Eliphaz replies to Job a third time verse 1
Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said
Eliphaz judges Job wicked verse 2- 5
Can a man be profitable to God
as he that is wise may be profitable to himself?
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
OR is it gain to HIM that you make your ways perfect?
Will HE reprove you for fear of you?
will HE enter with you into judgment?
Is not your wickedness great?
and your iniquities infinite?
Eliphaz gives examples of Job’s wickedness verse 6- 11
For you have taken a pledge from your brother for nought
and stripped the naked of their clothing
You have not given water to the weary to drink
and you have withheld bread from the hungry
BUT as for the mighty man – he had the earth
and the honorable man dwelt in it
You have sent widows away empty
and the arms of the fatherless have been broken
THEREFORE snares are round about you
and sudden fear troubles you or darkness
that you cannot see
and abundance of waters cover you
Eliphaz states that Job has given excuses for God verse 12- 14
Is not God in the height of heaven?
and behold the height of the stars – how high they are
And you say
How does God know?
Can HE judge through the dark cloud?
thick clouds are a covering to HIM that HE sees not
and HE walks in the circuit of heaven
Eliphaz accuses Job of walking like old sinners verse 15- 18
Have you marked the old way which wicked men have trodden?
which were cut down out of time
whose foundation was overflown with a flood
which said to God
Depart from us
and what can the Almighty do for them?
YET HE filled their houses with good things
BUT the counsel of the wicked is far from me
Eliphaz believes righteous happy when sinners judged verse 19- 20
The righteous see it – and are glad
and the innocent laugh them to scorn
Whereas our substance is not cut down
BUT the remnant of them the FIRE consumes
Eliphaz advises a return to the LORD verse 21- 25
Acquaint now yourself with HIM – and be at peace
thereby good shall come to you
Receive – I pray you – the law of HIS mouth
and lay up HIS words in your heart
IF you return to the Almighty – you shall be built up
you shall put away iniquity far from your tabernacles
THEN shall you layup gold as dust
and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks
yea – the Almighty shall be your defense
and you shall have plenty of silver
Eliphaz informs Job that joy comes in returning verse 26- 30
For then shall you have your delight in the Almighty
and shall lift up your face to God
You shall make your PRAYER to HIM
and HE shall hear you
and it shall be established to you
and the light shall shine upon your ways
When men are cast down
THEN you shall say
There is lifting up
and HE shall save the humble person
HE shall deliver the island of the innocent
and it is delivered by the pureness of your hands
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that you are righteous? Or is it gain to HIM, that you make your ways perfect? (8552 “perfect” [tamam] means to finish, complete, make whole, to make sound, or to cause to be free from guilt or cause to live in such a way as to be free from guilt)
DEVOTION: Eliphaz asks some good questions. It is great to understand that God is God. It is great to realize that God doesn’t need us but that we need HIM. HE loves us in spite of the fact that our love doesn’t add anything to the LORD. HE doesn’t need our fellowship as HE has fellowship within HIMSELF.
Our understanding of the trinity or triune God or the Godhead is very limited. HE is HOLY. HIS holiness is supposed to be given to us in part when we become followers of HIM. We are declared righteous because of the gift of salvation given to us through Christ. There is a difference between our righteousness and God’s holiness. We were sinners and continue to sin but the LORD looks at us through Jesus Christ and that way HE sees us as holy.
We will never be sinless but we can sin less in our daily walk with HIM. We have sinned from birth and will continue to sin until we die. We deserve hell for eternity but because of HIS sacrifice on the cross Jesus gives us eternal life in heaven. What a blessing to know that we will be seen as perfect in HIS sight because HE sees us through HIS Son.
God is not the one gaining in this relationship but we are and we can only sing praises to HIM for his forgiveness and our eternal home with HIM because of HIS Son, Jesus Christ. There is no other way to heaven but through HIM.
CHALLENGE: We need to ask the right questions and wait on the LORD for the right answers. Then we can go in the right direction with our lives and ministries.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 21 Acqaint now yourself with HIM, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you. (5532 “Acqaint” [cakan] means profitable, to be of service, to benefit, profit, to bring into consonance or accord, to be of use, to do kindness, or get along with)
DEVOTION: We are to get along with God at all times. This only happens if we are obedient to HIS commands for every believer. HE wants us to know HIS word, in order that, we might understand what HE expects of us.
Here is a man who claims to be friend of Job but has done nothing but condemn him because of his present state. He is not looking to find out the truth of what is happening through his relationship with the LORD but has come with two other friends to find fault in Job because of what has happened to him.
Too often we do the same thing. We look for a fault and tell our friend or associate that if they will confess their sins the LORD will bless them. Job was not having this problem because of sin but because of the testing allowed by God.
We will all go through times of testing from God for our sins or for are growth. Only the LORD knows for sure why we are going through what we are going through. Job didn’t completely understand why he was going through this time period in his life but he had to trust the LORD to see him through it.
Our “friends” can’t get us through times of testing by condemning us but by praying for us and encouraging us. God told these “friends” in the end what was going on but they were all wrong to put Job through what was going on with improper advice.
We need to ask the LORD how we can help someone else but the LORD might just say to pray for them and encourage them the best we can. We are not to be life Job’s “friends” who were only looking at this time of testing as something that God was doing because Job was such a great sinner.
CHALLENGE: Our reaction to a fellow believers suffering needs to be one of love and help and not one of condemnation.
_______________________________________________________________
: 23 If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up, you shall put awayiniquity far from your tabernacles. (168 “tabernacles” [’ohel] means tent, dwelling, home, habitation, or household)
DEVOTION: These “friends” thought that Job had drifted from the LORD. They thought he was walking away from the LORD and had to return to HIM before he could find forgiveness and restoration. He was just out of touch with the LORD and if he would return all would be good according to their thoughts.
Job had not drifted from the LORD but was continually addressing HIM to find out what was going on in his life. He wanted to know from the LORD what he had done. He wanted to receive an answer from the LORD but none seemed to be coming. He didn’t understand how someone who was trying to be faithful could have all these things happen to him.
So there was a conflict between the two views. He was thinking that he was close to the LORD and was seeking HIM. His “friends” thought he was far from the LORD and needed to return.
Misunderstanding was what was happening and both thought they were right in what they were thinking. It happens in our lives as well. We know where we are with the LORD but others might think something different and not accept our answers regarding what is presently happening in our life.
We all have to remember that God doesn’t always act the way we think HE should act in our life and in the lives of others. We have to watch out for our thought because they could be wrong.
These “friends” of Job thought the worst regarding Job’s relationship with the LORD. They thought if he acted according to their thoughts his home would be reestablished and everything would be good again.
Remember they thought it was because of his sin that all this was happening to him but the LORD was pruning and not chastening him because HE wanted to give him as a example of a genuine believer to our enemy the devil.
CHALLENGE: We don’t know what is going on behind the scene between the LORD and one of HIS servants. Pray that you can be an good comforter to those who are going through trials.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 27 You shall make your prayer to HIM and HE shall hear you, and you shall pay your vows. (7999 “pay” [shalam] means recompence, perform, restitution, to be completed, to give your money, to restore, or to complete)
DEVOTION: All of us have to make sure that we keep short accounts with God regarding sin in our lives. If we do this, we can have sweet fellowship with him on a regular basis. The only thing that breaks our fellowship with HIM is sin that is not confessed. HE wants us to make sure that we can have fellowship together because that is what HE wants and we should want. Here we find that Eliphaz is right.
Now we know that he was not right regarding what was happening in the life of Job but he does understand that prayers are only answered by the LORD of those who are serving HIM faithfully.
The false teaching that God answers everyone’s prayers has hurt understanding of those who are not genuine followers of the LORD. They think that God is up in heaven just waiting for every human being to pray so HE can answer their prayers. That is not correct.
The LORD hears the prayers of HIS saints who are in fellowship with HIM. Those who out of fellowship, are not receiving answers until they repent and HE sends weakness, sickness and even premature death to those individuals who are willing to repent of their sins. Those who don’t will have the final judgment of a believer of premature death.
Individuals who have never made a commitment to the LORD can pray but it will not be heard unless it is a prayer of repentance of sin and a desire to become a genuine follower of the LORD. So we find that many prayers are given by those who have not committed their life to the LORD. Their prayers never leave the room where they are praying from until they make that commitment.
If genuine believers pray and say they will do something if they receive the answer, they desire then they have to keep their promise or vow to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Don’t promise the LORD something you are not willing to follow through on.
________________________________________________________________
: 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by
the pureness of your hands. (336 “island” [‘iy] means non
innocent, repentant guilty, one who is not innocent, not or a
marker that negates a statement)
DEVOTION: Job’s “friend” continues to tell him that he is a sinner. This last verse just continues to put Job down. All Job has to do is return to the Almighty.
This word means that the ones who are not innocent will be delivered if Job gets his act together and then can help him. Eliphaz knows that Job is guilty of great wickedness and infinite iniquities. If he would only confess his sin then God would hear his prayers and he could help others.
Too often we have individuals who want to help us by telling us that we have sinned and need to confess it and then all the blessings will flow. We need to remind ourselves that sometimes suffering comes to help us get closer to God and it is nothing we have done wrong. HE loves us.
Again, and throughout this book we are reminded that our responsibility is not to judge our friend but to be there for them. If there is known sin, the individual knows what he/she is doing wrong. If there is not known sin, we should give them the benefit of the doubt and be an encouragement. We can even encourage our friends who have been in known sin by telling them that the LORD is willing to forgive them and restore them to serve. Our message has to be Biblical.
Our message doesn’t have to be judgmental in the negative sense. We can sometimes be so discouraging; our friend thinks there is no hope. There is always hope with the LORD!!!
Those who are living in sin need to return to the LORD. Eliphaz has this right. Returning to the LORD once we are believers is easy. We have to humble ourselves and pray for forgiveness. By confessing our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and restore us to fellowship with HIM. This needs to happen on a regular basis in our walk with the LORD. Communion services are usually a time of examination of our lives, as to whether we are growing in the LORD or not. There are sins of commission and sins of omission that could be happening in our daily walk with the LORD. The sins of omission are harder to discover. They are times when the Holy Spirit tells us to do things and we don’t do them. HE might tell us to witness to someone and we are afraid and don’t do it. HE might tell us to give something to someone and we don’t give it.
We need to pray for the continual leading of the Holy Spirit in our daily walk with the LORD. Eliphaz showed his ignorance of the way the LORD works in believers.
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to direct you through the ministry of the Holy Spirit into acts of obedience to HIS leading regularly. Once the LORD instructs you to do something – DO IT!!!!
___________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Eliphaz tells Job he should pray verse 27
God will hear
Job shall pay his vows
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
___________________________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 2, 12, 13, 17, 26
Almighty verse 3, 17, 23, 25, 26
God dwells in heaven verse 12
Judge verse 13
God walks in the circuit of heaven verse 14
Law from HIS mouth verse 22
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Eliphaz the Temanite verse 1- 30
Can a man be profitable to God
Will HE reprove Job for fear of you?
Is not your (Job) wickedness great?
List of complains against Job
Height of stars
Tell Job to acquaint himself with God
Brother verse 6
Hungry verse 7
Mighty man verse 8
Honorable man verse 8
Widows verse 9
Fatherless verse 9
Sudden fear troubles Job verse 10
Gold of Ophir verse 24
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Fear verse 4, 10
Wickedness verse 5
Iniquities verse 5, 23
Taken a pledge for nought verse 6
Strip naked of clothing verse 6
Not give water to weary verse 7
Not feed hungry verse 7
Send widows away empty verse 9
Broken the fatherless verse 9
Wicked verse 15, 18
Tell God to depart from verse 17
Counsel of the wicked verse 18
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Righteous verse 3, 19
Perfect verse 3
Reprove verse 4
Glad verse 19
Innocent verse 19
Acquaint self with God verse 21
Peace verse 21
Law of God’s mouth received verse 22
Lay up God’s words in your heart verse 22
Return to the LORD verse 23
Built up verse 23
Defense verse 25
Delight in the Almighty verse 26
Prayer verse 27
Pay vows verse 27
Light verse 28
Lifted up by God verse 29
Humble verse 29
Deliverance verse 20
Innocent verse 30
Pureness verse 30
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
___________________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
_________________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
22:23 This command is in the form of a conditional clause, “If you return.” The result of “returning” will be “restoration.” The NIV understands vv. 23b–24 as making explicit what would be involved in returning to the Almighty. The result is given in v. 25. Like Bildad in 8:5 or the often-used invitation hymn “Softly and Tenderly,” this is an offer to come home to God. But Job had never fled from God. On the contrary, he desperately wished he could find him (13:22, 24; 23:3). “Restored” is from the root (bnh), whose usual meaning is “build/rebuild,” either of buildings or family. It is an interesting choice in light of Job’s eventually having seven more bānîm, “sons,” and three more bānôt, “daughters” (42:13). (Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11, pp. 236–237). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
______________________________________________________________
21–30 Eliphaz was, no doubt, sincere in this his last attempt to reach Job through a call to repentance. Some feel the author of the book through a subtle “double entendre” has used Eliphaz to show the incapacity of the standard wisdom ideas to handle the realities of human experience (Fullerton [pp. 320–41] developed this notion for Job 4 and 5). At any rate this call for Job to submit; to be at peace with God (v.21); to hear God’s word and hide it in his heart (v.22); to rearm to the Almighty and forsake wickedness (v.23); to find delight in God rather than in gold (vv.24–26); and to pray, obey (v.27), and become concerned about sinners (vv.29–30) could not be improved on by prophet or evangelist.
There are some problems, however, that beset these powerful words. They assume Job was an ungodly man and that his major desire was a return to health and prosperity (v.21). The fact is that Job was not ungodly and that he had already made clear his desire to see God and be his friend (19:25–27). But Job’s words have not always sounded friendly toward God, and Eliphaz did not have the capacity to understand the nature of Job’s wrestling with God where Job expressed to God his deepest feelings of fear and bafflement over what appeared to be an unjust and cruel providence. To Eliphaz’s black-and-white mentality, those words (backed by Job’s troubles) were sad proof of Job’s need to repent and “get right” with God. His assumption that Job did not know how to pray aright would be controverted by God himself, and Eliphaz would have to depend on Job’s prayers (42:8). (Smick, E. B. (1988). Job. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 954). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
_________________________________________________________________
22:21–30. Having conjured up homemade lies about Job and having twisted Job’s statements into falsehoods, Eliphaz again pleaded with Job to repent.
Eliphaz set forth what Job needed to do: (a) Submit to God, rather than questioning and accusing Him; (b) be at (make) peace with Him; (c) accept God’s teachings (as if Job were not willing to do that!); (d) assimilate and live out His words; (e) return to the Almighty; (f) get rid of wickedness (again assuming that Job was a secret sinner); and (g) quit trusting in wealth (assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir; 28:16; Isa. 13:12; on the southwestern Arabian coast, to the rocks in the ravines). This last point was another false insinuation. How could Eliphaz prove that Job trusted in his material things? In fact he now had no gold in which to trust!
If Job would meet those conditions, Eliphaz proposed, God would then restore him and give him these blessings: (a) prosperity (Job 22:21), (b) restoration (v. 23) to fellowship with God, (c) trust in God (v. 25, the Almighty will be your gold and silver), (d) delight in the Almighty (the fifth time Eliphaz referred to God by that title in this chapter: vv. 3, 17, 23, 25–26), (e) fellowship with God (v. 26), (f) answered prayers (v. 27), (g) desire to fulfill his vows (v. 27), (h) success (v. 28), (i) help to other people who were low and discouraged (v. 29), (j) deliverance of others through his intercessory prayers offered from a clean life (v. 30).
Eliphaz’s point seemed to be that though Job’s piety would not affect God one way or the other, it would affect Job. (Zuck, R. B. (1985). Job. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 746). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
________________________________________________________________
22:21–30 Eliphaz painted a picture of the life of blessing in store for Job if only he would return to God and repent of his sin (v. 23), emphasizing again that he did not believe Job was innocent (v. 30). “Stop all the speeches and complaints, repent, and everything will be fine,” he thought. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Job 22:21–30). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
________________________________________________________________
Ver. 30. He shall deliver the island of the innocent, &c.] But where is there such an island, an island of innocent persons? it seems to be better rendered by others, the innocent shall deliver the island: good men are sometimes, by their counsel and advice, and especially by their prayers, the means of delivering an island or country from ruin and destruction: but the word rendered island is a negative particle, as in 1 Sam. 4:21; Prov. 31:4 and signifies not; and so in the Targum; which is “a man that is not innocent shall be delivered:” in like manner Jarchi interprets it, and so do Noldius and othersu; and the sense is, that Job, for he is the person spoken of, as appears from the following clause, should not only be beneficial by his prayers, to humble and good men, but even to the wicked, such as were not innocent and free from fault and punishment, but guilty, and obnoxious to wrath and ruin; and yet such should escape it, at least for the present, through the prayers and intercession of Job; or God should do this for Job’s sake and his prayers: and it is, or he is delivered by the pureness of thine hands; either by his good works, setting a good example, which, being followed, would be the means of the prevention of present ruin; or by his lifting up pure and holy hands in prayer to God for a sinful people; which God often attends to and hears, and so delivers them from destruction; as the Israelites were delivered through the prayer of Moses, when they had made the golden calf, and worshipped it; see Psal. 106:33. though sometimes God will not admit of an intercessor for such persons, Ezek. 15:1. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 381). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
________________________________________________________________
23–30. Some of those blessings which Eliphaz points out as the sure consequence of peace with God, are strictly true. The soul which is brought into divine favour by Jesus, shall be built up in Jesus. God will be that soul’s defence; and the soul will delight itself in God. These are the blessed consequences of such a state of reconciliation and favour. But when Eliphaz talks of laying up gold as the dust, and silver in plenty; if these things be taken in the literal acceptation of this world’s goods; here Eliphaz falls back again into his old idea, that prosperity in this world is a mark of God’s favour; and the reverse, in affliction, a sure sign of God’s anger. There are indeed riches, yea durable riches, and righteousness, which belong to the followers of the Lord; for Jesus promiseth to give them to his people, and to fill all their treasures. Pro. 8:18–21. But these differ totally from what Eliphaz had in view; and therefore it is plain, that this poor man’s reasonings were all foreign to grace. Neither, with all his pretended wisdom, had he himself suitable conceptions of what is meant in being acquainted with God! So that this man holds forth a lively specimen of all similar characters, who, in the present hour, speak from books and the information of others; but not, as our Lord hath marked it, from the abundance of the heart: and as John his servant did, when the life which he had seen and enjoyed, he recommended, from this very consideration, to the enjoyment of others. 1 John 1:1–3. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, p. 83). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
_______________________________________________________________
Reflections
Reader! the view here presented to you of Job’s exercises, is the more profitable from being the more plain. In all the charges of the friends of Job before, there were none so palpably false and cruel; and therefore here we feel the more comfort, from the consciousness that Job himself found that consolation under them, which a mind of rectitude cannot but enjoy, under the false accusations of the wicked. Indeed Job was too deeply drenched in affliction, from the sufferings of his body, not to be very sensibly affected also, however false the charges were, with what Eliphaz had said. The man that doth not realize his trials, and feel them as trials, will not truly profit by them. Yet, certainly, Job had a comfortable retreat in his own mind, in the consciousness of their falsehood. Our profit will be the more striking from this chapter, in what we behold under this particular. We are taught the blessedness of that state of mind, when, from being exercised with the temptations, or the accusations of Satan, we can look to Jesus, with thankfulness, when the tempter’s malice is ill founded.
But what I would particularly desire from the perusal of this chapter, to have impressed both upon the Reader’s mind and my own, is this; that when the malice of men, or the adversary, raiseth storms of trial, or persecution, falsely against us, this is the blessed moment to look after, and narrowly to watch, and eye the hand of Jesus in the permission. My brother! do mark this down as a never-failing maxim, whatever our trial be, it must be by Jesus’s appointment. Be the instrument who, or what it may, yet Jesus is in it. His love, his wisdom, is at the bottom. Mark this down, as a rule never to be controverted. Then follow this up with another. Whatever the trial be, it is for good. Thy God, thy Jesus, my soul, cannot do iniquity. Mark this also. And this will bring out a third, as the sweet and blessed result of the two which went before: the end shall be as Job’s was; glory to God, and salvation to his redeemed. When Eliphaz thus charged Job, when Shimei cursed David, and when, on an infinitely more important exercise than both, or than all the world of God’s children put together, Jesus was traduced and blasphemed, what was the result? As it is beautifully expressed in one of the Psalms: ‘I will cry unto God, most high, even unto God, that performeth all things for me.’ Yes! Reader! it is very sweet and very precious, when the conscious soul, unjustly oppressed, can take refuge in divine favour, and divine strength, and say, Thou shalt answer for me, O Lord my God!
But chiefly let our eye and heart, upon all those occasions, be altogether fixed upon the person and work of Jesus. In all situations, he is the pattern, and forerunner of his people: and what he said of old, he saith the same to all his exercised family now: fear none of these things, which thou shalt suffer. Though Satan cast some of you in prison, when he would cast, if he could, all: and when, instead of prison he wishes it were hell; yet, it shall be but for ten days, though he would have it to be for ever. Fear not therefore; but be faithful unto death and I will give you (saith the faithful and true witness) the crown of glory that fadeth not away. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, pp. 83–84). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
_____________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
______________________________________________________________
What Does It Really Mean to Take the Lord’s Name in Vain?
Kevin DeYoung
The What
So what exactly is forbidden by the third commandment? The word vain (as it’s rendered in the ESV) can mean “empty,” “nothing,” “worthless,” or “to no good purpose.” We are forbidden, therefore, from taking the name of God (or taking up the name or bearing the name, as the phrase could be translated) in a manner that is wicked, worthless, or for the wrong purposes. This doesn’t mean that we have to avoid the divine name altogether. The name YHWH (or Yahweh)—“the Lord,” in most translations—appears some seven thousand times in the Old Testament. We don’t need to be superstitious about saying His name. But we must not misuse it.
The way to see God’s glory is to hear his name. To know the name YHWH, the merciful and gracious one, is not to merely know something about God; it is to know God himself.
The Old Testament identifies several ways in which the third commandment can be violated. Most obvious is to blaspheme or curse the name of God, which we saw already in Leviticus 24:16. But there’s more to the commandment than that. The third commandment also forbids empty or false oaths: “You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:12; cf. Hos. 10:4a). When you make a declaration, swearing by God’s name, it must not be a false promise or one you do not intend to keep.
The third commandment also prohibits false visions and false claims to speak on God’s behalf, for such prophets “prophesy lies in my name” (Jer. 23:25). Strangely enough, sacrificing one’s children to the false god Molech was considered a violation of the third commandment because it profaned the name of God (Lev. 18:21). The Israelites were to stone the man who sacrificed his children in this way. Failure to do so would allow for uncleanness to permeate the camp, thereby besmirching the name of the Lord, who dwelt in the midst of his people.
Similarly, to unlawfully touch the holy things was considered a violation of the third commandment. We read in Leviticus 22: “Speak to Aaron and his sons so that they abstain from the holy things of the people of Israel, which they dedicate to me, so that they do not profane my holy name: I am the Lord” (v. 2). Likewise, the priests who cut corners in Malachi’s day were devaluing the name of God by their polluted offerings and cynical hearts (Mal. 1:10–14).
The Why
We’ve already seen that breaking the third commandment is considered a terribly serious sin, but why? There are only ten commandments, after all. Only ten words to summarize everything God wants from us by way of obedience. How did “watch your mouth” make the top ten? What’s the big deal about God’s name?
Think about Exodus 3 where God speaks to Moses from the burning bush. Moses asks God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God replies with those famous words: “I am who I am. . . . Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you’” (Ex. 3:13–14). God names himself as the sovereign, self-existent one. In fact, the covenant name YHWH is probably connected to the Hebrew verb “to be.” God is that he is. That is his name.
We see the same thing in Exodus 33. Moses asks God to show him his glory. And in reply, God speaks to him his name: “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord’” (v. 19a). The way to see God’s glory is to hear his name. To know the name YHWH, the merciful and gracious one, is not to merely know something about God; it is to know God himself (Ex. 34:6–8). God shows himself by speaking his name.
Pastor and best-selling author Kevin DeYoung delivers critical truth about the Ten Commandments as he explains what they are, why we should know them, and how we should apply them today.
Our name is not tangential to our being. It marks us and identifies us. Over time, as people get to know us, our name embodies who we are. Think of someone whom you love deeply—your child, grandchild, parent, friend, or spouse. The name of that person represents more than markings on a page. When someone says the name Trisha, I am overcome with good thoughts, because I cannot separate my wife from her name. A whole flood of emotions, experiences, joys, and desires comes to me at the sight or sound of those six letters put together in that name.
Names are precious, which is why we don’t like our name ridiculed, twisted, or made fun of. I have a name that is fairly difficult to malign. With the middle name “Lee,” some people have called me “Heavenly Kevinly,” but that’s hardly an insult. The worst name to stick is the name my friends in seminary gave me. Although “DeYoung” is a common Dutch name, apparently it was unfamiliar in Massachusetts, because people there would meet me and think my last name was Dion. So to this day my seminary friends call me Celine. Some friends! It’s the only nickname I’ve ever had. Not the best I could hope for, but my heart will go on.
But funny nicknames given to us is one thing; irreverent use of God’s name is another. Everywhere in Scripture the name of the Lord is exalted in the highest possible terms. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:1a). “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name” (Ps. 29:2a). The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer is “Hallowed be your name” (Matt. 6:9). The apostles proclaimed that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul assured the Romans that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). And the culminating event in all of creation is when, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10–11). The Bible does not want us to forget the holy importance of the divine name.
Content adapted from The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung. Article first appeared on Crossway.org; used with permission.
______________________________________________________________
Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Acts 28:1-10
Most people that know me understand that I am not a lover of snakes. I do not like the unexpected presence of a slithery serpent as I walk along a path or work in the yard. My grandchildren think it is hilarious to surprise me with plastic snakes and even some of my church people have surprised me with a stuffed snake in my office.
Paul was on a mission for God to proclaim Jesus Christ to Caesar and the officials of the Roman empire. His journey had been filled with danger, near death experiences and sabotage. In every situation the Lord had demonstrated that He was in control and had spoken directly to Paul of His intentions and plans. Amid hatred, violence, governmental ineptitude and shipwreck, Paul was steadfastly led by the Holy Spirit toward Rome.
Now on an island, freshly out of the ocean, and marooned on a beach, Paul is confronted with a new opportunity and trial. Along with the two hundred seventy-five people shivering during the storm and seeking shelter, Paul is gathering wood for a fire when a viper strikes and attaches itself on his hand. This new hardship became the occasion for Paul to proclaim Christ once again where there appeared to be no opportunity.
The natives watched in anticipation for Paul to fall dead as a result of the snake bite. When he did not die, they exclaimed him to be a god and brought Paul to be introduced to the ruling authorities. As this healing occurred, the island witnesses the power of God as Paul prayed and presented the message of his God to these islanders!
In the worst of circumstances, shipwrecked, marooned, snakebit and still a prisoner, Paul demonstrated how to proclaim a message to people who need the Lord! Irrespective of his position or stature, Paul absolutely believed he was placed there to present Jesus Christ. May we look beyond the circumstances we find ourselves in and expect Christ to provide possibilities for us to witness for our Savior. Be watching, perhaps Christ will put a “snake” of some sort in our path today to enable us to share Christ!
With an Expectant Hope, (Pastor Miller- board member of Small Church Ministries)
_____________________________________________________________
Acts 23
Paul’s first trial before Felix, the governor of the region, is not decisive.
INSIGHT
During World War II there was a popular song with the phrase: “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” This snatch of verse captures a theme that runs throughout the Bible: Assume human responsibility while relying on the sovereignty of God. Throughout the Bible, men pray and then act. Paul’s arguments are clever and his logic is deft, as though he is relying on himself for his freedom. And yet under it all is a peace, a trust, a confidence that can only be explained by his rest in the Lord whom he serves. Whether his circumstances are good or bad, Paul regards wherever he is as the “world” into which the Lord wants him to go to “preach the gospel” ( Mark 16:15) (Quiet Walk)
_____________________________________________________________
CHRIST THE PRIEST
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Hebrews 3:1
What are the evidences for saying that Christ is God’s appointed High Priest? Well, it is interesting to observe that there is only one book in the Bible that describes Him directly and explicitly as Priest, and that is, of course, the Epistle to the Hebrews. Hebrews describes Him as such in a number of verses: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (3:1). “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession” (4:14). “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee” (5:5). “Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (6:20). “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (7:26). “We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (8:1)
But, of course, in many other places the teaching is implicit–by implication it is there. For instance, listen to our Lord Himself. He said, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This is also something that is constantly taught by the apostle Paul. In Romans 3:24-25 he says, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”
A Thought to Ponder
There is only one book in the Bible that describes Him directly and explicitly as Priest–the Epistle to the Hebrews.
(From God the Father, God the Son, pp. 303-304.by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
_____________________________________________________________.
The God of All Comfort
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3)
The apostle Paul uses two important titles for God in this passage, “the Father of mercies” and “the God of all comfort,” that give us unique insight into the character of our mighty Creator and Redeemer. First, God is noted as the fountainhead of all fatherly mercies that were ultimately expressed in the sacrificial death on our behalf of His perfect sinless Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then we are introduced to this important theme of “comfort,” which is used a total of 10 times in this section of the epistle as either some form of the noun paraklesis or the verb parakaleo (vv. 1:4, 6-7). Paul goes on to elaborate on his declaration of God as the source of all true comfort in the next verse as the one “who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” The participle form of the verb “comforteth” (parakaleo) is given in the Greek as a timeless present tense that conveys ongoing encouragement, support, and exhortation in all kinds of affliction and distress. Indeed, Paul goes on to say, “For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation [paraklesis] also aboundeth by Christ” (v. 5).
But this comfort and consolation in the midst of our trials is not just for our own benefit but that we might also be agents of “the God of all comfort” to His church and a lost and hurting world. Paul emphasizes this in verse 6: “And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” (JPT, The Institute for Creation Research)
_____________________________________________________________
Outside the Camp
Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Hebrews 13:12
Friday was market day in the rural town in Ghana where I grew up. After all these years, I still recall one particular vendor. Her fingers and toes eroded by Hansen’s disease (leprosy), she would crouch on her mat and scoop her produce with a hollowed-out gourd. Some avoided her. My mother made it a point to buy from her regularly. I saw her only on market days. Then she would disappear outside the town.
In the time of the ancient Israelites, diseases like leprosy meant living “outside the camp.” It was a forlorn existence. Israelite law said of such people, “They must live alone” (Leviticus 13:46). Outside the camp was also where the carcasses of the sacrificial bulls were burned (4:12). Outside the camp was not where you wanted to be.
This harsh reality breathes life into the statement about Jesus in Hebrews 13: “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore” (v. 13). Jesus was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem, a significant point when we study the Hebrew sacrificial system.
We want to be popular, to be honored, to live comfortable lives. But God calls us to go “outside the camp”—where the disgrace is. That’s where we’ll find the vendor with Hansen’s disease. That’s where we’ll find people the world has rejected. That’s where we’ll find Jesus. (by Tim Gustafson, Our Daily Bread)
______________________________________________________________
Quote: 10 Signs Your Christianity Has Become Too Comfortable
1. You are not attending church with a high level of expectancy.
2. You no longer seem to be concerned about the spiritual condition of neighbors, family members, or your co-workers.
3. You haven’t had a spiritual conversation with a non-Christian in a long time.
4. The Bible seems like a history book. It’s lifeless to you.
5. Your happiness on Sunday mornings is more important than what it takes to reach the unchurched. As long as you get your parking spot, your seat, and hear the music you like, everything’s fine.
6. The plight of the poor doesn’t concern you.
7. Pictures of overseas suffering do not move you to action.
8. You do not give your financial resources sacrificially.
9. Your prayers don’t seem to be making it past the ceiling.
10. It doesn’t even dawn on you that God could do something incredibly radical in your life at any moment today. It’s not even on your radar. (Brian Dodd, Church Leaders.com)
______________________________________________________________
While Jesus certainly has compassion on those to whom He ministers, His miracles are done not only to relieve human suffering but also to establish His credentials. He claims to be the Bread of Life. To validate that message, He feeds the 5000.
In John chapter 9, Jesus says that the man’s blindness is not because of sin but for the purpose of manifesting the work of God in him. The same was true with Lazarus. His death was not final but was for the purpose of bringing glory to the Son of God. Jesus raises Lazarus and then says that the Son is glorified. (Quiet Walk)
______________________________________________________________
THE CROSS IS PROCLAMATION
…to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins….
Romans 3:25
The cross, thank God, is not only exposition. The cross is also proclamation, a mighty declaration. I like the word that the apostle uses there in Romans 3, and especially the way in which he repeats it. He likes it himself obviously. “Whom God hath set forth,” he says “to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins…to declare, I say…” (Romans 3:25-26). Have you got it, have you heard it, were you listening? says the apostle. Wake up, you sleepy listeners. “…to declare, I say….” Have you heard the declaration? Have you heard the mighty proclamation? What does this blood declare to me?
Let me sum it up in another word that this same apostle used in 2 Corinthians 5:19,21. This is the declaration: “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them….For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” What does all this mean? Let me put it in modern terms. The cross tells me that this is the declaration. This, it says, is God’s way of dealing with the problem of man’s sin. It has already said that there is a problem. It is a terrible one; it is the greatest problem of all time and of the whole cosmos. There is nothing greater than this. There is the exposition of the problem. Then comes the mighty declaration. This, it says, is God’s answer.
Now our Lord had been saying that in His teaching, but they could not understand it. They were blinded, even His own disciples. They were thinking as Jews, in terms of a kingdom on earth. Man will always materialize the great and glorious blessings of God’s kingdom.
A Thought to Ponder: The cross, thank God, is not only exposition. The cross is also proclamation, a mighty declaration. (From The Cross, p. 161 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
______________________________________________________________
The Conclusion of the Matter
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
The spiritual life of Solomon can, to a great degree, be traced through his writings as recorded in the Bible. They are not straightforward history but are rather in a poetic style that reveals his inner thoughts throughout his life. At the beginning of his reign over Israel, he asked God for “an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9), and he subsequently became renowned for his wisdom (e.g., 3:28; 4:29).
Unfortunately, as is well documented in Scripture, his thirst for human wisdom led him into compromise and disobedience, setting the stage for national apostasy and idolatry upon his death. The book of Ecclesiastes chronicles a series of experiments that he conducted in search for the highest human good, but each forced him to conclude that “all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, etc.), that there is no humanly discernible pattern in the affairs of men. However, he concludes, life is the gift of God and should be enjoyed (3:13). Furthermore, he recognized the eventual judgment of God and concluded it best to live in obedience to God’s commands (e.g., 3:16-17).
Our text summarizes the entire book of Ecclesiastes. Here is the secret of human fulfillment. Note the two complementary commands, “fear God” and “keep his commandments.”
A true reverence for God necessarily results in obedience to His commands. Wise Solomon knew it, and Christ and the New Testament writers reinforced it (John 14:15; 1 John 5:2; etc.). Life’s harsh realities and seeming paradoxes are at times incomprehensible to us. Only by adopting a proper attitude toward life and God can we cope. (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
___________________________________________________________
Grace is when God gives us good things that we don’t deserve. Mercy is when He spares us from bad things we deserve. Blessings are when He is generous with both. Truly, we can never run out of reasons to thank HIM. God is good all the time.
(Thanks Stephen Skwieralski)
____________________________________________________________
We should never forget the Constitution wasn’t written to restrain citizens’ behavior. It was written to restrain the government’s behavior – Rand Paul
_____________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
