder of history will see the completion of human dispensations (Church Age, Tribulation, Millennium);
Destruction of the universe;
The recreation of a new universe and heaven combined;
The eternal state.
And so even though we still have 1007 years of history remaining in future dispensations (Tribulation -7, Millennium - 1000), plus the remainder of our current Church Age dispensation (timeframe unknown with the Rapture always imminent), can anyone list out, explain, give testimony as to any or all of Gods total plan of creation or history, from the timelines to the sub-atomic principles of all of existence?
And of course none of us can do that. None of us has complete and unconditional control over our own life let alone anything else. And yet arrogance seems to direct our thinking toward that ultimate condition of knowing it all.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Job 38:3
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 38:3
3 Gird up ['azar] now thy loins [chalats] like a man [geber]; for I will demand [sha'al] of thee, and answer [yada`] thou me. KJV-Interlinear
3 'Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you instruct Me! NASB
Inevitably, in everyone's life, come questions. And inevitably everyone looks heavenward and asks why, or why not, among a variety of other comments.
And here is Gods answer to you.
So gird yourself up, or in other words, build up your strength and wit, prepare yourself, get ready, for here come the questions, and simple ones at that, such that if you can answer them, then you should be able to answer just about any question that has ever been asked by anyone in all of human history.
And of course arrogance is the single biggest barrier and flaw of mankind, and that includes you and me. Whereby, we get all uppity in our life and begin to ask the how's and why's of life especially when things don't go the way we want or expect them to.
And then it will be your turn to answer all of the easy questions, first, before the hard questions of life are put to you. And of course anyone who has a brain can answer Gods simplest of questions, right??
That is exactly what God does. He begins with the simple questions, just to show that mankind cannot even answer them, let alone anything of greater substance in life.
If you can provide the number of heartbeats that will occur in your life, the number of hairs on your body throughout your life, then you would have a great start at answering the more complex questions of life.
For example, what will everyone in the world, do tomorrow? What will they think? What will they plot and plan? Who will have children and who will not? What circumstances will influence the children of several generations in the future? How many generations of humanity remain to come in our future?
You see, we cannot even predict the roll of the dice let alone the state of our economy over the next few days or years. Certainly we cannot fix problems with any degree of permanency.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Job 38:2
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 38:2
2 Who is this that darkeneth [chashak] counsel [`etsah] by words [millah] without knowledge [da`ath]? KJV-Interlinear
2 'Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? NASB
Truth is as broad and deep as the imagination can comprehend, and truth goes even beyond mans imagination.
The knowledge of God is vast, more vast than even our universe.
In Jobs day, knowledge was certainly limited, at least in the scientific field. But even today, we may be able to come up with scientific explanations of things, but we cannot come up with solutions as to their how's and why's.
For example, we may understand something about gravity, but we cannot duplicate it, cancel it out, or even explain it. Even recent theories concerning gravity, mathematically prove that it should be so great that nothing in this universe should be able to move about, and yet we can move about. If it is so great, then where is the greatest portion bleeding off too? And that gave rise to the many theories of more dimensions yet to be discovered. And so science forges ahead into the unknown. An unknown that should boggle the mind.
Job has already been described as the most righteous in the land in his day.
God here, addresses Job alone. Not the three friends, and not Elihu. They all had many good things to say, even many accurate truths, truths which taught us all a great deal of doctrine, but none here addressed Jobs problem.
But in their attempts to teach Job, they only served to cloud the issue with irrelevant information.
And so when God says, 'darkens counsel,' He means, 'Who is it that is expressing insufficient information?'
Certainly the three friends were off base. Even Elihu was not on target with respect to the issue at hand - ie. Jobs specific situation. And Job himself was searching for answers. So all fell short of explaining Gods actions.
We can safely assume that Job knew more doctrine than any of us, and if that is true, if Job who knew a great deal of truth, was searching for answers, then how can we, who know less, come up with answers to Gods will and ways?
And the answer to that is simple. We come up with answers by means of Gods Word. God alone teaches us.
We cannot discover the truths of life through philosophy, through science, through reason, through logic, through experiences, through emotion, through sincerity and so forth. There is no source of truth, except from God. He is truth. He is the source of truth. He upholds truth.
Anything that compromises truth, modifies truth, tries to alter truth, ignores truth, is false. On his own, man will never discover truth. Even through God, man has severe limitations toward learning truth. And even though technology has jumped forward light-years, in recent decades, all that we know does not even scratch the surface of Gods vast knowledge.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Job 38:1
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 38:1
1 Then the LORD [Yahovah] answered [`anah] Job ['Iyowb] out of the whirlwind [ca`ar], and said ['amar], KJV-Interlinear
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, NASB
While these men, and presumably others who were present, sat there in silence, all having fully expended their opinions, then a whirlwind, a tempest, started up, taking them all completely by surprise and certainly got their attention.
The storm, which arose, was not a destructive storm, but was a well-controlled storm, from which no one ran for cover.
They must have all sat there in awe and dumbfounded, even astonished, at its presence.
This storm was a unique storm in that its thunder and lightning or sounds that are typical to storms, did not occur. But out of the storm came the perfectly audible voice of God.
Now, throughout history, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit do not speak to man. The voice of God comes only from the second person of the Trinity, God the Son. It was He, the Son, who walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve. It was He who spoke to Noah. It was He who spoke out from the burning bush, and so forth. Jesus Christ is the only person through whom we may have contact with the Trinity. And it is this principle which separates Christianity from all other beliefs, religions, cults, philosophies and so forth.
God spoke to Job directly. It is Job that God has already given testimony as to his, Job's, righteous nature relative to everyone else who was present. No direct communication is given to anyone else. And thus, it is the voice, of God, which receives everyone's attention, and Job who is the target of Gods comments.
The whirlwind captures everyone's eyes and directs their attention to the voice.
Often times in life we need a whirlwind swirling right in front of our eyes, before we open up our eyes and begin paying attention to the real realities of life, rather than to the distractions of our daily lifestyle and pattern of life which we have chosen for ourselves, and in which we have become comfortable, and, as it were, fallen asleep in our spiritual life.


