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.
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