Job 9
Job answers Bildad with a question verse 1- 3
Then Job answered and said
I know it is so of a truth – BUT how should man be just with God?
IF he will contend with HIM
he cannot answer HIM one of a thousand
Job describes the omnipotence of the LORD verse 4- 10
HE is wise in heart – and mighty in strength
who has hardened against HIM and has prospered?
which removes the mountains – and they know not
which overturns them in HIS anger
which shakes the earth out of her place
and pillars thereof tremble
which commands the sun – and it rises not
and seals up the stars
which alone spreads out the heavens
and treads upon the waves of the sea
which make Arcturus – Orion – Pleiades
and the chambers of the south
which does great things past finding out
yea – and wonders without number
Job describes the omnipresence of the LORD verse 11- 13
Lo – HE goes by me – and I see HIM not
HE passes on also – but I perceive HIM not
BEHOLD – HE takes away – who can hinder HIM?
who will say unto HIM – What do YOU?
IF God will not withdraw HIS anger
the proud helpers do stoop under HIM
Job describes the mercy of the LORD verse 14- 20
How much less shall I answer HIM
and choose out my words to reason with HIM?
WHOM – though I were righteous
yet would I not answer
but I would make supplication
to my JUDGE
IF I had called – and HE answered me
yet would I not believe that HE had hearkened to my voice
for HE breaks me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause
HE will not suffer me to take my breath – but fills me with bitterness
IF I speak of strength – lo – HE is strong – and IF of judgment
Who shall set me a time to plead?
IF I justify myself – mine own mouth shall condemn me
IF I say – I am perfect – it shall also prove me perverse
Job talks of justice verse 21- 24
Though I were perfect – yet would I now know my soul
I would despise my life
This is one thing – THEREFORE I said it
HE destroys the perfect and the wicked
IF the scourge slay suddenly – HE will laugh at the trial of the innocent
the earth is given into the hand of the wicked
HE covers the faces of the wicked
HE covers the faces of the judges thereof
IF not – where – and who is HE?
Job describes his present state verse 25- 31
Now my days are swifter than a post – they flee away – they see no good
they are passed away as the swift ships
as the eagle that haste to the prey
IF I say – I will forget my complaint – I will leave off my heaviness
and comfort myself – I am afraid of all my sorrows
I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent
IF I be wicked
why then labor I in vain?
IF I wash myself with snow water – and make my hands never so clean
yet shall you plunge me in the ditch
and mine own clothes shall abhor me
Job wishes for mediator verse 32- 35
FOR HE is not a man as I am – that I should answer HIM
and we should come together in judgment
neither is there any days-man betwixt us
that might lay HIS hand upon us both
Let HIM take HIS rod away from me – let not HIS fear terrify me
THEN would I speak – and not fear HIM
BUT it is not so with me
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 9 Which makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south. (3685 “Orion” [Kaciyl] means constellation, the giant, a particular constellation or cluster or stars, or a star cluster on the equator)
DEVOTION: There are many who question where this world came from and who created our world if it is created. Those who study the Word of God know that it states in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. HE did it in seven twenty-four hour periods. The seventh day was a day of rest.
The Bible states that HE made the lights of the day and night on the FIRST DAY of creation. The stars are part of that creation. HE even named the stars. HE told Abram to look at the stars because his children were going to be as the stars in the sky.
Job stated this fact as well when he spoke to his “friends” after they came to bring him comfort. Of course, we know they were not good comforters so far and they would continue to not be good comforters.
When we look at the stars, each time we need to realize that we worship a God who created the world and that HE is still on the throne. Job needed to remind himself of these facts when he looked up at the stars.
If we doubt what is happening in our life has a purpose, we need to again look at all of creation and see that HE doesn’t do anything without a purpose. HE has a purpose for our life just like HE has a purpose for everything that happens in our world.
Job in his greatest time of doubt knew that the LORD was the creator of the world. He didn’t remember that the Creator of the Universe always has time for HIS children. We are one of HIS children because of our personal relationship with HIS Son Jesus Christ. HE is our Father. Jesus is our Savior. The Holy Spirit is our COMFORTER.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 16 If I had called, and HE answered me; yet would I not believe that HE had hearkened unto my voice. (238 “hearkened” [’azan] means give ear, listen, to hear with intention, pay attention, or perceive)
DEVOTION: Job is discouraged. A person who is discouraged doesn’t think that the LORD will even listen to him when he prays. It is a trick of the devil to want those who are followers of the LORD to believe.
He thinks that if he called on the LORD in prayer or conversation that IF HE answered he would not believe what was said because he would think that it was not God answering his prayer. The reason being, that he in his present state doesn’t think even God cares about him anymore. He is discouraged and not thinking straight just like most of us when things are going wrong in our life.
We need to stop believing the lies of the devil or even fellow believers who think that the LORD will not hear our prayers because of something going on in our life. Remember that if we have sinned the first prayer HE will hear is our confession of sin to restore our fellowship with HIM.
Job doesn’t believe he has sinned to this point because his “friends” are telling him he must have committed a great sin for the LORD to treat him in such a way. He couldn’t think of a great sin but his “friends” are saying it and so he is confused.
How many of us would be confused after losing all of our children and possessions and our wife told us to curse God and die? Now his “friends” are accusing him of sin which he doesn’t think is true but what is happening seems like a judgment.
We need to realize that God doesn’t always send hard times because of sin in our life. HE has other reasons which cause us to grow. Communicate with HIM in honesty and HE will let you know what is going on in HIS timing.
CHALLENGE: Don’t think that trials are sent because of sin only. Don’t think that the LORD will not answer your prayers. HE always does in his timing and in HIS way.
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: 27 If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself (7878 “complaint” [siyach] means lament, passage under dispute, discourse, an expression of grievance or resentment, especially one that assumes blame, or anguish)
DEVOTION: Have you ever tried to stop remembering something? It is very hard because when you try to forget it seems to come back with a vengeance to our memory. If a friend tells us to forget something it makes it even harder to forget it.
Here we find Job trying to forget what has happened over the last few days. He is trying to forget what his “friends” have been saying because these first two are telling him that he has sinned and God is judging him for that sin. He doesn’t remember a sin that he has committed that he hasn’t confessed through sacrifice for not only himself but for the rest of his family as well. He has kept short accounts with the LORD and then this happens.
Needless to say he is confused which all of us would be too if we didn’t know the rest of the story. We have the whole Bible to teach us how God works in the lives of HIS children. HE has given us examples of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who lived after the time of Job. We have the teachings of Jesus and the disciples to help us understand how HE works with those who are HIS followers. We have HIS promises to those who are HIS followers.
We know that some people who claim to be followers of Jesus don’t show that they are genuine by their actions and attitudes. These two friends are examples of those who don’t understand how God works. We will have “friends” who don’t know how God works who will condemn us from time to time but we need to understand that they are in our life to keep us looking up to HIM who knows who we really are and that we are HIS children. Job was forgetting this fact on occasion.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 33 Neither is there any days-man betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. (3198 “daysman” [yakach] means to be right, to argue, to decide, justify or convict, appoint, chasten, convince, correct, judge, plead, reason, reprove, umpire, or mediator)
DEVOTION: Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Have you ever had to go to court because someone accused you of something you didn’t do? Did you have to hire someone to represent you? Did they do a good job or a poor job? Is our present legal system right for all those who come before it? Do our public defenders care enough to get those who are innocent a decent trial? Do they care?
Job understood who God was and what HE could do. He understood that HE was the Creator of our world. HE created the stars. HE was the one who judged the actions of all those who lived on the earth. HE was a righteous Judge.
Job wants to go to court to present his case before the LORD. He believes that he is innocent. His “friends” know that he is guilty. He wants to go to the LORD and confront HIM with the fact that he is innocent but realizes that he can’t get there.
So Job wishes there was someone who would help him with his relationship with God. He wished he could turn to someone who could help him understand why God was doing what HE was doing. He really wants someone to defend him. He wants a lawyer to go and speak to the Judge of the universe regarding his case.
His friends were saying he was not perfect or mature. They were judging him guilty without a court trial. They were passing sentence on him. He didn’t like the sentence they were giving him. BUT he realized that there was nothing he could do.
There are times we wish we had a human umpire to help us in disputes with other people. We wish that people could see our hearts. We wish people could see our motives. We wish people could see our growth in the LORD. Some do but many do not really know us.
Apparently, these “friends” knew Job but still condemned him. The New Testament tells us that we have an advocate. We have an advocate or a mediator between us and God and that is Jesus Christ. Our enemy is always claiming that we are not worthy of heaven. He goes before the LORD daily accusing us of one thing or another. We are guilty of some but we have someone before the Father pleading our case. Praise the LORD. Job was looking and we HAVE an individual who represents us before the Father in heaven.
We still don’t have or need a human arbitrator that can settle all our disputes. God knows our heart and HE is the real Judge that we will face. We can have genuine friends who can encourage us during times of trouble. Our prayer life should improve when we are going through hard times. The LORD wants us to realize that we are dependent on HIM.
Praise the LORD we don’t have to answer to humans when we die but to the LORD. What a blessing!!!
CHALLENGE: Remember that “Vengeance is mine, says the LORD.” Let the LORD handle those who falsely accuse you. You know what you have done and haven’t done. Trust the LORD!!!
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: 35 Then would I speak, and not fear HIM; but it is not so with me. (3372 “fear” [yare’] means be afraid, to tremble, reverenced, held in honor, frighten, be awesome, or respect)
DEVOTION: It is hard to think of someone trying to cause the LORD to not judge them. HE is supreme and we are created beings.
Job was feeling these feelings because he didn’t think he could go to God and tell him what he thought of what was happening in his life.
He knew that God knew everything and that there was a reason for the LORD to treat him as he has been treated in the last few years. He has had “friends” come and accuse him of being the problem He has had a wife tell him to “curse God and die.” He has been wondering what was going on and yet he tried to trust the LORD through it all.
He is confused. He doesn’t know which way to turn. He fears the LORD because he knows he should but he also wants to know what is going on in his live. It just doesn’t make sense to him at this time.
Without friends or someone to talk to about the situation it is hard to figure out what is going on and what the answers are to his questions.
Today we have an advocate that we can turn to in the person of the Holy Spirit. We are told to go to the LORD in prayer and ask and HE will answer us. Sometimes we can feel like Job that the answers are not coming quick enough for us. This may be true not only in our time but also in the life of Job.
God has a reason HE allows things in our lives and sometimes HE tells us and other times HE just wants us to trust HIM to do what is best for us. This is one of those times in the life of Job.
CHALLENGE: When we are going through rough times we need to ask for help to understand and also wait on HIM to give an answer which might be slow in coming.
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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)
Supplication to my judge verse 15
Call on the LORD verse 16
Answered by the LORD verse 16
God hearkened to call verse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
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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- 11, 13, 17,
22- 24, 32
HE is wise in heart
HE is mighty in strength
HE removes mountains
HE shakes the earth
HE commands the sun
HE seals up the stars
HE spreads out the heavens
HE treads upon the waves of the sea
HE makes Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades
HE makes the chambers of the south
HE does great things past finding out
HE does wonders without number
HE goes pass Job and he sees HIM not
HE breaks me with a tempest
HE multiplies my wounds without cause
HE will not suffer me to take my breath
HE fills me with bitterness
HE is strong
HE destroys the perfect and the wicked
HE will laugh at the trial of the innocent
HE covers the faces of the judges
HE is not man
Judge verse 15
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Daysman verse 33
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)
Job verse 1- 35
How shall a man be just with God
How much less shall I answer HIM
Reason with God
Broken in the tempest
Multiply wounds
See no good
I will forget my complaint
I will leave off my heaviness
and comfort myself
I am afraid of all my sorrows
God will not hold innocent
Let HIM take away his rod from me
Let not HIS fear terrify me
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Hardening against God verse 4
Pride verse 13
Not believe verse 16
Blaming God to wound without cause verse 17
Bitterness verse 18
Justify self verse 20
Condemned verse 20
Perverse verse 20
Claim perfection verse 21
Wicked verse 22, 24, 29
Complaint verse 27
Heaviness verse 27
Not innocent verse 28
Fear verse 34
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Truth verse 2
Just verse 2
Prospered verse 4
Righteous verse 15
Supplication [prayer] verse 15
Call on the LORD verse 16
Answered by the LORD verse 16
God hearkened to call verse 16
Believe verse 16
Strength verse 19
Justify verse 20
Perfect verse 21, 22
Innocent verse 23, 28
Comfort verse 27
Clean verse 30
Not fear verse 35
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
9:32–35. Again the idea of debating his situation in court seemed useless (cf. vv. 3, 14). After all, God is divine and not a man. Furthermore no arbiter could possibly stand above both God and man (who could be greater than God?), listen impartially to both sides (lay his hand upon us both), and remove God’s rod of affliction and His terror (cf. 13:21; 18:11). If such were possible, Job would confront God fearlessly; but, he said in despair, I cannot. (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. 732). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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(4) “If only I had a mediator!” (vv. 32–35) If God were a man, then Job could approach him and plead his case. Or if there were a “daysman” (mediator) between God and Job, he could take away the rod of judgment and bring Job and God together. But God is not man, and there is no mediator! This is where Jesus Christ enters the picture! Jesus is God and became man to reveal the Father (John 14:7–11) and to bring sinners to God (1 Tim. 2:5–6; 1 Peter 3:18). He is the “daysman” that Job was pleading for centuries ago (Job. 16:21). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 41). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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9:25–35 ‘Does it have to come to a trial of law?’. Now the monologue becomes an address to God. Beginning with a reflection on the misery of his days (25–26), Job recognizes that his sufferings are a constant reminder that God regards him as guilty (27–28) and will go on doing so, regardless of what Job does to prove his innocence (29–31). So what can he do? He can try to banish the sense of suffering from his mind (27), or he can try to clear himself of his supposed guilt by taking an oath of innocence (28–31). But neither of these moves offers much hope of success, and he is driven back to the idea of the legal dispute with God (32–35).
32–35 The problem with a legal confrontation with God is that the two parties cannot be on the same level (32). What Job needs is an arbitrator who can mediate between the two, who would lay his hand upon both parties as a gesture of reconciliation (or perhaps, as a symbol of his power over them both). But of course there is no such arbitrator. ‘Very well,’ says Job, ‘I shall have to conduct my lawsuit myself. But I do not have the courage to begin such a dispute with God unless he promises not to terrify me with his superior strength’ (34–35). In ch. 10 Job speaks the words he would use (or rather, the words he does use) in the dispute he imagines here. (Clines, D. J. A. (1994). Job. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 467). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.)
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9:33–35 no umpire between us. A court official who sees both sides clearly, as well as the source of disagreement, so as to bring resolution was not found. Where was an advocate, an arbitrator, an umpire, or a referee? Was there no one to remove God’s rod and call for justice? (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Job 9:33–35). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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33. Neither is there any daysman. Marg. One that should argue, or, umpire. The word daysman in English means “an umpire or arbiter, a mediator.” Webster. Why such a man is called a daysman I do not know. The Hebrew word rendered daysman (מוכיח) is from יכח, not used in Kal, to be before, in front of; and then to appear, to be clear, or manifest; and in Hiphil, to cause to be manifest, to argue, prove, convince; and then to argue down, to confute, reprove; see the word used in chap. 6:25: “What doth your arguing reprove?” It then means to make a cause clear, to judge, determine, decide, as an arbiter, umpire, judge, Isa. 11:3; Gen. 31:37. Jerome renders it, “Non est qui utrumque valeat arguere.” The LXX., “if there were, or, O that there were a mediator (ὁ μεσίτης), and a reprover (καὶ ἐλέγχων), and one to hear us both” (καὶ διακούων ἀναμέτον ἀαφοτέρων). The word as used by Job does not mean mediator, but arbiter, umpire, or judge; one before whom the cause might be tried, who could lay the hand of restraint on either party, who could confine the pleadings within proper bounds, who could preserve the parties within the limits of order and propriety, and who had power to determine the question at issue. Job complains that there could be no such tribunal. He feels that God was so great that the cause could be referred to no other, and that he had no prospect of success in the unequal contest. It does not appear, therefore, that he desired a mediator, in the sense in which we understand that word—one who shall come between us and God, and manage our cause before him, and be our advocate at his bar. He rather says that there was no one above God, or no umpire uninterested in the controversy, before whom the cause could be argued, and who would be competent to decide the matter in issue between him and his Maker. He had no hope, therefore, in a cause where one of the parties was to be the judge, and where that party was omnipotent; and he must give up the cause in despair. It is not with strict propriety that this language is ever applied to the Lord Jesus, the great Mediator between God and man. He is not an umpire to settle a dispute, in the sense in which Job understood it he is not an arbiter, to whom the cause in dispute between man and his Maker is to be referred; he is not a judge to listen to the arguments of the respective parties, and to decide the controversy. He is a mediator between us and God, to make it proper or possible that God should be reconciled to the guilty, and to propose to man the terms of reconciliation; to plead our cause before God, and to communicate to us the favours which he proposes to bestow on man.
That might lay his hand upon us both. It is not improbable that this may refer to some ancient ceremony in courts where, for some cause, the umpire or arbiter laid his hand on both the parties. Or, it may mean merely that the umpire had the power of control over both the parties; that it was his office to restrain them within proper limits, to check any improper expressions, and to see that the argument was fairly conducted on both sides. The meaning of the whole here is, that if there were such an umpire, Job would be willing to argue the cause. As it was, it was a hopeless thing, and he could do nothing more than to be silent. That there was irreverence in this language must be admitted; but it is language taken from courts of law, and the substance of it is, that Job could not hope to maintain his cause before one so great and powerful as God. (Barnes, A. (1847). Notes on the Old Testament: Job (Vol. 1, pp. 224–225). London: Blackie & Son.)
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Ver. 33. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, &c.] Or one that reproves; who upon hearing a cause reproves him that is found guilty, or is blameworthy, or has done injury to another; but there is no such person to be found, among angels or men, capable of this, supposing, as if Job should say, I should appear to be the injured person; or there is no umpire or arbitrator, to whom the case between us can be referred; for, as Bar Tzemach observes, he that stands in such a character between two parties must be both more wise and more mighty than they; but there is none among all beings wiser and mightier than God: that might lay his hand upon us both; and restrain them from using any violence to one another, as contending persons are apt to do; and compromise matters, settle and adjust things in difference between them, so as to do justice to both, and make both parties easy, and make peace between them. Herodotus makes mention of a custom among the Arabians, “when they enter into covenants and agreements with each other, another man stands in the midst of them both, and with a sharp stone cuts the inside of the hands of the covenanters near the larger fingers; and then takes a piece out of each of their garments, and anoints with the blood seven stones that lie between them; and whilst he is doing this calls upon a deity, and when finished the covenant-maker goes with his friends to an host or citizen, if the affair is transacted with a citizen; and the friends reckon it a righteous thing to keep the covenant.” To which, or some such custom, Job may be thought to allude. Now, whereas Christ is the daysman, umpire and mediator between God and men, who has interposed between them, and has undertaken to manage affairs relating to both; in things pertaining to God, the glory of his justice, and the honour of his law, and to made reconciliation for the sins of men, and to make peace for them with God by the blood of his cross; which he has completely done, being every way qualified for it, inasmuch as he partakes of both natures, and is God and man in one person, and so could put his hand on both, and make both one; or bring them who were at variance to an entire agreement with each other, upon such a bottom, as even the strict justice of God cannot object unto. Now, I say, Job must not be understood as if he was ignorant of this, for he had knowledge of Christ as a Redeemer and Saviour, and so as the Mediator and Peacemaker; the Septuagint version renders it as a wish, O that there was a mediator between us! and so it may be considered as a prayer for Christ’s incarnation, and that he would appear and do the work of a mediator he was appointed to, which Job plainly saw there was great need of; or, as others, there is no daysman yet; there will be one, but as yet he is not come; in due time he will, which Job had faith in and full assurance of: but there is no need of such versions and glosses: Job is here not speaking of the affair of salvation, about which he had no doubt, he knew his state was safe, and he had an interest in the living Redeemer and blessed Mediator; but of the present dispensation of Providence, and of the clearing of that up to the satisfaction of his friends, so that he might appear to be an innocent person; and since God did not think fit to change the scene, there was none to interpose on his behalf, and it was in vain for him to contend with God. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 270). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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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!!)
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GLORYING IN THE CROSS
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 6:14
The Christian is one who glories in the cross. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Let us look at this. Paul does not merely say that he admires it, that the cross is simply beautiful and marvelous. No; he does not stand there just admiring it or merely praising it. I want to go further; he does not just believe it. He does not merely accept its message intellectually.
I am going to test you, my friends. The Christian is a man who does not only believe in the cross, he glories in it! What do you mean by that? says someone. Well, I mean the same as the writer (J.Bowring) of the hymn when he says:
In the Cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
He rejoices in it. The word that the apostle actually uses here is a very strong one. He says “God forbid that I should boast.” He makes his boast of it. He says these Jews are the people who want to have you circumcised in order that they may boast about their converts. They want to boast in your flesh. They are out for their own success and their own name. “Oh,” says the apostle, “I boast in nothing, and God forbid that I should, save in the cross of Christ.”
A Thought to Ponder: The Christian is a man who does not only believe in the cross, he glories in it! (From The Cross, pp. 53-54,by Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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God’s Perfect Way
“As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.” (2 Samuel 22:31)
This is the 30th verse (out of 50) in David’s great “song of deliverance,” evidently considered by God to be of sufficient importance to have it included twice (2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18) in His written Word. Its testimony is greatly needed.
One of the most common excuses given by men for rejecting the God of the Bible is their opinion that His ways are unfair. Even Christians are prone to complain at the way God deals with them. But the fact that we may not understand God’s ways hardly gives us the right to pass judgment on them. He often reminds us in His Word that His way is perfect and His Word has been tried and proved, again and again. “For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7).
We need to settle it in our hearts that, whether we understand them or not, God’s ways are always perfect. What He does is right, and whatever He says must be true by definition. His ways are always in the context of eternity, but we leap to judgment in terms of present inconvenience.
His perfect way is seen most fully in Christ, and His truth is heard most clearly in Christ, for “I am the way,” He said, and I am “the truth” (John 14:6). Yet, Christ’s way was through the cross, and His truth was opposed by the father of lies (John 8:44). God’s way for us may also lead us into suffering and great opposition, but His way is always perfect, and His Word is tried and true. If we trust Him through it all, He will be our buckler as He was for David. “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Acts 23:11-22
The news has been filled with the actions of individuals conspiring to accomplish various acts of evil or sabotage. The events in Afghanistan and the Middle East fill our screens each night but occasionally we hear of something positive that comes out of the chaos and despair. In turbulent circumstances, there are people standing up risking their lives to assist and save strangers of all ages and nationalities.
Paul was now a prisoner of the Roman government, and he was being protected from his fellow countrymen that desired to kill him for his public stance as a follower of Christ. A group of Jews had banded together and made a pact that they would not eat nor drink until Paul was dead (v.12). Along with the Jewish religious leadership they begin to create a plan to position themselves to exterminate Paul.
In their scheming and preparation for accomplishing their mission they failed to take into consideration two important factors in their plan. The protection the Lord gives to His workers and Paul’s associates and family. In verse 11, Jesus had spoken to Paul and declared that he would speak of Christ in Rome. Also, Paul’s nephew heard of the plot and warned Paul of the ambush that was being set for his destruction (v.16).
A cliché that is often bantered around in Christian circles is, “The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will!” Paul was clearly in God’s will as he was comforted with the Lord’s statement, but the path Paul was going to travel would be filled with danger and near-death situations. Until his life ended, Paul’s journey was anything but safe. Even while being where God had placed and directed him, the perils of life confronted Paul daily!
J. Hudson Taylor is credited with the quote, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply”, a statement that Taylor found to be true as he ministered in the nation of China for many years. Paul had certainly found it to be true in the years of ministry throughout Asia Minor and Greece. God had supplied Paul’s needs and protected him from many dangers.
Whether it is Paul, J. Hudson Taylor, or us, the Lord places circumstances and at times death defying situations in our lives in order to demonstrate and possibly stretch our faith to match His plan. Paul penned the words in 1 Corinthians 10 that offer encouragement and renewal, “… God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able…” (v.13). As believers, we can trust that nothing enters our lives by mistake even though living through the experience may tax us to the limit.
With an Expectant Hope, (Pastor Miller)
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Acts 1
After the Ascension, the apostles meet in an upper room to choose a replacement for Judas.
INSIGHT
God is moving. For thousands of years He has worked in the world through the nation of Israel and the Law of Moses. Now He will work through the church and the gospel of Christ. God instructs the apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they receive power from on high. Then when they are baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, they are to be the Lord’s witnesses in their city, the surrounding country, and the entire world.
(Quiet Walk)
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DOUBTFUL CHRISTIANS
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8
Christianity, as has often been pointed out, is Christ Himself. He is not only central, He is absolutely vital, and therefore we have to see that we are concerned primarily and always with Him. What reveals at once that so many people who call themselves Christian are not Christian is that Christ as a person is not at all essential to them
I am referring here to people who think that a Christian is just a good man or woman. Obviously you can be a “good” man without even mentioning the Lord Jesus Christ; but in Christianity He is vital, and if the truth concerning Him is not the truth, the whole position vanishes. Now that is something that one cannot overemphasize.The Christian faith is entirely concerned about Him “who He is, and what He has done, and what He has made available and possible for us. And therefore you see the vital importance of our being quite clear in our minds and absolutely right about all of these things
So I make no apology for putting it as dogmatically and as bluntly as that. To me, those who apologize for saying such a thing are very doubtful Christians, if indeed they are Christians at all. There is an intolerance about the Christian faith, expressed like this by the apostle Paul: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). And we must say the same thing. The truth is clear, it is well defined, it is perfectly definite; and we must be certain, therefore, with regard to what we believe about Christ. It is not enough to say, “I believe in Christ.”
A Thought to Ponder: Christianity, as has often been pointed out, is Christ Himself.
(Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Stand Ye Still
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem…tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)
The Ammonites and Moabites and Edomites had organized “a great multitude” seeking to destroy Judah under King Jehoshaphat. But the king and his people came together to “seek the LORD” in prayer for deliverance, and God answered. “The Spirit of the LORD” spoke through Jahaziel, assuring them that “the battle is not yours, but God’s” (see 2 Chronicles 20:2, 4, 14-15).
Then the Lord sent what may have seemed a strange instruction. “Stand ye still,” He said. Just watch God do it! And He did. All their enemies were constrained by the Lord to fight and destroy each other, without the Israelites having to fight at all. Similarly, at the Red Sea when everything looked hopeless, “Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13). So, they did, and all Pharaoh’s armies were overthrown in the midst of the sea.
In Isaiah’s day, when Israel was tempted to call on pagan Egypt for help against pagan Assyria, God said concerning Israel’s armies, “Their strength is to sit still” (Isaiah 30:7). As the ship was being buffeted in the storm, and the sailors in panic were about to flee in the lifeboat, Paul said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 27:31). So, they stayed, and God spared every man.
There are times for action, of course, but the principle is this. When we have done all we can, and the situation seems hopeless, this is the time to sit still and trust God to work it out in His own good way. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Got any rivers you think are uncrossable? God specializes in things thought impossible!
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research) ________________________________________________________
Fix Up Time
Be made new in the attitude of your minds. Ephesians 4:23
It was time to give the inside of our home a fresh, new look. But just as I’d begun prepping a room for painting, our state government announced it would be halting the sale of many home improvement items due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as I heard the announcement, I rushed to the store and purchased the essential materials. You simply can’t remodel without the proper supplies.
Paul had a bit of a remodeling project in mind when he wrote Ephesians 4. But the changes he was talking about went far beyond superficial alterations. Even though trusting Jesus as Savior makes us a new creation, there’s still some ongoing work the Spirit needs to do. And it takes time and work for Him to accomplish “true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).
The presence of the Spirit makes needed changes on the inside that can help us reflect Jesus in our words and actions. He helps us replace lying with speaking “truthfully” (v. 25). He guides us to avoid sin in regard to anger (v. 26). And He directs us to speak words that are “helpful for building others up” (v. 29). These Spirit-controlled actions are part of the internal change that’s manifested in things like kindness, compassion, and forgiveness (v. 32). The Spirit works in us to enable us to imitate Jesus Himself and reflect the heart of our heavenly Father (v. 24; 5:1).(By Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread)