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I am amazed in my interaction with people in hospital and their explanation telling of how that (their) God brought them there to teach them something or to make them slow down or to teach their families something by using sickness, accidents, physical discomfort, pain, etc. What?
... these are Christian people ... and I ask myself:
Are we worshiping the same God?
This is not the God I know!
My Abba is a loving Father, full of compassion, merciful, gracious, patient and overflowing with goodness and truth ... just like He declared Himself to be in Exodus 34:6 and numerous other times, and by the actions and works of Jesus!
So, the Holy Spirit teaches me again out of the book of Job ...
In this blog post you can join me in my journey through the age old story of Job as we pick up on the meanings of words and names within the context of the precious truth revealed there in.
This is not the God I know!
My Abba is a loving Father, full of compassion, merciful, gracious, patient and overflowing with goodness and truth ... just like He declared Himself to be in Exodus 34:6 and numerous other times, and by the actions and works of Jesus!
So, the Holy Spirit teaches me again out of the book of Job ...
In this blog post you can join me in my journey through the age old story of Job as we pick up on the meanings of words and names within the context of the precious truth revealed there in.
And may I add? It is not what you were taught by the religious propagandist ...
Does Job have any relevance today?
The book of Job is essentially the story of the modern day self-righteous church and it's doctrinal deception (check out this post to understand my take on church). It is the story of the brain-washed Christian in despair.
Does Job have any relevance today?
The book of Job is essentially the story of the modern day self-righteous church and it's doctrinal deception (check out this post to understand my take on church). It is the story of the brain-washed Christian in despair.
It is the age-old story of the false teaching of who God is.
It is the legacy of doctrine and tradition of man-made-religion ... and it is very relevant TODAY!
Who was Job?
God describes Job as "... a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" Job 1:8
This is exactly how God sees Job ... how He sees man.
Yet, the works of self-righteousness of Job get the better of him in his own circumstances. In his mind Job did everything right. Just as is expected of him by God and those around him. Justified by self-doing - DIY!
... but, when tested by the devil ... is he?
And does he escheweth (turn aside) evil?
The man is named Job (or Hated) (what women names her child like this anyway?) and he is from a place called Uz (wooden) ... By analogy in the Bible, he is like in the wood, hay and stubble mentioned in 1 Corinthians 3:12 - this wrong belief (self-righteousness), it is tested (by the devil) and burned to ashes.
Job knows there is a God. He knows that He is a good God. He even knows His Name -YHVH.
However, he mostly refers to his God as El or Elohim, a generic term for ... God, any God ... a God of any nation or any origin, a true or false God ...
During his quest to find out who his God really is, Job is advised by his three doctrinal friends. They are:
Eliphaz the Teminite - whose name means "my God is fine gold", that is a molten image of who He thinks his God is. Eliphaz is from a place in the south, Teminite meaning "He comes from elsewhere";
Bildad the Shuhite - whose name means "confusing love" from a place meaning "sunken in wealth"; and
Zophar the Naamathite - whose name means "early departure" from "vanity" or "loveliness".
These friends of dubious character all advise Job in accordance with their own twisted understanding of who (their) God is. I mean, just look at their names! They all speak elaborately. And Job listens to them attentively most of the time.
They philosophy and advise and come up with all sorts of clever explanations of who (their) God is. But these Gods ...
None can satisfy Job.
None can help Job out of the ditch.
None can heal him.
None can restore him ...
None can satisfy Job.
None can help Job out of the ditch.
None can heal him.
None can restore him ...
Enters the One Who says He sticks closer than a brother ...
... God Himself intervenes in chapter 32.
Elihu (meaning "God of him" or "Who God is") the son of Barachel (God blessed) from Buzite (being despised. The Free Gift being despised. Didn't Jesus say this?) of the family of Ram (risen one) [doesn't this just describe the Gospel of Jesus?] then speaks up against Job who, in all his quest justified himself instead of God. Go on. Read the beginning of chapter 32 for yourself.
Amazingly, Elihu (the Revealer of Who God is) initially starts by referring to Himself in the third person (verse 6), but as the truth is revealed He gets ever the more intimate and refers to Himself in the first person. This is the author of the book Himself speaking now!
Elihu sets things straight.
He declares the goodness of God, the very character of God, the core being of the one and only Almighty God.
In the altercation the very name of God, YHVH is used for the first time. Now it is not just some generic reference to (a) "God"!
Elihu is the only friend who condemns self-righteousness and declares the majesty of the One True God, YHVH ... the one Jesus fully revealed as Abba, our Good Father! HalleluYAH!
Now, only when the Spirit of Truth reveals the Truth, can Job finally repent and admit:
"... therefore have I uttered that (that) I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." Job 42:3-5
This is the very core message of the book of Job. If you plan to read the book of Job, DO NOT stop until you have read this verse. The whole of the book works towards Job's revelation.
God is not who we think He is ... God is who He says He is!
HalleluYAH!