Job 1-4
Why Do The Innocent Suffer? - Job 1-4
Insight Into Scripture
Good Morning, are you ready? This is a very interesting book with a lot of life lessons that I believe we can learn. This book is very special to me as I became VERY sick, like Job. My sickness is still with me, and it did not make sense. Finally, after 3 years I am beginning to understand why I became sick, 3 years later!
OK, so let's give you some background on this book. Job is the oldest book of the Bible, it was written around 2000 to 1800 BC. The author is unknown, some believe Job and his counselors, may have.
In job 2:8 Job is sitting among the ashes. Ashes were most likely found on a dunghill or town dump.
Job has one of the best dialogues between satan and GOD. The first 4 chapters are a MUST read!
Bringing the Bible Alive
Here is a drawing of Job with his so called friends. In Jewish culture when a person was in mourning their friends would gather and just sit, this process was/is called Sitting Shiva. It would be a process where your friends would gather together and just sit and mourn with that person. They would not say a word, not try and fix the person, just be there for the person that is hurting.As you are reading Job, try and put yourself in his shoes, try and feel his loses, and see if you would react the same way.
Scripture Reading
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan[a] also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "From where have you come?" Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." 8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" 9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." 12 And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. - Job 1:6-12 ESV
Thought For the Day
Let's unpack the first four chapters of Job; look at the events and see if we can make a bridge into our everyday life.
To understand Job, you have to understand that he was very wealthy. The size of his flocks were enormous! Job was also very close to GOD, he is called "Blameless and upright" by GOD. Job had a good life, he was walking with GOD, and GOD had blessed him for it. Job was the most upright person on earth..... I guess he would be a modern day Billy Graham. I can imagine that Job could feel GOD's presence with him.
The dialogue between satan and GOD is one of a kind. I would suggest reading and re-reading it again. satan was looking for someone to pick on, he appears before GOD with the other angels. During the conversation did you pick up on the fact the GOD suggested Job to satan (1:8)? satan did not ask for Job, GOD had faith in Job. He knew that he was the man for the trial, he knew that he would come forth as gold. Would GOD have that confidence in you, today?
satan had to have permission to afflict Job and he had boundaries too, but GOD did not allow him to act upon his motives. After satan leaves GOD he BLASTS Job. Can you imagine losing your business, job, savings, bonds, 401k, everything financial? Then if that were not enough, your family dies....gone, in a fatal accident. How does Job react? He praises GOD (1:20) yes, that is right, he goes through the act of mourning and worships GOD. How do you think you would react?
After satan sees that he is failing, he goes back to GOD and asks permission to affect his health. GOD agrees and gives him permission, but again draws boundaries, satan could not take his life. So after loosing his business, and his family, he looses his health and the support of his wife. Even after all this, Job still does not fall. Ha Ha satan! :P
Chapter 3 peaks at Job's frustration. He is maxxed out! Have you ever said or thought, "I wish I were never born?" That is Job's mind set. The last verse in chapter 3 sums up Job's state of mind "I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.
"Up to chapter 4, Job's friends were wonderful. They were supportive and sat with Job while he was going through this very tough time. But, they blew it in chapter 4 and as we progress you will see how "Supportive" they are. We will take a look at this in the next couple of devotionals.
Thank you for joining me, I pray that you have a blessed weekend and hope to see you Monday. GOD Bless - Jim
Closing Prayer
Dear Jesus
Thank You Father for loving me so much that You are willing to teach me to make me better. Thank You for sending Your Son to pay the ultimate price for me so that I can be with You for eternity. Father I pray that all of those that are going through these times like Job, that they fall to their knees and seek You to get them through it. I pray they will see all the blessings and the work that You do through the terrible times.
I love You and I pray, Amen
3 comments:
Bible Trivia:
Which day of creation included GOD making night?
ANSWER: First, I write all the below to say darkness exisited before God caused and separation on the FIRST day of creation. At the separation on this first day He named the light/day then darkness/night both done on the first day
Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
THOUGHTS ON THIS SUBJECT:
Darkness was upon the face of the deep - God did not create this darkness, (as he is said to create the darkness of affliction, Isa 45:7.) for it was only the want of light.
Chaos was the first matter and what was being called earth. The earth, with resembelance of earth, was not made 'till the third day, (Ge 1:10) also called the deep, both for its vastness, and because the waters that have been separated from the earth were now mixed with it.
Now lets remember God could have made his work perfect and complete at one moment, but by this gradual proccess He would show His providence, and grace through creation. This chaos spoken of, was without form and void, confusion and emptiness, so those words in Isa 34:11. 'Twas shapeless, 'twas useless, 'twas without inhabitants, without ornaments; the shadow or rough draught of things to come. For us who have our hearts in heaven, this world, in comparison of the heaven, still appears to be confusion and emptiness.
The first thing visible that God created was light, this was great beauty and blessing of the universe: like the first born child, it resembles its parents, Like wise with Gods creation it resembled Him in purity and power, brightness.
That the light was made by the word of God's power; He said, Let there be light - He willed it, and it was done there was light. God saw the light, it was good was exactly as he designed it
God divided the light from the darkness. So put them asunder as they could never be joined together: and he divided time between them, the day for light, and the night for darkness, in a constant succession. Though the darkness was now scattered by the light, it has its place, because it has its use. God has divided light and darkness, because In heaven there is perpetual light, and no darkness; in hell utter darkness, and no light: but in this world they are counter - changed, and we pass daily from one to another that we may learn to expect the like in the providence of God.
God divided them from each other by distinguishing names. He called the light Day, and the darkness he called night - He gave them names as He is Lord of both. He is the Lord of time, and will be so till time is no longer needed, day and night shall come to an end, and the stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity.
THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY'S WORK.
The evening and the morning were the first day - The darkness of the evening was before the light of the morning. GOD setting it off, makes it shine the brighter.
IN CHRIST
Ecc. 3
Donna
Be gone to the farm making costumes tomorrow. Hope the week-end is good to all and HAPPY FATHERS DAY....
I just had to post a follow up to my original post. I was doing some reading and came across this question to a Rabbi, which had nothing to do what I was looking for. Seeing that we just had this trivia question, I thought this would be interesting:
When did G‑d create light?
Question:
If you look at Genesis, you will see that G‑d created light on Day One. However, Scripture also says that G‑d created the sun, moon, stars, etc. on Day Four. So what was this light then that was created on Day One?
Answer:
The Talmud1 cites two views. One is that the light created on Day One was extremely brilliant, but G‑d foresaw that the world was undeserving of it, so He concealed this light for the righteous in the hereafter. According to the second opinion, however, the light created on Day One was in fact the light from the luminaries -- which were then "hung in the sky" on Day Four.
Rabbi Eliezer Danzinger for Chabad.org
I am posting the Copyright information requested by Chabad.org below:
b) You may freely pass on this article to your friends and acquaintances via e-mail and print-outs, subject to the following restrictions:
1) You do not revise any part of it in any way, append no additions to it, or delete any part of it.
2) You credit the author, link to www.chabad.org (in a printed copy, the full URL should be spelled out), and include the following note:
The content in this page is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org.
IN CHRIST
Ecc. 3
Donna
In 1 Peter 5:8, it state: Be sober, be vigilant; for your ADVERSARY the DEVIL GOETH ABOUT, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The words are exceedingly emphatic and shows how earnest and determined the devil is in his work: he sets himself to be busily employed in seeking the destruction of men and while they sleep, he wakes while they are careless, he is alert. This is exactly what the answer of Satan to God meant in
Job 1:7:
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
It is God asking a question in Job 1:7, that even with feeling confident I have understanding I always find myself thinking of the omniscients of God.
This question is not as to show God ignorant of the place from where Satan came, God is omniscient knows all persons and things, men and angels, good and bad, where they are, and what they do, in Genesis 3:9, 4:9 you see similar question from God, so why? It could be to show that God is angry with him, for coming among the sons of God, Like the question in (Matthew 22:12) they did not belong so God could have been chiding him. I think of later time and another person when I see this also:
When the angels appear before God, Satan is among them, even as when a Judas among the apostles.
Satan knew, even better than us, that God is omniscient and did not need an answer from him, but he gives it. God could be asking in order to lead on to another, and to see if He could get out from him what his intentions were. Also, to see if he would and say what he had seen and taken notice of and particularly concerning Job: how God and spirits converse together might not be known but God talks with spirits, even with evil ones, and they speak to him. So God asking a question does not at all affect His omnisients or the reality of this story. This interaction shows another aspect of God, that even with His omniscients He is open to hear and not to just judge show all power and knowledge, that He has.
IN CHRIST
Ecc.3
Donna
Post a Comment