Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Job 37:21

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 37:21


21 And now men see [ra'ah] not the bright [bahiyr] light ['owr] which is in the clouds [shachaq]: but the wind [ruwach] passeth [`abar], and cleanseth [taher] them. KJV-Interlinear


21 'And now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies; But the wind has passed and cleared them. NASB


The evidences in this world, make Gods existence, Gods purpose, Gods involvement in this world so obvious, and yet most people do not see them, do not comprehend them, do not believe them, or simply ignore them.

The winds are used in the Bible to designate the thrust and motion of history. There are the winds of the world and the winds of heaven. What do you suppose each is in reference to?

The winds of the world refer to the efforts of man to make his own history, to make his own destiny.

The winds of heaven refer to the work of God in driving the events of history.

Guess which is the successful one.

Likewise, though not mentioned here, the seas are used in these examples as well. The seas of earth are the tumultuous events of human history as driven by man. Mans reign is filled with trouble and will never be any different.

In contrast, the seas of heaven are smooth as glass. They are calm, and totally under control. Gods reign is filled with certainty, prosperity, security, safety, and so forth.

Where you can see weather events, climate changes, seasons, natural events of just about any type, there, you can see the evidences of Gods will and purpose. And that covers just about everywhere.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Job 37:19-20

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 37:19-20


19 Teach [yada`] us what we shall say ['amar] unto him; for we cannot order [`arak] our speech by reason [paniym] of darkness [choshek].
20 Shall it be told [caphar] him that I speak [dabar]? if a man ['iysh] speak ['amar], surely he shall be swallowed up [bala`]. KJV-Interlinear



19 'Teach us what we shall say to Him; We cannot arrange our case because of darkness. 20 'Shall it be told Him that I would speak? Or should a man say that he would be swallowed up? NASB


God is the origin of truth. God is the origin of reason. Man is not.

There is nothing which man can originate, except from those things which surround him in his environment, except from those things which come out of mans sin nature.

Apart from truth and legitimate reason, man functions in and lives in, total darkness.

The only time when man can function in truth, discernment, and reason, are when man learns these things from God. God is their only source. The Bible is our only link to these things. Study of the scriptures, after salvation, and while resident in fellowship, is the only means of our learning these things.

Application of these truths, etc., to our daily lives, serves as reinforcement and accelerates our understanding of these things through positive feedback. Repetition of all of these activities, produces wisdom within our soul. And wisdom produces maturity, and spiritual maturity is the quintessence of advancement as well as our ultimate goal, in the spiritual life.

Spiritual maturity in this life is the ultimate preparation for life in eternity. Spiritual maturity to the maximum in this life, combined with the blessings of eternity, produces the ultimate completion of ones total life forever.

Mans only contribution in all of this, is the willingness to learn and obey Gods principles of truth, which man learns. God does all of the work. God accomplishes all of the results for us.

What then can man say to God that will help in mans cause? What can man do to assist God in mans effort? What can man create that will improve Gods plan?

Nothing.

Anything that man imagines will be swallowed up into an oblivion of no value.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Job 37:16-18

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 37:16-18


16 Dost thou know [yada`] the balancings [miphlas] of the clouds [`ab], the wondrous works [miphla'ah] of him which is perfect [tamiym] in knowledge [dea`]?
17 How thy garments [beged] are warm [cham], when he quieteth [shaqat] the earth ['erets] by the south [darowm] wind?
18 Hast thou with him spread out [raqa`] the sky [shachaq], which is strong [chazaq], and as a molten [yatsaq] looking glass [ra'iy]? KJV-Interlinear



16 'Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds, The wonders of one perfect in knowledge, 17 You whose garments are hot, When the land is still because of the south wind? 18 'Can you, with Him, spread out the skies, Strong as a molten mirror? NASB


From Elihu's perspective, the matters of the atmosphere were beyond explanation.

The clouds, he knew, held great quantities of water. He had no doubt experienced heavy rainstorms and knew, as he states here, that the rains came from the clouds.

Elihu knew that the cold came from the north and the heat came from the south. He knew that there were times when the air was cool and dry, and there were times when the air seemed heavy with water, or humidity as we would call it.

And yet the simple question and the most difficult answer seemed to come from the fact that when on hot humid days, ones clothing seemed to heat up to the extremes. And on another day, the same clothing and similar weather were more comfortable. Why was that?

On one day the weather seemed turbulent and on another day the calm without winds made one wonder just where did those winds go.

The clouds seemed to hover in the sky in layers. Some floated at lower altitudes while yet other layers floated at much higher altitudes. How do they change with their heights? How do clouds stretch for miles and miles and retain all of that water?

The sky was sometimes called a curtain, a firmament, a fixture, or a scroll, and here Elihu uses the term 'molten mirror.

The sky was an unknown quantity. People did not know its extent, whether it stretched for a little distance while holding clouds, and then followed or layered by yet another sky or set of skies, followed by additional layers in which the sun and moon and stars might be held.

Could one climb a tall mountain or build a tower with which to reach these higher layers?

From Elihu's perspective, these were all legitimate and virtually unanswerable questions. And the source of the answers was limited to God alone.

So what is different in our current day. No one here was present when God established the design for this universe. No one here was present when God created the universe. No one here understands all of the intricacies of how God holds the universe together.

Certainly we know more about the universe today, than in Elihu's day, but the theories of origin still disregard Gods creation.

We cannot explain why planet earth has life while other planets even our own moon have none. We cannot explain why several extinctions were followed by several rebirths of life, especially when the trillion-to-one odds against even one random start of life, has been followed by several random starts, and again, why nothing similar occurred on other planets.

And as we studied yesterday, why can we not see angels? Why can't we detect them, even as they observe us on a regular basis? Why can't we see or detect God?

And the easy answer to these questions is that they do not exist, therefore cannot be detected. That all of life is random and continually evolving. And that history will continue forever just as it has transpired in the past with technology and philosophies changing as man evolves. That everything has an answer that can be found in science, and that there is nothing in existence that cannot be discovered or have its secrets unraveled.

But in his simplest of questions, Elihu teaches us all that there are indeed questions to which man will never know or discover the answers. And that those questions can take on the form of the simplest of topics.

No matter how sophisticated man might become, his tower to knowledge will never cross over the line to the spiritual side of life.

Everything in the physical world is there for mans discovery and there for man to make use of, '… be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth…'

But of the spiritual side of life, man has no command or influence or access except through the work of Christ.

We may discover how various components of the universe function, even of how biological life functions, but we will never be able to reproduce these actions, nor create totally new or similar ones. Man cannot and never will know how God created everything out of nothing.

And of the spiritual side of life, that side of life which lies beyond deaths doorway, that side which lies beyond this physical world, no living person will ever figure out a way, on their own, to cross over and return.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Job 37:15

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 37:15


15 Dost thou know [yada`] when God ['elowahh] disposed [suwm] them, and caused the light ['owr] of his cloud [`anan] to shine [yapha`]? KJV-Interlinear


15 'Do you know how God establishes them, And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine? NASB


In ancient times, the details of science were not a part of their vocabulary or knowledge base. So, Elihu's question of how God makes all of these things - the cold, the heat, the rain, the storm, the freezing of rivers and such, was a question that no person could know the answer to.

But Elihu's question goes beyond the science. What he is really asking, is, 'Do you know how God arranges and governs all of these things?'

We may know the science, or certainly more of the science than Elihu's generation knew, but not one of, nor will any of, humanities future generations, will know of or understand the workings of Gods will or of Gods ability to execute His will.

God owns the world. God owns the universe. God owns Heaven. And that includes everything that exists.

Psa. 24:1
24 The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. NASB

God foreknew of everything that will ever happen in history. That includes all of your individual thoughts. And as history unfolds, He executes the actions for history, at least from His aspect of the controls of history.

This includes the actions and thoughts of every human being, the actions of every component of our planet, the actions of everything in outer space such as solar activity, this includes everything. There is nothing excluded from Gods knowledge.

Knowing people, their relationships, their circumstances, their environment, their interactions, motivations and so forth, and with Gods sovereign will for placing each person into history at a time that is convenient to Him, with Gods sovereign oversight of all aspects of the weather, continental movement, the functions of daylight and night, then there is nothing that God cannot accomplish.

And though every aspect of life, individually, may be simple, the sheer aspect of combining every thought, interaction, action, circumstance and so forth, makes the activities of life so complex, that man will never be able to duplicate or even monitor even a small portion.

Theories may abound regarding the start of the universe, but they are only theories. There is only one set of eyewitnesses in eternity past, and that is God and the angels. Man was not there.

In his arrogance man tried to build a tower to heaven. That of course failed. But through knowledge and discovery, man is still trying to build a tower to heaven. That will fail too. As man tries to look to the edge of the universe, we will discover that the edge is further still. As man tries to peer deeper into science, we will discover that the sciences are deeper still. Can we see or detect angels? Can we see or isolate or transfer human life? No.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Job 37:14

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 37:14


14 Hearken ['azan] unto this, O Job ['Iyowb]: stand still [`amad], and consider [biyn] the wondrous [pala'] works of God ['el]. KJV-Interlinear


14 'Listen to this, O Job, Stand and consider the wonders of God. NASB


The weather, storms, disasters from the climate such as floods or famines, are common the world over. And as such, everyone who has ever lived on this planet, can have reality examples of Gods blessing and cursing.

But, in order to understand this principle, you have to sit back and ponder the many activities of nature in order to understand life.

Like our daily lives, the weather is continuous, fluid, and repetitive. Sometimes it continues in the same fashion for days and weeks. Sometimes there are storm exceptions. And always there are the four seasons which bring us back to reality each and every year of our life.

You can accept the weather as just the way it is, with no intent or purpose, or design. Or, you can accept the weather as an integral part of Gods plan for the overall period of human history, as well as the day to day expression and reminder of His will and purpose.

Listen to life, ponder life, and consider the realities of life. And, more important, do this in conjunction with your study of Gods Word. After all, your daily study is what ties all of the loose ends and questions of life, together for you.

As smart as God is, and as smart that man thinks that he, man, is, God has to show His wisdom and demonstrate life and truth, by means of the most elementary and fundamental things in life.

And yet people just do not seem to get it, because the simple seems, well, too simple.

Why can't life and spirituality be more complicated and intense, where man has to sacrifice or do something passionate or extreme?

And yet, life is dependent on Gods work, not mans ego. And thank goodness for that, because man could never agree on what it is exactly one has to do in order to advance in their spiritual life. Look at all of the religions and cults and philosophies that exist. Which should be the correct one?

But then all of them do have one thing in common - their rejection or indifference toward Christ.

And that makes them all, false.

No humming, no diet, no Allah, no philosophy, no belief apart from that in Christ, can help you in life. No other system of faith apart from Christianity, has power of any significance. In fact, they all possess absolutely no power, except that of deception and lies.

Life begins at birth and ends at death. Life here, is temporary. Now is the only time for you to learn its purposes. The weather is but one teaching tool.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Job 37:13

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 37:13


13 He causeth it to come [matsa'], whether for correction [shebet], or for his land ['erets], or for mercy [checed]. KJV-Interlinear


13 'Whether for correction, or for His world, Or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen. NASB


Weather conditions are used by God to inflict punishment, correction, judgment, or blessing.

Correction denotes the first three of these purposes and lovingkindness or mercy denotes blessing.

The third aspect of weather application on the earth is for 'His world,' for 'His land.' This denotes Gods use of weather for the cultivation of His plan through history.

God does not drop down on the earth and plant corn or rice. The term, world or land, is all-inclusive and refers to the entirety of planet earth - its use and its function. And planet earths function is to be the stage for the history of the human race.

Rain provides water for crops, for drinking, for the shaking out of the leaves in the autumn trees, for pollination and so forth. The rain is used in floods and heavy cleansing of the earth. The rain is used to filter the air and cool the planet. The uses of rain and stormy weather are many and varied.

But none of them are haphazard or functions of chance.

As we mentioned yesterday. God uses weather or modifies weather in accordance with mans spiritual state.

A spiritually strong population receives great weather. A spiritually deficient population receives bad weather. A spiritually indifferent or spiritually mixed population may well receive a variety of weather patterns. And that, is pretty much how history has ben reflected from the point of view from weather.

As the weather patterns have seemingly grown worse and worse throughout the centuries, even though weather has fluctuated both up and down at times, the trends have been toward the worsening of weather.

The worst will not occur until the Tribulation, but that does no prevent God from giving us many examples of just how bad weather can be, from time to time.

Anyway, the point of all of this is to understand the principle that Jesus Christ controls history. Christ controls all aspects of history, even while allowing you to think freely and do as you please. Your actions will never alter Gods overall plan. In fact, all of the actions of humanity were incorporated into Gods plan, the Divine Decrees, in eternity past when they were established.

These three results of the use of weather, blessing, punishment, and choreography of history, are just an example of Gods use of nearly every aspect of life for human history. In everything, we can see Gods intended purpose, and those three concepts are the very broad applications of Gods will.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Job 37:11-12

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 37:11-12


11 Also by watering [riy] he wearieth [tarach] the thick cloud [`ab]: he scattereth [puwts] his bright ['owr] cloud [`anan]:
12 And it is turned [haphak] round about [mecab] by his counsels [tachbulah]: that they may do [po`al] whatsoever he commandeth [tsavah] them upon the face [paniym] of the world [tebel] in the earth ['erets]. KJV-Interlinear



11 'Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. 12 'And it changes direction, turning around by His guidance, That it may do whatever He commands it On the face of the inhabited earth. NASB


Does the weather or clouds or lightning rise up, build up, travel, occur, in some haphazard way? Are they all products of some random or chance interaction of the earths elements? No.

The images used here are one of a captain of a ship, setting his course by sail and rudder, and by the actions of the captain, the ship pursues its course, not by actions independent of the ship.

The ship was constructed in accordance with a design. It has sailing mechanisms. It has a rudder, it has an engine of some sort, and fuel, for power. Whether that engine was an oar, a sail, or diesel power, is irrelevant. The ship has a design and was constructed to function in a certain fashion.

Likewise the weather has a design. God created the weather, and it is by His design that the weather patterns occur.

Weather does not happen by chance. God designed the engine, the fuel, and all of the features of weather, and it functions by Gods direction in accordance with His design.

And no, weather was not designed and then let loose to function in history under its own guidance.

'He commands it.' God commands in an active role, the activity of weather. The ship has a rudder, but the rudder does not have its own mind, the captain steers the ship by its wheel and rudder. The ship does not steer itself. The ship does not decide its destination, does not plot its own course, does not take on its own supplies. The captain (or his crew) does all of that.

Nature was invented by God, but was not released into the wild to function by chance or circumstances.

When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden, all was perfect. When they sinned, everything changed.

When Noah lived in the world prior to the flood, the world had never seen rain, but the phenomenal corruption of humanity brought the rains and floodwaters.

When Jesus Christ returns at the Second Advent, the world will, prior to that, be on the brink of self-destruction, but with the power of only His word, the world will change back into an environment of perfection.

Could global climate changes, famines, deserts and such really be caused by sin, and not fossil fuels?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Job 37:9-10

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 37:9-10


9 Out of the south [cheder] cometh [bow'] the whirlwind [cuwphah]: and cold [qarah] out of the north [mazareh].
10 By the breath [nashamah] of God ['el] frost [qerach] is given [nathan]: and the breadth [rochab] of the waters [mayim] is straitened [muwtsaq]. KJV-Interlinear



9 'Out of the south comes the storm, And out of the north the cold. 10 'From the breath of God ice is made, And the expanse of the waters is frozen. NASB


Does God lean down and swirl his hands through the atmosphere to cause weather patterns? No. He has created a storehouse of energy which helps drive the weather.

'Out of the south,' is a phrase referring to a storehouse, a chamber in the feminine as in a womans private bedroom. Here the energy of the storm is built up and stored until such time as it is called upon.

'Out of the north,' refers to a scattering. Here the winds of the north scatter, disburse, agitate, stir up the weather patterns.

Elihu most likely did not understand the role played by the energy of the sun, the role of the oceans absorbing that heat energy, the role of the north polar regions, the role of the high altitude jet stream winds, the role of the deep ocean currents that circumnavigate the planet and so forth.

But Elihu did understand that God in His creative wisdom, had created storehouses and systems that gathered and carried out the many weather patterns and cycles that he, Elihu, had observed during his lifetime.

He did not attribute these things to natural phenomena, or events of chance, or things which occurred apart from Gods consent or will.

'From the breath of God,' refers to His will and power.

The storms of planet earth are heated up, stirred up, freeze and thaw, not on their own, but by the will of God and for no other reason.

The 'expanse' of the waters is a reference to the freezing of water, snow, rivers, lakes and so forth. The weather can become so cold that rivers and lakes or large bodies of water can freeze solid.

The whole point of all of this, is that nothing can happen unless God wills or permits it to happen.

Weather is the most common event that everyone around the world can be familiar with, and so everyone who reads this chapter of Job, must be able to relate to weather patterns.

Likewise, every person on the planet is able to see the magnitude of giant weather events, and know that no human being is capable of duplicating anything weather related. Man (rainmakers included) simply does not possess that capability of causing weather, let alone controlling the various storehouses of energy and activity that drive weather or climate trends.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Job 37:8

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 37:8


8 Then the beasts [chay] go [bow'] into [bamow] dens ['ereb], and remain [shakan] in their places [ma`ownah]. KJV-Interlinear


8 'Then the beast goes into its lair, And remains in its den. NASB


Helplessness is the theme, and even when the winter sets in, God protects the animals during times when food is scarce.

Some animals migrate to warmer climates. Some animals move into dens and hibernate for the season.

But when the spring thaw comes around again, as it does each year, animal life leaps into abundance each year as it has for thousands of years.

Animals do not possess the intellect of man. Animals cannot plant or plan for bad times. Animals are dependent totally on nature, and the weather, and the seasons. They have no control over anything in nature. They have no control over anything in life.

Likewise, man has no similar controls in life, despite his presumption that he has. Man has no ability to control or even manage the climate, despite his presumption that only his actions will somehow alter climate behavior.

Not to say that we should do nothing. Being responsible and innovative is a fundamental attribute of Christianity. And often times, high prices and circumstances drive mans innovation out of necessity. For example the high prices of oil are serving as a catalyst for driving research into alternative sources of energy.

When the price of a barrel of oil was only four dollars some forty years ago, there wasn't much incentive to pursue extremely expensive alternatives. But today, that situation has changed.

You can argue that politics and activists are partly to blame for the high prices, but all of that is irrelevant. The situation we have today is what we have, and unless new oil is discovered, the current reserves will run out in thirty or forty years. Needless to say, energy prices are only going to get worse. That will make everything else in life cost more. So tighten your belts.

Helplessness? What will you do when gas prices are ten times what they are today? What will you do when you get into an accident and become disabled? What will you do when life pushes you into the corner of helplessness?

And here Elihu asks that question, in so many words. When will you realize that your only hope is God, and that your only access to God is through your daily study?

Of course we can always look to elected leaders for 'change.' But what are they are going to change, or how will they make their changes? Who is really going to pay the price for change? You are.

Don't become the fool who follows the leader of fools. Your spiritual life is your only survivable path through the inevitable trail that history is going to take us all. Let God manage it and you, through His Word.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Job 37:6-7

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 37:6-7


6 For he saith ['amar] to the snow [sheleg], Be thou [hava'] on the earth ['erets]; likewise to the small [matar] rain [geshem], and to the great [matar] rain [geshem] of his strength [`oz].
7 He sealeth up [chatham] the hand [yad] of every man ['adam]; that all men ['enowsh] may know [yada`] his work [ma`aseh]. KJV-Interlinear



6 'For to the snow He says, 'Fall on the earth,' And to the downpour and the rain, 'Be strong.' 7 'He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. NASB


And the snow, yet another characteristic of the weather, is commanded by God. Elihu lists these examples to show that it is God who commands the climate of the world, not man, not chance.

And while we live in an age where liberal thought is increasing, and liberal thought meaning any thought process which significantly departs from truth (this has nothing to do with politics), and so people are falling into the trap of delusional thinking.

Currently we have the global warming issue, but if you believe in the scriptures, if you believe in the principles of dispensations, if you believe these words of Elihu, then you know that the world will never cook (or freeze) itself into oblivion. You know that man can do nothing to destroy the world, whether by atom bombs or by gas guzzling cars.

But there will always be those who will attempt to panic the masses into adopting views that have no basis in fact. And in this particular view, the changes are being proposed as changes that will occur far into the distant future. Something that cannot be measured, cannot be verified, and changes that have many contradictions or exceptions.

But it is God who commands the snow. 'Fall on the earth.' And with those words from God, the snow falls.

Furthermore, God brings about these very simple situations such that man is sealed up. What does that mean?

In the winter time, in the spring time, in the hottest of the summer times, when the snows fall thus keeping man indoors, when the rains fall as with the monsoons, when the suns heat is at its highest and man is forced to go indoors and becomes helpless, such that man can realize his helplessness.

Being sealed up, means being in a state of helplessness.

And the weather, simple as it is, can force man into a helpless state. We cannot control the weather. We cannot control the solar activity of the sun. We cannot control the beat of our own heart. And so Gods brings us back to reality from mans indifference, from mans imagination, from mans apathy, from mans arrogance, from mans stupidity.

The hurricanes are supposed to grow stronger, and they do not. The weather is supposed to grow warmer, and it does not. In fact when we look at the weather over long periods of time, even greater and more dramatic weather changes have occurred during times when man barely occupied the planet.

God uses the simple to defeat the arrogant. God uses helplessness to demonstrate mans weaknesses.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Job 37:5

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 37:5


5 God ['el] thundereth [ra`am] marvellously [pala'] with his voice [qowl]; great things [gadowl] doeth [`asah] he, which we cannot comprehend [yada`]. KJV-Interlinear


5 'God thunders with His voice wondrously, Doing great things which we cannot comprehend. NASB


The illustration of the storm has come to its end. And though Elihu uses simple concepts, like the storm, which everyone can understand, man still has great difficulty in comprehending life.

Throughout life, as in the storm, God thunders illustrations of Himself and His work. They are apparent to everyone. Whether in child birth, or in death, whether in the weather or in the stars in the night sky, whether in the sciences or in the arts, no matter what subject you choose, God can be found in it in some capacity.

In life there are only two opinions - Gods and everything else. Gods opinion if truth. Everything else is a lie. If you express truth then you express Gods opinion. If you express anything else (other than truth) then you express a lie.

The truth and the lie are mutually exclusive. There is no truth in the lie. There is no lie in the truth.

In order to gain an understanding of truth, you must have a mechanism for comprehending it. Once you can comprehend truth, then you can metabolize it into understanding and then wisdom.

Just as food on the vine does you no good until you eat it, and then metabolize it into your body, likewise spiritual food must be heard, learned and believed in the proper way before it becomes beneficial to your soul.

When once we were all unbelievers, we lived in the dark world of sin and death. Clarity of thought was limited to the academic world around us. Once we believe in Christ then the spiritual mechanism for learning and comprehension, becomes a part of our life.

But that mechanism must function as God has designed it to function before any benefits of learning become a reality to you.

The believer must be in fellowship (confession of sins), before the spiritual life functions properly. All study, all learning, all understanding, all usage of the principles taught in the scriptures, all aspects of the spiritual life, all aspects of your daily life, function properly only while in fellowship.

While comprehension of the academic world is available to all, and while all academic learning comes with limitations depending on ones IQ, common sense, and so forth, the complete view of life cannot be fully understood until one possesses and functions within the spiritual life.

The spiritual life is not dependent on IQ, intellect, wit, or any other aspect of the physical world.

The spiritual life is supported by the Holy Spirit and as such, the spiritual life provides a very level playing field for everyone who has, or will, ever live.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Job 37:4

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 37:4


4 After ['achar] it a voice [qowl] roareth [sha'ag]: he thundereth [ra`am] with the voice [qowl] of his excellency [ga'own]; and he will not stay [`aqab] them when his voice [qowl] is heard [shama`]. KJV-Interlinear


4 'After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice; And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard. NASB


Before the storm rises, the lightning is seen in the distance. Perhaps we see it out of the periphery of our sight. Perhaps we see the reflection in some fashion. Perhaps we see the clouds begin to form on the horizon and then see the lightning within them.

There is a pause, a space, and time gap elapses and then we hear the roar of the thunder. The thunder can be faint and distant, but grows louder and louder as the storm approaches.

Within the storm is rain, hail, wind and such. These are not seen nor felt at the beginning. When the storm is in its early stages, you cannot know its makeup, or its intensity.

But the lightning flashes, and the thunder roars. And, when the thunder roars, that does not mean that it is all over.

The lightning continues, and the thunder continues and the storm continues and continues and continues until the energy of the storm is exhausted or it passes by you and continues on its way to its next destination or culmination.

Before, during and after, the storm has your attention. The thunderclaps spell power and awe. The lightning spells drama and provides a focus for your attention. The rain and wind drive you to seek shelter.

Before the storm, you are no match. With each lightning flash, with each thunderclap, you cannot seek out or backtrack to its source. The light and sounds are all around. You cannot know their origin or their conclusion, or even the intensity or duration of the storm.

Even after the storm, you may not know the ultimate repercussion of its action. Damage assessment or even a flood may not be known or rise up until days after. And then a storm of another kind may be at hand.

And such is life, in this life. Gods presence is constantly available and known, even through the endless stream of storms that we all face during our life here in this world.

But not all of humanity will look at the storms of life and see the same things. Some folks see the realities of life. They see what is really there. Some folks look at the storms of life and do not see their true purpose. Some folks do not see the storms, as such, at all. Yet other folks will see only what they wish to see. So, even though the objective, the indifferent, and the delusional views of life are always present, that does no negate the presence of God or truth in our lives.

We can ignore or interpret life in anyway we please, but truth can never be changed regardless of mans opinion.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Job 37:3

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 37:3


3 He directeth [yashar] it [sharah] under the whole heaven [shamayim], and his lightning ['owr] unto the ends [kanaph] of the earth ['erets]. KJV-Interlinear


3 'Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, And His lightning to the ends of the earth. NASB


The word of truth is universally available throughout the entire planet earth. God is able to direct His word to any specific point, or to all places simultaneously.

God is omnipresent. God is everywhere every moment of the day and night. God is eternal. He has been around everywhere throughout the ages and will be everywhere forever into the future.

The voice of His word, the thunder, the power of His word, the lightning, are able to reach into every corner of the earth. There is no place that cannot escape the sound or the power of His voice.

There is no one who has ever lived in history, who has lived anywhere on the planet, that has not had access to Gods Word, to Gods truth, to the realities and consequences of life.

There is no lie that originated out of its own foundation. All lies are in response to a point of truth. All lies are specifically in response to a point of truth.

All gods, all false faiths, all philosophies run counter to some point of truth.

All cultures in history had knowledge of God, and in rebellion, invented their own counter versions of truth, or gods, or beliefs. Many even copied the sacrifices of the Old Testament, in some form or another.

No matter where on earth civilization ventured to, whether in the America's, Asia, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Europe, the many islands, or the North Pole, all peoples brought with them, their ancient knowledge. Knowledge which we have discovered in this book that the ancients had known correctly, but through sin and indifference, managed to change to beliefs of their own convenience.

The further that people ventured from the Middle East, the further their languages and beliefs delved into the obscure and the bizarre.

But Gods word was always there. In every culture there have been tales of a Messiah, prophecies of a savior, stories of 'one' to come. And these stories did not begin with mans imagination, but originated from the original truths that were known to Elihu, Job and all of those very early generations, regardless of where they lived on the planet.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Job 37:2

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 37:2


2 Hear [shama`] attentively [shama`] the noise [rogez] of his voice [qowl], and the sound [hegeh] that goeth out [yatsa'] of his mouth [peh]. KJV-Interlinear


2 'Listen closely to the thunder of His voice, And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth. NASB


When a storm approaches, the thunderclaps gain the attention of everyone. When the storm is upon you, then the thunderclaps cannot be ignored. This is a reference to a violent storm. Think of an extremely violent thunderstorm or a hurricane with its howling winds, or the roar of a tornado as it passes overhead.

These sounds are so deafening that you can barely hear your own thoughts. And that is the picture here.

When God speaks, it is impossible to ignore His words. Today God speaks through the scriptures. But the word of God is not confined to the written word alone. Truth saturates society all over the world. In the morals of humanity, in the principles of right and wrong we learn from childhood, in the common sense applications of our daily lives, Gods truth touches every aspect of everyone's life.

Gods word is incorporated in the many principles of establishment - volition, marriage, family, freedom, liberty, pursuit of happiness, nationalism, patriotism, charity, free enterprise, and on and on. These things all received their start from God, and from no other source.

Everyday of our lives we are approached by the thunderous sound of Gods voice. Our knowledge, our conscience, our thoughts and actions, all, are always before His court of evaluation.

All around us are the thunderings of Gods voice. In our daily lives, in the economy, in the elections that are at hand, in our trip to work and to the store, in the way we interact with people and life in general.

You can live for the weekend and no more, or you can review your life each morning or evening and ask yourself if there isn't something more to life than your daily commute, or the political or social issues of the day.

One of our biggest barriers to life is our resistance to listening to the thunderings of God. Thunderings, which are always there before us, every moment of every day of our entire life.

The world is extremely good at distracting you from God and doctrine, and getting you to focus on the daily bombardment of marketing or media issues in your life. After all, those things are before our eyes and ears constantly.

But Elihu demands in his comments in this verse that you hear while you are hearing. And that is the big principle of this verse. Most folks listen and do not hear, as information seems to float right through their ears and all of those little numbers and letters fall out of their ears onto the ground.

But in the spiritual life, you are to listen, hear, and then compare life's information flow against sound doctrine.

And you can only gain sound doctrine by means of a daily study. There is no other way.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Job 37:1

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 37:1


1 At this [zo'th] also my heart [leb] trembleth [charad], and is moved out [nathar] of his place [maqowm]. KJV-Interlinear


1'At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place. NASB


At these things, the thunder and lightning, the storms of unexplained origin and support, it is these things, things of which Elihu has no explanation, that terrify him.

He ascribes all to God and the source of Gods power, which he believes to be immeasurable. Elihu believes that it is God who holds life together and that it is God who can simply let loose of life, allowing it to fly apart, as it were, thus ending anything abruptly in its path.

And over this, man has no control, influence, or say.

Man did not have a say in his creation, or his birth. Man does not have a say in the circumstances of his birth. Man does not have a say in the content of his physical makeup, his genetics, his gifts, his talents, his intellect.

Man has no say whatsoever in how, when, or where his life begins. And what I say in this study seems rather obvious, the point here is not the fear instilled by thunder or lightning, but in the power and will of God.

It has already been said that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. When people lose that fear, then they are in an extreme state of delusion. Likewise, they are in an extreme state of danger for their life.

The thunder and lightning are simple symbols teaching us all that they are indeed ominous, and uncontrollable. Likewise, Gods plan goes far, far, far beyond our ability to even begin to understand it. We could never even begin to control life as God is able.

I mentioned yesterday, the opinions of man verses the opinion of God. Thought sure I would get some email responses. But alas, none crossed my computer screen.

Lets just recall what we have been studying. Job.

Job was the greatest of believers in his time. He was the recipient of phenomenal prosperity from God. Without explanation to him, from anyone, all of his wealth was taken away. Even his children were lost, with no explanation given.

The ensuing questions raised in this book seek to answer that question. His friends believed it to be because of Jobs secret wickedness.

Elihu simply believes that God does what God does and it is not for man to question anything, but simply to live with it, as we live with the weather from season to season throughout our lives.

Job, on the other hand, believes that there is an explanation, but that it just isn't apparent to him at the moment. And we have already heard from God, way back in the opening chapter, that Job was a righteous man.

But there is one more party in this play and that is Satan.

Satan is an actual person, but he also represents all the opposition to God, and therefore the opposition to truth in this world. Satan is not the only one who opposes truth. Jobs friends have demonstrated this thought pattern. They have perpetuated the views of Satan, in their distortions of the applications of truth.

And so we come around to the fears that you may wish to consider in life, as the world, which follows the lead of Satanic thought, it its attempt to control life.

Now this is just an introduction of chapter 37, but recall our study of the anti-christ, the leader of the revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation. That is still a future state. That anti-christ will be a dynamic person, pleasant, personable, popular with the masses. He will be popular with the then existing news media. But under that outward appearance, there will be the essence of Satan himself.

Not everyone who is personable and pleasing, is evil. And you can only learn of their true nature by listening to them and comparing their opinions with truth.

We are currently in the Church Age. Our dispensation is one of historical trends. We have already studied this in the four gospels. There are no prophecies set to occur within our dispensation, except the one which identifies the conclusion of our dispensation - namely the Rapture.

However, when the Tribulation is introduced, various circumstances exist, and they can only come into existence during our dispensation. That is, the alignment of nations and so forth. There are many other indicators of our nearing an end to our dispensation - namely the population explosion, technology explosion, the rise of a troubled world and so forth. But all of our indicators are mere trends or examples of the greater troubles that will occur during the Tribulation. A dispensation from which we will be exempted, by the grace of God. Terrible as it will be.

But again we look to our own dispensation for examples of trends that will help us to identify mans spiritual status in this world, now. This does two things. First, it should reinforce our belief in God and help us in our faith. And second, it can help us adjust to life, just as we adjust to the weather.

When the weather turns cold, we put on coats. When the weather turns hot, we take them off. We buy insurance against possible storm damage. We build to protect ourselves against weather damage. We cannot always prevent damage, loss or suffering, but we know that they can occur, and we can prepare for them.

We never curse God for our loss, but thank Him for our survival.

Life will have many unknowns. Life in this life is temporary at best, and our best preparation in this life is our preparation for the next life.

Goliath did not fear God, but placed his faith in his muscles. He died. We can begin to understand much of nature through technological discoveries, but we can also learn that it was God who created and invented all of these things.

If we come to believe in the acts of nature as being nothing more than that, then we place faith in the muscles of Goliath. And we will one day be greatly surprised and very disappointed. But if we learn to place God in awe, but virtue of His hand in history (not in politicians), then we will be better oriented to life and will be better able to survive whatever storms loom on the horizon.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Job 36:33

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 36:33


33 The noise [rea`] thereof sheweth [nagad] concerning it, the cattle [miqneh] also concerning the vapour [`alah]. KJV-Interlinear


33 'Its noise declares His presence; The cattle also, concerning what is coming up. NASB


There is not a person or animal, on the planet, nor in history, that does no look up when a storm is coming up.

The skies darken, the sounds of wind and thunder, even at a distance, announce the coming storm. The lightning flashes are seen even before the noise of a storm can be heard.

And so it is with life, with the difficulties of life, with the problems and the disasters of life. They are announced sometime prior to their arrival. And God makes His announcements, through doctrine, long before disaster strikes.

Animals are not dumb. They know the seasons, they know the changes in the weather. And yet man, who possesses a greater intellect, often times cannot see the nose on his own face.

We have often said in this study that there are but two opinions in life. There is Gods view and then there is everything else.

Well in life or in politics, there is the left view of liberalism, the right view of conservatism, and the center view which is some sort of balance between the two. Regardless of these views, they are all views of the world, each possessing some of the true views of God (if you happen to be in or near the center thinking group), and each possessing some views that are not.

And as you move further and further from the center, then those views begin to dabble in the bizarre.

Political views are not doctrinal views, but are views of the world. Doctrinal views are not political views, but certainly have an influence in the direction of the thinking of people.

In the temporal world, we do not have any gauges for measuring our spiritual strengths or weaknesses. Only from the spiritual side of life, can we observe the workings of the temporal side, and sometimes gain an understanding of the direction, or potential direction that life in this world is going to take. Like storms on the horizon.

None of us are prophets. We cannot say what the world will be doing in a month or in a decade, but we can guess as to its direction from generation to generation. And even that is a difficult guess. We do not know what technology the world will possess in the next generation, nor their troubles, nor their strengths.

But that all, only points to the frailties of humanity.

God can announce the lightning. God can announce the storm. God can point out those who are His friends, and those who are not. God can act on an individual level as well as on a worldwide generational level. We cannot.

We can study doctrine all of our lives and gain insight as to what is happening in the world, perhaps identifying patterns or trends, but we will never have perfect insight.

Certainly, people with doctrine will have a better insight than those who have no doctrinal foundation.
But regardless for your spiritual status, Gods always provides adequate warnings. Storm warnings.

And it is God who directs the storms' ferocity. Not by luck, not by chance, not by simple acts of nature, but by the will of God.

He can direct a single bolt of lightning to the nose of a single individual, with perfect accuracy.

Nothing in life, happens by accident. And while God does not coerce us into any trend of thinking, He always provides us with adequate information and warning systems such that we can stay clear of disaster, or at least be aware of its coming.

From that, you can either be caught up in the storms of life, or you can try to steer clear of them, or you can ride them out.

Sometimes we won't have much of a choice, since the would is far bigger than any of us, but we will always have the choice of spiritual preparation, and through that, we can place our destiny in Gods hands and through Him live through whatever storms life might come our way.

Certainly without God, you will be on your own when trouble strikes.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Job 36:32

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 36:32


32 With clouds [kaph] he covereth [kacah] the light ['owr]; and commandeth [tsavah] it not to shine by the cloud that cometh betwixt [paga`]. KJV-Interlinear


32 'He covers His hands with the lightning, And commands it to strike the mark. NASB


Think of the many things that can occur in life, things over which it is virtually impossible to control. Lightning certainly should be on that list.

We cannot control the weather, and certainly cannot control the electrical charges that occur in the atmosphere. And this is the point that Elihu makes.

From his perspective, in ancient times, lightning was probably one of the more dramatic, beautiful, and violent events that could be observed and observed frequently. That is probably true even today.

You cannot catch lightning, or even predict it. It occurs so fast and extends over such great distances, and usually comes with some pretty loud thunder, that control over it can easily be presumed to be impossible.

And yet, Elihu teaches us that the control over lightning is easily within Gods domain. God holds lightning in the palm of His hand (He holds it in the clouds), as one would a ball, and throws it with great accuracy toward its intended target. God holds it as one would hold an attack dog, pointing it toward its intended target and releases it at the proper time, for maximum effect.

Such is the nature and meaning of this verse.

Lightning is unpredictable, quick, and powerful. Lightning is something that man cannot possibly control. However God has no problem supervising all of lightning's attributes and paths.

Lightning can be used to impose judgment (cursing), and it can be used to cleanse the air (blessing). Lightning can be used to demonstrate awesome power as well as beauty.

Lightning is a good illustration of Gods power in its control, and it is also a good example of obedience to Gods will. Lightning goes nowhere except as God wills.

And lightning is something that everyone can relate to, no matter where you are on the planet, no matter when you have, or will, live in history. Likewise, knowledge of God is something of which everyone has easy access, with no possibility of an excuse.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Job 36:31

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 36:31


31 For by them judgeth [diyn] he the people [`am]; he giveth [nathan] meat ['okel] in abundance [makbiyr]. KJV-Interlinear


31 'For by these He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance. NASB


By means of the simplest of things, the weather, the clouds, the lightning, the seas, God can bring judgment and prosperity, both, to humanity.

God commands and controls the weather. It is not a control of nature. He commands earthquakes in accordance with predetermined principles of the stresses of the continental plates. He commands storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, sand storms, floods, and anything else you can think of, in accordance with their predetermined principles of trends and patterns, as well as their association with the dispensations.

It is no coincidence that the most terrible of storms and disasters will not occur until the Tribulation. Everything that will or has occurred prior to the Tribulation is only an introduction of the worst that is yet to come.

Likewise, God can take these same events and turn them into mechanisms of prosperity. Where one may suffer loss, another may receive gain. Disasters are followed by a rebuilding. Gentle rains that may flood, can also bring great harvests.

But, Elihu makes a wider use of his words, 'by these.'

'These,' also refers to all of the natural events and principles of life. Economics, depression, the rise and fall of nations, employment, the near non-existence of technology, and until these past few decades the explosion of technology.

God can both judge and prosper individuals. And humanity will benefit or suffer by association with these events.

For example, Christianity is strong in this country, and weak in other countries. Prosperity follows spiritual strength. Suffering follows spiritual weakness. The USA is prospered due to its spiritual strengths, and though there are many who ignore or reject God, the spiritual side of our history has been far stronger. Thus indifferent people may prosper merely because of their association by living in this country, just as this country is prospered by association with a strong Christian heritage.

Go to another country where Christianity is weak and what do you find? A depressed state. No roads, no buildings, cities or villages in disrepair, poverty, disease, no innovation, not much of an economy, and less. Even their economy is dependent on the economies of spiritually strong countries.

Even geography tells a story. Where deserts are now, great forests and grasslands once thrived in ancient times.

When the Millennium begins, the planet will transform overnight into a phenomenal paradise.

None of these things have anything to do with mans lifestyle, but are solely dependent on mans spiritual state.

When disastrous trends occur, then what has changed? The worlds temperature? The use of fossil fuels? The suns solar flare activity? An explosion of a volcano?

Are these events all a part of some random or naturally occurring sequence of events, or are they an integral part of a very sophisticated design, coordinated with mans spiritual state?

Under mans rule, the world has undergone the rise of empire after empire, the rise of exploration of frontiers, the rise of industry, the rise of technology, the rise of philosophy, the rise of political views, the rise of religions.

Under Gods rule, the world has advanced through a system of dispensations.

Both plans will culminate in the final battle in the Tribulation. Man will lose in his efforts, and nearly destroy himself. God will win and transform the world into a perfect paradise.

But even then, people born into the Millennium will reject Christ, and at its end, will rebel against the greatest prosperity that history has ever known.

The answer to life is never the systems of world events, or anything of mans design. The answer to life is Christ and through Him, advancing in ones spiritual life.

Your life is not external to you, but internal within your soul.

Elihu has made it very clear. God can be found everywhere. Whether during a stormy night, whether during the brightest of days, or whether residing at the bottom of an extremely dark ocean floor. God is there, regardless of your circumstances.

And whether you are exposed to suffering or prosperity through the many events that can occur in life, they are all brought to you courtesy of Gods grace design.

You will never be able to control history. You cannot control how a billion or ten billion people think. You cannot control the drifting of the continents, you cannot control the weather.

But you can control your own thoughts. And you will always have access to Gods Word.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Job 36:30

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 36:30


30 Behold, he spreadeth [paras] his light ['owr] upon it, and covereth [kacah] the bottom [sheresh] of the sea [yam]. KJV-Interlinear


30 'Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him, And He covers the depths of the sea. NASB


God is omnipresent. Note quickly how Elihu is describing several of the characteristics of God.

Elihu describes the highest of places and the lowest of places. God is in both simultaneously.

In the heights of the clouds, with but a single flash of lightning, He illuminates the heavens, even in the night time.

If you have ever seen a night lightning storm, the visual effects can be awesome. You get quick snippets of cloud formations, silhouettes, and snapshot images of motion from wind and trees and such.

And such is life. With every single day of your life, you have snapshots of Gods presence. Many, you may not see, but occasionally you will see something that catches your eye, if even for a single moment. That image is printed into your thoughts and may help guide you back to doctrine.

Likewise, God can be found in the depths of the oceans, where there is virtually no light whatsoever. But even at the bottom of the sea, Gods presence is felt.

No doubt, Elihu has heard stories from sailors, fishermen, divers of pearls, and such, who have seen the darkness's perhaps at night, in their sea experiences.

And while there is virtually no light, Gods presence is still there.

God is everywhere. Gods presence can be witnessed everywhere. God is everywhere simultaneously. There is nowhere that God is not. Therefore, all of creation, all of life, every one of you, has potential access to God at every moment throughout your life.

The only thing preventing you is, you.

What you think is what you are. And what you think, determines the level of access you will enjoy, or miss out on, with God.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Job 36:27-29

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 36:27-29


27 For he maketh small [gara`] the drops [nataph] of water [mayim]: they pour down [zaqaq] rain [matar] according to the vapour ['ed] thereof:
28 Which the clouds [shachaq] do drop [nazal] and distil [ra`aph] upon man ['adam] abundantly [rab].
29 Also can any understand [biyn] the spreadings [miphras] of the clouds [`ab], or the noise [tashu'ah] of his tabernacle [cukkah]? KJV-Interlinear



27 'For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds pour down, They drip upon man abundantly. 29 'Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds, The thundering of His pavilion? NASB


The greatness of God is beyond comprehension. That is the purpose of Elihu's comments here. Though he most probably did not know the principles behind evaporation, condensation, and rain, Elihu certainly attributed the rain process to Gods power and will.

And by the way, even though we know all of these scientific things today, that does not take away from God, or His role in inventing, designing and creating the rain processes.

Even today, we are still learning about the rains and its cooling and cleansing process for this planet. And yet we still cannot figure out the weather trends and patterns from day to day or decade to decade.

Today, if Elihu were making this speech, he would no doubt be referring to Gods hand in the design of genetics and electrons, of the many things we have discovered that have allowed us to invent all of the many things we take for granted, and of which our grand-parents would be in awe.

One wonders if all of this high tech will one day be so common, if it isn't already, that the next generations of folks will grow up totally desensitized to anything new, or to the complexities of things in life.

One wonders if that will be the undoing of Christianity in our dispensation. That, combined with the many pressures that we are faced with in life, like just being able to make a living.

In Elihu's day, the function of the rains was an amazement. What is it that amazes folks today? With the attitude that everything has a logical and natural explanation, God can easily be pushed back and out of our lives.

When we studied Revelation 7, recall that God ordered the four angels to hold back the four winds. Winds typically are symbolisms for history - the power of God vs. the powers of mans will.

So, recognizing God and His role in life, nature and its role in life, dispensations and their role in history, mans innovation and mans role in life, and on and on and on, it is a wonder that people have great difficulty in figuring out life.

But then, that is why we have our Bible study everyday. Right?

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Job 36:26

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 36:26


26 Behold, God ['el] is great [saggiy'], and we know [yada`] him not, neither can the number [micpar] of his years [shaneh] be searched out [cheqer]. KJV-Interlinear


26 'Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable. NASB


Great, means vast, infinite, beyond comprehension. These are the boundaries of God, which are no boundaries.

God is so vast in His essence, that humanity, or any form of creation, can never possibly discover all that there is to God.

Moses will approach a burning bush and there will learn the name given from Him, 'I Am,' which means simply, 'infinite resource.'

But long before Moses, perhaps a thousand years prior, Elihu understood this concept. God is infinite.

God never had a beginning. There was never a time when God did not exist. God did not advance through generations. God has no succession.

And by the way, we are referring to all three members of the Godhead - Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Christ is the only visible member of the Godhead, and through seeing Christ, we see all three members, even though they are three separate persons.

Our access to God, through Christ, makes it possible for God to establish a plan for humanity, which rules out all of mans invented religions, beliefs, philosophies, etc. This plan, Christ, is the 'big' stumbling block for all other beliefs.

Jesus (the deity), was never born. He has always existed. But Jesus (the humanity), was born into our midst, so that we could all be saved, and certainly come to know Him (Them, God), better.

The infinite past is a concept we can never comprehend. How can there not be a beginning? If there was a beginning, then how would you explain the moment prior to that beginning and the moment prior to that one and so forth? How do we get to now, if the beginning never began?

Take that one to bed with you tonight! But here we are.

And here is a part of Elihu's point. How can we evaluate God, when we cannot even comprehend Him, when we have not been around as long as He has, when we know so little about history, when we cannot even control the simplest of things within our own generation?

Our few years, compared to Gods eternity. What is there to compare? Our efforts to end world hunger, disease, death, compared to Gods sustaining human history when history should have ended numerous times over - in the Garden, at the Flood, at many times in history when famine, and, war and so forth struck. But then, should we realize that it was never our efforts that have sustained us, but Gods gracious support for all of humanity?

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Job 36:24-25

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 36:24-25


24 Remember [zakar] that thou magnify [saga'] his work [po`al], which men ['enowsh] behold [shiyr].
25 Every man ['adam] may see [chazah] it; man ['enowsh] may behold [nabat] it afar off [rachowq]. KJV-Interlinear



24 'Remember that you should exalt His work, Of which men have sung. 25 'All men have seen it; Man beholds from afar. NASB


Elihu states here that, 'God is great.' God has included in His creation, the many complexities and vastness, which compliments His greatness.

Whether observing through a telescope or the sensors on a satellite, or through a microscope or more sophisticated sub-atomic measuring devices, the vastness and thoroughness and complexities of this universe go far beyond mans imagination.

We cannot even discover all that there is, let alone comprehend it all. Recent theories of seven (or eleven) dimensions (we are used to the basic four) sends the imagination off the charts of the incomprehensible.

Only in recent decades (less than one percent of human history), have mind boggling discoveries overwhelmed our lifestyles. But the things we have discovered, man did not create, we have just learned the many principles which have always existed in this world and universe, and we have learned to innovate useful gadgets which help improve our daily lives, while advancing our knowledge of this universe.

Man did not create any of the fundamental components of life. God did that. Since time began for humanity, man has celebrated and sung songs of praise and awe for what God has done.

Unfortunately, man looks at life through a narrow view, and judges God based on mans actions. But it is not man who is the inventor. It is God. It is not man who defines truth and the principles of life. It is God.

Throughout history, man has taken Gods name and manipulated it for mans own conveniences or lusts, or power, or alternate explanations. But mans motives and actions though they be evil, do not discount the perfections of Gods true nature.

God presides over this universe and heaven. Heaven being far greater than our universe. Recall our study on the 'vault' of creation, earlier in Job.

Man can barely preside over the space he stands on.

As close as the fragrance of a flower to the nose, or as far as the sight of distant galaxies, Gods creative hand is evident to all.

To those whose intellect can barely grasp the simplest of concepts, to those who possess great theoretical insight, Gods creative hand is evident to all.

Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. Truth does not depend on your attitude.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Job 36:23

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 36:23


23 Who hath enjoined [paqad] him his way [derek]? or who can say ['amar], Thou hast wrought [pa`al] iniquity [`evel]? KJV-Interlinear


23 'Who has appointed Him His way, And who has said, 'Thou hast done wrong'? NASB


In the Godhead, there are three members - Father, Son, and the Spirit. They are each co-infinite, co-equal, and co-eternal. One is not greater nor lesser than any of the other two.

Each member of the Godhead possesses ten attributes - omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability, veracity, righteousness, justice, love, eternal life, and sovereignty.

None existed prior to the others. There never was a time when they did not exist.

In all of human history, man has tried to advance himself to Gods perfect level of existence, based on mans own ability and effort. On mans works, in other words.

But the finite and the imperfect cannot become infinite or perfect.

And God, recognizing this, came up with a plan that would provide a path for mans advancement to Gods perfection, but man would have to follow the path of Gods work, not mans own work.

Therefore, God specified one of His own, whom we call the Son, as the means of access to God Himself. Those who accept this plan will be allowed into Gods family and into eternal life. Those who reject this plan, will not be allowed into Gods family or eternal life.

Those who reject God, are themselves rejected by God.

God holds all that is, together. And for those who reject God in part, end up rejecting Him altogether. God allows unbelieving man to go out on his own and hold his own life together or to the best of his, mans, ability.

Of course man cannot do this. Man cannot control the growth of a single hair on his own head, let alone control an entire universe around himself. Thus, the Lake of Fire, the eternal lake of chaotic existence in aloneness, terror and ultimate suffering.

So, who can match Gods essence? Who can match Gods abilities? Who can match Gods knowledge and wisdom? Who can account for and be witness to, all of Gods thoughts, motives, and actions? Who can do better than God, what God has accomplished?

No one.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Job 36:22

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 36:22


22 Behold, God ['el] exalteth [sagab] by his power [koach]: who teacheth [yarah] like him? KJV-Interlinear


22 'Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him? NASB


Short study today. The Kansas - Memphis game is about to begin. Priorities ya know!

So, who possess the knowledge of God? Who has lived so long as God? Who has the power to invent, design, create, and support things that have never existed, as God has done?

No human being who has ever lived (Christ being the single exception), can make any of these boasts. And Christ, being both man and God, the unique person of this universe, is the only qualified person who actually possesses these attributes.

Humanity cannot date or verify his own calendar, let alone number the years of God.

Of the five great religions in history, only one is unique, only one is true, and that single religion, Christianity, is not even a religion, but a relationship with God, through Christ.

The single and biggest difference between Christianity, and all other beliefs, religions, philosophies, etc., that have ever existed, is Jesus Christ. They all reject Christ, or substitute something or someone else in His place.

While they all infuse confusion into mans history, they really make discernment between truth and the lies of all of the worldly views, easy. Christ is the focus of their objection. Everything else in their argument for life is mere filler.

God is the most magnificent instructor. He can take the most complex of things and simplify them such that, in the spirit, anyone, with any IQ, can understand them.

Mans biggest single barrier? His own arrogance.

Ok, game time. Go Jayhawks!!

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Job 36:20-21

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 36:20-21


20 Desire [sha'aph] not the night [layil], when people [`am] are cut off [`alah] in their place.
21 Take heed [shamar], regard [panah] not iniquity ['aven]: for this hast thou chosen [bachar] rather than affliction [`oniy]. KJV-Interlinear



20 'Do not long for the night, When people vanish in their place. 21 'Be careful, do not turn to evil; For you have preferred this to affliction. NASB


The night, is a reference to a life without truth, or a life following a pattern of compromised truth.

The vanishing, is an evaporation, a fading, a desertion, a departure, a disappearance of ones true life. The life intended for you, by God.

While you stand, while you live and breathe, and simultaneously pursue your own course, a course based on the deceptions of the world, then you will lose out on the life designed by God. It evaporates right before your eyes, but you cannot see it fading. All you see are the illusions of your own beliefs.

And why? Because you pursue the evils of the world rather than the afflictions of Gods reminders.

No one wants difficulties. That's for sure. But then difficulties are good teaching aids, reminders, course correctors.

Anyone who has ever traveled by car, by ship, by airplane, knows that during the long trip, your course needs occasional correction. We use maps, compasses, GPS tools and such things to help us stay on the correct course. Without a map, without a compass, without a tool of some type, then finding a destination, a destination that we have never been to, would be impossible to reach.

And none of us have been to the end of our life, our final destination in this world. None of us have been to the next life, our next destination after this life. A map and good directions would be a good thing to have.

The world provides lots of maps and lots of directions. God provides the only correct one. Sorting them all out is the problem. The world is full of enticements and shortcuts, even instant gratifications, which are hard to turn away from.

But God provides course correction incentives, afflictions, which give us some clarity and discernment.

But those who prefer the evil, the darkness of the world, will never listen to Gods corrective measures. And they will never see their own life vanishing right before their own eyes.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Job 36:19

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 36:19


19 Will he esteem [`arak] thy riches [shuwa`]? no, not gold [batsar], nor all the forces [ma'amats] of strength [koach]. KJV-Interlinear


19 'Will your riches keep you from distress, Or all the forces of your strength? NASB


What is man? Dust and nothing more. What has man created out of nothing? Nothing, and he never will create anything original from nothing.

Man can only use the materials, tools, and talents, which God has provided. Man has never provided nor will ever be the provider, of anything.

So whatever wealth, talent, intellect, age, reputation, authority, power, rank, status and so forth, that man has (or thinks he has), will never save man from sin. These things will never save man from death. These things will never advance mans life even one more single heartbeat.

As we noticed in yesterdays study, God has set and established a plan. God has presented a design for the history of humanity. Man can never alter, modify, change or even cancel that which God has established.

A great deal of it balances on mans freedom to make his own choices, and thus sin and evil enter into the picture of mans history.

All of those bumper stickers of wishful thinking, 'Imagine all the people…,' 'make love no war,' 'Imagine no war,' 'Get out of war,' and on and on, are stickers proclaiming the stupidity and ignorance of those who placed them on their cars.

Man can never free himself of sin. Man can never design anything which will ever be perfect. Any type of thinking in that regard is only an expression of arrogant ignorance.

God placed into history, principles by which man can survive this life and history and continue on to eternity. Wishing them away will never make them go away. Mans destiny is not for this world, but for the next life.

Mans beliefs and good intentions will never equal Gods righteousness and justice or guiding principles of life. Which, by the way, is the only path to truth. All of mans paths lead to violence and mans ultimate end. That is what the Tribulation will finally teach.

All sin, no matter how insignificant, originates from mans rejection of truth. And all sin (sin upon sin), goes in only one direction - violence and destruction.

Disregard of truth comes easy when life is good to you. But remember that life comes to you courtesy of God and no one else. When life is good to you through circumstances of birth, circumstances of gifted talents, circumstances allowing your success through your own hustle, then these things should be identified as gifts from God and never from the origin of your own abilities. Of which, by thee way, you have none. Dust, remember!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Job 36:18

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 36:18


18 Because there is wrath [chemah], beware lest he take thee away [cuwth] with his stroke [cepheq]: then a great [rob] ransom [kopher] cannot deliver [natah] thee. KJV-Interlinear


18 'Beware lest wrath entice you to scoffing; And do not let the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. NASB


There is phenomenal danger is continuing down a path of spiritual negativity.

Human life in the soul is a living thing. It is the real you. The only things that continues that life, in a healthy manner, are the proper foods. The soul longs, just as the body longs, for the best of foods. Spiritual food comes from the Bible. Truth is the information food for the soul.

But in opposition of spiritual food are the worldly foods (beliefs, philosophies, propaganda, attitudes, interpretations of life, etc., etc., etc.). These foods are bad when consumed in great quantities, or if they are the only foods consumed by the soul.

Review the charts on the soul of the unbeliever, the believer in fellowship, and the believer out of fellowship.

The human spirit is the conduit or transfer mechanism for spiritual food from its source, through the Holy Spirit, into the soul. This allows, when believed and accepted by the believer, for the construction of spiritual muscle within your soul.

When out of fellowship or as an unbeliever, then all spiritual food is cut off and becomes just like any other worldly information flow into the soul. Academic information does not build up spiritual structure within the soul.

There is only one way to build up true wisdom, true spiritual strength within ones soul and that is through functioning in the spiritual life from within the fellowship sphere.

Elihu states this very clearly. When you get angry, when you continue in your sins whatever they may be, then you deactivate the spiritual functions of your life. There is no amount of money, no ransom, which can bypass or set aside this mechanism for life, which God has invented and designed for humanity.

You can sin, and from that sin continue in sin and you do yourself no good. Getting angry, upset, feeling sorry for ones self, and pressing these emotions, or transforming them into more sins, more anger, revenge, more self pity and so forth, does you more harm and never any good.

You may want to get back at someone, you may want to cry your heart out, you may want to wallow in your attitude, but you're getting even with someone else, or making someone else feel sorry for you will never help you in your real life, which is your spiritual life. Those emotions are really traps for failure in life.

It takes greater maturity to impose self-control on your emotions, than to let them loose on others. But the most important principle in this verse is the principle that you can never change Gods design for life. You either live by it and benefit from it, or you reject it and lose.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Job 36:17

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 36:17


17 But thou hast fulfilled [male'] the judgment [diyn] of the wicked [rasha`]: judgment [diyn] and justice [mishpat] take hold [tamak] on thee. KJV-Interlinear


17 'But you were full of judgment on the wicked; Judgment and justice take hold of you. NASB


Judge not lest you be judged.

There is no place for opinionated people in the spiritual life. There is no place for self-righteousness in the spiritual life. There is no place for critics, inordinate ambition, negative competition, unreasonable expectations, or anything that presumes to elevate you at the expense of someone else, in the spiritual life.

The spiritual life is free, or should be free, of these types of human expressions of arrogance.

Judgment and justice go hand in hand. They cannot be separated from each other.

Judgment is the conclusion resulting from a thorough evaluation. God is the evaluator, and his evaluation and review of any person's life is thorough and complete. Nothing is ever left out, overlooked, or ignored.

Justice is the corrective cleansing process for washing away the filth resulting from the infraction, sin, failure on the person's part. Once justice has served its purpose, then the infraction should be removed and forgotten.

Unfortunately for most folks, they do not learn from the justice which is imposed on their lives. And they continue making the same mistakes of attitude and incurring more and more punishments.

Thus Elihu's comments here. If you do the deed, you should expect the punishment. If you accuse others of doing wrong, then you should expect to suffer as a result of your gossip. Do not expect to sit back and criticize, when it is not your place to criticize, and not expect repercussions from your sin.

So learn the principle. Judgment and justice go hand in hand. What is applicable for others, is applicable to you.

See the rock in your own eye and deal with your own self, and ignore the speck in the eyes of others.