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SEPTEMBER 1
Job 40-42
Our last day in
Job! This will be fun. Reading God's response to Job made me think of what Paul
said in Romans 9:20, But who
are you, a man, to answer back
to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me thus?"
It finally made sense to me
what Paul was saying. He is simply answering this question in Rome with God's
answer to Job. It has nothing to do with justice or fairness. Both Paul and God
are saying that knowing God means trusting His actions because of His love and
wisdom.
One note regarding
the wildlife that is described below, remember that after the flood, things
changed slowly. There was a massive climate change that resulted in the decline
in the age of people and the dying off of certain types of animals. There were
few people after the flood, allowing wildlife to grow undisturbed. Some of the
types of animals on the ark may have lived for a time after the flood, but the
climate and conditions on earth had changed. There were woolly mammoths; but
somehow, through climate or the increased needs of growing human populations,
they were killed off, similar to buffalo in North America. People lived close
to rivers or where there was a supply of water. Although no one knows what the
Behemoth and the Leviathan were, they could have been a large variation of
something we have today that lived in those rivers and were a constant threat
and challenge to the people.
Job 40
Vs. 1-2 The root of Job's problem had been finding fault with God. He
accused God of being unjust.
Vs. 3-5 This is the first of Job's two replies to God. In this response
he only admits that he shouldn't have spoken. In the next response, Job is
repentant.
Vs. 6-14 I think v. 7 is funny. "Gird up your loins" (and
fight like a ….). Obviously Job couldn't contend with God. Really, God has just
been asking Job questions.
Vs. 15-24 I have a couple of questions here.
First, what was the Behemoth? It appears to be something that isn't
around anymore. It seems that the common opinion is that it was a variety of hippopotamus,
sort of what the woolly mammoth was to the elephant. Who knows? Growing up I
always saw hippos as docile, fat animals, living to get fat. Well here are some
fun facts about hippos. Once they were common to all of Africa, including Egypt
and the Nile, and Asia, including the areas around the Euphrates and Jordan
rivers, and even Europe. No famous explorer of Africa was not attacked by a hippo. One explorer had his boat overturned and
had his head and shoulders bit off. Apparently they are incredibly aggressive,
and on land they can outrun a man, even weighing 4000 pounds (the hippo, not
the man). Now that we can kill them with guns, howitzers and atomic weapons,
they are in decline because the ivory of their teeth does not yellow like an
elephant's ivory, making it highly sought after. George Washington's teeth were
not made of wood, but of hippo ivory. So, if there was a variety of hippo back
then that was a little bigger, had a bigger tail and was meaner (imagine that),
it could well have been the Behemoth. And apparently their tail does get stiff
when they are mad, which apparently is always.
Second, why does God even use this illustration? Well, one reason is
that they were apparently a hazard to anyone living along rivers, which was a
lot of people. Another reason might be to mention that God made this very
formidable animal that gave hunting parties fits. But for me it has more to do
with the theme of the book: the hidden purpose of God. What was the purpose of
that animal? Why did God make it? Who knows, but God knew and designed it as He
chose.
Job 41
Enter the Leviathan. Apparently this was another river dweller, and
again the identity is unknown. It is thought that this could have been a very,
very large "mammoth," and arrogantly aggressive, variety of crocodile.
Vs. 1-11 This section deals with the Leviathan's inability to be tamed,
caught or ruled. Notice expressions like, can
you, or will you. This could be
entitled "The Attitude of the Leviathan."
Vs. 12-34 This could be titled the "The Body of the
Leviathan." This is how God made him.
Vs. 18-21 It is suggested that this could be poetic description of a
crocodile coming up for air in the bright sun, the light in its eyes, the smoke
coming out of its nostrils as it lets out air on the surface of the water
creating a blowing of vapor that looked like smoke and fire.
Again, even a nature lover might ask God why He made the Leviathan. Would
it really be a loss if they went extinct? Does anyone "miss" the T-Rex? If
you had lived near a river, you would never have let your kids go play at the
shore if these things were around. It would have always been on your mind, and
trying to exterminate them would have been a generational endeavor.
In both of these animals God challenges Job with His power to create,
to control and to determine the working out of lives and the affairs of men by
what He did with these animals. In a way, Satan might be compared to these
animals in his influence on mankind; but there too, God has a leash on Lucifer.
God's love and wisdom simply need to be trusted.
Job 42
Vs. 1-6 Notice that Job quotes God twice; he confesses and repents.
Vs. 7-9 This is
pretty interesting. God calls Job his servant four times. God says twice that
Job spoke rightly of Him, but the others did not. It never says that the
friends prayed for Job, but Job prayed for them. God was not upset with Elihu. It
is interesting that God made Job forgive and intercede for his friends. It is
amazing in the Gospels how often prayer and extending forgiveness to others are
put together. And
whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one, so that
your Father also who is in heaven may forgive
you your trespasses (Mark
11:25).
So how was Job right about what he said about God? He was right in
saying that his suffering didn't come because of sin. He was wrong in charging
God with judgment against him. For Job to say that God didn't care was
careless. Job held on irrationally to what he had known to be true of God. His
losses and pain pushed him, and his friends incited him; but Job never cursed
God, so Satan was able to see that there was something in mankind that God
could save. Job and his friends were able to see the Lord in a different light.
Always trust the Lord. His love never fails and the wisdom of His will is
guided by that love and by His incredible wisdom.
Vs. 10-11 Notice the "condition" in v. 10. It wasn't until
after Job prayed for his friends that the Lord reversed Job's situation. Now
the Lord brought on all of the comfort He had withheld. It was the Lord.
Vs. 12-17 Notice that it never mentioned any of Job's kids' names
except these three daughters.
Tradition suggests that Job was 70 when this happened to him. And just
as his prosperity was doubled after this event, so was his age. That is the
suggested reason that he lived another 140 years.
As you read Job now, year after year, you will find new stuff each time
you read it. Not only that, as you follow Christ in the harvest, as things
happen to you and to others, what you've learned here will be used by the
Spirit to teach you and to temper your heart. He will lead you to have a more
eternal perspective on this life, and the Lord will lead you into more and more
situations where you will learn to let go of expectations in this life on
earth. As we follow Christ we learn to trust Him completely and to make Him and
what we know of Him enough to guide us through anything that happens.
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
This is a very well-known and cool part of the Bible. And to think, all
of this is being expressed like this because of Paul's suffering and a conflict
he's having with a church. It was all designed by God's wisdom.
V. 11 Notice that Paul talks about their turmoil and its result as the fear of the Lord. In this context, I
would say that this fear is Paul's deep respect for God. And, Paul understood
that he was known to God. Paul would
never violate God's trust and cheapen the gospel. This is their motivation for
persuading others. The message of that persuasion, we'll see later, is for
people to repent and be reconciled with God. Paul tried to remain invisible.
V. 12 Note that the criticism in Corinth that is against Paul and that
was shredding the church is ever present in Paul's mind as he is writing. It
was a weight that Paul constantly bore. Paul was not trying to promote himself.
He was living to promote His Savior and to see men saved and made disciples in
the harvest. The Corinthians should have known this and been able to counter
those self-seeking super-apostles, whose main platform was criticizing Paul.
Vs. 13-15 This shows that Paul understood the necessity of God making
them weak. But instead of being driven by concern for themselves or driven by
fear, look what controlled them. And look what it made them do. A disciple is
always oriented to the harvest, because the
love of Christ is living in his heart and is revealed in the harvest. If
anyone ever wants to know what the driving force behind our hearts and actions
is, it is here. It is not a fear of hell or a desire for heaven; it is the love
of Christ. Check your heart. This has to be or become what ultimately motivates
you in your life.
V. 16 Paul once regarded
Jesus as the enemy and His followers as heretics. That was before he understood
what was happening “spiritually” in the world and in the plan of God. Now Paul
said, we walk by faith, not by sight (2
Cor. 5:7). Our eyes are to be on the spiritual reality, and then we can understand
the physical in terms of the spiritual. Another way to say this is what Paul
says in Romans 8:14, For all who are led by the Spirit of God are
sons of God. We live on earth now understanding things spiritually, seeking
spiritual direction, being led daily by the Spirit.
V. 17 Notice that this is a creation,
something made. Salvation is not membership in a club, where membership can be
revoked due to bad behavior. It is being made, created. At salvation something is
brought into life. This is why once we are saved or "created," we are
always saved. You can revoke someone's membership, but you can't
"un-create" something. This spiritual life is created by the Spirit
the moment we confess Christ as Savior and are forgiven. Then the Spirit comes
to dwell within to "mentor" and nurture that new spiritual life, and
to help us deal with that old nature that would destroy us.
Vs. 18-21 Two things here. Disciples are always oriented to the
harvest. Ambassadors is who God made
us. To deny who God has made us is to get ourselves into a life to which we
were not called or equipped. Our joy and strength and purpose are found in
following Christ in the harvest as His ambassadors.
Second, Paul is making sure they understand that this ministry is not
something we grasp, but something that grips us. Paul wasn't putting himself
forward, as if this were his career. Paul describes this life following Christ
and speaking out to the lost as the irresistible identity of anyone who has
been seized by the love of Christ.
V. 21 This might have been a reminder to that Jewish audience and to those
super-apostles that righteousness is not found in doing things Jewish, but in
Christ alone. What a great truth and just like Isaiah 53.
Psalm 45
Now, I'm really not given to "spiritualizing" the meaning of
the text, saying its real meaning is in something other than the physical event
to which it was written. However, there is a prophetic element in lots of the
Bible where a verse or event foreshadows something in the future. God shows us
this is so. When we get to the NT and see some of the passages that Jesus or
others used, we look back and say, "I would have never guessed that would
also have a meaning for the future."
This psalm was apparently
written for a wedding. But when you get to v. 6, you realize that this is
quoted in Hebrews 1:8, But of the
Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever
and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of
your kingdom."
God
is saying that this verse has to do with Jesus being crowned king. This is also
when He takes the church as His bride. So then, let's read the entire psalm as
if it is referring to Jesus taking His throne and meeting with His church at
the wedding feast.
Vs. 1-3 If you compare this with Isaiah 53 or Revelation 5:6
where no beauty is mentioned, it seems that Jesus' full glory will be revealed.
Vs. 4-5 That crowning of Jesus and the taking of the book
will unleash judgment on the nations and peoples of the earth.
Vs. 6-9 This would be an appropriate image of Jesus, the Son
of David, receiving His eternal throne.
Vs. 10-15 I have never grasped the "bride of
Christ" except to know it is a special designation of purity and glory to
the bridegroom.
Vs. 16-17 This is definitely imagery referring to Jesus. Look
at the end of Isaiah 53 to see this shared reward and glory. I just read what
Jesus said to His disciples the night He was betrayed. You
are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones
judging the twelve tribes of Israel
(Luke
22:28-30).
Proverbs 22:14
There really is no such thing as "getting away" with
something. If God lets you kick against the door until you "succeed,"
you are just walking into judgment, not blessing.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is
welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
