This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:23
23 Men shall clap [caphaq] their hands [kaph] at him, and shall hiss [sharaq] him out of his place [maqowm]. KJV-Interlinear
23 'Men will clap their hands at him, And will hiss him from his place. NASB
Wickedness is a pattern of life, chosen out of the free will of people. Wickedness is the function of evil. Evil is the policy of rejecting truth.
Wickedness can never correct itself, but will only grow worse and worse until it finally destroys itself.
Indifference toward truth can begin with a little white lie. Something from which most of us do not see much danger. After all, what harm can it really cause?
But the pattern of lies is driven by a greater force which is arrogance, and arrogance is the foundation of all evil. When truth is excluded or diluted in ones life, then the pattern of lies will only grow worse. And while one person may live a reasonably passive life, the next generation, by their example, will advance in their wickedness to even worse stages.
After Solomon, it took the Israelites several generations of indifference before they were finally overrun and destroyed as a nation. The nation steadily declined spiritually for several hundred years before God finally destroyed them as a nation.
With the decline in the spiritual resources of people, comes an increase in wickedness. With an increase in wickedness comes an increase in trouble. With an increase in trouble comes an increase in suffering.
When those who cause the suffering are finally defeated, there is a relief and a shouting of joy because the burdens of the suffering have finally been lifted.
And so Job describes the relief and attitude of those who have been subjected to oppression in the world as a result of the bad arrogance driven decisions of those who have caused all of the trouble.
When a wicked person is driven from his life, the righteous do not literally stand up as it were and boo them out of this world, but that is the general attitude of anyone who has been oppressed unfairly and then suddenly set free.
The hissing, and clapping of the hands is a celebration of freedom. The happiness is for themselves while the object opposite of their relief is the wickedness that has brought so much pain and sorrow and suffering.
When we watch a game and our side wins, we cheer, while the losing side does not cheer. Our victory cheer for our side is the simultaneous cheer against the losing side. The winning side remains to celebrate while the losers go away.
And so it will be, at the end of history, when Gods righteousness and justice finally defeats evil, so that truth can produce the eternal happiness for us all that it has been intended to provide all along, but has been delayed so that arrogance and evil can have their historical tantrum.
In that day, the victory shouts will be loud and long and final.
Prov. 11:10
10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, And when the wicked perish, there is glad shouting. NASB
Showing posts with label Job 27. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job 27. Show all posts
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Job 27:20-22
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:20-22
20 Terrors [ballahah] take hold [nasag] on him as waters [mayim], a tempest [cuwphah] stealeth him away [ganab] in the night [layil].
21 The east [qadiym] wind carrieth him away [nasa'], and he departeth [yalak]: and as a storm hurleth [sa`ar] him out of his place [maqowm].
22 For God shall cast [shalak] upon him, and not spare [chamal]: he would fain [barach] flee [barach] out of his hand [yad]. KJV-Interlinear
20 'Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. 21 'The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place. 22 'For it will hurl at him without sparing; He will surely try to flee from its power. NASB
If you can imagine yourself standing on a tall mountain, then a powerful wind comes along and literally sweeps you off your feet. Or imagine yourself standing on a beach, then a huge tsunami wave comes along and washes you away.
Before each of these powers, you are totally helpless.
And yet Job describes your action in the last portion of verse 22. You try as you might, but the power which is against you is too much.
Today we might use the phrase steamroller, Mac truck, or tank, to describe a helpless person who is being run over and flattened like a pancake.
The power, the machine, the force which has set itself against you is greater than you, and you have no power or control against it. You can kick, and scream, and fight, but the wind, the water, the machine, the superior power overwhelms you and your struggle is a lost cause.
And one more thing to note here, is that this force being used against you comes with great violence, and with great terror.
And such is the description of death for the wicked person.
It all happens in an instant. Death, when it comes, is instantaneous. Certainly the process of dying might be drawn out, but the moment when you die, when in that instant when your soul leaves your body, then in that moment the terror and the helplessness strikes. And it strikes with great force and violence.
This applies to people who have ignored their spiritual life, during their life.
As for believers who have grown up at least a little bit, then the death process is pleasant on the other side of death.
As for believers who have not grown up, death is terror filled, for that instant after death, then they are before the Lord, with no more sorrow, no more tears, etc.
Unbelievers face death in that instant, in great terror, and then it only gets worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and worse - forever……
These three verses describe the terrors and violence of death, and ones helplessness in that process.
People who are indifferent toward their spiritual life, usually have an ego that far exceeds their true power over the events of their life - much to their surprise.
In death, God trumps their arrogance with a powerful reality, and a permanent one. From death, there is no return. From death, there are no do-over's.
In life, you have all of the opportunities necessary to get your life together. If you fail spiritually, then you have only yourself to blame.
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Job 27:20-22
20 Terrors [ballahah] take hold [nasag] on him as waters [mayim], a tempest [cuwphah] stealeth him away [ganab] in the night [layil].
21 The east [qadiym] wind carrieth him away [nasa'], and he departeth [yalak]: and as a storm hurleth [sa`ar] him out of his place [maqowm].
22 For God shall cast [shalak] upon him, and not spare [chamal]: he would fain [barach] flee [barach] out of his hand [yad]. KJV-Interlinear
20 'Terrors overtake him like a flood; A tempest steals him away in the night. 21 'The east wind carries him away, and he is gone, For it whirls him away from his place. 22 'For it will hurl at him without sparing; He will surely try to flee from its power. NASB
If you can imagine yourself standing on a tall mountain, then a powerful wind comes along and literally sweeps you off your feet. Or imagine yourself standing on a beach, then a huge tsunami wave comes along and washes you away.
Before each of these powers, you are totally helpless.
And yet Job describes your action in the last portion of verse 22. You try as you might, but the power which is against you is too much.
Today we might use the phrase steamroller, Mac truck, or tank, to describe a helpless person who is being run over and flattened like a pancake.
The power, the machine, the force which has set itself against you is greater than you, and you have no power or control against it. You can kick, and scream, and fight, but the wind, the water, the machine, the superior power overwhelms you and your struggle is a lost cause.
And one more thing to note here, is that this force being used against you comes with great violence, and with great terror.
And such is the description of death for the wicked person.
It all happens in an instant. Death, when it comes, is instantaneous. Certainly the process of dying might be drawn out, but the moment when you die, when in that instant when your soul leaves your body, then in that moment the terror and the helplessness strikes. And it strikes with great force and violence.
This applies to people who have ignored their spiritual life, during their life.
As for believers who have grown up at least a little bit, then the death process is pleasant on the other side of death.
As for believers who have not grown up, death is terror filled, for that instant after death, then they are before the Lord, with no more sorrow, no more tears, etc.
Unbelievers face death in that instant, in great terror, and then it only gets worse, and worse, and worse, and worse, and worse - forever……
These three verses describe the terrors and violence of death, and ones helplessness in that process.
People who are indifferent toward their spiritual life, usually have an ego that far exceeds their true power over the events of their life - much to their surprise.
In death, God trumps their arrogance with a powerful reality, and a permanent one. From death, there is no return. From death, there are no do-over's.
In life, you have all of the opportunities necessary to get your life together. If you fail spiritually, then you have only yourself to blame.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Job 27:19
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:19
19 The rich [`ashiyr] man shall lie down [shakab], but he shall not be gathered ['acaph]: he openeth [paqach] his eyes [`ayin], and he is not. KJV-Interlinear
19 'He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no more. NASB
'He' can refer to any person who has ignored their spiritual life, and is in effect a wicked person.
'Rich' more often than not refers to wealth or success that is derived from ones worldly activities. But, rich can also refer to ones contentment with life. Even a poor person who lives in the stereotype trailer park with clutter and disarray both inside and out, can sit in their yard chair holding their favorite beverage and be contented with their surroundings.
But the context in Jobs conversation points to people of financial wealth, but this concept in life can refer to almost anyone. Life in itself is of great value. So everyone alive has a possession that has potentially infinite value, but only if it is invested wisely.
We all have a set time frame to live our lives in this world. Once that time runs out, then God checks us out of this life and there is nothing we can do about that. 'Never again' is a reference to going to be with your fathers, or death in other words.
People can become comfortable in their chosen lifestyle. They can get up in the morning and go to bed at night, presuming that they will again rise on the following morning. Of course, this refers to ones last moments on this earth. You can be wide-awake during the day, become involved in some accident or have a stroke or whatever, and then close your eyes for the last time, never to open them up again. At least not in this world.
All of your wealth, all of your contented attitude, everything you give value to in life, cannot prevent your last and final moment in this life.
No amount of medical attention, no amount of medical technology, no amount of diet, or exercise, or vitamins can prevent Gods checkout time for your life.
And when you die, then what?
You awake in the next phase of your life and your wealth, your collections, your property, your things whatever they might be, are all vanished from your sight and possession.
The only thing you take with you into the next life is your soul with your human life resident within your soul and the content of your soul. And, if you are saved, then you also have your human spirit with its eternal life resident within it.
Any content in the soul, which is of non-truth characteristics (wood, hay, and stubble), is burned away at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Only Bible doctrine is retained.
If you have no doctrine, then you are naked within your soul indeed. A reflection of a lifetime of poor investment choices.
Your physical body with its biological life is rejected, discarded, and left behind to decay back to its original elements, or dust as it were.
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Job 27:19
19 The rich [`ashiyr] man shall lie down [shakab], but he shall not be gathered ['acaph]: he openeth [paqach] his eyes [`ayin], and he is not. KJV-Interlinear
19 'He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no more. NASB
'He' can refer to any person who has ignored their spiritual life, and is in effect a wicked person.
'Rich' more often than not refers to wealth or success that is derived from ones worldly activities. But, rich can also refer to ones contentment with life. Even a poor person who lives in the stereotype trailer park with clutter and disarray both inside and out, can sit in their yard chair holding their favorite beverage and be contented with their surroundings.
But the context in Jobs conversation points to people of financial wealth, but this concept in life can refer to almost anyone. Life in itself is of great value. So everyone alive has a possession that has potentially infinite value, but only if it is invested wisely.
We all have a set time frame to live our lives in this world. Once that time runs out, then God checks us out of this life and there is nothing we can do about that. 'Never again' is a reference to going to be with your fathers, or death in other words.
People can become comfortable in their chosen lifestyle. They can get up in the morning and go to bed at night, presuming that they will again rise on the following morning. Of course, this refers to ones last moments on this earth. You can be wide-awake during the day, become involved in some accident or have a stroke or whatever, and then close your eyes for the last time, never to open them up again. At least not in this world.
All of your wealth, all of your contented attitude, everything you give value to in life, cannot prevent your last and final moment in this life.
No amount of medical attention, no amount of medical technology, no amount of diet, or exercise, or vitamins can prevent Gods checkout time for your life.
And when you die, then what?
You awake in the next phase of your life and your wealth, your collections, your property, your things whatever they might be, are all vanished from your sight and possession.
The only thing you take with you into the next life is your soul with your human life resident within your soul and the content of your soul. And, if you are saved, then you also have your human spirit with its eternal life resident within it.
Any content in the soul, which is of non-truth characteristics (wood, hay, and stubble), is burned away at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Only Bible doctrine is retained.
If you have no doctrine, then you are naked within your soul indeed. A reflection of a lifetime of poor investment choices.
Your physical body with its biological life is rejected, discarded, and left behind to decay back to its original elements, or dust as it were.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Job 27:18
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 27:18
18 He buildeth [banah] his house [bayith] as a moth [`ash], and as a booth [cukkah] that the keeper [natsar] maketh [`asah]. KJV-Interlinear
18 'He has built his house like the spider's web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made. NASB
The moth is an insect of sorts, which destroys clothing. The word moth, comes from an Old English term which means maggot. So the little creature which begins with an egg, develops into a larvae stage, and then into an adult moth, has a life cycle of about 60 to 90 days.
Job uses two of the five terms for creation - 'banah' and 'asah.' We studied them all in Genesis.
'Banah' was the term used for the creation of Eve. This term means to sculpt, as a sculptor would fashion an image out of a piece of wood, stone, or some other material. And so God sculpted Eve out of the rib of Adam. God took some very ordinary material and created something of beauty out of it.
Here the moth sculpts his home out of his own egg and larvae stage which is very temporary. And it makes these homes out of something it does not own. It steals as it were, from the clothing in which it takes up refuge, by eating away at the clothing. Its home is very unstable, very weak, very temporary, and can be easily shaken or cleaned out of the clothes.
The booth of the keeper, is a temporary shed, which the watchman of a vineyard quickly constructs out of anything handy. Its purpose is to keep the rain or heat of the sun off of him while he watches over the vineyard. When the growing season is over, the shed is abandoned and becomes prey for the wind or winter weather. By spring, it has disintegrated into a pile of garbage.
The word 'asah' here means to create in accordance with a pattern. The shed is always designed out of a well-known pattern, a pattern previously known to its builder. The watchman knows what he wants and this is the quickest form of protection from the sun and weather. He does not try to make anything better or more permanent. It is just enough to serve his purpose for the season and that is all he cares about.
The other three words for creation ('bara' to make out of nothing, 'yatsar' to make out of a material, and 'atsab' to take great care in fashioning ones work) are not in view here. However, the last term can be used to show a contrast. God created, 'atsab,' man using great care and great skill. God used a surgeon and artists' skill and care in His planning, design, and actual work so as to not make any mistakes, when creating man.
If a sculptor has a great piece of marble and he wants to make something of beauty within it, he plans everything out to the minutest of detail, and takes great care so as to not make any mistakes. To make an error means that the marble is ruined, the cost is lost and he has to begin the process all over again. That is a waste of time for someone who makes things for a living. And so using this analogy, God has taken great care in mans creation.
But as for the person who is indifferent toward their spiritual life, they care nothing for their life. They throw something together which serves their immediate purpose and only for a temporary time, and they use materials which do not belong to them in the first place. They are in effect thieves.
Look in the mirror. Are you a thief?
And by the way, have you begun to notice just how often and in how many ways the Bible seems to describe the spiritually deficient person?
You should discover that all of this repetition is there for a reason. That reason being so that you will one day wake up and get with your own spiritual life. Needless to say, it takes a lot of repetition before some folks get the point. But most folks, unfortunately, never do.
To ignore Bible doctrine during your life, means that what you have invested in during your life, is temporary, won't last, and was never yours to begin with.
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Job 27:18
18 He buildeth [banah] his house [bayith] as a moth [`ash], and as a booth [cukkah] that the keeper [natsar] maketh [`asah]. KJV-Interlinear
18 'He has built his house like the spider's web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made. NASB
The moth is an insect of sorts, which destroys clothing. The word moth, comes from an Old English term which means maggot. So the little creature which begins with an egg, develops into a larvae stage, and then into an adult moth, has a life cycle of about 60 to 90 days.
Job uses two of the five terms for creation - 'banah' and 'asah.' We studied them all in Genesis.
'Banah' was the term used for the creation of Eve. This term means to sculpt, as a sculptor would fashion an image out of a piece of wood, stone, or some other material. And so God sculpted Eve out of the rib of Adam. God took some very ordinary material and created something of beauty out of it.
Here the moth sculpts his home out of his own egg and larvae stage which is very temporary. And it makes these homes out of something it does not own. It steals as it were, from the clothing in which it takes up refuge, by eating away at the clothing. Its home is very unstable, very weak, very temporary, and can be easily shaken or cleaned out of the clothes.
The booth of the keeper, is a temporary shed, which the watchman of a vineyard quickly constructs out of anything handy. Its purpose is to keep the rain or heat of the sun off of him while he watches over the vineyard. When the growing season is over, the shed is abandoned and becomes prey for the wind or winter weather. By spring, it has disintegrated into a pile of garbage.
The word 'asah' here means to create in accordance with a pattern. The shed is always designed out of a well-known pattern, a pattern previously known to its builder. The watchman knows what he wants and this is the quickest form of protection from the sun and weather. He does not try to make anything better or more permanent. It is just enough to serve his purpose for the season and that is all he cares about.
The other three words for creation ('bara' to make out of nothing, 'yatsar' to make out of a material, and 'atsab' to take great care in fashioning ones work) are not in view here. However, the last term can be used to show a contrast. God created, 'atsab,' man using great care and great skill. God used a surgeon and artists' skill and care in His planning, design, and actual work so as to not make any mistakes, when creating man.
If a sculptor has a great piece of marble and he wants to make something of beauty within it, he plans everything out to the minutest of detail, and takes great care so as to not make any mistakes. To make an error means that the marble is ruined, the cost is lost and he has to begin the process all over again. That is a waste of time for someone who makes things for a living. And so using this analogy, God has taken great care in mans creation.
But as for the person who is indifferent toward their spiritual life, they care nothing for their life. They throw something together which serves their immediate purpose and only for a temporary time, and they use materials which do not belong to them in the first place. They are in effect thieves.
Look in the mirror. Are you a thief?
And by the way, have you begun to notice just how often and in how many ways the Bible seems to describe the spiritually deficient person?
You should discover that all of this repetition is there for a reason. That reason being so that you will one day wake up and get with your own spiritual life. Needless to say, it takes a lot of repetition before some folks get the point. But most folks, unfortunately, never do.
To ignore Bible doctrine during your life, means that what you have invested in during your life, is temporary, won't last, and was never yours to begin with.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Job 27:16-17
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:16-17
16 Though he heap up [tsabar] silver [keceph] as the dust [`aphar], and prepare [kuwn] raiment [malbuwsh] as the clay [chomer];
17 He may prepare [kuwn] it, but the just [tsaddiyq] shall put it on [labash], and the innocent [naqiy] shall divide [chalaq] the silver [keceph]. KJV-Interlinear
16 'Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver. NASB
Silver is spending money and dust is everywhere. Garments are clothing or robes, and clay is also common and often a term used to refer to things. Today we would use the word clay to refer to our homes, furniture, knick-knack's, cars, collections, hobby stuff and so on. Anything that appeals to your eye and of which you buy for your own possession because it pleases you, is clay.
And so we have the priorities of the spiritually negative person - money and things. These are possessions, or things you can own.
Now put everything in life, in perspective. When you get the chance, review the 'Dispensations - Five Phase' chart. Look at it closely. What is the beginning and what is the end? The beginning is God. He is in charge of everything. The end is where we will all end up one day. Everything (human activity) in between is temporary.
Knowing that you are going to one day end up in eternity, and presumably in heaven of course, then isn't it reasonable to presume that our priorities in life should be oriented toward that goal?
But the spiritually negative person does not see life in that way. All they see is the now. Of course, they see the cemeteries and people dying in the movies and in life. All of the folks from early last century and centuries before that, are dead and gone. Everyone in history is dead and gone. But somehow, that reality doesn't seem to sink in.
And so the 'now' is driven by the quest for money and things. Of course people want the sex, power, and the pleasures of life, but those things are not possessions. They are just experiences that excite the emotions and such.
The possessions of life are what become important. Those are the things that people can show off and boast about in their social circles. And the 'love,' of money and things, is often the end result of the spiritually negative persons focus in life.
But, and this is the big but of life, all of these things are temporary. They are never permanent. The very moment of ones death, they all disappear from that persons life. Sure these things transfer to others, others who might build them even greater, or fight over them, or squander them, but sooner or later history will come to an end and all the possessions of history will disappear when this universe is destroyed.
What then?
No one person can own anything for longer than their own life span. And the human race will lose everything at the end of history.
And remember that all wicked people in history are not unbelievers. Many are believers who just don't get with their spiritual life.
Only those who have advanced to spiritual maturity, will receive the very phenomenal blessings and eternal possessions of eternity, while all those who have rejected their spiritual life, during their life, will forfeit their eternal blessings.
Having all of the gold in the world for a few decades might be nice for the moment, and certainly everyone would like to be rich, but to ignore ones spiritual life will cause you to lose blessings that far exceed the value of that gold, for all of eternity.
Would you rather be a millionaire now or a trillionaire in eternity? Well, of course you want to be both, but not all of us have that choice in life. It is generally one or the other, so now choose, but choose wisely.
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Job 27:16-17
16 Though he heap up [tsabar] silver [keceph] as the dust [`aphar], and prepare [kuwn] raiment [malbuwsh] as the clay [chomer];
17 He may prepare [kuwn] it, but the just [tsaddiyq] shall put it on [labash], and the innocent [naqiy] shall divide [chalaq] the silver [keceph]. KJV-Interlinear
16 'Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay; 17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it, And the innocent will divide the silver. NASB
Silver is spending money and dust is everywhere. Garments are clothing or robes, and clay is also common and often a term used to refer to things. Today we would use the word clay to refer to our homes, furniture, knick-knack's, cars, collections, hobby stuff and so on. Anything that appeals to your eye and of which you buy for your own possession because it pleases you, is clay.
And so we have the priorities of the spiritually negative person - money and things. These are possessions, or things you can own.
Now put everything in life, in perspective. When you get the chance, review the 'Dispensations - Five Phase' chart. Look at it closely. What is the beginning and what is the end? The beginning is God. He is in charge of everything. The end is where we will all end up one day. Everything (human activity) in between is temporary.
Knowing that you are going to one day end up in eternity, and presumably in heaven of course, then isn't it reasonable to presume that our priorities in life should be oriented toward that goal?
But the spiritually negative person does not see life in that way. All they see is the now. Of course, they see the cemeteries and people dying in the movies and in life. All of the folks from early last century and centuries before that, are dead and gone. Everyone in history is dead and gone. But somehow, that reality doesn't seem to sink in.
And so the 'now' is driven by the quest for money and things. Of course people want the sex, power, and the pleasures of life, but those things are not possessions. They are just experiences that excite the emotions and such.
The possessions of life are what become important. Those are the things that people can show off and boast about in their social circles. And the 'love,' of money and things, is often the end result of the spiritually negative persons focus in life.
But, and this is the big but of life, all of these things are temporary. They are never permanent. The very moment of ones death, they all disappear from that persons life. Sure these things transfer to others, others who might build them even greater, or fight over them, or squander them, but sooner or later history will come to an end and all the possessions of history will disappear when this universe is destroyed.
What then?
No one person can own anything for longer than their own life span. And the human race will lose everything at the end of history.
And remember that all wicked people in history are not unbelievers. Many are believers who just don't get with their spiritual life.
Only those who have advanced to spiritual maturity, will receive the very phenomenal blessings and eternal possessions of eternity, while all those who have rejected their spiritual life, during their life, will forfeit their eternal blessings.
Having all of the gold in the world for a few decades might be nice for the moment, and certainly everyone would like to be rich, but to ignore ones spiritual life will cause you to lose blessings that far exceed the value of that gold, for all of eternity.
Would you rather be a millionaire now or a trillionaire in eternity? Well, of course you want to be both, but not all of us have that choice in life. It is generally one or the other, so now choose, but choose wisely.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Job 27:14-15
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 27:14-15
14 If his children [ben] be multiplied [rabah], it is for [lamow] the sword [chereb]: and his offspring [tse'etsa'] shall not be satisfied [saba`] with bread [lechem].
15 Those that remain [sariyd] of him shall be buried [qabar] in death [maveth]: and his widows ['almanah] shall not weep [bakah]. KJV-Interlinear
14 'Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. 15 'His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep. NASB
Having sons was viewed as being successful or prosperous, back in those early ancient times.
Having many sons was always considered a blessing. 'Live long and prosper and have many sons.' This was considered the epitome of a good life.
Here Job describes the success of wicked people by means of the 'many sons' phrase.
Anyone can have children. That should be obvious. Having children does not require any special talent, ability, wealth, or status in life. That too, should be obvious. So, at the very outset of the phrase, the idea that having children as a sign of prosperity or a successful life, was a very subjective concept.
But because it has been always considered as such, worldly prosperity comes with the stereotype of having many sons.
But worldly prosperity is temporary at best.
No matter who you are, prosperity can come to you or not. Whether you are a good person or bad, is irrelevant.
The subject here is wicked people, and Job has already established the principle that wicked people can be prosperous throughout their life. To some it might seem as though God has given them a pass on punishment, but that is not the case.
Job points out that despite a persons worldly successes, that will not dislodge their inevitable judgment or punishment. Some people get their due during this life. Others will get their due in the next life.
Everyone is evaluated on their own life. Having sons, having grandsons, having great grandsons, having a dynasty of sorts for a family name or empire, will not cancel out ones certain scheduled time before Jesus.
Some folks might try, in their success, to perpetuate their name after they have gone. They get buildings, streets, schools, companies and so forth, named after them. They establish trusts and foundations, they might even be successful in having a large number of descendants. But none of these will offset or diminish their appointment with judgment.
And by the way, having numerous descendants is something that others accomplish, not you. Just as everything in your life comes courtesy of God, not you. So even this blessing principle should be easily visible to the unspiritual person. Remember, that we can look all around us in this life and see Gods hand, or the principles of Gods handiwork, even in the activity of others in life.
There are typically three broad forms of judgment - the sword, famine, and pestilence.
The sword can include any form of adversarial confrontation, whether it be from criminal activity, from social disorder, or even violence in accidents. Famine can include the obvious starvation from hunger, or economic depravity from unemployment, business downturns, or bankruptcy. Pestilences can include illnesses, cancers, handicaps, or just about anything that is medically related to the physical form.
These three broad concepts cover probably all types for troubles in which a person can find himself. If you can think of a problem, you can easily fit it into any one of these concepts.
Sons, descendants, survivors, and widows all point to worldly activities. None of which will add one ounce of blessing to ones spiritual life, nor take away one ounce of judgment from ones destiny.
All of these folks, descendants and such, are other people. A person cannot project his life onto others, nor can one reach into the lives of others, and claim their successes for ones own.
The sword, famine, and pestilences, all result in death or the ultimate failure in ones life.
Life cannot perpetuate itself without the aid of God. Man has no power over his own life let alone the lives of others.
The widows, the ones who are left behind, the one to whom one was married throughout ones life. And that marriage was to ones chosen pattern of life in worldly affairs to the exclusion of ones spiritual life.
In life we all have our perfect match in marriage. Spiritually speaking this is Bible doctrine. But when we pursue the world we are in effect pursuing the wrong marriage partner, or a prostitute, in other words. This kind of affair will always end up in disaster.
When we die, as is inevitable for all of us, then those we leave behind, our things, our plans, our desires, our widows as it were, will have no feelings for us. They will not mourn. They will not weep. The things of this world have no concerns for our well-being.
When the wicked person is gone, they are soon forgotten.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:14-15
14 If his children [ben] be multiplied [rabah], it is for [lamow] the sword [chereb]: and his offspring [tse'etsa'] shall not be satisfied [saba`] with bread [lechem].
15 Those that remain [sariyd] of him shall be buried [qabar] in death [maveth]: and his widows ['almanah] shall not weep [bakah]. KJV-Interlinear
14 'Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. 15 'His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep. NASB
Having sons was viewed as being successful or prosperous, back in those early ancient times.
Having many sons was always considered a blessing. 'Live long and prosper and have many sons.' This was considered the epitome of a good life.
Here Job describes the success of wicked people by means of the 'many sons' phrase.
Anyone can have children. That should be obvious. Having children does not require any special talent, ability, wealth, or status in life. That too, should be obvious. So, at the very outset of the phrase, the idea that having children as a sign of prosperity or a successful life, was a very subjective concept.
But because it has been always considered as such, worldly prosperity comes with the stereotype of having many sons.
But worldly prosperity is temporary at best.
No matter who you are, prosperity can come to you or not. Whether you are a good person or bad, is irrelevant.
The subject here is wicked people, and Job has already established the principle that wicked people can be prosperous throughout their life. To some it might seem as though God has given them a pass on punishment, but that is not the case.
Job points out that despite a persons worldly successes, that will not dislodge their inevitable judgment or punishment. Some people get their due during this life. Others will get their due in the next life.
Everyone is evaluated on their own life. Having sons, having grandsons, having great grandsons, having a dynasty of sorts for a family name or empire, will not cancel out ones certain scheduled time before Jesus.
Some folks might try, in their success, to perpetuate their name after they have gone. They get buildings, streets, schools, companies and so forth, named after them. They establish trusts and foundations, they might even be successful in having a large number of descendants. But none of these will offset or diminish their appointment with judgment.
And by the way, having numerous descendants is something that others accomplish, not you. Just as everything in your life comes courtesy of God, not you. So even this blessing principle should be easily visible to the unspiritual person. Remember, that we can look all around us in this life and see Gods hand, or the principles of Gods handiwork, even in the activity of others in life.
There are typically three broad forms of judgment - the sword, famine, and pestilence.
The sword can include any form of adversarial confrontation, whether it be from criminal activity, from social disorder, or even violence in accidents. Famine can include the obvious starvation from hunger, or economic depravity from unemployment, business downturns, or bankruptcy. Pestilences can include illnesses, cancers, handicaps, or just about anything that is medically related to the physical form.
These three broad concepts cover probably all types for troubles in which a person can find himself. If you can think of a problem, you can easily fit it into any one of these concepts.
Sons, descendants, survivors, and widows all point to worldly activities. None of which will add one ounce of blessing to ones spiritual life, nor take away one ounce of judgment from ones destiny.
All of these folks, descendants and such, are other people. A person cannot project his life onto others, nor can one reach into the lives of others, and claim their successes for ones own.
The sword, famine, and pestilences, all result in death or the ultimate failure in ones life.
Life cannot perpetuate itself without the aid of God. Man has no power over his own life let alone the lives of others.
The widows, the ones who are left behind, the one to whom one was married throughout ones life. And that marriage was to ones chosen pattern of life in worldly affairs to the exclusion of ones spiritual life.
In life we all have our perfect match in marriage. Spiritually speaking this is Bible doctrine. But when we pursue the world we are in effect pursuing the wrong marriage partner, or a prostitute, in other words. This kind of affair will always end up in disaster.
When we die, as is inevitable for all of us, then those we leave behind, our things, our plans, our desires, our widows as it were, will have no feelings for us. They will not mourn. They will not weep. The things of this world have no concerns for our well-being.
When the wicked person is gone, they are soon forgotten.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Job 27:13
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 27:13
13 This is the portion [cheleq] of a wicked [rasha`] man ['adam] with God ['el], and the heritage [nachalah] of oppressors [`ariyts], which they shall receive [laqach] of the Almighty [Shadday]. KJV-Interlinear
13 'This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty. NASB
In science there is a principle known as Cause and Effect. If 'a' results in 'b' then 'b' is a result of 'a', or otherwise stated, 'a' is the cause of 'b.'
There is also a concept known as 'Entropy.' Entropy is the measure of the loss of usable energy. For example when kinetic energy is utilized the result is often heat. A light bulb burns electricity and produces heat. The electricity is lost but heat is produced. The total energy throughput is the same, the output changes from usable to unusable. The unusable energy is still usable but the technology is such that, that heat gets away and becomes lost to further use.
Now one more point before you start wondering if you are on the Bible study or have lost your way into Oz or some other web site.
There is a concept in communication and information theory. This theory states that as information is lost, then order tends to decrease.
Now Job, though he knew nothing of physics or science as we understand them today, is giving us all a lesson in the cause and effects of ones behavior.
I add the above concepts in order to help add to the studies of the previous days. We can all look around and see Gods work. In our late historical date, science has taken many of the things that God has invented, and analyzed them into scientific theories. Theories intending to describe how things work. Whether medicine, physics, psychology, or whatever, there is a study and theory set, that has been set out into structural terms in order to explain how these things work, and also to help us understand how they work.
Information brings order to our thinking, but more important, spiritual information brings correct order to our thinking.
Even the simplest things in life, have been analyzed by people who have greater intelligence than you and me, and their analyses have attempted to demonstrate the details and mechanics of how many things function. Whether a light bulb or the mating habits of crocodiles, makes no difference. All things came from God and they all came with a design. Those many theories, prove the existence of their design and order.
Nothing in life, nothing in existence, came into being by accident. All had an origin from intelligent design.
Now we have the thinking process of people. Remember cause and effect, information loss and order loss.
In life there are two opinions. The first is from God. Everything from God is truth. The second opinion includes everything which does not come from God, or everything else.
If a thing is true, then it is from God, if it is not true, then it is the opposite of truth or a lie.
Truth has design, attributes, order, purpose and so forth. Non-truth is the opposite. It is disorder, deceit, chaos, and so forth.
When people learn Bible doctrine, which is truth, or the doorway to truth, then they enhance their life with order and purpose. When people disregard truth, when they are indifferent toward Bible doctrine, when they substitute something else in their life instead of truth, then they send their own life into disorder, disarray, destruction. They do it all themselves.
In life, in ones spiritual or carnal life, there is a natural result and consequence of sin. Pursue sin, or generally stated, pursue non-truth, and you will reap the repercussions of your pursuit. Those repercussions of sin, being not good.
Evil is the disruption of truth. Disruption of truth causes confusion and disorder. Disorder leads to disorientation. Disorientation results in destruction.
This is the heritage, this is the inheritance, this is the result of ones rebellion against truth.
And from that Job begins, over the next ten verses, his promised instruction.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:13
13 This is the portion [cheleq] of a wicked [rasha`] man ['adam] with God ['el], and the heritage [nachalah] of oppressors [`ariyts], which they shall receive [laqach] of the Almighty [Shadday]. KJV-Interlinear
13 'This is the portion of a wicked man from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty. NASB
In science there is a principle known as Cause and Effect. If 'a' results in 'b' then 'b' is a result of 'a', or otherwise stated, 'a' is the cause of 'b.'
There is also a concept known as 'Entropy.' Entropy is the measure of the loss of usable energy. For example when kinetic energy is utilized the result is often heat. A light bulb burns electricity and produces heat. The electricity is lost but heat is produced. The total energy throughput is the same, the output changes from usable to unusable. The unusable energy is still usable but the technology is such that, that heat gets away and becomes lost to further use.
Now one more point before you start wondering if you are on the Bible study or have lost your way into Oz or some other web site.
There is a concept in communication and information theory. This theory states that as information is lost, then order tends to decrease.
Now Job, though he knew nothing of physics or science as we understand them today, is giving us all a lesson in the cause and effects of ones behavior.
I add the above concepts in order to help add to the studies of the previous days. We can all look around and see Gods work. In our late historical date, science has taken many of the things that God has invented, and analyzed them into scientific theories. Theories intending to describe how things work. Whether medicine, physics, psychology, or whatever, there is a study and theory set, that has been set out into structural terms in order to explain how these things work, and also to help us understand how they work.
Information brings order to our thinking, but more important, spiritual information brings correct order to our thinking.
Even the simplest things in life, have been analyzed by people who have greater intelligence than you and me, and their analyses have attempted to demonstrate the details and mechanics of how many things function. Whether a light bulb or the mating habits of crocodiles, makes no difference. All things came from God and they all came with a design. Those many theories, prove the existence of their design and order.
Nothing in life, nothing in existence, came into being by accident. All had an origin from intelligent design.
Now we have the thinking process of people. Remember cause and effect, information loss and order loss.
In life there are two opinions. The first is from God. Everything from God is truth. The second opinion includes everything which does not come from God, or everything else.
If a thing is true, then it is from God, if it is not true, then it is the opposite of truth or a lie.
Truth has design, attributes, order, purpose and so forth. Non-truth is the opposite. It is disorder, deceit, chaos, and so forth.
When people learn Bible doctrine, which is truth, or the doorway to truth, then they enhance their life with order and purpose. When people disregard truth, when they are indifferent toward Bible doctrine, when they substitute something else in their life instead of truth, then they send their own life into disorder, disarray, destruction. They do it all themselves.
In life, in ones spiritual or carnal life, there is a natural result and consequence of sin. Pursue sin, or generally stated, pursue non-truth, and you will reap the repercussions of your pursuit. Those repercussions of sin, being not good.
Evil is the disruption of truth. Disruption of truth causes confusion and disorder. Disorder leads to disorientation. Disorientation results in destruction.
This is the heritage, this is the inheritance, this is the result of ones rebellion against truth.
And from that Job begins, over the next ten verses, his promised instruction.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Job 27:11-12
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 27:11-12
11 I will teach [yarah] you by the hand [yad] of God ['el]: that which is with the Almighty [Shadday] will I not conceal [kachad].
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen [chazah] it; why then are ye thus altogether [hebel] vain [habal]? KJV-Interlinear
11 'I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 'Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act foolishly? NASB
The hand or power of God, refer to the tools, the apparatus, the mechanism by which things get done. In this, Job is going to teach principles of doctrine, by means of those many things which God has accomplished, in plain view, of all of humanity, throughout history.
Granted there will always be those who see history as a normal and natural flow of events and circumstances, all of which occur more or less randomly, governed by principles, which we have come to describe as scientific or social laws. But then even these so called laws consist of structure and design of some kind.
Back in Jobs day, when all of our present day technology and knowledge was not present, his generation and the many generations before and after Jobs, could still look around them and see the input from God in all that exists.
From the stars and their arrangement, to the many categories of life (plant, animal, human), to all of the proverbs which serve to guide social relationships, many of which Jobs three friends have been citing in this conversation, there is abundant evidence of an intelligent designer behind all that exists.
Today we know of atoms, of genetics, or proteins, of many different types of sound and light wave frequencies. There are even new theories out there speculating about additional dimensions that serve to absorb the tremendous force of gravity, that would otherwise crush us all if there was not something mitigating its power.
There are so many details and intricacies in this universe, that it should be virtually impossible to believe that it has all come into existence by accident. And yet, the evolutionists will fight tooth and nail to keep their views as the one and only view of life.
Everyone who has lived any kind of a life, has seen the works of God. Just look around. All that you see was started by some designer. Just as your television, house, car, chair, clothing, glasses, medicines, foods, appliances, and everything that you have, was designed and made by someone, so too this universe and all of life had its author and designer.
You cannot look at a book and believe that the language, the letters, the words, the story was all compiled by accident.
And yet people will look at life and ignore God and truth, and then pretend or invent a better explanation. Why do they do that?
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:11-12
11 I will teach [yarah] you by the hand [yad] of God ['el]: that which is with the Almighty [Shadday] will I not conceal [kachad].
12 Behold, all ye yourselves have seen [chazah] it; why then are ye thus altogether [hebel] vain [habal]? KJV-Interlinear
11 'I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 'Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you act foolishly? NASB
The hand or power of God, refer to the tools, the apparatus, the mechanism by which things get done. In this, Job is going to teach principles of doctrine, by means of those many things which God has accomplished, in plain view, of all of humanity, throughout history.
Granted there will always be those who see history as a normal and natural flow of events and circumstances, all of which occur more or less randomly, governed by principles, which we have come to describe as scientific or social laws. But then even these so called laws consist of structure and design of some kind.
Back in Jobs day, when all of our present day technology and knowledge was not present, his generation and the many generations before and after Jobs, could still look around them and see the input from God in all that exists.
From the stars and their arrangement, to the many categories of life (plant, animal, human), to all of the proverbs which serve to guide social relationships, many of which Jobs three friends have been citing in this conversation, there is abundant evidence of an intelligent designer behind all that exists.
Today we know of atoms, of genetics, or proteins, of many different types of sound and light wave frequencies. There are even new theories out there speculating about additional dimensions that serve to absorb the tremendous force of gravity, that would otherwise crush us all if there was not something mitigating its power.
There are so many details and intricacies in this universe, that it should be virtually impossible to believe that it has all come into existence by accident. And yet, the evolutionists will fight tooth and nail to keep their views as the one and only view of life.
Everyone who has lived any kind of a life, has seen the works of God. Just look around. All that you see was started by some designer. Just as your television, house, car, chair, clothing, glasses, medicines, foods, appliances, and everything that you have, was designed and made by someone, so too this universe and all of life had its author and designer.
You cannot look at a book and believe that the language, the letters, the words, the story was all compiled by accident.
And yet people will look at life and ignore God and truth, and then pretend or invent a better explanation. Why do they do that?
Friday, November 9, 2007
Job 27:9-10
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 27:9-10
9 Will God ['el] hear [shama`] his cry [tsa`aqah] when trouble [tsarah] cometh [bow'] upon him?
10 Will he delight [`anag] himself in the Almighty [Shadday]? will he always [`eth] call [qara'] upon God ['elowahh]? KJV-Interlinear
9 'Will God hear his cry, When distress comes upon him? 10 'Will he take delight in the Almighty, Will he call on God at all times? NASB
The spiritually negative person is a hypocrite, a fraud. He proposes to pursue and serve truth, but his passion chases lies. He defines the lies of the world as his truth, and therefore becomes a hypocrite or a fraud with regard to the realities of life.
Anyone, be they tyrant or good in their own eyes, when they reject, ignore, or try to modify truth, is a hypocrite.
As they pursue this pattern of life, throughout their life, then they become comfortable within their self-imposed environment of lies.
When truth is presented to them over and over, again and again, they ignore it for the simple reason that it does not fit their comfort zone of beliefs.
A very good example of this would be those who continue to oppose the war in Iraq, a war that has been turning dramatically toward a strong victory for us, yet this truth does not fit their original opinions in rejection of the war, so they continue to oppose it in spite of a successful outcome. Freedom through military victory is a long, very long established Biblical doctrine.
Sometimes people have preconceived ideas and find it very difficult to accept changes in their pattern of thinking. Making changes in religious thinking is also good example of this concept. When a person is brought up thinking in a certain way, a way that is fraught with errors, it is often times difficult to overcome those preconceived beliefs.
Likewise, when a person has made public, his opinions and they prove to be in error, then backing down from ones errors is also sometimes difficult. It isn't unusual to see politicians pursue with even greater vigor, their bad ideas, in hopes that they can maintain their perceived reputation.
That said, I will no doubt get emails from folks who believe that this is some form of political forum couched in the shadows of a Bible study, but truth is truth regardless of whether it is political or social. We all have to deal with life sooner or later. The Bible does not give us the privilege of choosing only those truths which are convenient to our beliefs.
Most, if not all, beliefs in life come from the public venue. Everyday we are exposed to politics, to news stories, to celebrity statements, to movies, to advertising, to hearsay, to gossip, to religion, and so forth. All of these forums will have an impact on the way in which we think. You will either believe them or not. You will either use them in forming your own opinions, or you will adopt someone else's beliefs as your own.
Bible doctrine is one of many opinions out there in the world. The difference between the Bible and everything else, is that the Bible possesses the truth, and everything else is either a result of that truth or a variation of a lie against the truth.
Sure, there will be those who will use the Bible for illegitimate agendas, but the true student of the Word of God, if he maintains his perseverance and objectivity, will be able to see through the false, and be able to sort out the truth.
As for those who establish a pattern of thought, which continually excludes God and truth from their lives, then that pattern becomes a comfortable habit for them. They begin to believe their web of lies and then when disaster strikes, they are surprised.
Isa. 33:14
14 Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. NASB
They see nothing happening during their lives to move them away from lies. But then is that really the truth?
Isa. 1:18-20
18 'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 'If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 'But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.' Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken. NASB
God has truth always before us. There is never an excuse for anyone to not know what they are doing, and not know the repercussions of their decisions in life.
Anyone can recover from the lies of life and resume living a life of truth, and thus establish a solid pattern of life for themselves.
Prov. 1:27-29
27 When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come on you. 28 'Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord. NASB
Judg. 10:14
14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.' NASB
But when a person continually lives a life apart from the legitimate teachings of the Word for God, then they, by their own rejection of God, have isolated themselves from His help. God merely answers their implied prayer, requesting God to leave them alone. …… He does.
And, another result of living a long life apart from God, is that when the chips are really down, you will still not turn toward God for help. The spiritually negative person will remain defiant, even in the face of their own helplessness and self-destruction.
The ultimate example of this? At the Great White Throne, millions and probably billions will stand before Christ, knowing that they are going to the Lake of Fire. Even so, they will hate Christ all the more, and not repent or change their attitude. That is the quintessence of defiant arrogance.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:9-10
9 Will God ['el] hear [shama`] his cry [tsa`aqah] when trouble [tsarah] cometh [bow'] upon him?
10 Will he delight [`anag] himself in the Almighty [Shadday]? will he always [`eth] call [qara'] upon God ['elowahh]? KJV-Interlinear
9 'Will God hear his cry, When distress comes upon him? 10 'Will he take delight in the Almighty, Will he call on God at all times? NASB
The spiritually negative person is a hypocrite, a fraud. He proposes to pursue and serve truth, but his passion chases lies. He defines the lies of the world as his truth, and therefore becomes a hypocrite or a fraud with regard to the realities of life.
Anyone, be they tyrant or good in their own eyes, when they reject, ignore, or try to modify truth, is a hypocrite.
As they pursue this pattern of life, throughout their life, then they become comfortable within their self-imposed environment of lies.
When truth is presented to them over and over, again and again, they ignore it for the simple reason that it does not fit their comfort zone of beliefs.
A very good example of this would be those who continue to oppose the war in Iraq, a war that has been turning dramatically toward a strong victory for us, yet this truth does not fit their original opinions in rejection of the war, so they continue to oppose it in spite of a successful outcome. Freedom through military victory is a long, very long established Biblical doctrine.
Sometimes people have preconceived ideas and find it very difficult to accept changes in their pattern of thinking. Making changes in religious thinking is also good example of this concept. When a person is brought up thinking in a certain way, a way that is fraught with errors, it is often times difficult to overcome those preconceived beliefs.
Likewise, when a person has made public, his opinions and they prove to be in error, then backing down from ones errors is also sometimes difficult. It isn't unusual to see politicians pursue with even greater vigor, their bad ideas, in hopes that they can maintain their perceived reputation.
That said, I will no doubt get emails from folks who believe that this is some form of political forum couched in the shadows of a Bible study, but truth is truth regardless of whether it is political or social. We all have to deal with life sooner or later. The Bible does not give us the privilege of choosing only those truths which are convenient to our beliefs.
Most, if not all, beliefs in life come from the public venue. Everyday we are exposed to politics, to news stories, to celebrity statements, to movies, to advertising, to hearsay, to gossip, to religion, and so forth. All of these forums will have an impact on the way in which we think. You will either believe them or not. You will either use them in forming your own opinions, or you will adopt someone else's beliefs as your own.
Bible doctrine is one of many opinions out there in the world. The difference between the Bible and everything else, is that the Bible possesses the truth, and everything else is either a result of that truth or a variation of a lie against the truth.
Sure, there will be those who will use the Bible for illegitimate agendas, but the true student of the Word of God, if he maintains his perseverance and objectivity, will be able to see through the false, and be able to sort out the truth.
As for those who establish a pattern of thought, which continually excludes God and truth from their lives, then that pattern becomes a comfortable habit for them. They begin to believe their web of lies and then when disaster strikes, they are surprised.
Isa. 33:14
14 Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. NASB
They see nothing happening during their lives to move them away from lies. But then is that really the truth?
Isa. 1:18-20
18 'Come now, and let us reason together,' Says the Lord, 'Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. 19 'If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; 20 'But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword.' Truly, the mouth of the Lord has spoken. NASB
God has truth always before us. There is never an excuse for anyone to not know what they are doing, and not know the repercussions of their decisions in life.
Anyone can recover from the lies of life and resume living a life of truth, and thus establish a solid pattern of life for themselves.
Prov. 1:27-29
27 When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come on you. 28 'Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the Lord. NASB
Judg. 10:14
14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.' NASB
But when a person continually lives a life apart from the legitimate teachings of the Word for God, then they, by their own rejection of God, have isolated themselves from His help. God merely answers their implied prayer, requesting God to leave them alone. …… He does.
And, another result of living a long life apart from God, is that when the chips are really down, you will still not turn toward God for help. The spiritually negative person will remain defiant, even in the face of their own helplessness and self-destruction.
The ultimate example of this? At the Great White Throne, millions and probably billions will stand before Christ, knowing that they are going to the Lake of Fire. Even so, they will hate Christ all the more, and not repent or change their attitude. That is the quintessence of defiant arrogance.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Job 27:8
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 27:8
8 For what is the hope [tiqvah] of the hypocrite [chaneph], though he hath gained [batsa`], when God ['elowahh] taketh away [shalah] his soul [nephesh]? KJV-Interlinear
8 'For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? NASB
In this world there are two broad categories of people - unbelievers and believers in Christ.
Within the believer group there are three general categories of people - those who do not grow up spiritually at all, those who have varying degrees of spiritual growth, and those who advance to spiritual maturity.
The first group, the unbeliever group, will have no blessings whatsoever in eternity. Their future will be in the Lake of Fire.
The next group, all believers in Christ, will go to heaven regardless of their spiritual growth.
In eternity, God has waiting for believers, phenomenal blessing packages. These additional blessings will be given to believers who have spiritual growth. Review the Parables of Christ studies.
The mature believers will receive all of their blessings. Those who have some spiritual growth will receive a prorated share of their blessings. And those who have no spiritual growth, will not receive any of their extra eternal blessings. Their blessings will be redistributed to those who have advanced to maturity.
This is the ultimate truth regarding life and the future for each and every one of us.
Life for us all began when we were born. We have two categories of life - the first is our physical life here on this earth. For most of us, this life will last for maybe eighty years on average. The second, is our eternal life which will occur after we leave this world and enter into the next life. This second life will last forever, for billions of trillions of gazillions of years and more.
Now here is a test question. Which life span is the longer of the two? Which of these lives will be the more significant? If you answered the second or the eternal one, then you do have a brain after all.
For most of us … our first life, comes first.
Don't want to go to fast for anyone here.
The eternal life expectations of the believer are infinitely better than the expectations of the unbeliever. Heaven verses Lake of Fire.
The eternal blessings of the mature believer are infinitely greater than the blessings of the negative believer.
The obvious objective of the individual should be to maximize their future by advancing to spiritual maturity.
In this life, none of us had any say or choice in our birth or circumstances of life. From the time of Adam and Eve right down to the time of our parents, we had no say in our genetic makeup, nor the circumstances of history, or the environment into which we were born.
But as for our eternal future, we have phenomenal opportunities in preparing for our next life, in insuring that we will have blessings above and beyond all that we can even imagine. That is a huge change from our former situation in which we had no input.
So you can live for this life alone, perhaps a few decades, and forget your future, eternity, or you can prepare during this life and have the greatest life beyond imagination in the next life, the one which will last forever.
Job points out one big truth. We will all leave this life eventually. We will be cut off. We will die. And then eternity will begin for each one of us in due course.
One day, God will issue a command and your soul will leave your body, and gone from this world you will go.
What hope is there for those who reject God? None. There is no other deity to which they can turn.
What blessing is there for those who ignore God? Zip. There is no other source of blessings from which they might gain some advantage.
During this life many will be indifferent toward God. They will pursue the world, they will express their opinions, they will presume that they know more than the average person, they who have not lived but a few years but presume to know history as though they have been around since time began.
Mk. 8:36-37
'What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
Unbelievers give up their entire eternal future in heaven for their passions during this short life now, on this earth.
Negative believers forfeit their eternal 'extra' blessings for their passions during this short life now, on this earth.
Life now is very short in comparison to all of eternity. And while a person may enjoy the benefits of this world, from a spiritually negative life now, and God will allow it, but giving up all of eternity seems like quite a large price to pay for virtually nothing in return.
Look around you, at all that you have, and all of that will be lost, for certain the very moment of your eventual death.
You cannot change your future (death and eternity), but you can change its content. And to make that change for the better, all it takes is a positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine, your daily study and your spiritual life.
And of course you can ignore all of this, too. But there is a price for that decision.
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Job 27:8
8 For what is the hope [tiqvah] of the hypocrite [chaneph], though he hath gained [batsa`], when God ['elowahh] taketh away [shalah] his soul [nephesh]? KJV-Interlinear
8 'For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, When God requires his life? NASB
In this world there are two broad categories of people - unbelievers and believers in Christ.
Within the believer group there are three general categories of people - those who do not grow up spiritually at all, those who have varying degrees of spiritual growth, and those who advance to spiritual maturity.
The first group, the unbeliever group, will have no blessings whatsoever in eternity. Their future will be in the Lake of Fire.
The next group, all believers in Christ, will go to heaven regardless of their spiritual growth.
In eternity, God has waiting for believers, phenomenal blessing packages. These additional blessings will be given to believers who have spiritual growth. Review the Parables of Christ studies.
The mature believers will receive all of their blessings. Those who have some spiritual growth will receive a prorated share of their blessings. And those who have no spiritual growth, will not receive any of their extra eternal blessings. Their blessings will be redistributed to those who have advanced to maturity.
This is the ultimate truth regarding life and the future for each and every one of us.
Life for us all began when we were born. We have two categories of life - the first is our physical life here on this earth. For most of us, this life will last for maybe eighty years on average. The second, is our eternal life which will occur after we leave this world and enter into the next life. This second life will last forever, for billions of trillions of gazillions of years and more.
Now here is a test question. Which life span is the longer of the two? Which of these lives will be the more significant? If you answered the second or the eternal one, then you do have a brain after all.
For most of us … our first life, comes first.
Don't want to go to fast for anyone here.
The eternal life expectations of the believer are infinitely better than the expectations of the unbeliever. Heaven verses Lake of Fire.
The eternal blessings of the mature believer are infinitely greater than the blessings of the negative believer.
The obvious objective of the individual should be to maximize their future by advancing to spiritual maturity.
In this life, none of us had any say or choice in our birth or circumstances of life. From the time of Adam and Eve right down to the time of our parents, we had no say in our genetic makeup, nor the circumstances of history, or the environment into which we were born.
But as for our eternal future, we have phenomenal opportunities in preparing for our next life, in insuring that we will have blessings above and beyond all that we can even imagine. That is a huge change from our former situation in which we had no input.
So you can live for this life alone, perhaps a few decades, and forget your future, eternity, or you can prepare during this life and have the greatest life beyond imagination in the next life, the one which will last forever.
Job points out one big truth. We will all leave this life eventually. We will be cut off. We will die. And then eternity will begin for each one of us in due course.
One day, God will issue a command and your soul will leave your body, and gone from this world you will go.
What hope is there for those who reject God? None. There is no other deity to which they can turn.
What blessing is there for those who ignore God? Zip. There is no other source of blessings from which they might gain some advantage.
During this life many will be indifferent toward God. They will pursue the world, they will express their opinions, they will presume that they know more than the average person, they who have not lived but a few years but presume to know history as though they have been around since time began.
Mk. 8:36-37
'What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?'
Unbelievers give up their entire eternal future in heaven for their passions during this short life now, on this earth.
Negative believers forfeit their eternal 'extra' blessings for their passions during this short life now, on this earth.
Life now is very short in comparison to all of eternity. And while a person may enjoy the benefits of this world, from a spiritually negative life now, and God will allow it, but giving up all of eternity seems like quite a large price to pay for virtually nothing in return.
Look around you, at all that you have, and all of that will be lost, for certain the very moment of your eventual death.
You cannot change your future (death and eternity), but you can change its content. And to make that change for the better, all it takes is a positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine, your daily study and your spiritual life.
And of course you can ignore all of this, too. But there is a price for that decision.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Job 27:7
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 27:7
7 Let mine enemy ['oyeb] be as the wicked [rasha`], and he that riseth up [quwm] against me as the unrighteous [`avval]. KJV-Interlinear
7 'May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the unjust. NASB
Some might think that Job is hateful toward his so-called friends, that he wishes punishment on them. Some might think that Job is hateful toward wicked people anywhere, and wishes disaster and calamity on them.
But this is not the case.
How do we know this? Because God told us of Jobs character in chapter one, and God will repeat His backing of Job at the end of this book, while at the same time condemning his friends. In fact if the three friends do not offer the commanded sacrifices, and have Job pray for them, then their life will be little better than burnt toast, so to speak.
But these are not what are in view here. Job neither holds contempt nor ill wishes against anyone, but there is a reality to life which will discover the spiritual and carnal nature of everyone. And for their chosen pattern of life, there are repercussions.
Wickedness is an attribute of a faulty spiritual life. Unrighteousness is an attribute of a faulty carnal life.
Wickedness is the activity of evil. Evil is the policy which is antithetical to truth. Sin is the strength of wickedness and self-righteousness is the weakness of wickedness. You might want to review the Carnal Human Nature chart, which is on the web site.
Unrighteousness is the activity of a dysfunctional carnal life. Unrighteousness is the lack of virtue, it is immorality, the function of injustice, indecency, dishonesty, degeneracy. In short it is the sum total of almost all of the bad norms and standards of society.
In contrast to wickedness and unrighteousness, then divine good and righteousness are the strong attributes of a stable life, which is produced by spiritual growth. One cannot have a stable life unless the spiritual life is pursued.
Either, of these patterns of life, is chosen, either actively or passively, by the individual.
Each of these patterns of life comes complete with repercussions.
Stick your hand in the fire and what happens? …… That's right. Rightness or wrongness is irrelevant in this case, but the obvious result is clear to all. At first, it might be a learning experience, but repeated actions of this type indicate a definite unwillingness to learn.
And this is where Job enters the picture in these verses.
The person who rejects truth, is by default the enemy, the opponent of truth. Truth did not make them that way, they chose to become the enemy by their repeated and defiant attitude.
We have already seen the phenomenal greatness and power of God. To have someone like that on your side would be the obvious choice. To reject the one and only God of the universe and everything else, should seem foolish.
To desire the good and best things of life seems natural. To choose repeatedly, the bad things of life should seem foolish.
The condition of the wicked and therefore unrighteous person, is a miserable one at best. This ultimate result of rejecting God, Christ, doctrine and ones spiritual life, is common knowledge, and yet the majority of the world seems to choose it. And most seem to choose it by means of substitution, substitution by some other invented human good or human righteousness mechanism.
And what is their expectation? Well that is coming in tomorrows study.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:7
7 Let mine enemy ['oyeb] be as the wicked [rasha`], and he that riseth up [quwm] against me as the unrighteous [`avval]. KJV-Interlinear
7 'May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the unjust. NASB
Some might think that Job is hateful toward his so-called friends, that he wishes punishment on them. Some might think that Job is hateful toward wicked people anywhere, and wishes disaster and calamity on them.
But this is not the case.
How do we know this? Because God told us of Jobs character in chapter one, and God will repeat His backing of Job at the end of this book, while at the same time condemning his friends. In fact if the three friends do not offer the commanded sacrifices, and have Job pray for them, then their life will be little better than burnt toast, so to speak.
But these are not what are in view here. Job neither holds contempt nor ill wishes against anyone, but there is a reality to life which will discover the spiritual and carnal nature of everyone. And for their chosen pattern of life, there are repercussions.
Wickedness is an attribute of a faulty spiritual life. Unrighteousness is an attribute of a faulty carnal life.
Wickedness is the activity of evil. Evil is the policy which is antithetical to truth. Sin is the strength of wickedness and self-righteousness is the weakness of wickedness. You might want to review the Carnal Human Nature chart, which is on the web site.
Unrighteousness is the activity of a dysfunctional carnal life. Unrighteousness is the lack of virtue, it is immorality, the function of injustice, indecency, dishonesty, degeneracy. In short it is the sum total of almost all of the bad norms and standards of society.
In contrast to wickedness and unrighteousness, then divine good and righteousness are the strong attributes of a stable life, which is produced by spiritual growth. One cannot have a stable life unless the spiritual life is pursued.
Either, of these patterns of life, is chosen, either actively or passively, by the individual.
Each of these patterns of life comes complete with repercussions.
Stick your hand in the fire and what happens? …… That's right. Rightness or wrongness is irrelevant in this case, but the obvious result is clear to all. At first, it might be a learning experience, but repeated actions of this type indicate a definite unwillingness to learn.
And this is where Job enters the picture in these verses.
The person who rejects truth, is by default the enemy, the opponent of truth. Truth did not make them that way, they chose to become the enemy by their repeated and defiant attitude.
We have already seen the phenomenal greatness and power of God. To have someone like that on your side would be the obvious choice. To reject the one and only God of the universe and everything else, should seem foolish.
To desire the good and best things of life seems natural. To choose repeatedly, the bad things of life should seem foolish.
The condition of the wicked and therefore unrighteous person, is a miserable one at best. This ultimate result of rejecting God, Christ, doctrine and ones spiritual life, is common knowledge, and yet the majority of the world seems to choose it. And most seem to choose it by means of substitution, substitution by some other invented human good or human righteousness mechanism.
And what is their expectation? Well that is coming in tomorrows study.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Job 27:5-6
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:5-6
5 God forbid [chaliylah] that I should justify [tsadaq] you: till I die [gava`] I will not remove [cuwr] mine integrity [tummah] from me.
6 My righteousness [tsadaqah] I hold [chazaq] fast, and will not let it go [raphah]: my heart [lebab] shall not reproach [charaph.] me so long as I live [yowm]. KJV-Interlinear
5 'Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 'I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. NASB
Truth is the perfect matching of facts with reality. When facts are replaced with opinion, consensus, conjecture, or anything else, then it is no longer the truth, but the opposite - a lie.
People who reject truth, will stop at no limits in their attempt to prevent truth. People who avoid truth will do their best to prevent others from hearing truth. People who are indifferent toward truth, will not hold back in inventing their own beliefs. People who hold a disdain for truth will conspire and even manufacture phenomenal webs of lies in order to discredit and confuse truth. People who oppose truth will invent their own opinions, beliefs and philosophies, regardless of facts.
But truth needs no ally. Truth needs no crutch to support it. Truth needs no support from other opinions.
Truth is self-evident. Truth is always obvious to those who are tolerant and patient, and objective in their approach to life. Truth is always made clear to those who function (legitimately) within their spiritual lives.
Truth comes only from God. Truth is communicated only by means of the Holy Spirit. Truth is only perceived from within the fellowship sphere. Truth is only useful to the believer who is advancing in their spiritual life.
Any compromise of truth, any dilution of truth, any modification of truth, any alternative to truth is a lie.
Sincerity, strong opinions, strong feelings, outgoing or inward personality attributes, or moral standards are not evidence of truth nor are they substitutes for truth.
Job makes all of his comments from a position of truth. Since truth cannot be defeated, standing with truth is never a losing decision. There is never anything to be gained by setting truth aside.
Job has been hammered repeatedly by his friends. Job has been suffering immensely for quite some time now. Job has had many opportunities to disavow truth. It would have been very easy to just let his friends win their argument, to give in to their public opinion peer pressure, to just let go in hopes that all of this pressure will simply disappear.
All of the observable evidence was on the side of his friends, and the apparent lack of action directly from God could easily have made Job slip into anxiety and anxious self-pity.
But Job lived his life based on the principles taught in the scriptures. Job did not live or form his life based on the opinions of others, even while being exposed to the public eye.
A life based on true, repeat, 'true' principles can never be moved.
A life based on invented principles will always eventually fail.
The mature believer in silence, speaks louder than the most violent thunderstorm.
Those who are spiritually deficient have no choice but to bring noise and cause adversarial disruption to society, and they will end up no better off than one standing before a strong downwind, making themselves wet from doing what they only know how to do into the wind.
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:5-6
5 God forbid [chaliylah] that I should justify [tsadaq] you: till I die [gava`] I will not remove [cuwr] mine integrity [tummah] from me.
6 My righteousness [tsadaqah] I hold [chazaq] fast, and will not let it go [raphah]: my heart [lebab] shall not reproach [charaph.] me so long as I live [yowm]. KJV-Interlinear
5 'Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 'I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. NASB
Truth is the perfect matching of facts with reality. When facts are replaced with opinion, consensus, conjecture, or anything else, then it is no longer the truth, but the opposite - a lie.
People who reject truth, will stop at no limits in their attempt to prevent truth. People who avoid truth will do their best to prevent others from hearing truth. People who are indifferent toward truth, will not hold back in inventing their own beliefs. People who hold a disdain for truth will conspire and even manufacture phenomenal webs of lies in order to discredit and confuse truth. People who oppose truth will invent their own opinions, beliefs and philosophies, regardless of facts.
But truth needs no ally. Truth needs no crutch to support it. Truth needs no support from other opinions.
Truth is self-evident. Truth is always obvious to those who are tolerant and patient, and objective in their approach to life. Truth is always made clear to those who function (legitimately) within their spiritual lives.
Truth comes only from God. Truth is communicated only by means of the Holy Spirit. Truth is only perceived from within the fellowship sphere. Truth is only useful to the believer who is advancing in their spiritual life.
Any compromise of truth, any dilution of truth, any modification of truth, any alternative to truth is a lie.
Sincerity, strong opinions, strong feelings, outgoing or inward personality attributes, or moral standards are not evidence of truth nor are they substitutes for truth.
Job makes all of his comments from a position of truth. Since truth cannot be defeated, standing with truth is never a losing decision. There is never anything to be gained by setting truth aside.
Job has been hammered repeatedly by his friends. Job has been suffering immensely for quite some time now. Job has had many opportunities to disavow truth. It would have been very easy to just let his friends win their argument, to give in to their public opinion peer pressure, to just let go in hopes that all of this pressure will simply disappear.
All of the observable evidence was on the side of his friends, and the apparent lack of action directly from God could easily have made Job slip into anxiety and anxious self-pity.
But Job lived his life based on the principles taught in the scriptures. Job did not live or form his life based on the opinions of others, even while being exposed to the public eye.
A life based on true, repeat, 'true' principles can never be moved.
A life based on invented principles will always eventually fail.
The mature believer in silence, speaks louder than the most violent thunderstorm.
Those who are spiritually deficient have no choice but to bring noise and cause adversarial disruption to society, and they will end up no better off than one standing before a strong downwind, making themselves wet from doing what they only know how to do into the wind.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Job 27:3-4
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:3-4
3 All the while [`owd] my breath [nashamah] is in me, and the spirit [ruwach] of God ['elowahh] is in my nostrils ['aph];
4 My lips [saphah] shall not speak [dabar] wickedness [`evel], nor my tongue [lashown] utter [hagah] deceit [ramiyah]. KJV-Interlinear
3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, 4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. NASB
No matter what becomes of him, Job is not going to shun his faith. That is the gist of these verses.
Before we move on, we should review briefly where Job has come from.
Job had seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, and Job was the greatest of all the men of the east. Job was a farmer, rancher, merchant, and freight hauler. Job sat on the city counsel and was respected by young and old. His words were listened to by young and old.
By this time, Job was probably around a hundred years old. We speculate on the age because we do not know his age at this time. But he had ten children and they were all grown up, established and living in their own homes. Job will live yet another hundred and forty years, so he is about half way (give or take) through his life by this time.
By any method of measure, Job was a wealthy, successful, and established man.
Then, in the space of a day, the sky fell in on his life. His fields were ransacked, his employees murdered, his herds stolen, and his children were killed.
And, as if that were not enough, a short time later, his health began to deteriorate rapidly.
These are the symptoms of Job's affliction - inflamed, ulcerous sores (Job 2:7), itching (v. 8), degenerative changes in facial skin (vv. 7,12), loss of appetite (3:24), depression (3:24-25), loss of strength (6:11), worms in the boils (7:5), running sores (7:5), difficulty in breathing (9:18), darkness under the eyes (16:16), foul breath (19:17), loss of weight (19:20; 33:21), continual pain (30:17), restlessness (30:27), blackened skin (30:30), peeling skin (30:30), and fever (30:30).
Job was sick for quite some time. We have already guesstimated his illness to have been about a month long when his friends finally arrived to 'comfort' him. Remember that back then, news and travel was slow.
What would you do if all of this had happened to you? Your wealth lost, your family dead. Your health in the toilet, and you felt like you were literally knocking at deaths door, even wishing for it, because you were so bad off.
Most people would be bawling crocodile tears, swearing, complaining, even blaming and condemning God for their situation.
But not Job. He knew that his situation was not for the reasons that his friends had suggested, that he was wicked, but for whatever reason, he was not going to blame God.
For as long as life was in him, he would stick with his faith. He would not participate in the blame game. He would not complain against God. He would not make accusations against others. He would not begin to live a life of deceit just to try and make up for his losses. He would not try to take advantage of others in order to benefit himself.
Most people would justify their ill feelings. Most people would wear their feelings on their shirtsleeves, and act as though they had been made the target of such unfair treatment. Most people would look for someone to blame. Surely, this must be someone else's fault!
And if this were not all, Job still had to deal with three friends who came to comfort him but ended up making accusations of wickedness against him.
Job is not feeling very well. Re-read his symptoms again. And he is still carrying on a discourse in instruction in truth, despite his physical and mental condition. He is still most probably grieving over the loss of his ten children.
When you have advanced in your spiritual life, such that you can lose everything and still hold on to your faith, and then still teach others in truth, without bitterness, then you can honestly say that you have accomplished something. But then it is not you, but God who forms your inner strength through doctrine. Something that you cannot get anywhere else.
Most folks get so tied up in their 'things' in life that they fear losing them, more than they fear God who provided everything in the first place.
God does not do things arbitrarily. God does not play with people frivolously.
The scriptures are now closed, so all you need do now, is learn and grow up. The world will still try to trash your life, but God, remember, is on your side. That is, if you allow it. And you allow it through your positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine and your spiritual life.
But remember as you advance through life, solutions do not come instantaneously. Job was patient. So too, you need to learn patience as well as tolerance.
You can approach life on your own, and if so, then good luck. Your best outcome will be utter failure.
Or, you can give over you life to God, and then your 'worst' outcome will be phenomenal success.
Which do you suppose is the better of the two?
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Job 27:3-4
3 All the while [`owd] my breath [nashamah] is in me, and the spirit [ruwach] of God ['elowahh] is in my nostrils ['aph];
4 My lips [saphah] shall not speak [dabar] wickedness [`evel], nor my tongue [lashown] utter [hagah] deceit [ramiyah]. KJV-Interlinear
3 For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, 4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. NASB
No matter what becomes of him, Job is not going to shun his faith. That is the gist of these verses.
Before we move on, we should review briefly where Job has come from.
Job had seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, and Job was the greatest of all the men of the east. Job was a farmer, rancher, merchant, and freight hauler. Job sat on the city counsel and was respected by young and old. His words were listened to by young and old.
By this time, Job was probably around a hundred years old. We speculate on the age because we do not know his age at this time. But he had ten children and they were all grown up, established and living in their own homes. Job will live yet another hundred and forty years, so he is about half way (give or take) through his life by this time.
By any method of measure, Job was a wealthy, successful, and established man.
Then, in the space of a day, the sky fell in on his life. His fields were ransacked, his employees murdered, his herds stolen, and his children were killed.
And, as if that were not enough, a short time later, his health began to deteriorate rapidly.
These are the symptoms of Job's affliction - inflamed, ulcerous sores (Job 2:7), itching (v. 8), degenerative changes in facial skin (vv. 7,12), loss of appetite (3:24), depression (3:24-25), loss of strength (6:11), worms in the boils (7:5), running sores (7:5), difficulty in breathing (9:18), darkness under the eyes (16:16), foul breath (19:17), loss of weight (19:20; 33:21), continual pain (30:17), restlessness (30:27), blackened skin (30:30), peeling skin (30:30), and fever (30:30).
Job was sick for quite some time. We have already guesstimated his illness to have been about a month long when his friends finally arrived to 'comfort' him. Remember that back then, news and travel was slow.
What would you do if all of this had happened to you? Your wealth lost, your family dead. Your health in the toilet, and you felt like you were literally knocking at deaths door, even wishing for it, because you were so bad off.
Most people would be bawling crocodile tears, swearing, complaining, even blaming and condemning God for their situation.
But not Job. He knew that his situation was not for the reasons that his friends had suggested, that he was wicked, but for whatever reason, he was not going to blame God.
For as long as life was in him, he would stick with his faith. He would not participate in the blame game. He would not complain against God. He would not make accusations against others. He would not begin to live a life of deceit just to try and make up for his losses. He would not try to take advantage of others in order to benefit himself.
Most people would justify their ill feelings. Most people would wear their feelings on their shirtsleeves, and act as though they had been made the target of such unfair treatment. Most people would look for someone to blame. Surely, this must be someone else's fault!
And if this were not all, Job still had to deal with three friends who came to comfort him but ended up making accusations of wickedness against him.
Job is not feeling very well. Re-read his symptoms again. And he is still carrying on a discourse in instruction in truth, despite his physical and mental condition. He is still most probably grieving over the loss of his ten children.
When you have advanced in your spiritual life, such that you can lose everything and still hold on to your faith, and then still teach others in truth, without bitterness, then you can honestly say that you have accomplished something. But then it is not you, but God who forms your inner strength through doctrine. Something that you cannot get anywhere else.
Most folks get so tied up in their 'things' in life that they fear losing them, more than they fear God who provided everything in the first place.
God does not do things arbitrarily. God does not play with people frivolously.
The scriptures are now closed, so all you need do now, is learn and grow up. The world will still try to trash your life, but God, remember, is on your side. That is, if you allow it. And you allow it through your positive attitude toward God, Christ, doctrine and your spiritual life.
But remember as you advance through life, solutions do not come instantaneously. Job was patient. So too, you need to learn patience as well as tolerance.
You can approach life on your own, and if so, then good luck. Your best outcome will be utter failure.
Or, you can give over you life to God, and then your 'worst' outcome will be phenomenal success.
Which do you suppose is the better of the two?
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Job 27:1-2
This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
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Job 27:1-2
1 Moreover Job ['Iyowb] continued [yacaph] [nasa'] his parable [mashal], and said ['amar],
2 As God ['el] liveth [chay], who hath taken away [cuwr] my judgment [mishpat]; and the Almighty [Shadday], who hath vexed [marar] my soul [nephesh]; KJV-Interlinear
1 Then Job continued his discourse and said, 2 'As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, NASB
Job paused in his discourse and when no one came back with a counter argument, he continued with his point of view.
The word for parable here in not what we think of when we recall the parables taught by Jesus. This usage is a reference to instruction in truth, as from one in authority.
Job is teaching principles of doctrine. And he is teaching them honestly and accurately within the context of his situation, and from the point of view from his generation.
Since truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then the time in history is irrelevant. It just helps us to understand that the ancients were not a bunch of dumb bent over cavemen.
'As God lives forever,' is a figure of speech, or an oath as it were. We might say, 'As God is my witness.'
And so Job continues his instruction which teaches us all that it is God who is in control of history and circumstances.
It is God who brought about Jobs situation. It is God who allows this situation to continue. It is God who does not immediately respond to his prayers. And finally, it is God who will bring about his solution.
We know that Satan started all of this with his accusations. But it is God who allowed it all to happen. Satan requested and God set the rules.
God controls all births, and all deaths. In between, life happens. God (Jesus Christ) controls history. He controls history in three ways - directly through His divine power, indirectly through the laws of establishment, and permissively through the volition of creatures (men and angels).
God does nothing on impulse. Everything that occurs, does so because it was included (foreseen) in the Divine Decrees, which were decided on in eternity past.
The removal of Jobs right, is the removal of his freedom of action, through the actions of Satan, as permitted by God. The embitterment of Jobs soul is the related mental and physical pain and stress due to his suffering.
Job will not complain about his situation, even though he does not know that his situation is going to teach many tens of millions or even billions of people during the course of the rest of human history. God chose the right man for this purpose.
Most people will cry and complain when they come face to face with hard times. And, Job will have a great deal to say about them, later in this chapter.
So far we should know that God is infinite. There is nothing that God cannot do. He created this universe with all of its detailed complexities, and what we know from science and technology and so forth, is not even a drop in the ocean of things we do not know.
Your situation and my situation are virtually nothing when compared to what God is able to do. In fact, Gods effort in the creation of the universe, as witnessed by the angels, is nothing more than finger work, Psa. 8:3.
So if God can do all of that with the effort of only His fingers, then how much less effort is needed to take care of you and me?
In our lifetime, we will all come face to face with difficult situations. Those with doctrine in their soul will tough it out, and glorify God by means of their faith and trust. Those without doctrine will probably cry and complain, and act like the little tantrum babies they really are.
If you have ever raised a two year old, then you know that when they trap themselves in a situation, they yell and holler until momma comes and saves them. Momma just smiles because their situation was not that big of a deal, even though their screams would suggest that the sky was falling.
That is life between man and God. With doctrine, you can maintain your poise. Without doctrine, you will be no better than that two year old.
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Job 27:1-2
1 Moreover Job ['Iyowb] continued [yacaph] [nasa'] his parable [mashal], and said ['amar],
2 As God ['el] liveth [chay], who hath taken away [cuwr] my judgment [mishpat]; and the Almighty [Shadday], who hath vexed [marar] my soul [nephesh]; KJV-Interlinear
1 Then Job continued his discourse and said, 2 'As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, NASB
Job paused in his discourse and when no one came back with a counter argument, he continued with his point of view.
The word for parable here in not what we think of when we recall the parables taught by Jesus. This usage is a reference to instruction in truth, as from one in authority.
Job is teaching principles of doctrine. And he is teaching them honestly and accurately within the context of his situation, and from the point of view from his generation.
Since truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then the time in history is irrelevant. It just helps us to understand that the ancients were not a bunch of dumb bent over cavemen.
'As God lives forever,' is a figure of speech, or an oath as it were. We might say, 'As God is my witness.'
And so Job continues his instruction which teaches us all that it is God who is in control of history and circumstances.
It is God who brought about Jobs situation. It is God who allows this situation to continue. It is God who does not immediately respond to his prayers. And finally, it is God who will bring about his solution.
We know that Satan started all of this with his accusations. But it is God who allowed it all to happen. Satan requested and God set the rules.
God controls all births, and all deaths. In between, life happens. God (Jesus Christ) controls history. He controls history in three ways - directly through His divine power, indirectly through the laws of establishment, and permissively through the volition of creatures (men and angels).
God does nothing on impulse. Everything that occurs, does so because it was included (foreseen) in the Divine Decrees, which were decided on in eternity past.
The removal of Jobs right, is the removal of his freedom of action, through the actions of Satan, as permitted by God. The embitterment of Jobs soul is the related mental and physical pain and stress due to his suffering.
Job will not complain about his situation, even though he does not know that his situation is going to teach many tens of millions or even billions of people during the course of the rest of human history. God chose the right man for this purpose.
Most people will cry and complain when they come face to face with hard times. And, Job will have a great deal to say about them, later in this chapter.
So far we should know that God is infinite. There is nothing that God cannot do. He created this universe with all of its detailed complexities, and what we know from science and technology and so forth, is not even a drop in the ocean of things we do not know.
Your situation and my situation are virtually nothing when compared to what God is able to do. In fact, Gods effort in the creation of the universe, as witnessed by the angels, is nothing more than finger work, Psa. 8:3.
So if God can do all of that with the effort of only His fingers, then how much less effort is needed to take care of you and me?
In our lifetime, we will all come face to face with difficult situations. Those with doctrine in their soul will tough it out, and glorify God by means of their faith and trust. Those without doctrine will probably cry and complain, and act like the little tantrum babies they really are.
If you have ever raised a two year old, then you know that when they trap themselves in a situation, they yell and holler until momma comes and saves them. Momma just smiles because their situation was not that big of a deal, even though their screams would suggest that the sky was falling.
That is life between man and God. With doctrine, you can maintain your poise. Without doctrine, you will be no better than that two year old.
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