August 30, 2006

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Psalm 74:1-77:20; Romans 14:1-23

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Job 9:1-4

Job Says There Is No Arbitrator between God and Man

     1     Then Job answered,

     2     “In truth I know that this is so;

But how can a man be in the right before God?

     3     “If one wished to dispute with Him,

He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.

     4     “Wise in heart and mighty in strength,

Who has defied Him without harm?

NASB95^[1]

Verse 2 indicates that Job recognized the truth in what Bildad was saying.  Look at  his answer in the first few verses.  Job understood how incredibly wicked that man is and how impossible it is to compare man to God.  In the first place, why do people suffer?  Job is a prime example of the fact that a person does not have to be a wicked person to suffer in intense ways.  Imagine as you read his words how he pondered the truth that Bildad had spoken and the knowledge that he had done everything in his power to live the righteous life.  Yet compared to God, Job fell short in every way, he felt that it would be impossible to actually be "right before God" or to be "right with God".  There is a teaching that says that man is totally depraved and cannot in any way be righteous before God through his own efforts.  This is a classic example of that argument.

Job could not picture a man defying God.  It was just beyond his reasoning.  The idea behind the verse is that a man was to bring God to court in order to settle a dispute.  It's rather funny, later on Job finally has enough and petitions God for an answer, Job 10:2, after God spoke to Job, he found he was correct, he couldn't stand to reason before God, Job 40:3-5.

In closing, we have several people in our study that are both stuck with chronic pain, chronic illness, and severe injuries of various sorts.  Pain according to Job does not indicate that people are out of fellowship with God.  Rather, often pain draws us into closer fellowship with God.  It would be interesting to hear some of your views on this.

I am going to close here, all comments are welcomed.

Father, teach each of us as we consider the words of Job.  Draw our hearts to understanding and application of Your word.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

August 31, 2006

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Psalm 78:1-72; Romans 15:1-21

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

Job 9:5-12

     5     “It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how,

When He overturns them in His anger;

     6     Who shakes the earth out of its place,

And its pillars tremble;

     7     Who commands the sun not to shine,

And sets a seal upon the stars;

     8     Who alone stretches out the heavens

And tramples down the waves of the sea;

     9     Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades,

And the chambers of the south;

     10     Who does great things, unfathomable,

And wondrous works without number.

     11     “Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him;

Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him.

     12     “Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him?

Who could say to Him, ‘What are You doing?’

NASB95^[1]

I have heard it said that you cannot draw science from the Bible.  Try to picture Job's point of view, earthquakes, the sun blocked off so that it doesn't appear to shine, how about the fixed place that the stars are in the heavens.  Consider how that God opened the mouth of the earth and swallowed up those in rebellion.  How about walking, treading or "tramples down the waves of the sea".  We are all familiar with that story when Jesus demonstrated that He is the God of the universe by doing exactly that.  The sun being stopped occurred at least twice in the Bible, and it went completely dark when Jesus died on the cross.  The point is that with a little investigation, each of these points can be validated after Job died.  Great works, wondrous works are being discovered as we look back on what God has done.  As we study science, new areas are opening up that can only be explained by recognition that God created it. 

Exodus 16:29-34

     29     “See, the Lord has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”

     30     So the people rested on the seventh day.

     31     The house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey.

     32     Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded, ‘Let an omerful of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ”

     33     Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omerful of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept throughout your generations.”

     34     As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony, to be kept.

Matthew 14:25-39

     25     And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.

     26     When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.

     27     But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

     28     Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

     29     And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

     30     But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

     31     Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

     32     When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.

     33     And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”

     34     When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

     35     And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick;

     36     and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.

John 16:19

     19     Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, “Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me, and again a little while, and you will see Me’?

Colossians 1:15

     15     He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

1 Timothy 1:17

     17     Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

NASB95^[2]

Consider as you read through this sampling of verses that Job knew things that went beyond human understanding.  Imagine being the first to write about God.  The verses, 11-12, give us a glimpse of God as invisible, yet all powerful.  When we consider creation, how powerful can it be?  God exists in ways that we are not even remotely aware of, ways that are completely beyond our understanding, and He demonstrates awesome power.  Yet He sent His Son to die for our sin so that we could have restored relationship with Him.  This is beyond human understanding.

Father, as we consider the words of Job, and ponder Your nature, develop in each of us a deeper desire to read Your word daily.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

September 10, 2006

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Psalm 109:1-113:9; 1 Corinthians 8:7-9:14

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

I am posting this a bit late.  We will be returning to Job for a short period of time, then may switch back to a topical study over the next few weeks.  I have several coming up and may alternate daily as I work on future lessons.

Job 9:13-24

     13     “God will not turn back His anger;

Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.

     14     “How then can I answer Him,

And choose my words before Him?

     15     “For though I were right, I could not answer;

I would have to implore the mercy of my judge.

     16     “If I called and He answered me,

I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

     17     “For He bruises me with a tempest

And multiplies my wounds without cause.

     18     “He will not allow me to get my breath,

But saturates me with bitterness.

     19     “If it is a matter of power, behold, He is the strong one!

And if it is a matter of justice, who can summon Him?

     20     “Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;

Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.

     21     “I am guiltless;

I do not take notice of myself;

I despise my life.

     22     “It is all one; therefore I say,

‘He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.’

     23     “If the scourge kills suddenly,

He mocks the despair of the innocent.

     24     “The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;

He covers the faces of its judges.

If it is not He, then who is it? NASB95^[1]

One problem that I ran into in this passage is the mention of Rahab.  We know of Rahab as the harlot in Joshua that harbored the spies.  Here is a different Rahab, it is referring possibly to a sea monster, or as a symbol of the sea and the power that lies in the sea.  Later this monster was referred to in Egypt.  It was also indicated by the Babylonian creation myth where this monster helped others to create chaos, (A Handbook on Job, by William D. Reyburn).  It's rather interesting that Chaos theory started with Babylonian gods. 

In considering this verse, is it possible that Job was referring to God as the one who was the true creator, and Rahab signifies the enemies of God?  This gives us a clue where Job is going with his thinking.

Verses 14-24 indicate that Job was at a loss to prove his innocence before God because there simply was no way to relate or communicate with God.  I think Job was wrestling with the concept of good and evil in these passages.  How could a good God inflict an innocent man with such extreme pain?  It was inconceivable.

Job is noticeably puzzled with the incredible power of God, and the conflict with the way that God seems to be inflicting punishment on Job.  Even though he is innocent, Job feels that he is guilty as he stands before God.  This is a true concept of all men, but in the case of Job, we have already been told that he lived life better than any man ever has. 

Why would God give out the wicked results that Job has experienced?  Job asked this question in verse 24.  It seems clear that he does not see consistency between what He knows about the nature of God and his life. 

How many times have we blamed God for our circumstances, and determined in our hearts that we do not deserve what we are getting in life?  Several in this study have gone through traumatic losses, some the loss of loved ones, others the loss of abilities, and still others have suffered in many different ways.  In life we are faced with a multitude of diseases, the reality of divorce, and the finality of death. What brings about all of these troubles to man?  Is God responsible for turning the thumb-screws to crank up the pain?  Is the devil responsible for all of the trouble in our lives?  Or could it simply be that we live in a fallen world that has a multitude of problems?  Job is in the process of discernment in this passage.  I am going to close here, ponder his words, and consider the wisdom in soul searching. 

Father, as we consider Your word today, open our eyes so that we can see and understand how Your Word applies to our lives.

In Him,

Joe Turner.

October 17, 2006

Reading through the Bible in one Year: Isaiah 28:1-29:14; Ephesians 6:10-Philippians 1:8

Good Evening Brothers and Sisters,

I am excited to be back on the study with all of you.  I have reduced my school load for the rest of the semester and plan to use the time to re-start the study as well as taking a breather from the intense studying that I have been doing in completing my degree. 

Shelley is recovering well from her surgery.  In many ways this surgery is much more painful than the previous surgeries.  The recovery time is much longer.  We hope that we will be able to wean her off of the pain drugs as soon as the healing takes place and that she returns to her normal routine very shortly.  To this point her headaches have not returned, pray that they stay away! 

The Bible through a year will continue at the top of the page.  If you have fallen behind on it, pick up with the studies and move forward.  It would be great if you could catch up with the schedule because that would mean that you will complete reading through the entire Bible this year.  That's a noble goal.  On with the study!

Job 9:25-35

     25     “Now my days are swifter than a runner;

They flee away, they see no good.

     26     “They slip by like reed boats,

Like an eagle that swoops on its prey.

     27     “Though I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,

I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful,’

     28     I am afraid of all my pains,

I know that You will not acquit me.

     29     “I am accounted wicked,

Why then should I toil in vain?

     30     “If I should wash myself with snow

And cleanse my hands with lye,

     31     Yet You would plunge me into the pit,

And my own clothes would abhor me.

     32     “For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,

That we may go to court together.

     33     “There is no umpire between us,

Who may lay his hand upon us both.

     34     “Let Him remove His rod from me,

And let not dread of Him terrify me.

     35     “Then I would speak and not fear Him;

But I am not like that in myself. NASB95^[1]

When I read through this, I could not help but think about the futility of life.  It seems that we are born, spend our time on earth and old age rapidly approaches to take us out of the world.  The days fly by as we live out life, and it is basically unpredictable in nature.

Consider Job as he wrote these words.  He was living a righteous life; every area was blessed beyond reason.  He was probably one of the richest men on earth at that time.  Life was good, he was healthy, his family was healthy, and they experienced prosperity.  All because he was faithful in following the Lord. 

Then just like an eagle swooping down on its prey, everything in his life fell to pieces.  Everything in life changed for him at a moments notice and he went from being secure and prosperous to sick and poor. 

Verses 28-30 are interesting because Job speaks of putting on a happy face, forgetting his pain and suffering to do what?  Will God acquit him of his sin?  Can he possibly wash away the sin in his life?  No.  Job realizes that the life he lived still fell short of God's glory.  In reality his own clothes told on him as a testimony that he was a mere man (v. 31). 

Think about it, none of us can stand before the Lord and show Him how that we have lived a good life.  None of us stand righteous in God's sight.  Prior to the death of Jesus on the cross, man was faced with a dilemma regarding the penalty of sin.  Job lived before the law was given so he was faced with a double dilemma since the only thing he could rely on was his own efforts at righteousness.  Now Job realized that this righteousness was foolishness when compared to God.

I recently heard someone comment that they live a good life, then they went through the list of qualifications, don't smoke, curse, drink, goes to church, etc.  Once we lay these qualifications before God who will be the umpire that goes between?  Job stated simply that there was not an umpire between him and God, he was completely responsible for his own actions and his own life.  God issues punishment as He sees fit, and Job recognized that God controls the rod. 

Job entertains the idea that if he could remove his fear about the righteousness of God, then he could confront God.  However, Job realized that it simply was not possible.  God's righteousness rules.

That seems to be a desperate situation doesn't it?  We are not in that place today because God through His magnificent foresight prepared a way for us to deal with our sin and stand righteous before Him.  That way is through Jesus Christ, his death, burial and resurrection.  Without this, we stand guilty before God. 

Isaiah 1:18

“Let Us Reason”

     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.

1 Timothy 2:1-6

A Call to Prayer

     1     First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,

     2     for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

     3     This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,

     4     who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

     5     For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

     6     who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. NASB95^[2]

I am closing with this thought.  Jesus stands as a mediator between God and man, standing proclaiming that His blood was shed to cover our sin.  Unless we have not believed and placed our trust in Him.  The question that rings in my mind is "Why wait?"  So many are dabbling with the idea of following God, yet hang on to the luxuries of life clinging to them as though they possess eternal life.  I wonder, will God allow the priviledge of removing those luxuries so that people can see the futility that is in them?  Or will we one day die, stand before the Lord and have to account for our lives without Jesus' blood covering our sin?  The time for decision on this is not somewhere in the future, but now.  Jesus promised to be our mediator, but this comes with a hook, in order for Him to mediate, we have to place our trust in him.  Where do you stand?

Father, as we consider Job's words that were chiseled out of hardship, teach us through his words to follow You and to live our lives in reverence to You.

In Him,

Joe Turner.