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Job 26:5
5 Dead [rapha'] things are formed [chuwl] from under the waters [mayim], and the inhabitants [shakan] thereof. KJV-Interlinear
5 'The departed spirits tremble Under the waters and their inhabitants. NASB
A couple of quick points here first. From time to time, I receive emails from folks with concerns. Usually they are new students. Most emails I receive are in fact very supportive. Generally, however, some express a concern regarding a term or phrase I have used in a study.
So, when one opinion is expressed, then others might also exist, but just not communicated.
Follow the study for its spiritual content, from the broad spectrum of the studies, and not from an occasional phrase that may be used. If you get offended from time to time, then that is a problem which you have to deal with. Persistence in your studies will help you overcome shallowness and build depth and toughness within your soul.
Rest assured that I will not turn this study into a political campaign. I will however mention from time to time a candidate or two, but not generally until we get a great deal closer to an election. But the nature of life and of this study cannot separate realities into simple little rooms where we can run to and be safe, pretending that the rest of the world does not exist.
Every prophet dealt with the leadership of his day. That is political. And politics by definition, deals with the beliefs, opinions and affairs of government and its citizens. This crosses all lines of society, including theology.
There are but two opinions that exist - Gods and everything else. Politics falls into the latter category. Only when people are influenced by the principles of scripture, can their opinions reflect truth. Scripture generally follows the conservative view, but that does not mean that the conservative view is scriptural. Far be it. Many conservatives are wicked to the max.
The political liberal view is by its very nature, anti-God, and therefore anti-truth. Anything that is anti-God, be it liberal or conservative, is by default deceitful and corrupt. And by corrupt, we come back to the scriptures for a definition, and corruption means that which is putrid, infested by maggots, a dead thing in its worst possible sense.
And that finally brings us to our study for today, which by the way has to do with departed spirits, or the land of the dead. Something which we have just been talking about.
The dead are folks who have been separated from life. Life and death are mutually exclusive. A person cannot exist within both worlds. Note this principle. A person who lives in this world will function within the land of the wicked, or the land of the spiritual.
No one can exist simultaneously in both. The pattern of life which you choose for yourself determines the realm (spiritual or carnal) in which you live.
Now when we get to Isaiah 14, we will study in depth the concept of Sheol and the land of the dead. But for now, we will review it briefly.
Job is speaking of those who were living, but now have departed to the depths of Sheol. The living were the wicked ones who have occupied the conversation for several chapters now.
Bildad had stated that God possesses dominion over the world and the armies of the heavens. And Job extends that dominion even down into the depths of the land of the dead.
The dead include anyone who live outside of life. In this world you may b physically alive, but spiritually dead. Unbelievers have no spiritual value whatsoever. Believers out of fellowship are physically alive, but their out of fellowship status places them in the carnal 'dead' state.
Physical death is our real world illustration of spiritual death for both unbelievers and out of fellowship believers. Physical death is however permanent. Spiritual death has a solution which can be overcome through faith or through confession, which ever applies.
All who live in the realm of the dead, tremble.
Under the waters, is a reference to the nations or to the human self-determination concept of history. The seas of the world illustrate the rebellion of humanity, against God and His divine plan.
The seas rise up in storms and then they run out of steam so to speak, and settle back into the place where God has placed them.
But waters here also refer to the urine of humanity. That is where the dead go to rest - under the urine of humanity.
Sheol is the land of the dead. It is sometimes referred to as Hades. But Hades is a broad reference to the underworld. Sheol is said to have many rooms, and always rooms available for new occupants.
The dead, 'rapha' also refers to the shadows or ghosts of the dead. Remember from many studies ago, that shadows amount to nothing. A shadow has no substance, no texture, no color, no aroma, nothing. A shadow is evidence of something real, but is not real in its self.
So now Job makes it really clear to us all, that the dead, who are separated from life, who are in themselves, nothing, who are the corrupt and putrid within their existence in death, even they exist in tremendous fear of God. They tremble as a leaf in a hurricane. If you have ever seen anyone who was really afraid, just trembling and shaking, not breathing well, absolutely terrified, then you can understand this concept.
God is life. God is truth. God is reality.
And in this world there exists many folks who disregard God, who make fun of God, who think very highly of themselves, who push and shove, and try as they may to carve out their own little empire in life. But what is their destiny? Something they know of very well, but ignore in this life. And then when they move on to the next life, their trembling will never cease. Such is the extent of Gods dominion.
Do not imagine yourself as being any better than anyone else. Do not be shallow or offended by mere words. God is the real source of real and genuine fear, if you choose to disregard truth. Job is blasting his three friends, and blasting them hard. And through his words, blasting us too, lest we get a little too uppity in our pinions.
And with this verse, Job is about to begin probably the greatest discourse in the entire Bible.
