Job 34:1-37
In verses 16-22, Elihu used princes and kings as symbolic of God Himself. If no one would dare to accuse a prince or a king of being ungodly, then no one should certainly accuse God of that. In verse 20, Elihu used the phrase "pass away" to indicate physical death. Even today, many people use the phrase, "He or she passed away." Believers should actually never use this phrase because it suggests no life after death. A better phrase would be, "He or she passed over." In verse 22, Elihu again affirmed his unbelief in life after death when he stated that the wicked cannot hide themselves in a "shadow of death." In scripture, God often uses the phrase "shadow of death" to indicate a specific region of the dead also called "outer darkness" or "the bottomless pit." Job 10:21-22; Matthew 25:30; Revelation 20:3; Revelation 20:13.
In Job 34:23-34, Elihu confirms his belief that God rewards or punishes humans in their earthly lives only. God punishes men to correct them and to warn others. God rewards the poor when they cry out to Him. In verse 33, Elihu affirmed his belief that God gave free will to man so that every person can choose for himself whether to do right or wrong. Elihu consistently arrived at both right and wrong ideas about the nature of God.
In Job 34:35-37, Elihu lost patience with Job and condemned him even though he had said he would not. Elihu actually accused Job of being wicked and rebellious against God because Job claimed that through his faith in his Redeemer he had found grace with God. Elihu believed that God dealt with man only in this life, and that God would never simply cleanse a man of his sins, forgive him, and allow him to live in His presence forever. In Elihu's mind, God's grace would be tantamount to believing that God excuses and justifies man's sins.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety five
Job 34:1-37
In Job 34:1-4, Elihu revealed that a part of his philosophy was that if enough words are said in debate, then somewhere within the bulk of those words, the truth can be discerned. Just as a mouth can taste food, so the ears can test words to discern between truth and falsity. Courts of law use a similar method to attempt to discover the truth in matters of law and judgment.
In Job 34:5-12, Elihu proclaimed that he could not believe in a God of love and grace. Elihu believed Job lied when he said that God had cleansed him of his sins and had made him righteous and accepted with God. Elihu believed Job had adopted a self-righteous attitude of scorn for his fellow man by making such a claim. Elihu believed in a God of judgment, never mercy. Elihu claimed that Job had become self-righteous and wicked by believing that his Redeemer had given him grace. In verse nine, Elihu claimed that Job had contradicted himself when he asserted that Job had said that man gains nothing from his faith in God, but Job had never said that. In verse ten, Elihu asserted that if God actually ever provided grace to believers in a Redeemer, then God Himself would be wicked because, in Elihu's way of thinking, that would mean that God would excuse man's sins. In verses 11-12, Elihu declared his belief that God judges humans' lives on earth only, and for God to do otherwise would pervert judgment. Elihu simply could not believe in the self-sacrificial Love of God.
In Job 34:13-15, Elihu stated his belief that God alone rules the earth and that no one could be greater than God. In verses 14 and 15 taken together, Elihu did not avow that he believed that the spirit and breath of man were individual consciousnesses that survived physical death. Rather, he demonstrated that he believed that the spirit and breath of man were but ideas in God's Mind that He used to give life to man on the earth only. Elihu betrayed his true belief that the whole man returns to dust, including his consciousness. Elihu did not believe in life after death.
In Job 34:1-4, Elihu revealed that a part of his philosophy was that if enough words are said in debate, then somewhere within the bulk of those words, the truth can be discerned. Just as a mouth can taste food, so the ears can test words to discern between truth and falsity. Courts of law use a similar method to attempt to discover the truth in matters of law and judgment.
In Job 34:5-12, Elihu proclaimed that he could not believe in a God of love and grace. Elihu believed Job lied when he said that God had cleansed him of his sins and had made him righteous and accepted with God. Elihu believed Job had adopted a self-righteous attitude of scorn for his fellow man by making such a claim. Elihu believed in a God of judgment, never mercy. Elihu claimed that Job had become self-righteous and wicked by believing that his Redeemer had given him grace. In verse nine, Elihu claimed that Job had contradicted himself when he asserted that Job had said that man gains nothing from his faith in God, but Job had never said that. In verse ten, Elihu asserted that if God actually ever provided grace to believers in a Redeemer, then God Himself would be wicked because, in Elihu's way of thinking, that would mean that God would excuse man's sins. In verses 11-12, Elihu declared his belief that God judges humans' lives on earth only, and for God to do otherwise would pervert judgment. Elihu simply could not believe in the self-sacrificial Love of God.
In Job 34:13-15, Elihu stated his belief that God alone rules the earth and that no one could be greater than God. In verses 14 and 15 taken together, Elihu did not avow that he believed that the spirit and breath of man were individual consciousnesses that survived physical death. Rather, he demonstrated that he believed that the spirit and breath of man were but ideas in God's Mind that He used to give life to man on the earth only. Elihu betrayed his true belief that the whole man returns to dust, including his consciousness. Elihu did not believe in life after death.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety four
Job 33:1-33
In Job 33:18-24, Elihu described Job's terrible condition in detail and concluded that Job was close to death. The messenger of verse 23 was Elihu himself who had come to comfort Job by showing him how he could become upright with God. In verse 24, Elihu expected Job to be grateful to him because Elihu thought he had found a way to keep Job from going to the grave. But the "ransom" that Elihu spoke about was not a Redeemer, but it was merely a method by which Job could keep himself alive in the flesh.
In verses 25-33, Elihu explained to Job the method that he thought he had discovered which would return Job to the good health of a child and keep him from the grave. Elihu informed Job that if he would adhere to the righteousness that God had put into his living image and admit that he had also sinned at times, then God would keep Job from the grave and provide him with a long and healthy life on the earth. Unlike Job, Elihu would not open his heart to receive new revelations from God. Elihu could not believe that a man could never make himself right with God through his own efforts. Elihu could not believe that every human needs a Redeemer to cleanse him of sin and evil and bring him alive into the presence of God forever. Romans 6:23.
Apparently, Elihu did not believe in life after physical death. Elihu did not know that God's Redeemer would eventually save His living image in all humans, some by His grace through the shed blood and water of Christ from the cross and all others from the regions of the dead by the use of His consuming fire. John 5:24; I Corinthians 3:11-15.
In Job 33:18-24, Elihu described Job's terrible condition in detail and concluded that Job was close to death. The messenger of verse 23 was Elihu himself who had come to comfort Job by showing him how he could become upright with God. In verse 24, Elihu expected Job to be grateful to him because Elihu thought he had found a way to keep Job from going to the grave. But the "ransom" that Elihu spoke about was not a Redeemer, but it was merely a method by which Job could keep himself alive in the flesh.
In verses 25-33, Elihu explained to Job the method that he thought he had discovered which would return Job to the good health of a child and keep him from the grave. Elihu informed Job that if he would adhere to the righteousness that God had put into his living image and admit that he had also sinned at times, then God would keep Job from the grave and provide him with a long and healthy life on the earth. Unlike Job, Elihu would not open his heart to receive new revelations from God. Elihu could not believe that a man could never make himself right with God through his own efforts. Elihu could not believe that every human needs a Redeemer to cleanse him of sin and evil and bring him alive into the presence of God forever. Romans 6:23.
Apparently, Elihu did not believe in life after physical death. Elihu did not know that God's Redeemer would eventually save His living image in all humans, some by His grace through the shed blood and water of Christ from the cross and all others from the regions of the dead by the use of His consuming fire. John 5:24; I Corinthians 3:11-15.
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety three
Job 33:1-33
In Job 33:1-4, Elihu assured Job that he would sincerely search for true answers from God about Job's terrible suffering. Elihu told Job that he would not summarily condemn him, but he would try to find answers that would comfort Job. In verse 4, Elihu assured Job that he knew that God had given him life and that he would form his answers according to the living image of God within him. According to Genesis 3:20, Ecclesiastes 3:14, and Luke 20:38; God can never lose, or ever allow to be destroyed, His living image in every human. God can dissolve His created systems stained by sin, remove the sin and evil, and recreate His living human systems, but He will never allow any of His living human systems to ever be annulled. Romans 8:18-25; Romans 11:36; Revelation 21:1-5. In Job 33:6-12, Elihu again assured Job that he would try to speak from God's point of view, and he would strive to find the right answers as to why Job had to suffer and without condemning Job.
But in verses 8-12, Elihu accused Job of being wrong when Elihu claimed to have heard Job say that he was clean and innocent of all iniquity, even though Job had never directly said that. But Elihu did hear Job say that he had a Redeemer who could make him right with God and bring him alive into God's presence, and Job's witness caused Elihu to wrongly conclude that Job had claimed that he could make himself righteous enough to be accepted by God. Elihu could not comprehend that Job's Redeemer would cleanse Job and make him right with God. Elihu could not bring himself to believe that a Redeemer even existed.
In Job 33:13-17, Elihu concluded that Job must not even try to gain answers from God. Elihu thought that Job must simply accept the fact that God does what He wants, and Job can do nothing about it. Elihu thought that perhaps God caused a man to suffer simply in order to eliminate pride from his life.
In Job 33:1-4, Elihu assured Job that he would sincerely search for true answers from God about Job's terrible suffering. Elihu told Job that he would not summarily condemn him, but he would try to find answers that would comfort Job. In verse 4, Elihu assured Job that he knew that God had given him life and that he would form his answers according to the living image of God within him. According to Genesis 3:20, Ecclesiastes 3:14, and Luke 20:38; God can never lose, or ever allow to be destroyed, His living image in every human. God can dissolve His created systems stained by sin, remove the sin and evil, and recreate His living human systems, but He will never allow any of His living human systems to ever be annulled. Romans 8:18-25; Romans 11:36; Revelation 21:1-5. In Job 33:6-12, Elihu again assured Job that he would try to speak from God's point of view, and he would strive to find the right answers as to why Job had to suffer and without condemning Job.
But in verses 8-12, Elihu accused Job of being wrong when Elihu claimed to have heard Job say that he was clean and innocent of all iniquity, even though Job had never directly said that. But Elihu did hear Job say that he had a Redeemer who could make him right with God and bring him alive into God's presence, and Job's witness caused Elihu to wrongly conclude that Job had claimed that he could make himself righteous enough to be accepted by God. Elihu could not comprehend that Job's Redeemer would cleanse Job and make him right with God. Elihu could not bring himself to believe that a Redeemer even existed.
In Job 33:13-17, Elihu concluded that Job must not even try to gain answers from God. Elihu thought that Job must simply accept the fact that God does what He wants, and Job can do nothing about it. Elihu thought that perhaps God caused a man to suffer simply in order to eliminate pride from his life.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety two
Job 32:1-22
For these very reasons, Acts 17:30 does not mean that God has ever excused man's sin. This verse simply teaches that God understands that humans are condemned to sin. Avoidance of sin is impossible. God's Love extends His compassion toward man's hopeless condition which caused Him to break that hopeless condition Himself. If Christ had not broken that hopeless condition, then all of humanity would have been lost forever in the horrors of the lake of fire. Christ came to revert a hopelessly lost humanity to a sinful condition caused by his weakness. Christ can have compassion on the hopeless weakness of man and can cleanse his sin when he cries out to God for mercy and grace. Luke 18:9-14. But God hates those who hate Him and will never forgive their total evil. Matthew 12:31-32. God extends His grace to all who will repent and believe in His Son while still alive in the flesh. John 5:24. God extends His mercy to all other humans because He can and He will renew their faith in His Son as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14; II Peter 3:9. Who can thwart God's will?
Man cannot avoid sin, but man can avoid becoming evil. Evil results from man's willful and deliberate choice to rebel against God. These humans become demonic, and demons never repent. Evil humans possess only a very small image of God within their beings, but God will recover and recreate even that small image of Himself. The evil in man is that part of man's being that is dead. In the final judgment in the end of the world, Christ will use His consuming fire to permanently separate the evil deaths of all humans within the regions of the dead from their living images of Him, and He will cast their evil deaths into the lake of fire to purge all evil from His creations forever. Revelation 20:11-15; I Corinthians 3:11-15; I Corinthians 15:26; II Timothy 4:1; Luke 20:38.
Job 32:8 teaches that every human possesses a spirit which is the living image of God within him, and God can use the inspiration of His Word to cause man's spirit to gain understanding and wisdom if they listen to him. Job's spirit heard God's revelations to him, and he became righteous by obeying them, but he was still a sinner. God allowed evil to cause Job to suffer greatly in order to test his faith that still remained in his spirit. Job passed his test by refusing to give up his faith that was still in his spirit. Job passed his test although he became fearful that his sin would cause his permanent separation from God. Job 13:14-15; Job 7:21. God gave deeper revelations to Job because he searched for a daysman who could make him absolutely right with God. God revealed to Job that he had a Redeemer who could bring him alive to God, and Job accepted God's revelation by faith and became saved by grace. Job 19:25-27; Job 23:10.
Like Job, Elihu was also a sincere searcher for the truth about God. But Elihu depended solely on God's revelations to his inner spirit to gain knowledge about God, and he failed to take into account that man's sin and evil had completely separated man from God. Elihu's condition caused him to come to right and wrong conclusions about the nature of God. Elihu's faith failed to search for a Redeemer who could make him absolutely right with God. Elihu believed he could somehow make himself right with God. Elihu could not believe Job when he claimed that he had found a Redeemer who could bring him alive to be with God. Job 34:4-7.
For these very reasons, Acts 17:30 does not mean that God has ever excused man's sin. This verse simply teaches that God understands that humans are condemned to sin. Avoidance of sin is impossible. God's Love extends His compassion toward man's hopeless condition which caused Him to break that hopeless condition Himself. If Christ had not broken that hopeless condition, then all of humanity would have been lost forever in the horrors of the lake of fire. Christ came to revert a hopelessly lost humanity to a sinful condition caused by his weakness. Christ can have compassion on the hopeless weakness of man and can cleanse his sin when he cries out to God for mercy and grace. Luke 18:9-14. But God hates those who hate Him and will never forgive their total evil. Matthew 12:31-32. God extends His grace to all who will repent and believe in His Son while still alive in the flesh. John 5:24. God extends His mercy to all other humans because He can and He will renew their faith in His Son as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14; II Peter 3:9. Who can thwart God's will?
Man cannot avoid sin, but man can avoid becoming evil. Evil results from man's willful and deliberate choice to rebel against God. These humans become demonic, and demons never repent. Evil humans possess only a very small image of God within their beings, but God will recover and recreate even that small image of Himself. The evil in man is that part of man's being that is dead. In the final judgment in the end of the world, Christ will use His consuming fire to permanently separate the evil deaths of all humans within the regions of the dead from their living images of Him, and He will cast their evil deaths into the lake of fire to purge all evil from His creations forever. Revelation 20:11-15; I Corinthians 3:11-15; I Corinthians 15:26; II Timothy 4:1; Luke 20:38.
Job 32:8 teaches that every human possesses a spirit which is the living image of God within him, and God can use the inspiration of His Word to cause man's spirit to gain understanding and wisdom if they listen to him. Job's spirit heard God's revelations to him, and he became righteous by obeying them, but he was still a sinner. God allowed evil to cause Job to suffer greatly in order to test his faith that still remained in his spirit. Job passed his test by refusing to give up his faith that was still in his spirit. Job passed his test although he became fearful that his sin would cause his permanent separation from God. Job 13:14-15; Job 7:21. God gave deeper revelations to Job because he searched for a daysman who could make him absolutely right with God. God revealed to Job that he had a Redeemer who could bring him alive to God, and Job accepted God's revelation by faith and became saved by grace. Job 19:25-27; Job 23:10.
Like Job, Elihu was also a sincere searcher for the truth about God. But Elihu depended solely on God's revelations to his inner spirit to gain knowledge about God, and he failed to take into account that man's sin and evil had completely separated man from God. Elihu's condition caused him to come to right and wrong conclusions about the nature of God. Elihu's faith failed to search for a Redeemer who could make him absolutely right with God. Elihu believed he could somehow make himself right with God. Elihu could not believe Job when he claimed that he had found a Redeemer who could bring him alive to be with God. Job 34:4-7.
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety one
Job 32:1-22
Except for the ten commandments, Moses wrote all of the intricate laws that he gave to the Israelites. The fallen nature of man causes humans to attempt to create perfect societies that they think will no longer need God. Moses loved God but his fallen nature caused him to try to create a perfect society through a set of complex laws. Some of Moses' laws were good, some were bad, some were silly, and some made no sense at all. All sets of modern laws do the same. God allowed Moses to write his laws into His Holy Word in order to teach man the infallible truth that the fallen nature of man does not allow him to create perfect societies.
For a similar reason, in Acts 4:32-37, God allowed the early Church to practice communism in order to teach them that this form of economy only works when a group of people experience great peril. The early Church existed in a state of persecution which made an equal sharing of goods necessary for the Church to stick together and survive. During WWII, America came very close to practicing communism because free people had to share with each other in order to keep everyone strong in the war against those evil forces that would enslave them. But in many of His parables, Jesus taught the infallible truth that in times of peace, free enterprise has proven to be the best economic system.
God sometimes allowed fallible humans to express their feelings and thoughts in His infallible Word in order to teach the infallible truth that humans are fallible. One such example occurs in Psalm 137:9. Being in a state of extreme anguish and grief because of the Babylonian conquest and oppression of his people, the writer felt that any Jew would be happy to kill Babylonian babies by bashing them against rocks. This verse does not mean that God would ever approve of the murder of babies. This verse only expresses the fact that feelings of hatred can arise in oppressed people that lead to sinful thoughts. Similarly, the statement of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that "all is vanity" cannot possibly be true. This is a wholly nihilistic and atheistic statement. God allowed Solomon to write this to show that the fallen nature of even a man of God can cause him to make false statements. The Word of God consistently demonstrates that God completely understands humanity, which is an infallible truth. John 2:24-25.
Except for the ten commandments, Moses wrote all of the intricate laws that he gave to the Israelites. The fallen nature of man causes humans to attempt to create perfect societies that they think will no longer need God. Moses loved God but his fallen nature caused him to try to create a perfect society through a set of complex laws. Some of Moses' laws were good, some were bad, some were silly, and some made no sense at all. All sets of modern laws do the same. God allowed Moses to write his laws into His Holy Word in order to teach man the infallible truth that the fallen nature of man does not allow him to create perfect societies.
For a similar reason, in Acts 4:32-37, God allowed the early Church to practice communism in order to teach them that this form of economy only works when a group of people experience great peril. The early Church existed in a state of persecution which made an equal sharing of goods necessary for the Church to stick together and survive. During WWII, America came very close to practicing communism because free people had to share with each other in order to keep everyone strong in the war against those evil forces that would enslave them. But in many of His parables, Jesus taught the infallible truth that in times of peace, free enterprise has proven to be the best economic system.
God sometimes allowed fallible humans to express their feelings and thoughts in His infallible Word in order to teach the infallible truth that humans are fallible. One such example occurs in Psalm 137:9. Being in a state of extreme anguish and grief because of the Babylonian conquest and oppression of his people, the writer felt that any Jew would be happy to kill Babylonian babies by bashing them against rocks. This verse does not mean that God would ever approve of the murder of babies. This verse only expresses the fact that feelings of hatred can arise in oppressed people that lead to sinful thoughts. Similarly, the statement of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes 1:2 that "all is vanity" cannot possibly be true. This is a wholly nihilistic and atheistic statement. God allowed Solomon to write this to show that the fallen nature of even a man of God can cause him to make false statements. The Word of God consistently demonstrates that God completely understands humanity, which is an infallible truth. John 2:24-25.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part ninety
Job 32:1-22
Many interpret II Timothy 3:16 to relate that God directly inspired every word in His Bible, but this verse does not teach that. This verse teaches that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," and further states the reasons why God gave it. The key word in this verse is the word "given." God could not have directly inspired a pagan Roman soldier to write a letter to his governor Felix in Acts 23:25-30. God could not have directly inspired two pagan poets that Paul quotes in Acts 17:28. God could not have directly inspired letters written by the enemies of the Jews in Nehemiah. But God did allow those words of mere humans to be given to His Holy Word for the purpose of making His stories more understandable and to help teach the basic doctrine of the Bible that all humans are fallen sinners in need of God's salvation. If Bible readers cannot understand this basic doctrine, then they cannot hope to understand the rest of God's Word. By this method, God has made His entire Word infallible and inerrant in its teachings.
Many humans cannot understand even this basic teaching of the Bible. Many humans exist who cannot admit that they can make even the slightest mistake, even in arithmetic. Many humans exist who stubbornly cling to false religions or political ideologies even after they learn that they are wrong. God allowed man's fallible words to be added to His infallible Word to emphasize the fallen condition of man which is an infallible doctrine.
No doubt God gave the ten commandments to Moses by direct inspiration. But in Mark 10:5, Jesus admitted that Moses gave the law of divorce to the Israelites and not by direct inspiration from God. Jesus contradicted Moses. In order to teach God's true Word about marriage, Jesus reminded His listeners of God's creation. God made male and female, and God puts a particular male and female together in marriage which means any divorce involving God's marriage has to be sinful. Nevertheless, God allowed Moses to put a law of divorce into His Holy and infallible Word. God allowed Moses to do this in order to teach His infallible truth that every Godly man and woman should diligently pray that God will give them the mate that He has selected for them, and that divorce and remarriage seldom causes greater happiness and always hurts someone even if God did not give the man and woman to each other.
Many interpret II Timothy 3:16 to relate that God directly inspired every word in His Bible, but this verse does not teach that. This verse teaches that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," and further states the reasons why God gave it. The key word in this verse is the word "given." God could not have directly inspired a pagan Roman soldier to write a letter to his governor Felix in Acts 23:25-30. God could not have directly inspired two pagan poets that Paul quotes in Acts 17:28. God could not have directly inspired letters written by the enemies of the Jews in Nehemiah. But God did allow those words of mere humans to be given to His Holy Word for the purpose of making His stories more understandable and to help teach the basic doctrine of the Bible that all humans are fallen sinners in need of God's salvation. If Bible readers cannot understand this basic doctrine, then they cannot hope to understand the rest of God's Word. By this method, God has made His entire Word infallible and inerrant in its teachings.
Many humans cannot understand even this basic teaching of the Bible. Many humans exist who cannot admit that they can make even the slightest mistake, even in arithmetic. Many humans exist who stubbornly cling to false religions or political ideologies even after they learn that they are wrong. God allowed man's fallible words to be added to His infallible Word to emphasize the fallen condition of man which is an infallible doctrine.
No doubt God gave the ten commandments to Moses by direct inspiration. But in Mark 10:5, Jesus admitted that Moses gave the law of divorce to the Israelites and not by direct inspiration from God. Jesus contradicted Moses. In order to teach God's true Word about marriage, Jesus reminded His listeners of God's creation. God made male and female, and God puts a particular male and female together in marriage which means any divorce involving God's marriage has to be sinful. Nevertheless, God allowed Moses to put a law of divorce into His Holy and infallible Word. God allowed Moses to do this in order to teach His infallible truth that every Godly man and woman should diligently pray that God will give them the mate that He has selected for them, and that divorce and remarriage seldom causes greater happiness and always hurts someone even if God did not give the man and woman to each other.
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty nine
Job 32:1-22
In chapter 32, a young man named Elihu voices his opinion. Unlike Job's false comforters who dogmatically assumed that Job had to suffer because he was guilty of doing something wrong, Elihu was an honest searcher for truth. The key to understanding the method Elihu used in his search for the truth can be found in Job 32:8. Elihu rightly believed that God had created a good spirit for man, and that by hearing the inspiration that God gives through His image in man, man can gain a better understanding about the nature of God. But where Elihu went wrong was that he failed to take into account the fact that Satan had injected evil into man's being which caused his good spirit to sin which, in turn, clouded man's conscience and caused him to come to false conclusions about God's nature. Elihu's failure caused him, like all other searchers for truth who ignore God's complete revelations, to come to both true and false conclusions about God's nature. Elihu depended to much on his feelings about God instead of simply opening his heart for greater revelations from God, as Job had done.
Job 32:1 provides a perfect example of how God sometimes allows His Word to report how people feel or think about particular conditions or situations instead of the actual facts about them. Job's three friends accused Job of being righteous in his own eyes; that is, self-righteous. But they misunderstood that which Job spoke about his righteousness. Job freely admitted that he was a sinner in Job 7:20 and 9:20. Furthermore, whenever Job spoke about his own righteousness, as in Job 6:29, he always meant the righteousness that God had put into his image when He created him. God called Job a perfect man because he assiduously practiced the righteousness that God had put into his living image. But Job knew that his righteousness, which had been stained by sin, was not good enough to be accepted by God as he admitted in Job 9:20-21. For this very reason, Job looked for a daysman; that is, a mediator who could bridge the gap that his sin had caused between him and God and make him absolutely right with God. Job 9:30-33. God revealed to Job in Job 19:25-27 that He had such a Redeemer for him who could absolutely perfect him and someday bring him into the very presence of God. Job accepted his Redeemer by faith knowing that He would absolutely perfect him and make him acceptable with God. Job 23:10.
In chapter 32, a young man named Elihu voices his opinion. Unlike Job's false comforters who dogmatically assumed that Job had to suffer because he was guilty of doing something wrong, Elihu was an honest searcher for truth. The key to understanding the method Elihu used in his search for the truth can be found in Job 32:8. Elihu rightly believed that God had created a good spirit for man, and that by hearing the inspiration that God gives through His image in man, man can gain a better understanding about the nature of God. But where Elihu went wrong was that he failed to take into account the fact that Satan had injected evil into man's being which caused his good spirit to sin which, in turn, clouded man's conscience and caused him to come to false conclusions about God's nature. Elihu's failure caused him, like all other searchers for truth who ignore God's complete revelations, to come to both true and false conclusions about God's nature. Elihu depended to much on his feelings about God instead of simply opening his heart for greater revelations from God, as Job had done.
Job 32:1 provides a perfect example of how God sometimes allows His Word to report how people feel or think about particular conditions or situations instead of the actual facts about them. Job's three friends accused Job of being righteous in his own eyes; that is, self-righteous. But they misunderstood that which Job spoke about his righteousness. Job freely admitted that he was a sinner in Job 7:20 and 9:20. Furthermore, whenever Job spoke about his own righteousness, as in Job 6:29, he always meant the righteousness that God had put into his image when He created him. God called Job a perfect man because he assiduously practiced the righteousness that God had put into his living image. But Job knew that his righteousness, which had been stained by sin, was not good enough to be accepted by God as he admitted in Job 9:20-21. For this very reason, Job looked for a daysman; that is, a mediator who could bridge the gap that his sin had caused between him and God and make him absolutely right with God. Job 9:30-33. God revealed to Job in Job 19:25-27 that He had such a Redeemer for him who could absolutely perfect him and someday bring him into the very presence of God. Job accepted his Redeemer by faith knowing that He would absolutely perfect him and make him acceptable with God. Job 23:10.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty eight
Job 31:1-40
In Job 31:4, Job asks a question of God of which the answer is obvious. God had made Job a righteous man and had guided his steps throughout his life. Job does not deny that he has sinned against God because of his weakness, but he does deny that he has ever deliberately rebelled against God's guidance for his life.
From Job 3:5 to verse 40, Job confessed that if he had ever deliberately practiced evil, then he would have deserved God's severest punishment. In Job 3:6, Job desired that God would test his integrity because he knew that he had always avoided evil and obeyed God. God revealed to Job in verse twelve that if Job had ever practiced evil, then God would someday dissolve his being by the use of His consuming fire and separate his "increase," from him, which meant God's valuable image that God had created and put into Job from the evil within Job. God's revelation to Job constitutes a prophecy that in the end of the world, God will use His consuming fire to separate His good image in every human within the regions of the dead from their evil deaths that He will cast into the lake of fire. I Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; Matthew 3:11-12.
In verse 33, Job declared that he had always been honest with God and had never tried to hide his sin and evil as Adam had done. Job's attitude reveals God's desire for all humanity. God simply wants all humans to confess that they have committed sin and evil, repent, and call on God's Son to save them from eternal spiritual death from which they cannot save themselves. God has made provision through His Son to save His good image in every human from eternal spiritual death, some by His grace and all others by the use of His consuming fire. By these two methods, God will return the entire human race to repentance and faith in Christ their Savior. John 5:24; Revelation 5:11-14.
In Job 31:35, Job expressed his desire that God would reveal His entire truth to him, and by extension to the whole human race. Job referred to God as his "adversary," and he hoped that God would write a book. By his use of the word "adversary," Job meant that he hoped that God would write a book in which He would contend and strive with man to get him to repent of his sin and evil and turn in faith to Christ for his salvation. God gave Job a prophecy that He would write such a book that would be the infallible and inerrant Word of God. (KJB)
In Job 31:4, Job asks a question of God of which the answer is obvious. God had made Job a righteous man and had guided his steps throughout his life. Job does not deny that he has sinned against God because of his weakness, but he does deny that he has ever deliberately rebelled against God's guidance for his life.
From Job 3:5 to verse 40, Job confessed that if he had ever deliberately practiced evil, then he would have deserved God's severest punishment. In Job 3:6, Job desired that God would test his integrity because he knew that he had always avoided evil and obeyed God. God revealed to Job in verse twelve that if Job had ever practiced evil, then God would someday dissolve his being by the use of His consuming fire and separate his "increase," from him, which meant God's valuable image that God had created and put into Job from the evil within Job. God's revelation to Job constitutes a prophecy that in the end of the world, God will use His consuming fire to separate His good image in every human within the regions of the dead from their evil deaths that He will cast into the lake of fire. I Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; Matthew 3:11-12.
In verse 33, Job declared that he had always been honest with God and had never tried to hide his sin and evil as Adam had done. Job's attitude reveals God's desire for all humanity. God simply wants all humans to confess that they have committed sin and evil, repent, and call on God's Son to save them from eternal spiritual death from which they cannot save themselves. God has made provision through His Son to save His good image in every human from eternal spiritual death, some by His grace and all others by the use of His consuming fire. By these two methods, God will return the entire human race to repentance and faith in Christ their Savior. John 5:24; Revelation 5:11-14.
In Job 31:35, Job expressed his desire that God would reveal His entire truth to him, and by extension to the whole human race. Job referred to God as his "adversary," and he hoped that God would write a book. By his use of the word "adversary," Job meant that he hoped that God would write a book in which He would contend and strive with man to get him to repent of his sin and evil and turn in faith to Christ for his salvation. God gave Job a prophecy that He would write such a book that would be the infallible and inerrant Word of God. (KJB)
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty seven
Job 31:1-40
God derives His infinite power from faith. God possesses infinite faith in His own power. Hebrews 11:1-3. God made the worlds from things which do not appear. What does not appear? The contents of His Infinite Consciousness does not appear. God's Ideas do not appear. God's Word did not appear until He put it into written form. Although God's written Word connects to the Infinite, it has to be limited to the finite mind of man. The believer may possess the Mind of Christ, but he still cannot think in infinite ways. I Corinthians 2:16. The believer has the Mind of Christ because his faith connects him to the Infinite and infallible Word of God. Objective truth is always limited. Subjective Truth connects directly to Infinite and Almighty Truth. John 14:6.
This truth means that in order for God to be able to save every living person within the regions of the dead, they all must repent and return to faith in Christ their Savior and of their own free will. God has given a measure of faith to all living humans, and God knows exactly how to return every living human to faith in Christ of their own free will. Romans 12:3. As God prophesied in Isaiah 45:21-24 and in Philippians 2:9-11 and as will be fulfilled in Revelation 5:11-14, God will effect a great worship service in which all living humans within the regions of the dead will repent and return to faith in Christ their Savior of their own free will.
Every sin which a person commits becomes evil if he refuses to repent of it precisely because of his lack of faith in God's forgiveness and mercy. Every evil act of which a person repents becomes cleansed and forgiven by God's grace or His consuming fire because his repentance and faith triggers God's compassion for him. Every sin and evil act of which a person refuses to repent adheres to spiritual death which is totally evil and which God will separate from all humans and cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15. But God will restore the repentance and faith of all living humans because He can never lose anything He has ever created. Ecclesiastes 3:14; Revelation 21:5; Romans 11:36.
God knows exactly how to return every living human to faith in His Son of their own free will in order to prove that His loving gift of free will to Lucifer and to the human race was not a mistake. Satan counted on using the free will of man to inject an evil into the being of man so powerful that it would eventually annul the living image of God in man and cause man's eternal separation from God. In this way, the Devil thought he could prove that God made a mistake, and therefore, His Love could not be Almighty. The Devil believed that if he could prove that God is not Almighty, he could get an advantage over Him, eventually murder Him and assume control of His universe. But Satan did not count on the Love of God being so powerful that He would allow the Devil to attempt to murder Him by taking all of the evil, sin, and spiritual deaths of all mankind on Himself on a cross, gain victory over it all by His resurrection from the dead, and thereby display the Almighty power of His Love to cleanse and separate all living humans from all their sin and evil, save them all from spiritual death, restore them all to fellowship with Him, and consign the total evil in every one of them to the lake of fire forever. John 5:24; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:22; I Corinthians 15:26; John 12:47.
Job considered God's separation of the totally wicked from Himself to be a "strange punishment" probably because he could not comprehend what a lake of fire could be. No one really can. But since Christ took the eternal spiritual deaths of all humans on Himself, then the lake of fire can only be a part of the consuming fire that is God Himself. Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 12:29. Deuteronomy 32:22; Deuteronomy 4:24.
God derives His infinite power from faith. God possesses infinite faith in His own power. Hebrews 11:1-3. God made the worlds from things which do not appear. What does not appear? The contents of His Infinite Consciousness does not appear. God's Ideas do not appear. God's Word did not appear until He put it into written form. Although God's written Word connects to the Infinite, it has to be limited to the finite mind of man. The believer may possess the Mind of Christ, but he still cannot think in infinite ways. I Corinthians 2:16. The believer has the Mind of Christ because his faith connects him to the Infinite and infallible Word of God. Objective truth is always limited. Subjective Truth connects directly to Infinite and Almighty Truth. John 14:6.
This truth means that in order for God to be able to save every living person within the regions of the dead, they all must repent and return to faith in Christ their Savior and of their own free will. God has given a measure of faith to all living humans, and God knows exactly how to return every living human to faith in Christ of their own free will. Romans 12:3. As God prophesied in Isaiah 45:21-24 and in Philippians 2:9-11 and as will be fulfilled in Revelation 5:11-14, God will effect a great worship service in which all living humans within the regions of the dead will repent and return to faith in Christ their Savior of their own free will.
Every sin which a person commits becomes evil if he refuses to repent of it precisely because of his lack of faith in God's forgiveness and mercy. Every evil act of which a person repents becomes cleansed and forgiven by God's grace or His consuming fire because his repentance and faith triggers God's compassion for him. Every sin and evil act of which a person refuses to repent adheres to spiritual death which is totally evil and which God will separate from all humans and cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15. But God will restore the repentance and faith of all living humans because He can never lose anything He has ever created. Ecclesiastes 3:14; Revelation 21:5; Romans 11:36.
God knows exactly how to return every living human to faith in His Son of their own free will in order to prove that His loving gift of free will to Lucifer and to the human race was not a mistake. Satan counted on using the free will of man to inject an evil into the being of man so powerful that it would eventually annul the living image of God in man and cause man's eternal separation from God. In this way, the Devil thought he could prove that God made a mistake, and therefore, His Love could not be Almighty. The Devil believed that if he could prove that God is not Almighty, he could get an advantage over Him, eventually murder Him and assume control of His universe. But Satan did not count on the Love of God being so powerful that He would allow the Devil to attempt to murder Him by taking all of the evil, sin, and spiritual deaths of all mankind on Himself on a cross, gain victory over it all by His resurrection from the dead, and thereby display the Almighty power of His Love to cleanse and separate all living humans from all their sin and evil, save them all from spiritual death, restore them all to fellowship with Him, and consign the total evil in every one of them to the lake of fire forever. John 5:24; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:11-15; John 5:28-29; I Corinthians 15:22; I Corinthians 15:26; John 12:47.
Job considered God's separation of the totally wicked from Himself to be a "strange punishment" probably because he could not comprehend what a lake of fire could be. No one really can. But since Christ took the eternal spiritual deaths of all humans on Himself, then the lake of fire can only be a part of the consuming fire that is God Himself. Hebrews 2:9; Hebrews 12:29. Deuteronomy 32:22; Deuteronomy 4:24.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty six
Job 31:1-40
In Job 31:1-3, Job began to rise somewhat above his confusion when he called to remembrance all that God had done for him. Job remembered that God had caused him to be a loving and moral person. In verse two, Job asked two questions of God. What does God give the believer? And what does the believer inherit from God? God provided Job with His answer to the first question in the rest of the chapter by reminding Job that He had caused him to become a believer who happened to be good and loving and moral. God did not provide Job with an answer to the second question perhaps because God did not want to reveal in the Old Testament that a believer in the Redeemer receives heaven as his inheritance. Perhaps God desired to reserve that revelation for the New Testament.
In verse three, God gave Job a prophecy about that which He will do with the wicked who happen to be the same as the evil dead in Revelation 20:11-15. Those who deliberately give themselves to practice evil become dead within themselves. They reflect this fact in their belief in nihilism. Proverbs 8:36. They almost always believe that physical death annuls their souls and spirits which is exactly that which the forces of evil want them to believe.
But even the evil dead still possess a living soul and spirit that God created and put into them. Genesis 1:27. God can never lose anything He has ever created. Ecclesiastes 3:14; Luke 20:38. Every sinner still retains the living image of God within their beings even though they all have become stained by the influence of evil that the Devil has injected into the being of every human. Isaiah 64:6. Nowhere does the Bible declare that God will cast sinners into the lake of fire, only the unclean, evil dead. Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 22:11-12. But God will cleanse all sinners in order to rescue their living souls and spirits from spiritual death, some by His grace and all others by the use of His consuming fire. John 5:24; John 1:29; I Corinthians 3:11-15; Matthew 3:11-12; John 5:28-29.
God knows exactly how to cleanse and preserve the souls and spirits and bodies of every sinner, protect them from eternal spiritual death, and restore them all to reconciliation with Him. Colossians 1:15-23; Revelation 21:5. God accomplished this monumental task through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. John 12:47; Hebrews 2:8-9; I Timothy 4:10. God reserves His highest form of salvation for those who repent and believe in Christ while still alive in the flesh. John 5:24. But God will also provide a lesser form of salvation for the souls, spirits, and bodies of all humans who died in their sins, whom He had to consign to one of the regions of the dead. God will use His consuming fire to cleanse His living images within them and raise them all from the dead for Him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. I Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:5.
In Job 31:1-3, Job began to rise somewhat above his confusion when he called to remembrance all that God had done for him. Job remembered that God had caused him to be a loving and moral person. In verse two, Job asked two questions of God. What does God give the believer? And what does the believer inherit from God? God provided Job with His answer to the first question in the rest of the chapter by reminding Job that He had caused him to become a believer who happened to be good and loving and moral. God did not provide Job with an answer to the second question perhaps because God did not want to reveal in the Old Testament that a believer in the Redeemer receives heaven as his inheritance. Perhaps God desired to reserve that revelation for the New Testament.
In verse three, God gave Job a prophecy about that which He will do with the wicked who happen to be the same as the evil dead in Revelation 20:11-15. Those who deliberately give themselves to practice evil become dead within themselves. They reflect this fact in their belief in nihilism. Proverbs 8:36. They almost always believe that physical death annuls their souls and spirits which is exactly that which the forces of evil want them to believe.
But even the evil dead still possess a living soul and spirit that God created and put into them. Genesis 1:27. God can never lose anything He has ever created. Ecclesiastes 3:14; Luke 20:38. Every sinner still retains the living image of God within their beings even though they all have become stained by the influence of evil that the Devil has injected into the being of every human. Isaiah 64:6. Nowhere does the Bible declare that God will cast sinners into the lake of fire, only the unclean, evil dead. Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 22:11-12. But God will cleanse all sinners in order to rescue their living souls and spirits from spiritual death, some by His grace and all others by the use of His consuming fire. John 5:24; John 1:29; I Corinthians 3:11-15; Matthew 3:11-12; John 5:28-29.
God knows exactly how to cleanse and preserve the souls and spirits and bodies of every sinner, protect them from eternal spiritual death, and restore them all to reconciliation with Him. Colossians 1:15-23; Revelation 21:5. God accomplished this monumental task through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son. John 12:47; Hebrews 2:8-9; I Timothy 4:10. God reserves His highest form of salvation for those who repent and believe in Christ while still alive in the flesh. John 5:24. But God will also provide a lesser form of salvation for the souls, spirits, and bodies of all humans who died in their sins, whom He had to consign to one of the regions of the dead. God will use His consuming fire to cleanse His living images within them and raise them all from the dead for Him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. I Corinthians 3:11-15; Revelation 20:5.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty five
Job 30:1-31
God had to test His Love in order to overcome doubt about it in His creations caused by Lucifer's rebellion. If God did not test His Love, then evil would remain forever within His creations causing permanent suffering. God could not ban evil by a summary command because that would leave His Love untested. Satan thought that by injecting evil into living humans, he would be able to hold them in hell forever and cause a failure of God's Love. An Almighty Love cannot fail to save everything that it loves.
God allowed temporary suffering for sin and evil in man's life so that, regardless of whether each human failed or passed the tests of his faith, God could still exert His Almighty Love to suffer man's sin and evil in his place in order to save his life from permanent separation from Him. In this way, God would pass the test of His own Love. When a person passed a test of his faith, then God would be pleased with him and spare him the suffering that that sin would cause, but it would not save him forever. Every person sins and fails a test of his faith and suffers for it, but that does not cause God to lose His Love for him manifested in His suffering his permanent death and the sin and evil that would cause that eternal separation from Him in his place. John 12:47; Hebrews 2:9.
God also knew exactly how to use the faith that He had put into His living image in every person to cause every person to freely choose to return to love for Him as their Savior, some by His grace and all others within the regions of the dead by a great worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14. Revelation 4:11 reveals that God created everything for His own pleasure. That statement can only mean His eternal pleasure. God could not possibly enjoy any eternal pleasure should His living image that He created and put into man suffer forever in an eternal hell. God must save all of humanity, but at different levels of salvation.
Job suffered confusion about why God had made him suffer in Job 30:25-31. Job could not understand that God had a good reason for his suffering. God had to prove that Job's temporary suffering for his sin and evil could never cause a permanent separation from Him because God's Love would suffer that permanent separation for Job and for all mankind. Job could not understand that God had already rescued Job forever when Job confessed his faith in His coming Redeemer in Job 19:25.
God had to test His Love in order to overcome doubt about it in His creations caused by Lucifer's rebellion. If God did not test His Love, then evil would remain forever within His creations causing permanent suffering. God could not ban evil by a summary command because that would leave His Love untested. Satan thought that by injecting evil into living humans, he would be able to hold them in hell forever and cause a failure of God's Love. An Almighty Love cannot fail to save everything that it loves.
God allowed temporary suffering for sin and evil in man's life so that, regardless of whether each human failed or passed the tests of his faith, God could still exert His Almighty Love to suffer man's sin and evil in his place in order to save his life from permanent separation from Him. In this way, God would pass the test of His own Love. When a person passed a test of his faith, then God would be pleased with him and spare him the suffering that that sin would cause, but it would not save him forever. Every person sins and fails a test of his faith and suffers for it, but that does not cause God to lose His Love for him manifested in His suffering his permanent death and the sin and evil that would cause that eternal separation from Him in his place. John 12:47; Hebrews 2:9.
God also knew exactly how to use the faith that He had put into His living image in every person to cause every person to freely choose to return to love for Him as their Savior, some by His grace and all others within the regions of the dead by a great worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14. Revelation 4:11 reveals that God created everything for His own pleasure. That statement can only mean His eternal pleasure. God could not possibly enjoy any eternal pleasure should His living image that He created and put into man suffer forever in an eternal hell. God must save all of humanity, but at different levels of salvation.
Job suffered confusion about why God had made him suffer in Job 30:25-31. Job could not understand that God had a good reason for his suffering. God had to prove that Job's temporary suffering for his sin and evil could never cause a permanent separation from Him because God's Love would suffer that permanent separation for Job and for all mankind. Job could not understand that God had already rescued Job forever when Job confessed his faith in His coming Redeemer in Job 19:25.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty four
Job 30:1-31
Satan knew that once he had injected evil into man's being that man would then be helpless to ever overcome that evil and make himself clean again. Satan counted on the overwhelming power of evil to eventually cause a permanent separation of God's image in man from God's Love for man. In other words, Satan desired to cause permanent spiritual death of God's image in man. God allows mankind to temporarily suffer for their sins, but God will never allow the Devil to cause living humans to become totally evil and separated from Him in hell forever. God hates evil. Living humans have become stained by sin, but God will always cleanse and forgive those sins when every living human eventually repents and puts their faith in Christ to save them. Sins of which a human never repents becomes a part of his spiritual death that God will cast into the lake of fire. John 5:24; Revelation 5:11-14; Matthew 12:31-32.
But that which Satan did not count on and that which he could not comprehend was that God would become a man Himself, and because of His Almighty Love, would suffer man's eternal separation from God in man's place. God's Son suffered on a cross and shed His blood and water to cleanse and forgive all living humans who would repent and believe in Him from all their sins and evil and recreate them while they are still alive in the flesh. I Corinthians 6:11. God's Son also descended into hell to leave behind the sins and evil of the rest of humanity so that He could use His consuming fire in the end of the world to permanently separate the living part of every human there from their spiritual deaths which are totally evil because they never repent. God designed every living human to be capable of repentance and faith in His Son who alone can save them from eternal spiritual death, but evil is foreign to man's being even though Satan injected it into man's being. I Peter 3:18; I Corinthians 3:11-15.
Every temptation that every human faces in life happens to be a test of the faith that God put into him when He created him. Romans 12:3. If a person passes his test, he will earn God's approval and reward, but he cannot earn his own salvation. Only Christ can save every human from their sins and eternal deaths. If a person fails his test, then his sin will cause him temporary suffering in life, but never eternal separation from God. Evil causes temporary suffering in all humans regardless of whether they sin or not.
Satan thought that he could use the weakness in man's free will that God had given him to inject evil into his being which would permanently ruin him and from which he could never recover. In this way, Satan thought he could prove that God makes mistakes, and therefore, something would be wrong with God's Love. But God knew exactly how to cause His living image in every person to freely choose to return to repentance and faith in Him as their Savior, some by His grace and all others in a tremendous worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14.
Satan knew that once he had injected evil into man's being that man would then be helpless to ever overcome that evil and make himself clean again. Satan counted on the overwhelming power of evil to eventually cause a permanent separation of God's image in man from God's Love for man. In other words, Satan desired to cause permanent spiritual death of God's image in man. God allows mankind to temporarily suffer for their sins, but God will never allow the Devil to cause living humans to become totally evil and separated from Him in hell forever. God hates evil. Living humans have become stained by sin, but God will always cleanse and forgive those sins when every living human eventually repents and puts their faith in Christ to save them. Sins of which a human never repents becomes a part of his spiritual death that God will cast into the lake of fire. John 5:24; Revelation 5:11-14; Matthew 12:31-32.
But that which Satan did not count on and that which he could not comprehend was that God would become a man Himself, and because of His Almighty Love, would suffer man's eternal separation from God in man's place. God's Son suffered on a cross and shed His blood and water to cleanse and forgive all living humans who would repent and believe in Him from all their sins and evil and recreate them while they are still alive in the flesh. I Corinthians 6:11. God's Son also descended into hell to leave behind the sins and evil of the rest of humanity so that He could use His consuming fire in the end of the world to permanently separate the living part of every human there from their spiritual deaths which are totally evil because they never repent. God designed every living human to be capable of repentance and faith in His Son who alone can save them from eternal spiritual death, but evil is foreign to man's being even though Satan injected it into man's being. I Peter 3:18; I Corinthians 3:11-15.
Every temptation that every human faces in life happens to be a test of the faith that God put into him when He created him. Romans 12:3. If a person passes his test, he will earn God's approval and reward, but he cannot earn his own salvation. Only Christ can save every human from their sins and eternal deaths. If a person fails his test, then his sin will cause him temporary suffering in life, but never eternal separation from God. Evil causes temporary suffering in all humans regardless of whether they sin or not.
Satan thought that he could use the weakness in man's free will that God had given him to inject evil into his being which would permanently ruin him and from which he could never recover. In this way, Satan thought he could prove that God makes mistakes, and therefore, something would be wrong with God's Love. But God knew exactly how to cause His living image in every person to freely choose to return to repentance and faith in Him as their Savior, some by His grace and all others in a tremendous worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Commentary on the Book of Job part eighty three
Job 30:1-31
No matter how good or evil any human may be within the regions of the dead, each one still retains a measure of faith that God has supplied to every living image of God that He put into every one of them. Romans 12:3. One day in the future, God will reactivate that faith still within their living images to worship Him in a great worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14. Their living images will all freely choose to recognize Christ as the Lamb of God who has the power to rescue their living images from all of the regions of the dead. Christ will use His consuming fire to cleanse them of all sin and separate their totally evil deaths from them. I Corinthians 3:11-15. In Revelation 20:5, Christ will resurrect their cleansed living images from the dead for Him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. Revelation 21:1-5. Christ will cast their separated, totally evil deaths into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15.
God will completely cleanse and recreate all that He originally created, some by His grace and all others in a general resurrection in the end of the world. John 5:28-29; John 5:24; Revelation 22:11-12; Acts 24:15; Romans 11:36; Romans 8:18-23; Colossians 1:15-23; I Timothy 4:10; Matthew 3:11-12 and many other scriptures.
In Job 30:25-31, Job displayed confusion. He wondered why he had been made to suffer so much when he had tried to do good works and be faithful to the Lord. Satan caused his suffering, but the Lord allowed it. Why?
Satan has wagered that he can use evil, over which he has partially gained control, to so horribly cause the human race to suffer that that evil will eventually annul some of God's good images that God created and put into every person. Satan believes that if he can cause genocide, war, famine, slavery, and all other forms of horrible acts of inhumanity, then he can absolutely destroy and annul the good image of God in at least one person, causing God's Love to fail and man's faith that God put into man to also fail. Should Satan succeed in his evil plan, he would prove that God's Love is not Almighty, get an advantage over God that he can use to eventually find a way to murder Him, and invent his own evil universe. Satan revealed his plan for the human race in Job 2:9, and his plan for God in Matthew 4:1-11.
No matter how good or evil any human may be within the regions of the dead, each one still retains a measure of faith that God has supplied to every living image of God that He put into every one of them. Romans 12:3. One day in the future, God will reactivate that faith still within their living images to worship Him in a great worship service as recorded in Revelation 5:11-14. Their living images will all freely choose to recognize Christ as the Lamb of God who has the power to rescue their living images from all of the regions of the dead. Christ will use His consuming fire to cleanse them of all sin and separate their totally evil deaths from them. I Corinthians 3:11-15. In Revelation 20:5, Christ will resurrect their cleansed living images from the dead for Him to recreate to live on His recreated earth. Revelation 21:1-5. Christ will cast their separated, totally evil deaths into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15.
God will completely cleanse and recreate all that He originally created, some by His grace and all others in a general resurrection in the end of the world. John 5:28-29; John 5:24; Revelation 22:11-12; Acts 24:15; Romans 11:36; Romans 8:18-23; Colossians 1:15-23; I Timothy 4:10; Matthew 3:11-12 and many other scriptures.
In Job 30:25-31, Job displayed confusion. He wondered why he had been made to suffer so much when he had tried to do good works and be faithful to the Lord. Satan caused his suffering, but the Lord allowed it. Why?
Satan has wagered that he can use evil, over which he has partially gained control, to so horribly cause the human race to suffer that that evil will eventually annul some of God's good images that God created and put into every person. Satan believes that if he can cause genocide, war, famine, slavery, and all other forms of horrible acts of inhumanity, then he can absolutely destroy and annul the good image of God in at least one person, causing God's Love to fail and man's faith that God put into man to also fail. Should Satan succeed in his evil plan, he would prove that God's Love is not Almighty, get an advantage over God that he can use to eventually find a way to murder Him, and invent his own evil universe. Satan revealed his plan for the human race in Job 2:9, and his plan for God in Matthew 4:1-11.
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