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Job 36:13-14
13 But the hypocrites [chaneph] in heart [leb] heap up [suwm] wrath ['aph]: they cry [shava`] not when he bindeth ['acar] them.
14 They [nephesh] die [muwth] in youth [no`ar], and their life [chay] is among the unclean [qadesh]. KJV-Interlinear
13 'But the godless in heart lay up anger; They do not cry for help when He binds them. 14 'They die in youth, And their life perishes among the cult prostitutes. NASB
Elihu has now outlined three classes of people. Those who slip into sin, but repent when God imposes disciplinary measures against them. They return to Gods methods of living and thereby benefit from the blessings which accrue to truth.
Then there are those who slip into sin and remain there. They might call upon God for the moment, but they immediately return to their sinful ways when pressure is removed from their life. They would not be benefited by the imposition of corrective measures in their life, and thus they are sooner or later cut off from life at Gods discretion.
And then there is a third class of people who slip into sin and remain there in stubbornness. They do not call upon God, but would rather complain, and complain with greater degrees of rage against anyone and everyone. They will not be benefited by discipline either. And they only heap up more and more anger and rage into their lives.
The first group is where anyone who is positive toward God, will find themselves from time to time in their life. This is a natural place to be, and the best place to be for sinful man. There is always a way out when one confesses and repents their ways with a genuine attitude for attaining change in their life.
The second group is made up of hypocrites. They call upon God only to gain immediate relief. They care nothing for God or their spiritual life, but they know enough to know that they can get out of trouble in life when they call on God from time to time, or when it is convenient for them.
Their intentions toward God are insincere. They are dishonest and call only out of necessity. God is a genie in a sense, and means nothing more to them.
The last group is the worst of the groups. They care nothing for God, the one true God. They may place their trust in false gods, or in the workings of this world. They expect that they are owed everything and need not repay even courtesy for courtesy. They are the selfish of the selfish.
Their lives heap up frustration after frustration. And this is true even if they have some semblance of success in life. Things do not satisfy them. There will never be enough. The content of their soul lacks capacity for life and the lack of capacity means a lack of the resources that support contentment.
The very wealthy can fall into this trap just as can the very poor. Continued rejection of truth leaves an accumulation of emotional and mental stresses that become too great to handle after a certain period of time.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Job 36:13-14
Monday, March 31, 2008
Job 36:11-12
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Job 36:11-12
11 If they obey [shama`] and serve [`abad] him, they shall spend [kalah] their days [yowm] in prosperity [towb], and their years [shaneh (in pl. only),] in pleasures [na`iym].
12 But if they obey [shama`] not, they shall perish [`abar] by the sword [shelach], and they shall die [gava`] without knowledge [da`ath]. KJV-Interlinear
11 'If they hear and serve Him, They shall end their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. 12 'But if they do not hear, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. NASB
Now we have to understand that there are only two opinions in this universe - Gods and everything else. Gods opinion is truth. Everything else is a distortion of truth.
Gods opinion is not restricted to the content of the Bible, God created all that there is, and in this creation, God utilized many truths such as mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, economics and so forth in accomplishing creation and its maintenance. Not to mention the usual truths of life such as birth, death, salvation, the spiritual life and so forth.
Of these things, Elihu has mentioned many, and man has discovered many. The big problem usually comes in mans interpretation and application of truths. From the objective view to the very bizarre, all sorts of ideas spring up in mans head. And there is certainly no shortage of misinterpretation and misapplication of truths in life.
But there is only one fundamental source of truth and that is God. There is only one communicator of truth and that is God (the Holy Spirit). There is only one who executes truth and that is God (Jesus Christ).
So, no matter what I say in these studies, no matter whether you agree with anything I write in these studies, your source of truth is God, not me, not the world, not anyone in life.
God gave you common sense. God gave you intelligence and objectivity. God gave you, all that you need in order to see and understand truth.
But the world is there readily waiting to distract you with bias, personal preference, convenience, doubt, suspicion, impatience, indifference, massive media propaganda schemes and more.
It is for you to decide first of all, whether you really want to know and understand truth, or whether you prefer the comfort of your own beliefs.
And so God gives you Bible doctrine. God makes it readily available in its many forms, such that you have no excuse, or no basis for saying that you had no access to truth. It is all around you.
Bible doctrine is the window or doorway through which you may gain access to truth and the discernment of truth from out of all of the masses of propaganda that exists in this world.
Positive volition toward learning truth gets you in, and negative volition keeps you out.
Obedience to Gods commands gains you understanding and wisdom, and more. Disobedience gains you nothing.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Job 36:10
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Job 36:10
10 He openeth [galah] also their ear ['ozen] to discipline [muwcar], and commandeth ['amar] that they return [shuwb] from iniquity ['aven]. KJV-Interlinear
10 'And He opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they return from evil. NASB
And God opens up their ear to instruction.
This should be very clear for everyone who has the breath of life in themselves. All that you do in life points to either truth, or deceptions from truth.
It is your responsibility to give God a hearing, to listen to the world, to the Word of God, to everything you think, say and do in life and sort it all out.
You examine all of the religions out there, all of the philosophies out there, all of the political schemes, marketing schemes, social schemes, educational schemes and so forth.
You learn from life, on the job so to speak, and you either figure it all out or you don't.
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But God can never be faulted for your failures, because God always provides instruction. Instruction, which is clear and easy to comprehend. You, if you listen, will have the resources to discern between the truth of life and the deceptions.
But then, if you do not listen to God directly (through the scriptures), then you have the common sense instructions of life and those also came from God through the divine establishment principles which were designed for the entire human race.
Establishment principles include - volition, marriage, family, authority, free enterprise, nationalism, patriotism, due process, charity, standing up for what is right, and many more.
Each and all of these truths are countered in life by Satan's evil principles - slavery or tyranny, homosexuality or shacking up, communes, disrespect for authority or arrogance, the many forms of business regulation or socialism, internationalism, disloyalty or infidelity or betrayal or fickleness, vigilantism, greed, cowardice and on and on.
All of these things have their natural power of clarity. People know the difference between right and wrong.
Which path they choose depends on their motives, conveniences, prejudices, and general attitude as to what they will accept for themselves.
No one, repeat, no one can go to the end of their life and say that they did not know.
Whether it is the child, the wife, the husband, or the nation, it makes no difference. All have their God assigned obligations, and God makes everything clear to everyone. You have no excuse.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Job 36:8-9
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Job 36:8-9
8 And if they be bound ['acar] in fetters [ziyqah ], and be holden [lakad] in cords [chebel] of affliction [`oniy];
9 Then he sheweth [nagad] them their work [po`al], and their transgressions [pesha`] that they have exceeded [gabar]. KJV-Interlinear
8 'And if they are bound in fetters, And are caught in the cords of affliction, 9 Then He declares to them their work And their transgressions, that they have magnified themselves. NASB
At any given point in time, we can all find ourselves in a heap of trouble. Our trouble could be social, financial, medical, emotional, even criminal. But any given bit of trouble does not mean that God has or will consider the less of us.
Here Elihu emphasizes the direness of life.
In every case of the human condition, God makes clear our situation with regard to His policies for humanity and for you personally.
Your situation does not mean that you have failed and are being punished as a result. This is the devils world and trouble is a natural part of that world. This is a temporal world and there are natural laws that control it.
There is nowhere that you can go to escape it completely.
You can get caught up in a storm, an accident, defects of birth. You can get caught up in the social scene and ostracized. You can get caught up in the flaws of your own thoughts.
All of the trouble that you will face in this world comes from four general sources - from your thoughts, from other people, from bureaucracies or the many systems in the world, and from disasters of a physical or natural kind.
The natural laws of life - from birth to death will catch you sooner or later. The devils world of evil is geared to destroy anything which pursues truth, prosperity, happiness, success, security, authority, principles of estrablishment and so forth.
God always makes life clear. Most people unfortunately do not listen to life. The folks in the news the other day, who prayed for a cure for their child (who died), did not listen to truth (medical help was readily available). God has provided many hospitals, doctors, medicines, medical procedures, etc. for us to use in our contemporary day.
God has never taught 'wishing' for things when He has already made provision. Go to school, get a job, make an effort, do something with the things you have. Don't sit back and do nothing, ignoring all that you have, wishing for yet another miracle that will never come.
Don't magnify your distaste for truth, don't magnify your disregard for truth. That is simply stubbornness from arrogance and that leads only to disappointment and disaster or loss.
For every situation, God always provides a way out. You just have to be willing to look (responsibly) for it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Job 36:7
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Job 36:7
7 He withdraweth [gara`] not his eyes [`ayin] from the righteous [tsaddiyq]: but with kings [melek] are they on the throne [kicce']; yea, he doth establish [yashab] them for ever [netsach], and they are exalted [gabahh]. KJV-Interlinear
7 'He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous; But with kings on the throne He has seated them forever, and they are exalted. NASB
Here is our royalty status, our eternal security with God in heaven forever.
God constantly watches over those who belong to Him. All believers, all who have believed in Christ (our present day), who have believed in the Savior (back in the Old Testament days), all are believers in the one and only Son of God, the redeemer, the advocate, the savior.
And to them (you and me) belongs the inheritance of all of heaven and beyond.
God shows favor to all who have believed in Him (Christ). And since God is deity, God is royalty, God is the supreme power and sovereign of this universe and beyond, then we being in His favor will live as kings, as royalty. And we will live forever in heaven with God.
This is His sovereign promise, and God is the only one who can keep His promises.
Psa. 34:15.
'The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous.'
Rev. 3:21.
'To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne,'.
Rev 1:5-6.
'Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory,'
The fundamental promises that we have grown up with in our New Testament, Job and all of the Patriarchs knew very well even back in ancient times.
No royalty in human history have sat on their thrones forever. All have come and gone and most are now dead. But this is not a reference to temporal kings, but spiritual kings, royalty which God has made both you and I, simply because we have believed in His divine plan, His Son, His salvation.
None of us were born into royalty. None of us won royalty on the battlefield. None of us have seized power through cunning or deceit or marriage. These are all flawed and false appointments to royalty, pursued by ego and power driven people, or simply the luck of a birth.
But Gods appointments are just, and right, and fair, and permanent. No one is promoted unless God promotes them, and when God promotes, that promotion is permanent.
Salvation is permanent, being born and being born again is permanent, and so our royal status is permanent.
The spiritual life is an exclusive club whose membership has only one thing in common - faith in Christ. The spiritual life is proprietary to believers only, and any one who has not believed in Christ, will never have access to or benefit from the spiritual life.
Likewise, the benefits of spiritual growth accrue to advancing believers only. Immature believers will never have the blessings that mature believers receive, just as an immature child cannot possess the blessings of maturity. One has to become mature in order to experience the blessings and realities of maturity.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Job 36:6
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Job 36:6
6 He preserveth not the life [chayah] of the wicked [rasha`]: but giveth [nathan] right [mishpat] to the poor [`aniy]. KJV-Interlinear
6 'He does not keep the wicked alive, But gives justice to the afflicted. NASB
The word for wicked, refers to those who are sinful, immoral, criminal, wrong, bad, untruthful, indifferent, and mainly refers to all who fail in their spiritual life. Whether they are hard-core criminals or self righteous Sunday School attendees, makes no difference. The lack of a functional spiritual life leaves only wickedness for a description of ones life.
The word for poor, is often used to refer to those who have very little in the way of assets, money, or financial resources of any kind. It also refers to those who are afflicted or taken advantage of by others. And it also refers to those who live by means of a humble lifestyle. But here the humility of ones pattern of life being defined by Bible doctrine, makes this a reference to mature or believers advancing in their spiritual life.
Life was designed to benefit anyone who pursues truth. Truth is Bible doctrine. Anyone who pursues Bible doctrine has the option and the opportunity to become a recipient of the blessings of life.
Life is a very broad gift from God, but the benefits of life are exclusive and proprietary for only those who advance in their spiritual lives.
Advancement begins with salvation. All unbelievers are specifically excluded from life's benefits.
But now remember that life is not limited to the time span between your physical birth and death. Once born, your lifespan will continue forever. The two components of your lifespan are first carried out here in this world and second in eternity. The eternal portion is obviously the longest portion of your total life.
So look around you and you'll see the gifted, the talented, the wealthy, and the successful. You'll see those who are obviously wicked and those who simply get along in life. Most of whom do not deserve their successes.
But, do not envy the wicked. Their life is temporary in this world. Their successes are temporary in this world. They may have a lot now, but one day they will die. Everyone does. Look at all of the past centuries of people, perhaps trillions of them who have lived since the time of Adam, and count how many are still alive. Most are now dead.
A hundred years ago, none of us were alive, and in a hundred years we will all be gone from this earth. But life after this life, continues on forever and it is to that future timeframe that the lions share of living will occur.
You can live your life in eternity with benefit or without. How you live your life now will determine what your destiny is.
Those who reject Christ, will live without, and their 'without' will be the extremes of the Lake of Fire.
Those who believe in Christ will go to heaven. No if, ands, or buts. Saved is saved and heaven will receive all who have believed in Christ. Only takes one second or a single thought to believe in Christ.
Heaven is a benefit exclusive to those who believe in Christ.
But too, there will be various levels of blessings in heaven and those levels correspond to your level of spiritual growth. The more spiritual growth, the greater the blessing package. God calls them, blessings beyond your imagination.
The wicked and the just, live side by side in this world. The blessings for this world are designed exclusively for the just, but the wicked take what does not belong to them. That will be rectified one day when all stand before the appropriate Throne of Christ.
All believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (a good place to be - especially as a mature believer), and all unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne (a very bad place to be).
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Job 36:5
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Job 36:5
5 Behold, God ['el] is mighty [kabbiyr], and despiseth [ma'ac] not any: he is mighty [kabbiyr] in strength [koach] and wisdom [leb]. KJV-Interlinear
5 'Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding. NASB
If a person were to look around and understand that God created everything that exists, even every ingredient which man has used to make his own inventions, then one would think that Gods word would be heard, or at least listened too more frequently.
But, most folks are not interested. And that lack of interest leads to all of the bizarre beliefs which exist in this world. And anything which is not bonafide Christianity is classified as bizarre. And by the way, all of Christianity is not legitimate. Even many of the so called churches out there have slipped off the deep end to a degree. Social priorities, politics, even rituals have created many distractions away from the fundamental studies of the scriptures, which studies, form the central foundation of Christianity.
And so Elihu reminds us all that God is all powerful. There is nothing which God cannot do. There is nothing which God does not know. God is knowledgeable and powerful, both able and wise.
God depends on no one for His livelihood. He is the 'I Am,' of the Old Testament, the infinite resource, the eternal provider. He is unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, balanced, and independent in His character. He depends on no one and therefore is obligated to no one.
God created the universe, holds this universe together, and maintains it on a moment-by-moment basis, just as He maintains and holds your personal life together. And, even if you do not agree with this, your beliefs are irrelevant when they depart from the many truths of life.
Mans beliefs do not constitute truth. Man cannot will truth into existence. Man cannot will his own destiny. And all of the belligerent, stubborn, or steadfast attitudes in the world will never contribute one minute of truth to history. By the same token, all of the indifference toward God in favor of whatever it is you believe or do in life, will never make your life any better, nor take away even one minute from Gods plan.
But unfortunately that is exactly what people do in this world. They ignore God in favor of their own substituted beliefs concerning God and the spiritual life. And that only leads to confusion, disorientation, disappointment or delusions regarding ones chosen life style.
God is all powerful. God is truth. God gives to us freely, all that He possesses. Why do so many ignore this opportunity.
James 1:5-8
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. NASB
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Job 36:2-4
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Job 36:2-4
2 Suffer [kathar] me a little [ze`eyr], and I will shew [chavah] thee that I have yet to speak [millah] on God's ['elowahh] behalf.
3 I will fetch [nasa'] my knowledge [dea`] from afar [rachowq], and will ascribe [nathan] righteousness [tsedeq] to my Maker [pa`al].
4 For truly ['omnam] my words [millah] shall not be false [sheqer]: he that is perfect [tamiym] in knowledge [de`ah] is with thee. KJV-Interlinear
2 'Wait for me a little, and I will show you That there is yet more to be said in God's behalf. 3 'I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. 4 'For truly my words are not false; One who is perfect in knowledge is with you. NASB
Wait for a little while. Wait with patience. Listening and learning and understanding requires patience and poise and time. Without it, nothing can be accomplished within the soul of any individual.
For most folks around this country and world, patience and the willingness to listen and learn is far lacking in their character.
God has many things to teach. In fact, God has an infinite quantity of things to teach.
We know that any object which we can see, is made up is smaller objects, and those smaller objects are made up of even smaller objects and then we are into the atomic and sub-atomic and into electrons, and the nature of any object becomes more and more complex while remaining extremely simple.
So too, the Bible is like any ordinary object. We can read the Bible once and twice and three times and again and again, and we learn new things each time we go through it. The Bible has probably so much information within it, that we can never know all that it reveals, even though it is right before our eyes all of the time.
The Bible has its words, and those words have their context, and they have their various syntax and punctuation, and tenses and states of each word. We could study the Bible forever and never gain all of the information contained within it.
And Elihu reveals here that God has much information from life, from antiquity, from the many cultures and nations in the world, from the stars in the night sky to the nature of any given storm, to things we have yet to discover. God has so much information, that we cannot possibly discover it all in a thousand lifetimes.
Recall Jobs words from our earlier study, that Gods wisdom is so vast that we can see only the pinpoint top of the iceberg. And Gods iceberg of wisdom stretches across vast galaxies.
But God gives us all time. And with that time we either invest well and learn, or we do not.
God gave us all, three capital assets with which to invest during our life - time, doctrine and volition. We can be the good and faithful servant and invest wisely, or we can squander that which has been given to us, and end up with nothing to show for our life's efforts.
Gods words are never false, nor exaggerated, nor difficult to learn. Everything in life is simple when you really examine them.
And Elihu is going to use examples of Gods power, Gods planning, Gods many wise years of existence (the number of which we can never know), and so forth, in order to teach us all that God is pretty smart and the smart person is the one who listens to another who is smarter, in order to learn and orient to life.
God is so smart, that to begin with, He planned out an entire history for humanity and angels and for all of eternity, and has maintained it all without ever running short of resources. This planet has provided the human race with vast resources which have served to support us all for many thousands of years.
How many businessmen, politicians, parents have the ability to plan out their own lives, companies, or nations existences?
Monday, March 24, 2008
Job 36:1
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Job 36:1
1 Elihu ['Eliyhuw] also proceeded [yacaph], and said ['amar], KJV-Interlinear
1 Then Elihu continued and said, NASB
Elihu continues to speak in generalities, as he implies that Job has violated many fundamental truths resulting in the continuation of his suffering.
And though Elihu is applying these truths in error, we have the opportunity to learn what folks back in those ancient times believed, and simultaneously how God works His policies toward mankind.
Elihu's points in this chapter are that God will always administer impartial justice toward mankind.
Elihu points out that it is a general truth that God favors those who are righteous. Those righteous, being those who have believed in Him, and have established a pattern of life consistent with the principles which God teaches. That those whom He favors will enjoy all manner of prosperity, while at the same time may be subjected to His divine discipline.
If a person maintains a stubborn attitude toward God, then they may be subjected to greater disciplinary actions during their life, and most certainly at the end of their life.
The Christian life is a unique life belonging only to those who have believed in Jesus Christ. All unbelievers are specifically excluded from the Christian life.
The Christian spiritual life is a unique life belonging only to those who maintain a fellowship relationship with God. Fellowship is maintained through the function of confession which results from a consistent monitoring of ones sins and attitude in life.
Those who reside in fellowship enjoy an active spiritual relationship with God. Those who do not reside in fellowship, imitate unbelievers and do not enjoy an active relationship with God.
The spiritual life functions only while you are in fellowship. When you are out of fellowship, your spiritual life is disabled, even though you are still saved.
And though you may incur Gods discipline while stumbling along in your spiritual life, you still reside in this devils world. And the devils world being inherently evil, is full of trouble and turmoil which inevitably will fall into each of our individual lives.
God deals with this devils world while still maintaining His forward progress in His divine plan, and simultaneously dealing with each of our individual needs and wants. You will never find perfection or peace in this world, but you will find it within your spiritual life.
The objective of history is to get all who have believed in Christ, into heavens eternity, and to get all who have advanced in their spiritual lives the greatest of blessings beyond imagination. This current world was never designed to go on forever, and it won't.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Job 35:15-16
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Job 35:15-16
15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited [paqad] in his anger ['aph]; yet he knoweth [yada`] it not in great [ma`od] extremity [pash]:
16 Therefore doth Job ['Iyowb] open [patsah] his mouth [peh] in vain [hebel]; he multiplieth [kabar] words [millah] without [baliy] knowledge [da`ath]. KJV-Interlinear
15 'And now, because He has not visited in His anger, Nor has He acknowledged transgression well, 16 So Job opens his mouth emptily; He multiplies words without knowledge.' NASB
And now the greatest failure on Elihu's part. His conclusion based on his observation of Jobs sufferings, based on his hearing of Jobs complaints, and based on the obvious lack of action from God as a result.
Job has lived many decades and he was prospered to phenomenal quantities of wealth.
Job has now endured sufferings of equal magnitude, but his sufferings have lasted not very long by comparison to his lifespan.
How Elihu can conclude, that God has made a decision to not answer or relieve Job, is the error.
Mans lifespan does not occur during a weekend, during a week, during a month or even a year. Mans lifespan does not occur totally throughout any single event in ones life. And yet people will jump to conclusions regarding a person who is enduring some bad luck in their life. People will even come to that conclusion about themselves when things get really ugly in their own life.
But Gods plan does not begin and end in any one generation, but spans the course of all of human history.
In Christ's line, from Adam to Mary, seventy-five generations passed. From Adam to Joseph, sixty generations passed. If you consider Jesus' lifespan of thirty-three years as the typical lifespan, then from His birth to today, sixty generations have now passed and we are in our sixty-first generation.
Human history has spanned over 120 generations and continues. Gods plan has progressed throughout all of those 120 generations and has not missed a beat.
The dispensations continue toward the conclusion (the rapture) of our current dispensation and most of the world asks where is Jesus? When will He appear? When will He return? So much time has passed, did He forget?
And yet the clock keeps on ticking. Something which no one can prevent. The days and nights continue to pass. Something which no one can alter.
You will meet many obstacles in your life, and many will look at you and offer their interpretation of Gods judgment against you. They will presume that you are the fool and that God has it in for you. But people are wrong most of the time.
All you have to do is ignore them, continue your advancement in your spiritual life, be responsible, and trust in God. In Gods good time, He will work for your best interest and you will be far better off.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Job 35:14
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Job 35:14
14 Although ['aph] thou sayest ['amar] thou shalt not see [shuwr] him, yet judgment [diyn] is before [paniym] him; therefore trust [chuwl] thou in him. KJV-Interlinear
14 'How much less when you say you do not behold Him, The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him! NASB
In life there are two things in which we place our trust - those things which we can see and those things which we cannot see.
Life is full of examples - the air we breathe, gravity, radio signals, principles of economics, love, the strength of a chair that we sit on, and so forth. This list is literally an infinite one.
If we look around we can see that the world is loaded with silly people. How in the world do they even survive in life? How has humanity survived throughout history with all of the violence that has occurred, with all of the evil and cruelty that has occurred, with all of the famines and diseases and storms and so forth?
How is it that we survived being born helpless, and grew up helpless, and even live our lives in a state of helplessness, even though most adults do not consider their lives as being in a helpless state? But place them in a situation in which life takes all they have, then what will their attitude be?
What can hammer us in life? Unemployment, bankruptcy, recession, financial depression, mental depression, accidents, paralysis, and so forth. Nearly anything and everything in life that can happen, could happen to you at any time. Aren't rising gas prices, insurance prices, food prices affecting your life?
You cannot say truthfully that if you cannot see it, then you do not believe in it. Life is full of the invisible. And the concept of an invisible God is nothing new.
For those who believe only in what they see, hypocrisy is their foundation.
For those who pursue their spiritual life, believing in the unseen, believing in He whom we have never seen nor heard is the basis of all of our faith.
Place your faith in only that in which you can see, and your faith is directed toward nothing. Your options for help amount to nothing.
Place your faith in that which you cannot see, and your faith has a solid and strong foundation.
God is the ultimate unseen target of faith. In all matters, place your troubles in His hands. He is, by the way, pretty smart and since He has known all about your problems in life, since eternity past, He has had time to prepare solutions for you.
Perhaps you should consider preparing your life around Gods design!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Job 35:12-13
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Job 35:12-13
12 There they cry [tsa`aq], but none giveth answer [`anah], because [paniym] of the pride [ga'own] of evil men [ra`].
13 Surely God ['el] will not hear [shama`] vanity [shav'], neither will the Almighty [Shadday] regard [shuwr] it. KJV-Interlinear
12 'There they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil men. 13 'Surely God will not listen to an empty cry, Nor will the Almighty regard it. NASB
A robber when he is content in his chosen pattern of life, is not remorseful while he enjoys reasonable success in his lifestyle. However, when he gets caught, then his remorse is in getting caught, not in his error in choosing criminal activities for his pattern of life, not in causing harm to those whom he has robbed, not in discovering the error of his ways and resolving to change.
And so it is with people who disregard God, Christ, doctrine and their spiritual life. Far too many people have their own ideas as to what the spiritual life is. They are wrong. They believe that the spiritual life is living a good life, a good life of their own definition and convenience.
Under their thought pattern is an extremely subtle disillusionment regarding their ideas as to what life is all about. In words, they may acknowledge God, but in their soul, they lack the spiritual resources for a legitimate spiritual life, because their lifestyle is nothing more than a pretense with appropriate substitutions of whatever it is they prefer for living their life.
Then trouble strikes.
And with trouble comes the revelation that the person has no spiritual resources, because they have been living the lies of their pretended spiritual life, that they have foregone Gods plan in preference for there own ideas of life, and now that their lifestyle choice is not working, their remorse, phony as it is, turns to anger, rage, self-pity, and a variety of other emotional reactions. All of which do not even begin the change process in their life, but tend to find excuses, blame, and even continued self-justification of the way they really want things in their life.
Lacking spiritual resources, God does not hear their cries of prayer, if they pray at all, because they do not know how to pray to God. They pray from within their state of sin, and not from within the spiritual state of fellowship.
Do we know what that difference is?
Two people pray. One has confessed his sins and is in fellowship. God hears his prayers. The other has not confessed and is out of fellowship. God does not hear his prayers.
Two people pray. One has pursued a daily study for a very long time and understands the spiritual life. The other has not and does not. The former has spiritual resources in their soul and the corresponding stability of life, poise, maturity and so forth. The other is immature. Whose prayers are more productive? Whom does God hear?
God is perfect. God respects that which is perfect. Doctrine is perfect. Doctrine in your soul is perfection residing within your soul. God recognizes the content of your soul and honors that content, or ignores it depending on what it is you have elected to learn and live by in life.
God has no respect for you. You are dust. But place some gold inside of dust and which receives the attention?
Spiritually negative people are like the robber. When their life finally messes up, and it will, then they do not turn to God, but wallow over the failures they are experiencing. Complaining, not praying, for their problems to go away and for their former ways to resume.
Their life is a lie, their prayers are a lie, their solutions they hope for are a lie.
Who will listen to, and provide relief for, a liar. Who will listen to, and provide relief for, the one who possesses gold?
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Job 35:11
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Job 35:11
11 Who teacheth ['alph] us more than the beasts [bahemah] of the earth ['erets], and maketh us wiser [chakam] than the fowls [`owph] of heaven [shamayim]? KJV-Interlinear
11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?' NASB
We know that there are but two opinions in this universe - Gods and everything else. We know that there are only two views in this universe - Gods and everyone else's.
It only stands to reason that there are only two sources of learning in this universe - from God and from everything else.
Elihu recognizes that man learns from nature, from weather, from the seasons and such. We know that we learn from scientific discoveries, from which innovation comes, from philosophy or man invented ideas and so forth.
This latter source of learning, or learning from the world, whether from the telescope, the microscope, or from social interactions are all sources for mans learning from his environment, his physical environment.
The universe is extremely complicated as far as we are concerned. We have only recently begun to discover its complex secrets in genetics, in psychology, in economics, in science, in virtually everything you can think of.
But all of these subjects are sources from our environment of the world or universe around us.
Elihu proposes a question. Is there any additional or better source of learning?
For those who want to learn the truth of life, then there is God, Christ, doctrine and their spiritual life. That is the ultimate source of learning.
For those who reject God, then there is everything in our environment which serves as a source of learning, but inherently points to God and His involvement in every aspect of life.
And as creatures of higher learning and reasoning capabilities, one would think that man would be far smarter than the animals of the world. Smarter than geese, ants whales, bears, whatever. These seem to know the basics of life, the seasons at the very least, and they seen to be able to have survived throughout history without knowledge in the higher sciences and theories of humanity.
Even in our present day, why is it that humanity has been able to survive for many centuries without the aid of modern agriculture, manufacturing, marketing, and such? When all they had was there physical labor, seed, and the weather.
But despite our modern technologies, man still lacks knowledge in the spiritual realm while pursuing more and more knowledge in the physical realm, but never able to solve any of his basic problems - poverty, hunger, employment, prosperity for all, sickness and so forth. And man keeps on ignoring the spiritual side of life.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Job 35:9-10
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Job 35:9-10
9 By reason of the multitude [rob] of oppressions [`ashuwq] they make the oppressed to cry [za`aq]: they cry out [shava`] by reason of the arm [zarowa`] of the mighty [rab].
10 But none saith ['amar], Where is God ['elowahh] my maker [`asah], who giveth [nathan] songs [zamiyr] in the night [layil]; KJV-Interlinear
9 'Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty. 10 'But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night, NASB
When we were first introduced to Elihu back in chapter 32, we studied the meaning of his name and ancestry. This gave us a sense of who Elihu was, which is to say that he is an idealist. He was a presumptuous person, or self-exalted and as such only brings shame and spite onto himself as a result of his opinions.
The shame is not from the other people present, but is derived from Gods policy concerning man. A policy which God applies to all of humanity throughout history, and God is never inconsistent with regard to the application of His policy.
Elihu speaks in generalities and really never comes to a point. Such is the ambiguous nature of an idealistic person. No position is ever taken, only vague views are presented.
Elihu's comments lack some consistency from the previous verses, but none the less, we still gain from what he has to say, because we learn what folks back in those very early and ancient times, knew and believed.
When folks disregard God, they have only one other place to which they can turn and derive some semblance of a meaning for life. That place is the world. And even that word, the 'world,' is ambiguous as the world is a phrase which refers to the many philosophies and attitudes and beliefs and such that exist in this world.
But, when people ignore truth in its most genuine sense, then they have only the source of the world from which to build their frame of reference or orientation for life. When life falls apart, then what?
Do they turn to God then? Well, some do and some don't. Or actually most who turn to God, do so in an inappropriate fashion. And that proves to be their downfall.
Only through a consistent and daily pursuit of ones spiritual life, can you learn how to interact with God. If you do not know how to interact with God, then when the time comes where you need Him desperately, then you fail because you do not follow the 'rules' as it were for interaction with God.
So, when people ignore God throughout their life, and this refers to the pattern of life which they generally pursue throughout their life, then they rely on the world.
Sooner or later the 'world' leads you to trouble. The world has no resources, no truth, nothing with which to solve your problems. Living without God is the same as living within a multitude of transgressions. Living within a multitude of transgressions, or pursuing a pattern of life without God, leads you to a multitude of oppressions.
And then people cry out. They cry because they are hurting in some way. Whether they are hurting emotionally mentally, physically, financially or however, people cry out. Some call to God, but most just curse.
And of those 'most,' God is not on their mind, only their circumstances is on their mind. Like a robber who never gets caught, he feels no remorse. But when he finally gets caught, his remorse is not for his wrong, but for his getting caught.
And so, folks who live outside of Gods will, live outside of truth. People who live outside of truth, live within the environment of lies. Lies are transgressions and transgressions are the pattern of life pursued by robbers.
Spiritually dysfunctional people are the robbers of the spiritual world. They pursue their life with no remorse and when life does not do for them as they believe it should, then their remorse is for their lack of success within the worldly environment they have chosen, not for their disregard of doctrine.
Songs in the night, stands for relief of turmoil. The nighttime is usually a reference to trouble, just as the daylight is a reference for blessing.
Songs, is reference for a soothing of that trouble. Legitimate songs come only from God. Solutions for any type of trouble or predicament comes only from God. The world cannot provide any solutions for mans problems. The world is not a legitimate source of solutions.
Therefore, when man chooses the world for his life template, and it fails, then he has nowhere to turn for relief.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Job 35:8
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Job 35:8
8 Thy wickedness [resha`] may hurt a man ['iysh] as thou art; and thy righteousness [tsadaqah] may profit the son [ben] of man ['adam]. KJV-Interlinear
8 'Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man. NASB
There are two views in life - Gods view and mans view. Gods view is truth, mans view can incorporate nearly everything man can think of, whether good or bad, whether convenient or expeditious.
And to this end, mans views in life are generally centered around what his senses can detect, what his logic can reason, and what his beliefs want to accept.
When man excludes truth from his thinking process, then his views will be distorted and he will be led by lies. When man includes truth in his views, then he may have a tendency to lean back toward a true perspective of life. Certainly he has a better chance of getting things right.
But man, who has a tendency to follow the pattern of thought he has been raised with, may very well reason that life is what you put in to it, or that life is a matter of luck, or that life is a matter of who you know and so forth.
And while these may be truths when operating within the jungle setting of the world, they exclude the input which God contributes to life and history.
Mans wickedness brings harm only to himself. Never to God. Mans righteousness brings harm only to himself, never to God.
All wickedness and all human good are from the same source, namely arrogance. Sin and human good are opposite ends of the spectrum of the carnal life of man.
The only thing that benefits man comes from the spiritual life, and the spiritual life never originates from man. It only comes from God.
Man is never the source of good. That originates from the doctrine that may be within man by means of spiritual growth.
Man is dust, and life generated by God, and placed within dust. Dust cannot originate anything.
Man gains benefit from God by means of positive volition, by a steady and consistent daily study of the scriptures, by maintaining himself within the fellowship sphere, by applying what he learns from the spiritual life to his daily life, and by growing up spiritually.
You must receive anything of value in life, from God and from no other source.
Life is not a matter of luck, connections, circumstances, talent, or anything else which may be even considered as an attribute of human existence, which by the way all comes from God as well. Your best (your only) bargain in life comes from doctrine and from no other source.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Job 35:6-7
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Job 35:6-7
6 If thou sinnest [chata'], what doest [pa`al] thou against him? or if thy transgressions [pesha`] be multiplied [rabab], what doest [`asah] thou unto him?
7 If thou be righteous [tsadaq], what givest [nathan] thou him? or what receiveth [laqach] he of thine hand [yad]? KJV-Interlinear
6 'If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? 7 'If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? NASB
God created the universe perfect in every way. He created a home for us that was perfect in every way.
It was not He who caused things to deteriorate, but angels who became arrogant and man who followed after that same pattern of arrogance.
If there were someone who knew all of the answers to all of the questions? If there were someone who has existed throughout all of eternity past up to our present day? If there were someone who knew all of the details of all of the tomorrows forever into the future?
Then don't you suppose that folks would sit up and listen to His counsel?
But no. Folks ignore truth. They even lose track of what the word 'truth' means. It becomes lost and distorted, even ambiguous or relative in a world where opinions are more abundant than the people thinking them.
And so instead of pursuing truth from the source of truth, man rejects truth and pursues lies. Lies are the opposite of or any modification of truth. And it takes only a tiny bit of taint to destroy the whole thinking process of the individual.
So what do you accomplish when you sin?
God is perfect and has created a perfect future for us all. By rejecting that perfect future, you are reducing your opportunities. If God has created everything for us, then what can you do to get more?
Does it cause harm to God if we sin? Does it bring benefit to God if we are righteous in our own eyes?
God picked our parents. God picked the date in history in which we would be born. God created our genetics, our talent, our abilities, our circumstances. God did everything for us, and planned everything for us even before we came into existence. How can we add to that?
By pursuing a non-spiritual pattern of life, whether sin or self-righteousness, we diminish our current and eternal blessings.
Just as the clouds are simplistic yet beyond our ability to measure, just as the stars are complex and stretch into the infinite, so too is our blessing package which God has created for each one of us. To compromise our spiritual life in any way means phenomenal loss. Is that what you really want?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Job 35:4-5
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Job 35:4-5
4 I will answer [shuwb] [millah] thee, and thy companions [rea`] with thee.
5 Look [nabat] unto the heavens [shamayim], and see [ra'ah]; and behold [shuwr] the clouds [shachaq] which are higher [gabahh] than thou. KJV-Interlinear
4 'I will answer you, And your friends with you. 5 'Look at the heavens and see; And behold the clouds — they are higher than you. NASB
In his attempt to promote an answer to the argument which has been going on between Job and his three friends, Elihu brings in the sovereignty and immenseness of God.
The essence of God is so vast, the power of God is so far beyond mans comprehension, that even if we gaze at the stars by night above, or to the clouds in the sky by day, we cannot realize the magnitude of Gods existence, knowledge, or wisdom.
The universe above is beyond our access. Certainly back in Jobs day, the stars were beyond reach. But even in our present day, the stars are still beyond our reach.
Though we can orbit the planet and send craft to the nearby planets, all of that is still within our own solar system. The nearest star outside of our own sun is still four light-years away, with still other near stars anywhere from five to twenty light-years away. Our own galaxy is some one-hundred thousand light-years to the other side, and it is many millions of light-years to the next galaxy.
Travel to and from these distant places is far beyond our capability. The sheer magnitude of the distances is beyond comprehension.
As for the clouds in the sky, we still cannot predict their formation or motion across the planet. We have some semblance of weather prediction for a few days, but beyond that, predictions are no better than tossing a coin.
The stars are vast the full of secrets. The clouds are near and full of simplicity. After all, they are nothing more than water vapor. But, God uses the complex and the uncomplicated to teach mankind that humanity is not very smart.
And yet people will disregard God, and presume their own witty perspective toward life. We live from day to day, from commercial to commercial, from trip to the store to trip to the store.
We live for the weekend and the pleasures of our everyday life, all the while being surrounded of the many proofs of God, of life and death, and the shortness for our present life and the infinity of the next life, and most folks simply ignore the Godward side of life in favor of what they can see and taste and hold and possess now.
The reminders of God and His wisdom are always there in the clouds above, and in the stars in the night sky.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Job 35:2-3
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Job 35:2-3
2 Thinkest [chashab] thou this to be right [mishpat], that thou saidst ['amar], My righteousness [tsedeq] is more than God's ['el]?
3 For thou saidst ['amar], What advantage [cakan] will it be unto thee? and, What profit [ya`al] shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin [chatta'ah]? KJV-Interlinear
2 'Do you think this is according to justice? Do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's'? 3 'For you say, 'What advantage will it be to You? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?' NASB
Again, Elihu quotes Job in error, for nowhere does he say that his righteousness is more than Gods. And, Elihu has already misquoted Jobs comments with regard to 'What profit shall I have …'
But the importance here is not in Elihu's misquotes but in the principles being brought up.
The spiritual life is difficult to perceive, and far from providing instant gratification.
Even in Jobs day, when life moved very slowly. People lived into their several hundreds of years and most of that lifespan went slow. Not from day to day, but from decade to decade.
Imagine if we had to wait a decade to accomplish something that now normally takes us a matter of days or weeks. How quickly would boredom set in?
Life now moves extremely fast. By the time kids are out of grade school, they already know how to type, instant message, set up and take apart most toys, read, write, and so forth.
Now, when I post a study, it becomes instantly available to anyone throughout the entire world. Back in Jobs day, it would take weeks or months to send and receive a message.
Speed is the entire point in this lesson. The spiritual life takes seemingly all of ones life before anything is recognized in ones life. Look around and most folks don't want to wait forever in order to gain something from their efforts.
So the attitude of, 'Why wait on God, or why pursue Gods word, because it doesn’t seen to get one anywhere?' verses, 'It is better to sin and/or do life as you want, because things get done.'
And people pursue the latter, because they can see the results, while they don't see the results of the spiritual life.
Elihu misquoted Job, just as people misquote scripture. Elihu misinterpreted Job, just as people misinterpret the spiritual life. Elihu takes the shortest and most convenient explanation, just as people take the shortcuts of life rather than the long path of doctrine.
Elihu missed the whole point of this discussion because he did not listen and he did not understand it. People miss the whole point of Gods plan for their life because they do not listen, do not learn, do not understand, and don't want to take the time to accomplish those attributes.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Job 35:1
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Job 35:1
1 Elihu ['Eliyhuw] spake [`anah] moreover, and said ['amar], KJV-Interlinear
1 Then Elihu continued and said, NASB
Elihu continues to speak in general truths, making it very clear that God is so far above man, that there is nothing in mans power that will allow humanity to climb to the level of God. That man is so far behind God in knowledge, that humanity will never in a million years and beyond, learn all there is to learn.
And even if that were possible, our generation would never benefit from that advancement, because we will long since be dead and gone from this earth.
So what good is it for us if humanity discovers more marvelous things after we are dead?
What have we accomplished in sin, by committing transgressions against God, such as to advance ourselves?
What can we add to Gods existence if we are righteous?
Human history gains nothing for itself by accomplishing anything. It only makes life perhaps more convenient for that contemporary generation.
Antibiotics have helped us live longer lives, but they did not help folks who lived several centuries ago. Will they get into heaven, or have a second chance at life because we have so many new discoveries and inventions now?
Will any advancement in this physical world help people to get into heaven or advance in their spiritual life?
And yet with all of our technology, and with all of our 'wise' people living on this planet, how can Gods word be so botched, dissected, misinterpreted, misapplied and so forth?
We have preachers and pastors and wise men who bastardize or weave the Bible into arguments for their own convenience. They preach hate, and poor me, and we've been taken advantage of, not so that people can learn truth, but so people can direct their hate and excuses for their own personal flaws, against others.
Elihu has three more chapters before he runs out of words, and then God will finally enter into the discussion and straighten everyone out.
Job is the only righteous person present, but no one recognizes this. These men have vast amounts of doctrine in their heads, but they have failed in the function of their spiritual life. So their failed spiritual lives lead them to interpretation and application errors of doctrine.
When personal views rank higher than truth, then in most cases, if not all cases, personal views are wrong, biased, and have tendencies to become radical.
Personal view errors can apply to anyone, but the more idealistic or radical one is, the more detached from reality and the more disastrous ones decisions can become. Facts and truth are rejected and replaced with dilusions.
Job 34:34-37
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Job 34:34-37
34 Let men ['enowsh] of understanding [lebab] tell ['amar] me, and let a wise [chakam] man [geber] hearken [shama`] unto me.
35 Job ['Iyowb] hath spoken [dabar] without knowledge [da`ath], and his words [dabar] were without wisdom [sakal].
36 My desire ['abeh] ['ab] is that Job ['Iyowb] may be tried [bachan] unto the end [netsach] because of his answers [tashuwbah] for wicked ['aven] men ['enowsh].
37 For he addeth [yacaph] rebellion [pesha`] unto his sin [chatta'ah], he clappeth [caphaq] his hands among us, and multiplieth [rabah] his words ['emer] against God ['el]. KJV-Interlinear
34 'Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me, 35 'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom. 36 'Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers like wicked men. 37 'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'' NASB
And so, based on all that has been said in this chapter, based on all of the general truths which Elihu has listed in his comments, then Elihu calls for learned men, men of wisdom, men of understanding, to condemn Job.
And why is Job being condemned?
Not based on any facts. Not based on any evidence. Not even based on objective observations of Job's previous life. But based on his current situation, combined with certain general truths, leading one to a conclusion that Job 'must' be guilty. At least guilty of something. Leading to the conclusion that mans opinions must be right, at least there doesn't seem to be any other viable explanation.
And when some semblance of spiritual knowledge is combined with a defective spiritual life, then the conclusions, the observations, the opinions come out of the woodwork.
Witches are discovered, heretics are identified, wrongs are converted into rights, fundamental truths are tossed out, anti-truth principles are celebrated, and false ideas become the belief standards for life.
This has been the state of the world since ancient times, and it remains the state of the world even in our current times.
Waiting for a change in life? Times do not change that much.
Watch any television news show, listen to any radio broadcast, read any printed article which covers world events, world politics, any topic which is consistently raised by the media.
The names and the dates change, and even the controversies change from era to era. But, the fundamental truths continue to be disregarded and the fundamental flaws in social observation continue to press human opinions. Nothing really, has changed, and nothing really, ever will change. Just the differences in opinion continue on indefinitely.
And, since the opinions in this world are all flawed (not being consistent with those of God), then all repercussions will have varying results. None of which will ever be perfect.
Were it not for the control over history, which Christ maintains, humanity would not have lasted even to the flood of Noah.
Humanity barely got out of the Garden with fig leaves (human observation and effort), no less. And God had to replace them with clothes of animal skins (Gods work of salvation and the spiritual life). You'll note the significance of the two clothing patterns.
But, despite all of the truth which saturates the world, men of 'wisdom' as they see themselves, miss the point of life, simply because they are so caught up in their own opinions, their own observations.
And as a result, the masses of people who do not have much say, in the direction which this world takes, bear the brunt of the suffering which comes to the world as a result of the misdirected human wisdom.
But then you cannot blame only the leadership, because the vast majority of the masses of people of this world actually subscribe to their views.
So, since the majority desires the prosecution of Job by God. Job who is the only righteous example present in this discussion, but is to be tried for the accusations of conspiracy with wickedness, then it is only fitting that anyone who associates with wickedness come under indictment and prosecution.
And that is exactly what God does. Only it is the accusers who will be tried, not Job, not those whom the world tries to crush because they are the legitimate pursuers of truth.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Job 34:33
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Job 34:33
33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense [shalam] it, whether thou refuse [kiy] [ma'ac], or whether thou choose [bachar]; and not I: therefore speak [dabar] what thou knowest [yada`]. KJV-Interlinear
33 'Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know. NASB
There are only two opinions in the universe - Gods opinion which is truth, and everything else. The sin which rejects truth is arrogance. All other departures from truth, all other sins, cascade down from arrogance.
So, anytime you fail in your spiritual life, arrogance is always involved. By the way, it should always be included in your confession list. No extra charge for that tidbit.
God is the sovereign of the universe. God is omniscient and God is omnipotent. He knows everything and He is able to do anything.
Since God is all knowing, all powerful and always truth, then it stands to reason that His will, is the best option in any situation. That His counsel is the best counsel available. That His advice, His guidance, His suggestions cannot be bettered anywhere else, by anybody.
Gods terms for life are designed for your best interest, and His terms are based on truth, not lies or deceptions.
Man, or you, have not been around very long in this universe. Man, or you, have not seen the expanse of the universe either through the telescope or under the microscope. Man, or you, are severely limited in knowledge.
Therefore, God follows a policy based on His terms, which is truth, not yours. And just because you happen to not like something, just because you disagree with something, does not make your opinion or your preference, or the convenience which you desire, right.
When folks disagree with Gods truth, they are just about 100% wrong. That is pretty close to being wrong all of the time.
There is no wiggle room around truth.
But God will not decide for you. No other person can decide for you.
Each individual is on their own. Each person makes their own decisions, and even ignoring or avoiding decisions is really a decision of indifference or irresponsibility.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Job 34:32
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Job 34:32
32 That which I see [chazah] not [bil`adey] teach [yarah] thou me: if I have done [pa`al] iniquity [`evel], I will do [yacaph] no more. KJV-Interlinear
32 Teach Thou me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'? NASB
One of the fundamental principles to probably everything in life, is attitude. This is especially true with regard to your spiritual life. And this is probably the single biggest barrier to advancing in ones spiritual life.
A positive attitude is the primary ingredient for learning and growing up.
A positive attitude is being open minded, optimistic, constructive, encouraging, voluntary subordination to authority, and especially recognition of authority, which has been properly established.
God is the ultimate authority, and in fact, He is the original and the only authority that exists anywhere. All other authority positions can only be established by God.
Any position of authority established by God is legitimate, and any position of authority which has not been established by God, is not legitimate.
The first rule of the spiritual life is salvation. You must be born again, made a new creature, adopted into the family of God, before your spiritual life can begin to grow.
The second rule of the spiritual life is fellowship. You must be constantly on guard, watching as it were, as a soldier at his post. Constantly on the lookout for the enemy - any sin, any attitude of indifference, any mis-directed attitude or belief, which might infiltrate your thoughts and thus defeat you where you stand.
Fellowship is maintained through confession and confession is the alarm call when you see the enemy (sin or spiritual failure) in your life.
Once you have been saved, and once you have established your fellowship relationship with God, then maintaining it (fellowship), you are ready to learn, and apply to life what you learn, and grow up in your spiritual life. This requires an attitude of open mindedness and a willingness and a desire, a genuine desire, to advance in your spiritual life.
You set behind you, your old self, your prior attitudes, your old beliefs, your taboos and unmentionable views of life, and, with your eyes newly opened wide, you begin to see the prison that you had been living in, and you begin to experience the freedom, true freedom, which only the spiritual life can provide.
But stubbornness, indifference, impertinence, antagonism, rage, guilt and a thousand more such terms, have to be cut off from you as the ball and chain they are, so you can advance freely in the life which God really designed for you.
You not only have to make that change, but you have to believe it, subscribe to it, and commit your life to it. 'I will do it no more.'