JOB 15 – a continuation…

JOB 15 IN FULL

Eliphaz is a bit harsh, or maybe he is just getting defensive because Job told him effectively he is a rubbish friend!

In this chapter we see Eliphaz condemning Job for being arrogant, and for having no fear of God, now we can see where Eliphaz gets this notion from in the sense that Job has previously questioned what is going on with him and desires to take his case before God, however I am not sure we can say Job has lost all fear and honour of God.

But what I do want to say about this passage is this, whether Eliphaz was right or wrong, there is an important lesson we CAN indeed learn from him, and it is this – TELL YA FRIEND THE TRUTH!

Oftentimes friends do or say things that we think in our minds is a bit OFF and I can say personally we just sit there and nod the head or say something vague. It is so important, if we are true friends to tell our friends the truth, but if we are true friends we will, to borrow the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4 regarding another issue, ‘speak the truth in love‘.

As Christians we are called to ‘love your neighbour as yourself‘ {Matthew 19:19} and ‘as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them’ {Luke 6:31}. Let us indeed speak the truth in love and CHALLENGE ourselves to be open and frank with our friends, where questions, objections or correction are needed LET US RAISE THEM!

As a side note – all things are to be done with a level of wisdom and so different situations will demand a different type of response, but none the less let us be honest and TRUE friends, let integrity reign, let integrity reign!

cory

JOB 14 – time is precious – a continuation…

JOB 14 IN FULL

‘Man who is born of a woman
is few of days and full of trouble.
He comes out likea flower and withers;
he flees like a shadow and continues not.’

(verses 1-2)

I read this and it came to me that this statement is so much a part of our very reality as people, the fact is, is that we do not have long on this earth, we do not have much time, and  furthermore the time that we do have seems to fade away so quickly, that as soon as we blink another week has gone by, another month…….

This week I have noticed how the evenings would go buy so quickly, 8 hours would feel like 2 and behold another day had come and a new one was coming.

Time is a precious thing, it affords us so much, as I said to a friend this week we have, ’opportunities to know God more, to know the Word and to take advantage of life’s great opportunities’

The Psalmist said it like this in Psalm 103:15

‘As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field’

And so let us be encouraged this WEEKEND, this WEEK and for our LIVES, by the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5, verses 15-17

‘Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.’

Let us glorify God with our time, what little we have let it be used most effectively!

Job 13 – calamity has come my way why haas God left me?

JOB 13

‘Why do you hide your face and count me as your enemy?

Will you frighten a driven leaf and pursue drychaff?’

(verses 24 – 25)

Job really thinks that God has turned against him and has marked him out as His enemy.

Often times it can be thought by us as Christians that God has somehow turned on us or abandoned us because of terrible troubles that have come upon us. How that could not be further from the truth, for we know that God is a great and loving Father, and as Paul says in Romans 8.

‘For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,’

(verses 15-17)

Oh yes we are children of the Most High God and we can cry Dad! Father! And we have the assurance of Hebrews 13:5

‘for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.’

So no God is so not our enemy not at all, he now calls us ‘friends’!

Yes; He is Father, He is still all caring and all covering. And we are given some admonitions in scripture that present us with the fact that it is NOT that we are enemies of God that troubles come upon us.

‘Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.’

(Romans 5:1-5)

‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’

(1 Peter 1:3-9)

‘Share in suffering asa good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is notcrowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.’

(2 Timothy 2:3-7)

Be encouraged that God is with us and he NEVER has, NEVER will forsake us or abandoning us, sing like the Psalmist, in Psalms 121; ‘lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord,’

P

JOB 12 – “”good”" people suffer and “”evil”" people prosper? or do they?

JOB 12 in full

Here we have the age-old question –  God why is it that ‘robbers are at peace’ (verse 6) and why do ‘those who provoke God secure’ (verse 6)?

In this ever switching exchange of conversations where we have Job speaking with his friends who have come to be with him and mourn his children; the subject of this discourse is basically what I said above. ‘God, the wicked prosper yet the strong, the counsellors, the kings are all ‘stripped’ ‘bound’ and looked down on (verses 17,18 & 21)’

It is the question we all ask at one time or another, and in a way it is a fair wondering thought.

But I love the way Paul deals with another issue with regards to God’s electing choice with regards to salvation in Romans 9

‘But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”  Has the potter no right over the clay’

I believe this can be used as an answer not only to God’s electing choice in salvation but also to all that he seems to permit that “seems” to be, dare I say, wrong.

Now the witness of scripture is clear, God is good, he is totally just and in him there is no evil, or lack of equity!

So in the midst of seeming problems in this world system and indeed back to Job’s own personal situation we simply must submit or come to a place where we say…

‘God, you are Lord, you are sovereign you are absolutely and irrefutebly wonderful good and just, and even though I do not understand, I must submit to your will. Though I do not understand why these bad things are happening, even though I do not understand why there seems to be so much injustice, I know that as the song says ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’.

Readers, once we get a grasp of who God is and know he is totally sovereign and totally in control, we can come to realise that though we don’t understand everything we have to realise that all things work together in HIS own good purpose, he has creative right over all things and whatever he does is in line with his great character even though we do not understand why.

It is far easier said than done I do realise that trust me, but it isn’t about what we find difficult it must be about what is reality. We must seek to come to a place where this can be our assured answer, not that we are cold and locked off to our surroundings, but in the midst of everything we can say

God you are God and all you do is simply your prerogative.

Let us pray for that mindset for it is only God who can continue to work on us and is more than able to , to bring us to a place where we see his glory and power more and more. I most definitely do speak from experience, ‘Lord show me your glory and greatness’…..and he so will!

Take a look at these…..ISAIAH 6 and REVELATION 4

JOB 11 – a continuation…

Job 11 in full

Let us order both our theology and our empathy.

If you were going to ask which of Job’s friends had a decent grasp of theology you might say Zophar

‘Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?’

(verses 7-8)

This guy seems to have a passion for God, he understands that God is so mightily far above all things, and he understands that the sinner must forsake his sin and come to God with stretched out hands. But in all of this he fails to see that Job is not a sinner being punished by God and he indeed misquotes Job in verse 4 where he says that Job has said, ‘‘My doctrine is pure”, which Job has not said. Job has so far basically said to his friends that he believes that he is not guilty of some great sin to warrant these hard ships. However he has also said ‘if i am guilty woe to me’ (chapter 10:15). We see that he sort of believes he’s not done anything wrong, but he is not so brazen and open as Zophar would seem to accuse him.

What I see in Zophar is a man who recognises the supremacy of God, his total sovereign rule and his hatred of sin; he has a great theology. But he does not then relate this to his treatment with Job.

Christians, theologians, etc. remember this. Doctrine and the searching out of God and his ways are of utmost importance. Indeed man’s chief end is to worship God and that most certainly is aided in a massive way through knowing him and knowing about him and so yes study, study, study and seek him.

But empathy and consolation do not have to fly out the window, indeed such qualities should be accentuated, yes, they should be increased, because as we see God more and more we see his love more and more, and we see that we have a responsibility to love each other as Christ loves us, yes correct and rebuke as I’m sure Zophar thought he was doing. Do not shy away from encouraging a brother/sister to come out of a sin, but do it in love and in an understanding way, and do not always assume that calamity is a result of the judgement of God.

THE ALL SUFFICIENT, ALL KNOWING ALL LOVING FATHER – JOB 10 – a continuation…

JOB 10 IN FULL – I REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THE SCRIPTURES SO YOU CAN GET A FLAVOUR OF THE CONTEXT

In Job 10, where we have Job, basically saying ‘God I hate my life, why do you punish me like this, is it your intention to kill me?’, an important lesson is to be learnt. It is this, that the great God Almighty is all sufficient and has those who have come into adoption as his children are in the palms of his hands; we are the ‘apple of his eye’ as Zechariah chapter 2 puts it.

The lesson to be learnt is that we must not always assume on God’s character, we know through the benefit of knowing the background to this man’s story, that God had not left him, God was not punishing Job for any ‘iniquity’ as Job puts it.

We see Job, having misunderstood what was going around him, and the reason he did not understand what was going on was because he was not God, he did not have the ability to see the end from the beginning, he did not have the ability and the wherewithal to know the ins and outs and the crevices of what was taking place.

This is a lesson: God is God, and for them that know Him as Father, as King, as provider, as protector; he is all sufficient, he knows what’s going on and we must trust him as supreme Lord over all creation.

So we must know that sometimes we simply DO NOT KNOW the reasons and in those times, IN THOSE VERY TIMES, seek out the extra opportunity to place your faith in the all great and sufficient Lord. Listen to the Apostle Paul in his letter to an early Christian church in Rome.

‘What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God,who indeed is interceding for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sakewe are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more thanconquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’ [Romans 8: 31 - 39]

ROMANS chapter 8 IN FULL

It is indeed in these times of sorrow and hardship that we are manifested as ‘more than conquerors’, hardships come, but we know that our Father is great.

‘for he has said, ”I will never leave you nor forsake you.”‘ [Hebrews 13:5] – HE NEVER NEVER WILL!

‘Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!’ [Psalms 24: 7 - 10]

THAT’S THE KING WE SERVE! – HE IS MORE THAN ABLE

JOB 9 – the inexplicable, inexhaustible, incomprehensible, unfathomable, irrefutable, indescribable, unmistakable, indubitable majesty and grandeur of GOD

JOB 9 IN FULL

There’s just something about God, that makes me excited, and its his grandeur! (see title!)

We have now come to Job 9 and we see Job’s reply to his second friend who has spoken to him following the death of his children, the destruction of his estate and his skin disease! And it is to me an amazing oral dedication to the majesty and SUPREMACY of God; now don’t get me wrong Job is accusing God in parts in this chapter of abandoning the innocent and he wishes to speak with him to present his case, but let’s look at some stuff that still comes out of this man’s mouth in the midst of his perplexity. (THIS GUY HAS LOST EVERYTHING! HAS GOT SOME MASH UP SKIN DISEASE YET STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL THIS STUFF COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH) – excuse the bad spelling, grammar i.e. “mash up” and capitals, I’m just blown away!

Then Job answered and said:
“Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man bein the right before God?
If one wished tocontend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times (verses 1-3)

who alone stretched out the heavens
and trampled the waves of the sea;
who made the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the chambers of the south (verses 8-9)

Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not;
he moves on, but I do not perceive him.
Behold, he snatches away;who can turn him back?
Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ (verses 11-12)

If it is a contest ofstrength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who cansummon him? (verse 19)

For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him (verse 32)

Now Job does accuse God here in other parts of the chapter of possibly punishing the innocent (himself) and he seeks to have a meet and counsel with God, but through his ‘over the line’ presumption on the character of God and encroachment, he still has to recognise, as we all do the supremacy and height of the Lord God of all creation!

This is an example to everyone in Christ when we go through times of suffering, its terrible and treacherous and altogether horrible at times, but we got to look to the example set in part by this man, he still has a recognition of the sovereignty of God!

JOB 8 – THE WILL OF GOD

JOB 8 FULL

Job chapter 8 sees the introduction of another of Job’s friends, namely, Bildad.

We see that he like Eliphaz is under the understandable impression that God, has inflicted such horrors on Job because of some sin he has committed. Again however we know this is not the case from the first chapter. Something that hit me when reading this is this, it is so important to seek out the will of God for a particular situation, since we know that Bildad was wrong (I am not saying that friendly advice is no use), we must always seek God, on any given situation; Lord what is going on here? Lord where do I go?

I share a personal experience with regards to university.

I really, really, no really wanted to go to Birmingham (shout out to any brummies reading –  I could have been one of you!). However I knew so strongly that Manchester was where God wanted me to be, now I really did not want to stay in my home city, like really did not want to stay (Manchester I still love you) Manchester was just an insurance option, but up to the decision time, I was so pulled by God. I did not receive a vision in the dead of night (although I really want one of those ‘Thus says God” moments!) nor did I get a voice telling me “stay in Manchester Cory” (booming voice) but there was an immense, powerful tug on my will and my emotions up to the point of the night before decision time, I was really wrestling with God, “nooooooooooo, God noooooooooo, I want to goooooooo”, but I knew it was not his will, and he had placed me here.

I say this to say that knowing the will of God for a situation is so important!

Listen to the Apostle Paul in his letter to an early Christian church in the first century in Rome, the then capital of the world.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed bythe renewal of your mind, that by testing you maydiscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1-2

ROMANS 12 IN FULL

Here the last part - ‘you maydiscern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect’

SEEK HIS WILL IN ALL SITUATIONS!

Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5-6 say it like this

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
anddo not lean on your own understanding.
In all your waysacknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

JOB 7

JOB 7 IN FULL

We last saw Job, responding to his friend Eliphaz and we saw Job, reprimanding Eliphaz for his rubbish and unhelpful advice!

Now it turns to Job. In chapter 3 we saw a slight insight into his thinking, into his sadness. Now we see something deeper, we se more of a philosophical approach from Job, he is down in the dumps even further, and now turns his questioning toward God, and sees this as God’s punishment on him (which we know it is not, from the first chapter), we see also that his body now seems to have broken out into some kind of skin condition!

The questioning of God is apparent throughout, yet what is notable is that he still maintains that though God may be acting out against him the language such as ‘the watcher of mankind’ in verse 20 is rather interesting, it shows to us that Job still has in mind the ultimate sovereignty of God, through his despairing and questioning of ‘why?’

JOB 6

JOB 6 IN FULL!

Wow in Job 6 we see that Job has recognised that what his friend Eliphaz has told him is empty words.

verse 25 says:

Honest words never hurt anyone,
but what’s the point of all this pious bluster? [the message]

Advice can sometimes be unwelcome. We also see the advice  that has been given so far to Job, the already confounded man has been made worse by the words of his friend, Eliphaz. Job just wants some honest friendly help from his friends. ‘teach me’ he says, rather than:

‘For you have now become nothing;
you see my calamity and are afraid.
Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’?
Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’?
Or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’?

“Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray.

[verses 21-24]

A friend must be wise in how, when and what they say especially in times of crisis!