This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 40:19-24
19 He is the chief [re'shiyth] of the ways [derek] of God ['el]: he that made [`asah] him can make [nagash] his sword [chereb] to approach [nagash] unto him.
20 Surely the mountains [har] bring him forth [nasa'] food [buwl], where all the beasts [chay] of the field [sadeh] play [sachaq].
21 He lieth [shakab] under the shady trees [tse'el], in the covert [cether] of the reed [qaneh], and fens [bitstsah].
22 The shady trees [tse'el] cover [cakak] him with their shadow [tselel]; the willows [`arab] of the brook [nachal] compass him about [cabab].
23 Behold, he drinketh up [`ashaq] a river [nahar], and hasteth [chaphaz] not: he trusteth [batach] that he can draw up [giyach] Jordan [Yarden] into his mouth [peh].
24 He taketh [laqach] it with his eyes [`ayin]: his nose ['aph] pierceth through [naqab] snares [mowqesh]. KJV-Interlinear
19 'He is the first of the ways of God; Let his maker bring near his sword. 20 'Surely the mountains bring him food, And all the beasts of the field play there. 21 'Under the lotus plants he lies down, In the covert of the reeds and the marsh. 22 'The lotus plants cover him with shade; The willows of the brook surround him. 23 'If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes to his mouth. 24 'Can anyone capture him when he is on watch, With barbs can anyone pierce his nose? NASB
The ways of God, refers to the actions of God in invention, design, creation, and support. So it should be vividly clear, that all of these matters come from the hand of the creator and not by chance or accident.
The first, refers to not the chronological order or numerical first in order of history, but to the initial steps that God has taken in order to bring life into this world.
And the sword is a reference to the tools of the animal which allow it to survive. This is not the weapon of God approaching that which he just created, in order to slay it or control it. The context here is that which God has been able to do, verses that which man has not been able to do.
The remainder of this chapter describes the entire eco-system, which was designed to support life.
The mountains, the food supply, the playing fields, the resting places, the marshes, the brooks and streams, the meadows and forests, the violence of the weather and floods, even the nature of man attempting to capture and domesticate wildlife, all of these things create an entire system of support, including various threats of life, for the animals that depend on it for their life and survival.
All of these things were likewise designed and created by God. The environment systems that surround us all, did not spring up accidentally. The description of the 'sword' eliminates the idea of evolutionary change wherein animals adapted or changed to their changing environment. Animals did not change to, or grow teeth, or wings, or develop more durable skin in order to acclimate to different environmental changes. Nature does not have an intellect by which it possesses reason or self-will. DNA does not possess the ability to study its circumstances and then split off in another direction of life.
We cannot speak to a pile of dust and ask it to make itself into a tulip. But then, some will try!
Showing posts with label Job 40. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job 40. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Job 40:15-18
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 40:15-18
15 Behold now behemoth [bahemowth], which I made [`asah] with thee; he eateth ['akal] grass [chatsiyr] as an ox [baqar].
16 Lo now, his strength [koach] is in his loins [mothen], and his force ['own] is in the navel [shariyr] of his belly [beten].
17 He moveth [chaphets] his tail [zanab] like a cedar ['erez]: the sinews [giyd] of his stones [pachad] are wrapped together [sarag].
18 His bones [`etsem] are as strong ['aphiyq] pieces of brass [nachuwshah]; his bones [gerem] are like bars [matiyl] of iron [barzel]. KJV-Interlinear
15 'Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. 16 'Behold now, his strength in his loins, And his power in the muscles of his belly. 17 'He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. 18 'His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. NASB
God begins His last two descriptions of a beast that walks on the land and the beast that swims in the water. The Behemoth in this chapter, and the Leviathan in the next chapter are going to be described in detail as to their build and character. And though neither are clearly identified, and probably are animals that are now extinct so people will no try to idolize them, their identity is irrelevant. God describes their attributes because it is those things which He has made, that are important.
God made them, living creatures, out of the dust of the earth. What has man created of similar fashion?
God has made them to procreate and perpetuate themselves, to defend themselves, to feed themselves and otherwise live a long life in the wild. What has man created that can do the same?
And of course man has never created life, other than perpetuating his own kind, but man has never and will never create life out of a lifeless substance (dust).
The Behemoth describes a large quadruped of some sort, but of which Job was familiar. Even we can look to large animals, such as the elephant or the rhino to find similar attributes. So we are not without examples.
This animal grazes on the grasses of the field and in the marshes. God describes his physical construction, his muscles, his thighs, his bones, the strength he derives from his belly and legs. All of these intended to gain awe and respect as to his build, and might. His tail whipping around in similar fashion to the limbs of trees, implying great flexibility combined with control.
And can you guess another reason for this description?
The overall design of the beast. He is not similar to the fish, not similar to the bird, not even similar to other four legged animals that may walk the land.
He was designed and constructed. He did not come into existence by accident or chance. The beast was designed with a purpose. He did not come into existence on a whim or just to use up some extra dust.
If God has a design for something that is now extinct, then could God possibly have a design and purpose for you, who are far more important than an extinct beast?
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Job 40:15-18
15 Behold now behemoth [bahemowth], which I made [`asah] with thee; he eateth ['akal] grass [chatsiyr] as an ox [baqar].
16 Lo now, his strength [koach] is in his loins [mothen], and his force ['own] is in the navel [shariyr] of his belly [beten].
17 He moveth [chaphets] his tail [zanab] like a cedar ['erez]: the sinews [giyd] of his stones [pachad] are wrapped together [sarag].
18 His bones [`etsem] are as strong ['aphiyq] pieces of brass [nachuwshah]; his bones [gerem] are like bars [matiyl] of iron [barzel]. KJV-Interlinear
15 'Behold now, Behemoth, which I made as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. 16 'Behold now, his strength in his loins, And his power in the muscles of his belly. 17 'He bends his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are knit together. 18 'His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. NASB
God begins His last two descriptions of a beast that walks on the land and the beast that swims in the water. The Behemoth in this chapter, and the Leviathan in the next chapter are going to be described in detail as to their build and character. And though neither are clearly identified, and probably are animals that are now extinct so people will no try to idolize them, their identity is irrelevant. God describes their attributes because it is those things which He has made, that are important.
God made them, living creatures, out of the dust of the earth. What has man created of similar fashion?
God has made them to procreate and perpetuate themselves, to defend themselves, to feed themselves and otherwise live a long life in the wild. What has man created that can do the same?
And of course man has never created life, other than perpetuating his own kind, but man has never and will never create life out of a lifeless substance (dust).
The Behemoth describes a large quadruped of some sort, but of which Job was familiar. Even we can look to large animals, such as the elephant or the rhino to find similar attributes. So we are not without examples.
This animal grazes on the grasses of the field and in the marshes. God describes his physical construction, his muscles, his thighs, his bones, the strength he derives from his belly and legs. All of these intended to gain awe and respect as to his build, and might. His tail whipping around in similar fashion to the limbs of trees, implying great flexibility combined with control.
And can you guess another reason for this description?
The overall design of the beast. He is not similar to the fish, not similar to the bird, not even similar to other four legged animals that may walk the land.
He was designed and constructed. He did not come into existence by accident or chance. The beast was designed with a purpose. He did not come into existence on a whim or just to use up some extra dust.
If God has a design for something that is now extinct, then could God possibly have a design and purpose for you, who are far more important than an extinct beast?
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Job 40:10-14
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 40:10-14
10 Deck [`adah] thyself now with majesty [ga'own] and excellency [gobahh]; and array [labash] thyself with glory [howd] and beauty [hadar].
11 Cast abroad [puwts] the rage [`ebrah] of thy wrath ['aph]: and behold [ra'ah] every one that is proud [ge'eh], and abase [shaphel] him.
12 Look [ra'ah] on every one that is proud [ge'eh], and bring him low [kana`]; and tread down [hadak] the wicked [rasha`] in their place.
13 Hide [taman] them in the dust [`aphar] together [yachad]; and bind [chabash] their faces [paniym] in secret [taman].
14 Then will I also confess [yadah] unto thee that thine own right hand [yamiyn] can save [yasha`] thee. KJV-Interlinear
10 'Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity; And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. 11 'Pour out the overflowings of your anger; And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. 12 'Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him; And tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 'Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. 14 'Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you. NASB
God is speaking directly to Job, but remember that there are others present, just as you and I are also present and hearing His words now.
God has the arm (the power), and the voice (the majesty), and the thunder (the authority) to accomplish His will.
God is righteousness (sinless perfection). God is justice (perfectly clean of all blemishes or taints of any and every kind).
And now, God possesses eminence (reputation), and dignity (distinction). What is it that man possesses?
Can man even adorn himself with respect (honor) or dignity (majesty)? Does man possess rank, wealth, power, authority or anything which will allow him to accomplish his (mans) will?
Can man pour out his anger in policies of justice and control, and restrain or prevent evil?
Can man bring humility, or remorse or repentance to those who are evil?
Can man look at everyone and determine his spiritual status? Can man identify all aspects of evil and in whom they reside?
Can man cause all evil to prostrate itself, face down in the dust in complete surrender?
Can man improve on Gods policies? Can man do better with human history, than God has and is doing?
Can man stretch out his will to subdue and control all of human history?
Can man take all of the evils of history, all of the sins, all of the prejudices and corrupt practices out of history and bind them and then obliterate them for all of eternity?
If man can accomplish any of this, than God will relent His own power and authority, and yield to mans better abilities.
And now we can begin to grasp exactly what has been going on between Satan and God, and what history is all about.
Satan has been attempting to out-do God. God has allowed Satan great latitude in his efforts to be better than God. But all that Satan has been trying to do, is destroy that which God has created.
Destruction does not and never will, become a better alternative to productivity and good.
And all deviations from truth, are in one form or another, paths to destruction.
In Revelation, you will recall our study of the seven great empires of human history. The seven great empires that make up the total of human history. Six have come and gone. The seventh is still to come.
Our dispensation of the Church Age saw the completion of the sixth empire (Rome), followed by a pause while the seventh is being positioned for its formation. That seventh empire, generally referred to as the Revived Rome, will come together in the Tribulation.
In all of these empires, in all of the nations that have assembled, failure after failure has resulted because sooner or later their citizens have rejected truth. We can see that process occurring ever so slowly in our current day.
Everyone wants peace and happiness, but no one wants to pay the price to accomplish and hold on to it.
While God uses righteousness and justice, in truth, to accomplish His will, man always loses control and resorts to either passivism, indifference or violence, in deceit, to accomplish his.
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Job 40:10-14
10 Deck [`adah] thyself now with majesty [ga'own] and excellency [gobahh]; and array [labash] thyself with glory [howd] and beauty [hadar].
11 Cast abroad [puwts] the rage [`ebrah] of thy wrath ['aph]: and behold [ra'ah] every one that is proud [ge'eh], and abase [shaphel] him.
12 Look [ra'ah] on every one that is proud [ge'eh], and bring him low [kana`]; and tread down [hadak] the wicked [rasha`] in their place.
13 Hide [taman] them in the dust [`aphar] together [yachad]; and bind [chabash] their faces [paniym] in secret [taman].
14 Then will I also confess [yadah] unto thee that thine own right hand [yamiyn] can save [yasha`] thee. KJV-Interlinear
10 'Adorn yourself with eminence and dignity; And clothe yourself with honor and majesty. 11 'Pour out the overflowings of your anger; And look on everyone who is proud, and make him low. 12 'Look on everyone who is proud, and humble him; And tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 'Hide them in the dust together; Bind them in the hidden place. 14 'Then I will also confess to you, That your own right hand can save you. NASB
God is speaking directly to Job, but remember that there are others present, just as you and I are also present and hearing His words now.
God has the arm (the power), and the voice (the majesty), and the thunder (the authority) to accomplish His will.
God is righteousness (sinless perfection). God is justice (perfectly clean of all blemishes or taints of any and every kind).
And now, God possesses eminence (reputation), and dignity (distinction). What is it that man possesses?
Can man even adorn himself with respect (honor) or dignity (majesty)? Does man possess rank, wealth, power, authority or anything which will allow him to accomplish his (mans) will?
Can man pour out his anger in policies of justice and control, and restrain or prevent evil?
Can man bring humility, or remorse or repentance to those who are evil?
Can man look at everyone and determine his spiritual status? Can man identify all aspects of evil and in whom they reside?
Can man cause all evil to prostrate itself, face down in the dust in complete surrender?
Can man improve on Gods policies? Can man do better with human history, than God has and is doing?
Can man stretch out his will to subdue and control all of human history?
Can man take all of the evils of history, all of the sins, all of the prejudices and corrupt practices out of history and bind them and then obliterate them for all of eternity?
If man can accomplish any of this, than God will relent His own power and authority, and yield to mans better abilities.
And now we can begin to grasp exactly what has been going on between Satan and God, and what history is all about.
Satan has been attempting to out-do God. God has allowed Satan great latitude in his efforts to be better than God. But all that Satan has been trying to do, is destroy that which God has created.
Destruction does not and never will, become a better alternative to productivity and good.
And all deviations from truth, are in one form or another, paths to destruction.
In Revelation, you will recall our study of the seven great empires of human history. The seven great empires that make up the total of human history. Six have come and gone. The seventh is still to come.
Our dispensation of the Church Age saw the completion of the sixth empire (Rome), followed by a pause while the seventh is being positioned for its formation. That seventh empire, generally referred to as the Revived Rome, will come together in the Tribulation.
In all of these empires, in all of the nations that have assembled, failure after failure has resulted because sooner or later their citizens have rejected truth. We can see that process occurring ever so slowly in our current day.
Everyone wants peace and happiness, but no one wants to pay the price to accomplish and hold on to it.
While God uses righteousness and justice, in truth, to accomplish His will, man always loses control and resorts to either passivism, indifference or violence, in deceit, to accomplish his.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Job 40:9
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 40:9
9 Hast thou an arm [zarowa`] like God ['el]? or canst thou thunder [ra`am] with a voice [qowl] like him? KJV-Interlinear
9 'Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? NASB
The arm and the voice are symbols of strength and splendor. The arm has the power to accomplish ones own will, and the voice has the quality or majesty of conveying ones own will.
The power of God is omnipotent, and the majesty of God is infinite. Both are so overpowering and overwhelming, that, as they say, to see the face of God, in His full glory, would mean instant oblivion for ones self.
But, there are lots of folks that are not impressed with God or His essence. Such is the power of arrogance, that it will elevate ones own qualities (dust) and makes them more magnificent than God.
We usually call this delusional. Delusional means living is a state divorced from reality. And when folks reject God, they reject truth, and when they reject truth, they embrace delusion.
Human dignity, human qualities, human achievement, human good, all of these are delusional statements. Why? Because man is dust, and man is nothing without God supporting his every effort. Remove God form the picture and where does that leave man? Well, that will occur one day in the future and that leaves man in a place known as the Lake of Fire. That is the legacy of mans own efforts.
People will far too often, attempt to justify themselves, by finding fault in others. And if there is no fault in others, then they will manufacture a fault in others, in order to mask their own failures.
My pet has gone bad, must be the neighbors fault. My kids are bad, must be the schools fault. I can't pay my bills, must be the governments fault. My life is crap, must be Gods fault. And the list goes on and on.
Refusal to take responsibility for ones own life results from the rejection of truth, and the refusal to see truth, and the default resultant pursuit of delusion.
In a delusional world, anything we want can become true. But God does have one remedy for this type of attitude. And that is disaster.
The greater your stubbornness is, the greater the disaster may be in order to pry you loose from your delusional life. Otherwise, if you continue to refuse to change, then God will either let you go in this world, or terminate your presence in this world.
Having problems in your life is a good thing. Having no problems, when you are spiritually negative is a bad thing. That means that you are in deep doggie doo-doo, spiritually, and you will never know it until you are finally called out of this world.
Then the shock will hit you.
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Job 40:9
9 Hast thou an arm [zarowa`] like God ['el]? or canst thou thunder [ra`am] with a voice [qowl] like him? KJV-Interlinear
9 'Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His? NASB
The arm and the voice are symbols of strength and splendor. The arm has the power to accomplish ones own will, and the voice has the quality or majesty of conveying ones own will.
The power of God is omnipotent, and the majesty of God is infinite. Both are so overpowering and overwhelming, that, as they say, to see the face of God, in His full glory, would mean instant oblivion for ones self.
But, there are lots of folks that are not impressed with God or His essence. Such is the power of arrogance, that it will elevate ones own qualities (dust) and makes them more magnificent than God.
We usually call this delusional. Delusional means living is a state divorced from reality. And when folks reject God, they reject truth, and when they reject truth, they embrace delusion.
Human dignity, human qualities, human achievement, human good, all of these are delusional statements. Why? Because man is dust, and man is nothing without God supporting his every effort. Remove God form the picture and where does that leave man? Well, that will occur one day in the future and that leaves man in a place known as the Lake of Fire. That is the legacy of mans own efforts.
People will far too often, attempt to justify themselves, by finding fault in others. And if there is no fault in others, then they will manufacture a fault in others, in order to mask their own failures.
My pet has gone bad, must be the neighbors fault. My kids are bad, must be the schools fault. I can't pay my bills, must be the governments fault. My life is crap, must be Gods fault. And the list goes on and on.
Refusal to take responsibility for ones own life results from the rejection of truth, and the refusal to see truth, and the default resultant pursuit of delusion.
In a delusional world, anything we want can become true. But God does have one remedy for this type of attitude. And that is disaster.
The greater your stubbornness is, the greater the disaster may be in order to pry you loose from your delusional life. Otherwise, if you continue to refuse to change, then God will either let you go in this world, or terminate your presence in this world.
Having problems in your life is a good thing. Having no problems, when you are spiritually negative is a bad thing. That means that you are in deep doggie doo-doo, spiritually, and you will never know it until you are finally called out of this world.
Then the shock will hit you.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Job 40:8
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 40:8
8 Wilt thou also disannul [parar] my judgment [mishpat]? wilt thou condemn [rasha`] me, that thou mayest be righteous [tsadaq]? KJV-Interlinear
8 'Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? NASB
God is righteousness, which is sinless perfection. That is a character with no faults, no blemishes, no fractured or selfish thinking or motives.
God is justice. That is a life clean, washed, and thoroughly free of every type of filth that comes from the sinful life.
When man commits a sin, or any type of error, he has to be washed, which is to say, justice has to be applied to him in order to clear the flaw from his life. Here we send folks to jail or make them pay fines in order to make right the record. This is the act or process of washing their taint away.
Mans acknowledgement of his error, confession, brings forgiveness from whomever he errored against. This forgiveness comes only after the error has been cleansed away (the application of justice).
Thus in our spiritual life, man cannot pay the price of justice for sin, because that price is too great. That price is death, or a separation from God. Man cannot die, separate himself from God, and then bring himself back.
So, God sent a substitute, Himself, to take mans place and pay the price of justice against sin, in behalf of man. This is in order to wash away the sins from our life. But man is not forgiven by this act. Man has to acknowledge Gods work, faith in Christ, in order to receive the initial forgiveness, which occurs simultaneously with salvation by that faith.
Then once saved, when man commits a sin during his life, he must confess that sin in order to be restored through forgiveness, back to fellowship and a functioning spiritual life.
So, God is righteousness and justice. Together, they become holiness.
When man rejects God, maintains an indifference or apathy toward Him, pursues something other than truth in life, then man in effect rejects Gods will, substituting his own will in its place.
Mans will, when truth is absent, is nothing more than a pursuit of his own motives, lusts, and desires which are founded in sin.
When man operates in sin, then he rejects even denounces truth and all of the principles of truth.
Embracing lies, means the pursuit of a path toward ones own self-destruction. So, in effect when lies are pursued, then God is rejected, and then truth is rejected, and that means that truth is destroyed for only one purpose - the pursuit of ones own selfish desires. And that results in the destruction not only of all that is good, but all that one desired in the first place. It is a lose, lose situation.
So, now we come to our current society. People who reject God, reject truth. They prefer to destroy that which is right (salvation, their spiritual life), for their own selfish interests.
When people reject truth, then they reject the principles of truth. They reject honor, honesty, loyalty, patriotism, respect of authority, marriage, family, free enterprise, volition, nationalism, correct economics principles, and so forth. All of the laws of establishment are rejected and replaced with some compromise or substitute.
Politicians, celebrities, people in general will tear down their own faith, their own country, their own responsibilities, in order to have their own way. They become impressed with personality and nostalgia, rather than qualification. Is that not what is happening in our present day?
When one owns a company and goes out to hire a president to run his company, does he select someone who can learn on the job, or does he seek to hire someone who is well qualified and knows his industry inside and out? A mail clerk can learn on the job, but the boss needs to be well qualified and know his business.
Aren't there masses of people slobbering over someone now who is a rookie, lacking nearly every element of qualification even for the mailroom? How long can a company remain in business if the boss lacks competence?
Today people are writing books, seeking office, filling the media with constant attacks against nearly every aspect of truth. Prayer is attacked, faith is attacked, Christianity is attacked, and responsibility to others is attacked, and for what? Because it is too expensive, it is too costly, people may get hurt or even die in the process. And appealing to these attitudes, seeks only to lift one into a position of power, authority, position, approbation.
So, truth is rejected in order to gain ones own selfish desires and lusts. There is no other reason for rejecting truth. Sin, lust, selfishness, self-seeking motives, all of these and more, even deceit, are used in order to promote ones self.
The rejecter of truth cares nothing for what is right or morally good and decent and honorable. They will use all of the tools available to them, mostly wrapped up in popular yet ambiguous rhetoric (change, tax the rich, social reform, get out of the war, stop global warming), with which any given listener can interpret in the way he wants it all to mean to himself.
And so the rah-rah crowd screams and swoons at an absolutely empty promise, a promise of their own interpretation, a promise that somehow they will receive whatever it is that they personally want. Which in reality is a promise that ultimately rejects God and truth, and will certainly reverse all of those cheers and make them into major tears of suffering and sorrow.
And who can convince them otherwise? Not you. Not me.
Only God can convince them and that convincing will come in the form of a major dose of suffering.
When an individual, a nation, or the world has driven itself into the delusion of their own beliefs, then only a major disaster can bring folks back to reality. And even then, sometimes a major disaster is not enough. Such is the entrenchment of their rejection of truth.
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Job 40:8
8 Wilt thou also disannul [parar] my judgment [mishpat]? wilt thou condemn [rasha`] me, that thou mayest be righteous [tsadaq]? KJV-Interlinear
8 'Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? NASB
God is righteousness, which is sinless perfection. That is a character with no faults, no blemishes, no fractured or selfish thinking or motives.
God is justice. That is a life clean, washed, and thoroughly free of every type of filth that comes from the sinful life.
When man commits a sin, or any type of error, he has to be washed, which is to say, justice has to be applied to him in order to clear the flaw from his life. Here we send folks to jail or make them pay fines in order to make right the record. This is the act or process of washing their taint away.
Mans acknowledgement of his error, confession, brings forgiveness from whomever he errored against. This forgiveness comes only after the error has been cleansed away (the application of justice).
Thus in our spiritual life, man cannot pay the price of justice for sin, because that price is too great. That price is death, or a separation from God. Man cannot die, separate himself from God, and then bring himself back.
So, God sent a substitute, Himself, to take mans place and pay the price of justice against sin, in behalf of man. This is in order to wash away the sins from our life. But man is not forgiven by this act. Man has to acknowledge Gods work, faith in Christ, in order to receive the initial forgiveness, which occurs simultaneously with salvation by that faith.
Then once saved, when man commits a sin during his life, he must confess that sin in order to be restored through forgiveness, back to fellowship and a functioning spiritual life.
So, God is righteousness and justice. Together, they become holiness.
When man rejects God, maintains an indifference or apathy toward Him, pursues something other than truth in life, then man in effect rejects Gods will, substituting his own will in its place.
Mans will, when truth is absent, is nothing more than a pursuit of his own motives, lusts, and desires which are founded in sin.
When man operates in sin, then he rejects even denounces truth and all of the principles of truth.
Embracing lies, means the pursuit of a path toward ones own self-destruction. So, in effect when lies are pursued, then God is rejected, and then truth is rejected, and that means that truth is destroyed for only one purpose - the pursuit of ones own selfish desires. And that results in the destruction not only of all that is good, but all that one desired in the first place. It is a lose, lose situation.
So, now we come to our current society. People who reject God, reject truth. They prefer to destroy that which is right (salvation, their spiritual life), for their own selfish interests.
When people reject truth, then they reject the principles of truth. They reject honor, honesty, loyalty, patriotism, respect of authority, marriage, family, free enterprise, volition, nationalism, correct economics principles, and so forth. All of the laws of establishment are rejected and replaced with some compromise or substitute.
Politicians, celebrities, people in general will tear down their own faith, their own country, their own responsibilities, in order to have their own way. They become impressed with personality and nostalgia, rather than qualification. Is that not what is happening in our present day?
When one owns a company and goes out to hire a president to run his company, does he select someone who can learn on the job, or does he seek to hire someone who is well qualified and knows his industry inside and out? A mail clerk can learn on the job, but the boss needs to be well qualified and know his business.
Aren't there masses of people slobbering over someone now who is a rookie, lacking nearly every element of qualification even for the mailroom? How long can a company remain in business if the boss lacks competence?
Today people are writing books, seeking office, filling the media with constant attacks against nearly every aspect of truth. Prayer is attacked, faith is attacked, Christianity is attacked, and responsibility to others is attacked, and for what? Because it is too expensive, it is too costly, people may get hurt or even die in the process. And appealing to these attitudes, seeks only to lift one into a position of power, authority, position, approbation.
So, truth is rejected in order to gain ones own selfish desires and lusts. There is no other reason for rejecting truth. Sin, lust, selfishness, self-seeking motives, all of these and more, even deceit, are used in order to promote ones self.
The rejecter of truth cares nothing for what is right or morally good and decent and honorable. They will use all of the tools available to them, mostly wrapped up in popular yet ambiguous rhetoric (change, tax the rich, social reform, get out of the war, stop global warming), with which any given listener can interpret in the way he wants it all to mean to himself.
And so the rah-rah crowd screams and swoons at an absolutely empty promise, a promise of their own interpretation, a promise that somehow they will receive whatever it is that they personally want. Which in reality is a promise that ultimately rejects God and truth, and will certainly reverse all of those cheers and make them into major tears of suffering and sorrow.
And who can convince them otherwise? Not you. Not me.
Only God can convince them and that convincing will come in the form of a major dose of suffering.
When an individual, a nation, or the world has driven itself into the delusion of their own beliefs, then only a major disaster can bring folks back to reality. And even then, sometimes a major disaster is not enough. Such is the entrenchment of their rejection of truth.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Job 40:6-7
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 40:6-7
6 Then answered [`anah] the LORD [Yahovah] unto Job ['Iyowb] out of the whirlwind [ca`ar], and said ['amar],
7 Gird up ['azar] thy loins [chalats] now like a man [geber]: I will demand [sha'al] of thee, and declare [yada`] thou unto me. KJV-Interlinear
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm, and said, 7 'Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. NASB
Today, we do not hear the voice of God. All we have is His written word. And through those words, we hear Him. There are no voices, and no conversations taking place between God and man during our dispensation. The written word has been closed with the writing of the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation.
So the visions and dreams and voices of the Old Testament have all been replaced by the communication by the Holy Spirit, through the scriptures. And, all of this communication only takes place when you are in fellowship.
So we read or listen, and hear or comprehend, and learn by means of our daily study of the scriptures.
This learning and growing process requires a certain humility and submission to Gods authority. Some folks submit to this, but most folks do not.
Job has already submitted and admitted his insignificance.
But God is continuing in this instruction, because there are many folks out there in history, who will retain their arrogance, and go so far as to destroy all that is right and just, in order to have their way.
That study is coming in the next verse with the stubborn selfishness of arrogance being the principle topic. And the principle motivations being the lusts of power, greed, approbation and so forth.
Now, prepare yourself, gird up your loins as it were, and ready yourself to answer the tough questions which God puts to every person everyday of their life.
And in this next sequence, Gods questions will pierce right through to the very center of your attitude and challenge you to know more, and be wiser than He.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 40:6-7
6 Then answered [`anah] the LORD [Yahovah] unto Job ['Iyowb] out of the whirlwind [ca`ar], and said ['amar],
7 Gird up ['azar] thy loins [chalats] now like a man [geber]: I will demand [sha'al] of thee, and declare [yada`] thou unto me. KJV-Interlinear
6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm, and said, 7 'Now gird up your loins like a man; I will ask you, and you instruct Me. NASB
Today, we do not hear the voice of God. All we have is His written word. And through those words, we hear Him. There are no voices, and no conversations taking place between God and man during our dispensation. The written word has been closed with the writing of the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation.
So the visions and dreams and voices of the Old Testament have all been replaced by the communication by the Holy Spirit, through the scriptures. And, all of this communication only takes place when you are in fellowship.
So we read or listen, and hear or comprehend, and learn by means of our daily study of the scriptures.
This learning and growing process requires a certain humility and submission to Gods authority. Some folks submit to this, but most folks do not.
Job has already submitted and admitted his insignificance.
But God is continuing in this instruction, because there are many folks out there in history, who will retain their arrogance, and go so far as to destroy all that is right and just, in order to have their way.
That study is coming in the next verse with the stubborn selfishness of arrogance being the principle topic. And the principle motivations being the lusts of power, greed, approbation and so forth.
Now, prepare yourself, gird up your loins as it were, and ready yourself to answer the tough questions which God puts to every person everyday of their life.
And in this next sequence, Gods questions will pierce right through to the very center of your attitude and challenge you to know more, and be wiser than He.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Job 40:3-5
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 40:3-5
3 Then Job ['Iyowb] answered [`anah] the LORD [Yahovah], and said ['amar],
4 Behold, I am vile [qalal]; what shall I answer [shuwb] thee? I will lay [suwm] mine hand [yad] upon [lamow] my mouth [peh].
5 Once ['echad] have I spoken [dabar]; but I will not answer [`anah]: yea, twice [shanayim]; but I will proceed no further [yacaph]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said, 4 'Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 'Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add no more.' NASB
Just a quick note here. The web sites have been down since last night (Tues. - Wed.), and hopefully that will not last long. Our sites are hosted by companies out there in the internet world, and there seems to be server/network problems of some kind. I don't have any control over those computers or their function, but hopefully we'll be back in business before too long. Sorry 'bout that.
And one more note. Odd as it may seem, I made mention of the carbon footprint and global warming issues these past couple of days, and lo and behold there was a news story out today about a plan in Europe to issue to everyone, carbon usage cards. Once you exceed your limit you cannot buy or sell or engage in commerce, or you pay penalties, until your carbon credits come back into some sort of norm.
Now, correct me if I am wrong, but were these words or phrases even in our vocabulary a year ago? I do not recall them at all, except in the recent news. And my point here is that if you recall our Revelation study, there will be severe economic sanctions placed on people in the Tribulation. And of course since the Tribulation is only going to last seven years, and these sanctions will be in place rather early on, then one can reasonably assume that these types of monitoring devices (credit ratings, ID cards, and now carbon credits, etc.) will be in place prior to the Tribulation. In other words, they will have been initiated during our Church Age, which of course we see happening right before our eyes.
And one more thought. As man rejects Bible doctrine, man by default attempts to control his environment. Adam and Eve put on fig leaves. Their sin lost them the perfect environment of the Garden. And now humanity is running is hot pursuit of controlling the planet, with little or no knowledge of how everything works.
Just food for thought. No extra charge for these tidbits. And no, I do not believe that the Rapture will occur anytime soon. I have always said that I believe that it will not occur until humanity has been overwhelmed by world overpopulation, where humanity will be totally overwhelmed by too many people on the planet. What with China trying to regulate births, and now we seem to be trying to control carbon usage, what do you suppose will be next on the horizon of government regulation?
Anyway, on with Jobs response to God.
God is the wisest of beings. God is omniscient. That means that He knows all that is, and He knows all that could be. He knows all that is possible but will never be, as well all that will be.
God possesses foreknowledge. That means that He knows all that will be, because He saw the reality of history before any history ever happened. He saw it in eternity past. We call this foreknowledge, the Devine Decrees.
So, when someone who is infinitely smarter and wiser than you, speaks to you, then what do you suppose your response should be? How can one possibly respond to someone who knows, literally and accurately, everything?
And Job did the right thing. He shut up. He admitted being a nothing of an object in this universe. The word for insignificant means, when you take a part of a drop of water, and toss it into the oceans of the world, how could anyone possibly ever find that exact partial of a drop. Or, if you take a speck of dust and throw it out into the heavens of the universe. How could anyone search the universe and ever find it.
That is insignificance. And that is the proper attitude that we should all take with God. Instead of whining and complaining and blaming God, then we should consider what God has done for each one of us.
We are insignificant, and yet God has created an entire universe around us, has maintained and controlled an entire history before and after us. And, despite Satan's and mans attempts to ruin it all, has and will preserve us for an inheritance in Heaven together with phenomenal significance.
Why should He do anything for us, let alone give us the inheritance of Heaven?
God has a plan for your life, and you personally, are at the highest of His priorities on His to-do list.
History is unfolding right before our eyes, and we may be forced to suffer as other generations before us have suffered, but then, that is God allowing Satan and humanity their final rebellion as they kick and scream over their inability to control their destiny.
The conclusion of our dispensation could be minutes away, or decades away. That timetable we do not know. But our priority is not figuring out history's timetable, but getting our spiritual growth and our spiritual life in order. Watching history unfold is nothing more than a privilege, which God has given us. That is, if we have any kind of spiritual life and have some discernment to observe and wonder about how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
And no, we are not going to stand out on the street corner preaching the end of the world. That is for fools. None of us were given the gift of prophecy por a crystal ball. There is no event that will signal the end of our age. Remember that the nation of Israel was restored way back in 1948, but that was not the regathering prophecy of the Bible. That regathering will occur at the Second Advent.
Our dispensation is filled with historical trends, and the best we can do is watch as these many trends come to pass across several generations.
And how do we watch? In silence.
The world is driving itself toward its final destination. We cannot prevent it nor change it. But we can drive our own spiritual life. And that is far more important for each one of us.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 40:3-5
3 Then Job ['Iyowb] answered [`anah] the LORD [Yahovah], and said ['amar],
4 Behold, I am vile [qalal]; what shall I answer [shuwb] thee? I will lay [suwm] mine hand [yad] upon [lamow] my mouth [peh].
5 Once ['echad] have I spoken [dabar]; but I will not answer [`anah]: yea, twice [shanayim]; but I will proceed no further [yacaph]. KJV-Interlinear
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said, 4 'Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 'Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add no more.' NASB
Just a quick note here. The web sites have been down since last night (Tues. - Wed.), and hopefully that will not last long. Our sites are hosted by companies out there in the internet world, and there seems to be server/network problems of some kind. I don't have any control over those computers or their function, but hopefully we'll be back in business before too long. Sorry 'bout that.
And one more note. Odd as it may seem, I made mention of the carbon footprint and global warming issues these past couple of days, and lo and behold there was a news story out today about a plan in Europe to issue to everyone, carbon usage cards. Once you exceed your limit you cannot buy or sell or engage in commerce, or you pay penalties, until your carbon credits come back into some sort of norm.
Now, correct me if I am wrong, but were these words or phrases even in our vocabulary a year ago? I do not recall them at all, except in the recent news. And my point here is that if you recall our Revelation study, there will be severe economic sanctions placed on people in the Tribulation. And of course since the Tribulation is only going to last seven years, and these sanctions will be in place rather early on, then one can reasonably assume that these types of monitoring devices (credit ratings, ID cards, and now carbon credits, etc.) will be in place prior to the Tribulation. In other words, they will have been initiated during our Church Age, which of course we see happening right before our eyes.
And one more thought. As man rejects Bible doctrine, man by default attempts to control his environment. Adam and Eve put on fig leaves. Their sin lost them the perfect environment of the Garden. And now humanity is running is hot pursuit of controlling the planet, with little or no knowledge of how everything works.
Just food for thought. No extra charge for these tidbits. And no, I do not believe that the Rapture will occur anytime soon. I have always said that I believe that it will not occur until humanity has been overwhelmed by world overpopulation, where humanity will be totally overwhelmed by too many people on the planet. What with China trying to regulate births, and now we seem to be trying to control carbon usage, what do you suppose will be next on the horizon of government regulation?
Anyway, on with Jobs response to God.
God is the wisest of beings. God is omniscient. That means that He knows all that is, and He knows all that could be. He knows all that is possible but will never be, as well all that will be.
God possesses foreknowledge. That means that He knows all that will be, because He saw the reality of history before any history ever happened. He saw it in eternity past. We call this foreknowledge, the Devine Decrees.
So, when someone who is infinitely smarter and wiser than you, speaks to you, then what do you suppose your response should be? How can one possibly respond to someone who knows, literally and accurately, everything?
And Job did the right thing. He shut up. He admitted being a nothing of an object in this universe. The word for insignificant means, when you take a part of a drop of water, and toss it into the oceans of the world, how could anyone possibly ever find that exact partial of a drop. Or, if you take a speck of dust and throw it out into the heavens of the universe. How could anyone search the universe and ever find it.
That is insignificance. And that is the proper attitude that we should all take with God. Instead of whining and complaining and blaming God, then we should consider what God has done for each one of us.
We are insignificant, and yet God has created an entire universe around us, has maintained and controlled an entire history before and after us. And, despite Satan's and mans attempts to ruin it all, has and will preserve us for an inheritance in Heaven together with phenomenal significance.
Why should He do anything for us, let alone give us the inheritance of Heaven?
God has a plan for your life, and you personally, are at the highest of His priorities on His to-do list.
History is unfolding right before our eyes, and we may be forced to suffer as other generations before us have suffered, but then, that is God allowing Satan and humanity their final rebellion as they kick and scream over their inability to control their destiny.
The conclusion of our dispensation could be minutes away, or decades away. That timetable we do not know. But our priority is not figuring out history's timetable, but getting our spiritual growth and our spiritual life in order. Watching history unfold is nothing more than a privilege, which God has given us. That is, if we have any kind of spiritual life and have some discernment to observe and wonder about how all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
And no, we are not going to stand out on the street corner preaching the end of the world. That is for fools. None of us were given the gift of prophecy por a crystal ball. There is no event that will signal the end of our age. Remember that the nation of Israel was restored way back in 1948, but that was not the regathering prophecy of the Bible. That regathering will occur at the Second Advent.
Our dispensation is filled with historical trends, and the best we can do is watch as these many trends come to pass across several generations.
And how do we watch? In silence.
The world is driving itself toward its final destination. We cannot prevent it nor change it. But we can drive our own spiritual life. And that is far more important for each one of us.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Job 40:1-2
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 40:1-2
1 Moreover the LORD [Yahovah] answered [`anah] Job ['Iyowb], and said ['amar],
2 Shall he that contendeth [riyb] with the Almighty [Shadday] instruct [yiccowr] him? he that reproveth [yakach] God ['elowahh], let him answer [`anah] it. KJV-Interlinear
1 Then the Lord said to Job, 2 'Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.' NASB
With the attack against Job, initiated by Satan, with the arguments of accusation offered by Jobs friends, with Jobs' defending himself seeing as he could not find any fault within himself, or reason for his current predicament, God finally answers with an unusual series of seemingly irrelevant questions.
'Can you teach Me about these various animals?'
What does one set of circumstances (Job's) have to do with the other (Gods questions)?
And that brings the study around to each one of us. Who among us have raised issues with God?
Why this? Why that? Why me? Why now? Why not someone or something else?
And so man continues along his usual path of asking questions or presuming answers, about the many things that are far more complex than simple animal questions. And yet none of us can answer the most fundamental questions about our everyday life. Probably because we tend to look at life not through Gods eyes, but through our own preferences.
That is why I posed the question in the earlier study regarding the rising energy costs, how they affect us all, and the possibility that this situation will not end anytime soon. And this is simply because humanity has positioned himself in a pit of unbending beliefs, disregarding the obvious solution (crude oil), and putting his trust in wishful solutions (alternative energy). And the result of all of this? Higher costs and more difficulties for us all.
Now, no political statements are being raised here, just observations of how society is operating. Consider some things just briefly. The world is a wash with crude oil. God created the oil for our use. Oil is the most resourceful and efficient fuel that we have today, and if produced in quantity, is the most economic energy source.
All other alternate energy resources are expensive, undeveloped, and have to be subsidized by government, and they still are not competitive in price, with oil. That is, if oil production were not restricted.
The argument against oil? Global warming.
And the argument for global warming prevention is to reduce carbon footprints. And the argument for reducing carbon footprints is to place caps on business production. And that will lead to reduced economics, reduced opportunities, reduced prosperity. And that will raise the burdens of living on each one of us, raising unemployment, poverty, and ultimately dependence on government by the masses. Once in this economic hole, getting out will be next to impossible. Unless leadership is replaced by wise leaders and not liberal fools or conservative fools. That replacement option seems to be not in our near future, what with the candidates we have before us these days.
So, the long haul of hardship just may be in our future.
So, again, the questions asked by God of Job, and through Job, asked of each one of us, 'Do you know?' 'Can you teach?' 'If so, answer or forever hold your tongue.'
And the whole point of all of this is this. Man more often looks at life through his own eyes, which simply means, we look at life in the way we want to see life and not how it really is.
If we were to look at life through Gods eyes, then we might not experience as many disappointments and frustrations in life, as we do.
Remember, that we are currently living in the Church Age, the longest running dispensation of them all. We have been given many clues as to when our dispensation will be nearing its end. And though we cannot know the exact date, we can probably begin to narrow our dispensations end, down to a generation or two.
We also know that the end of our dispensation marks the beginning of the absolute worst period (the Tribulation), in all of human history. That more than likely means that the circumstances of the end of our dispensation will likely be bad. Over population, increased storms, increased earthquakes, increased troubles of all kinds. And we know that trouble comes to humanity for one reason only, because of mans spiritual deficiency.
Spiritual deficiency means poor leadership, poor decisions, poor interpretations of life.
So, we study Job and we look around and we begin to see similarities in life. And we begin to see Gods point of view, and we begin to set our own point of view aside.
And again, if you can teach the Almighty, then teach. Otherwise, be silent and listen and learn.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 40:1-2
1 Moreover the LORD [Yahovah] answered [`anah] Job ['Iyowb], and said ['amar],
2 Shall he that contendeth [riyb] with the Almighty [Shadday] instruct [yiccowr] him? he that reproveth [yakach] God ['elowahh], let him answer [`anah] it. KJV-Interlinear
1 Then the Lord said to Job, 2 'Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.' NASB
With the attack against Job, initiated by Satan, with the arguments of accusation offered by Jobs friends, with Jobs' defending himself seeing as he could not find any fault within himself, or reason for his current predicament, God finally answers with an unusual series of seemingly irrelevant questions.
'Can you teach Me about these various animals?'
What does one set of circumstances (Job's) have to do with the other (Gods questions)?
And that brings the study around to each one of us. Who among us have raised issues with God?
Why this? Why that? Why me? Why now? Why not someone or something else?
And so man continues along his usual path of asking questions or presuming answers, about the many things that are far more complex than simple animal questions. And yet none of us can answer the most fundamental questions about our everyday life. Probably because we tend to look at life not through Gods eyes, but through our own preferences.
That is why I posed the question in the earlier study regarding the rising energy costs, how they affect us all, and the possibility that this situation will not end anytime soon. And this is simply because humanity has positioned himself in a pit of unbending beliefs, disregarding the obvious solution (crude oil), and putting his trust in wishful solutions (alternative energy). And the result of all of this? Higher costs and more difficulties for us all.
Now, no political statements are being raised here, just observations of how society is operating. Consider some things just briefly. The world is a wash with crude oil. God created the oil for our use. Oil is the most resourceful and efficient fuel that we have today, and if produced in quantity, is the most economic energy source.
All other alternate energy resources are expensive, undeveloped, and have to be subsidized by government, and they still are not competitive in price, with oil. That is, if oil production were not restricted.
The argument against oil? Global warming.
And the argument for global warming prevention is to reduce carbon footprints. And the argument for reducing carbon footprints is to place caps on business production. And that will lead to reduced economics, reduced opportunities, reduced prosperity. And that will raise the burdens of living on each one of us, raising unemployment, poverty, and ultimately dependence on government by the masses. Once in this economic hole, getting out will be next to impossible. Unless leadership is replaced by wise leaders and not liberal fools or conservative fools. That replacement option seems to be not in our near future, what with the candidates we have before us these days.
So, the long haul of hardship just may be in our future.
So, again, the questions asked by God of Job, and through Job, asked of each one of us, 'Do you know?' 'Can you teach?' 'If so, answer or forever hold your tongue.'
And the whole point of all of this is this. Man more often looks at life through his own eyes, which simply means, we look at life in the way we want to see life and not how it really is.
If we were to look at life through Gods eyes, then we might not experience as many disappointments and frustrations in life, as we do.
Remember, that we are currently living in the Church Age, the longest running dispensation of them all. We have been given many clues as to when our dispensation will be nearing its end. And though we cannot know the exact date, we can probably begin to narrow our dispensations end, down to a generation or two.
We also know that the end of our dispensation marks the beginning of the absolute worst period (the Tribulation), in all of human history. That more than likely means that the circumstances of the end of our dispensation will likely be bad. Over population, increased storms, increased earthquakes, increased troubles of all kinds. And we know that trouble comes to humanity for one reason only, because of mans spiritual deficiency.
Spiritual deficiency means poor leadership, poor decisions, poor interpretations of life.
So, we study Job and we look around and we begin to see similarities in life. And we begin to see Gods point of view, and we begin to set our own point of view aside.
And again, if you can teach the Almighty, then teach. Otherwise, be silent and listen and learn.
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