Ten Little Known Facts About Job
Many people consider Job a great man and a champion of the faith.
Job, you will recall, lost everything (his family, wealth and health), then sat on a dunghill scratching himself with a broken plate while having a theological debate with seminarians. As a result of this rich, life-affirming experience, many people now believe the following lies:
- God gives and takes away good things like children, health, jobs
- God uses sickness to punish or discipline me
- God puts me through hard times to teach me humility
- God uses Satan as a sheepdog to keep the sheep in line
I want to offer a different perspective.
The Book of Job is not about a great man but a flawed man. The Job we read about was not the man of God many think he was, but a superstitious and fearful man who, in a time of great pain, said things he later regretted.
His story is not about the triumph of the human spirit, but the awesome grace God gives to broken humanity.
“But Job was a righteous man.”
Actually, he was a self-righteous man and basically an unbeliever, as we shall see. I’m not knocking Job. My purpose is to show you how grace changes broken people like you, me, and Job.
By the time we get to the end of this short series, you’re going to be amazed at some of the good things God says about this imperfect man. But to finish well we must begin with a proper understanding of Job’s state apart from God. Here are ten little known facts about Job:
1. Job was superstitious
Like many religious people, Job subscribed to the faithless wisdom of sowing and reaping. If his kids threw a wild party, Job would bring a sacrifice. “They might’ve sinned; I’d better do something about it.” Debits and credits. “This was Job’s regular custom” (Job 1:5).
2. Job was sin-conscious
Not his sins, of course, because he didn’t have any. (Cough!) Job saw himself as a good man who kept the ledger clean. Job viewed sin like kryptonite (see Job 31:11-12). He was terrified of it and thought about it constantly (see Job 31).
3. Job was full of fear
Job was insecure and bound with fear. He would’ve been the perfect customer for an insurance salesman because he feared calamities and disasters that would wipe him out (Job 31:23). When that happened he said, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me” (Job 3:25).
4. Job was full of self-pity
Read Job’s words and you get a strong sense of “Woe is me.” Although his woes were legitimate, he was utterly focused on his own sorry state. He was self-indulgent to the point of whining. “I will give free rein to my complaint” (Job 10:1). And complain he did.
5. Job allowed bitterness to take root
Bitterness is a grace-killer, but Job allowed that evil weed to flourish in the garden of his heart. “I will complain in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 7:11).
6. Job was self-righteous
Job’s confidence was not in the Lord but his own good behavior. “How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin” (Job 13:23). Like an indignant Pharisee Job had an inflated sense of his moral performance. “Let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless” (Job 31:6).
Job’s self-trust reinforced his victim mentality. “Can anyone bring charges against me?” (Job 13:19). Eventually his self-righteousness became so odorous that it even silenced the self-righteous men who came to counsel him. “These three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes” (Job 32:1).
7. Job thought God didn’t care
“Even if I summoned him and he responded, I do not believe he would give me a hearing” (Job 9:16). Job’s self-pitying distorted his perception of God’s character. Like many people going through hard times, Job thought God was opposed to him (Job 13:24).
8. Job blamed God for his troubles
It is often taught that Job never blamed God (which is a misreading of Job 1:22). However, Job did not hesitate to point the finger at “the Almighty, who has made my life bitter” (Job 27:2).
A storm killed his kids and tribal raiders stole his herds, yet Job attributed his loss to a God who gives and takes away (Job 1:21). Again and again Job said God was the cause of his trouble (see Job 2:10, 6:4).
Given his good behavior, Job couldn’t make sense of this divine unfairness. “Don’t you have better things to do than pick on me?” (Job 7:20, MSG). God moves in mysterious ways, thought Job. At any time he might “crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason” (Job 9:17).
9. Job thought God was trying to kill him
“Although I am blameless… He destroys both the blameless and the wicked” (Job 9:21-22). Job actually thought that God was trying to kill him. “You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me… I know you will bring me down to death” (Job 30:21,23).
10. Job despaired of life and wished he was dead
Job loathed his life (see Job 7:16). “Who can see any hope for me?” (Job 17:15). This so-called hero of the faith had a death wish. “I prefer strangling and death, rather than this body of mine” (Job 7:15). Job had no faith in a God who heals and restores, but said, “the only home I hope for is the grave” (Job 17:13).
Many people honor Job as a giant of the faith who was renowned for his great patience. However, Job is not listed in Hebrews 11 among the other heroes of the faith and the only righteousness he exhibited was the stinky, self-made kind.
But wait, there’s more…
Stick around because we’re going to see that God’s grace is for imperfect people like Job. “He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill” (Psa 113:7).
As we will see, Job’s life had a second act. Before he met the Lord Job was a whiner who falsely blamed God for his troubles; but afterwards he become a brand new man, a man that God saw as righteous and upright.
It is an amazing story and you won’t want to miss it!
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waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! why do you end your blog like that? I cant wait for the next one.
thank you for sharing this revelation.
But if I may recall: God almighty gave a good testimony about this guy at the beginning. “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” God must be wrong in your opinion. Or at some point, God changed his opinion about Job
God was not wrong and he did not change his mind.
Wow how the book of Job has been misinterpreted!
Yeah by this person! Why do people make up things? Nothing in this article is backed with scripture. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ARTICLE IS NOT BIBLICAL
Q: God gives and takes away good things like children, health, jobs? A: Yes he dquroes. He took Egypt’s children, health, and peace.
“God uses sickness to punish or discipline me?” YES! God gave 1)Miriam a skin condition, because she talked bad about Moses, 2)Gehazi and his descendants received Leprosy for taking money for a healing. 3)Egypt’s plagues
Was job a righteous man? YES! The Bible says Job “lA man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was an honest and innocent man; he honored God and stayed away from evil.”
You have many things to learn, and many, many to unlearn, concerning the character of God. I pray that your eyes will be opened one day, to see how popular tradition has blinded your mind.
Excellent response Ken. I would add what I recently read in Jim Richards book Heaven On Earth: “Until we know and have faith in what God has said about Himself, we may have faith, but it is more likely to be faith in our Culture, Denomination or our Opinion.”
Warren
Great as always. Anxiously awaiting more. I get into discussions with people about Job whose understanding is from the traditional view of his life. Being able to point to them to lessons like these for better clarification would be great.
Also on #4. “Although *he woes were legitimate” *his
Thanks Felix. It’s fixed.
I can’t say I agree with everything he says, and I’m willing to give Job a wide berth as he was facing a horrible trial, but you’re wrong. Gid using sickness is not correct, the examples you use are from the OLD Covenant, we are under a NEW Covenant.
Paul- This is outstanding! Thank you thank you thank you! I seriously can’t tank you enough for taking the time to shed the truth about Job and we’ll many parts of the Bible that the religious spirit loves to mount on the Christian’s back.
I’m thinking about having my father read this. See my dad is a religious spirit and views God from a religious mindset. When I sit with my father and try to explain my faith from the true Gospel and grace, he somehow always tries to squash it with religion. One time recently he told me that God does remove His hand of protection from us (i.e. people and america for example) for sinning.
He has brought me to different churches, including Mormon when we were kids. He no longer goes there. But one recently where the pastor was yelling at us, putting down Joel Osteen (the man was bragging about how he doesn’t spend money on fancy cars and places of worship Luke these big evangelist do. There is something wrong with a preacher who spends their time putting down other fellow preachers for a sermon). Needless to say I never went back and my father knows I didn’t like it at all.
At any rate, this stuff is the reason you have seen me in here asking in depth questions and searching for the true Gospel and God’s grace. I’ve been searching my whole life because I ALWAYS knew there was more to God than what religion offers.
Thank you Paul! Your posts are more liberating to me in learning the true Gospel than you will ever know.
God bless!
Oh and Paul, I forgot to say that my dad has made sure to tell me that Job was the most righteous man alive and God rewarded him for it. Once again, my dad is trying to get me to buy into this entire Job dillusion that you just shed the truth about in this post. At the time, I didn’t know what to say to my father. I felt weak with no way to explain God’s grace in the case of Job. Once again, thank you!
Thanks for the comment. I think you’re going to be blown away by the rest of the series. I’m not here to make Job look bad. If anything, I love the guy more than ever because I can relate. But I am here to make God look good and in this story God looks very good – as we shall see.
I agree with most of what you said about Job, but I am wondering how that fits with what God says about Job to Satan when the story first starts? “Then the Lord asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.’” – Job 1:8
I know Satan responds with declaring that Job is only those things because God has blessed and protected Job, which in light of what happens was probably true, and God obviously knew that. I don’t imagine God being naive to the truth. This begs the question why God presented Job to Satan in such fashion? Was God intentionally baiting Satan to use what would come to open Job’s eyes? If not, then how can we explain what God declares to be true about Job in the beginning? I am not sure if original language is an issue here that may have some bearing on exactly what God is saying about Job, and it doesn’t convey tone. It just seems like an odd exchange between the devil and God. I know Satan is our accuser, but the passage comes across like God set Job up.
It does, doesn’t it, especially in our English Bibles. But there is more going on here than meets the eye, as we will see in the next post. It’s called “Is Satan God’s Sheepdog?”
I look forward ti reading it.
Wow! Thank you for such an eye opening article! Scripture question…I find myself wondering about Job 1:8? Which reads… Then the Lord says to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” This verse is at the beginning of Job when he is supposedly superstitious and an unbeliever as presented above. I want to understand in it’s entirety. Thank you! You are such a blessing.
Hi Diane, I cover that verse in depth in a later post in this series. Thanks for the encouragement.
stay tuned right,this hits to close to home,you begin to see to much of yourself here
You sure do, and that’s what I love about Job. His story is our story in so many ways.
Another great blog Brother Paul, thank you. The Holy Spirit confirmed this to me also: God gives us the Good & He takes away the Bad, He never did those bad things to job, satan did. BUT GOD took the bad things that satan did away from Job & restored double to him, even children. Our Lord Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. His Grace is still Amazing :). Hallelujah King Jesus!
Good post Paul but can u also explain why in Job 1:8 did God boost to Satan that Job is blameless ? If he is self righteous as u said , then God wouldn’t have commended Job in verse 8 and instead God would condemn Job as our self righteousness acts would be like filthy rags to God . Isaiah 64:4
Cheers
Hi Julian, I sure can – that’s the subject of a forthcoming post. But here’s the short version: the God who sees things from the perspective of eternity and who knows the end from the beginning, was calling out Job’s true character. It’s prophetic and kind of like when the angel of the Lord spoke to cowering Gideon and called him a mighty warrior.
Thanks . Can’t wait for your next post !
‘God puts me through hard times to teach me humility’. Certainly God resists those who are proud (1 Peter 5.5) and maybe this opposition will bring humility.
no, it won’t, you just don’t get it bro.
You are only the second person I have ever heard talking about Job in the light you are teaching. All the others I have heard were ‘patience of Job’ teachers. BTW, I agree with your teaching on Job ….. so far, at least. Grace and peace. – Dan C. –
Great analysis of this often misunderstood book. I look forward to reading more on this. God is always good.
Hi Paul, good post!
But, let me ask you something: wasn’t it God himself who declared Job to be a righteous man?
“And the Lord said to Satan: have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” (Job 1:8).
Good question, Alexandre, and I’m glad you asked. See my response to Julian above.
I was horrified when I read Job.
I saw God sanction the use of:
Animal cruelty,
Murder and
Excruciating pain just to test Job’s faith.
God offers Job to be ‘tested’ – (tortured in my opinion ):
1:8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
God gives permission to Satan.
1:12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
God and Satan are chatting like old school friends:
And the LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
God sanctions the use of pain:
Job 2:6 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
It was at this point I started retching, I could not believe what I was reading.
Hi Peter, I understand your reaction. I encourage you to read the second post in this series. It comes out next week and is called “Is Satan God’s Sheepdog?”
I second that, Peter James. And I also retch at the way Christians try to micro-manage Job’s raw, real responses to some of the worst suffering a human can go through. It makes God look so controlling as if He even demands that a sufferer have the ‘right’ responses. No whining! No self-pity! No despairing! No fear! No bitterness! It’s like an abusive husband who has a sense of entitlement to ownership of even his wife’s feelings. Like an arrogant theatre director who has her as a bit player on HIS stage and she’d better come in on cue with the tone of voice he has imagined for her, right when he wants, exactly how HE wants, or else get slaughtered. Just when I was beginning to open up to God and believe that Love does not insist on its own way, unlike the man in the domestic violence situation I was in. Job is a brutal book and this article is off to a bumpy, anguished start for me. Hope part 2 has some comfort in it.
Paul, that was probably the best thing I have ever read on Job. Looking forward to the next post on him.
I think it is interesting how we venerate Job and others by exalting man’s morality but not really caring about our views on God. We slander Him by singing songs with lyrics “He give and takes away”. It’s as if God is a capricious father. You never know what kind of mood He is in from day to day, whether he will bless you or screw with you and give you various trials. Let’s just try really hard and hope that it is good enough. No wonder people are leaving the church.
No wonder indeed! Thanks Bob.
Job seems to be a believer.
Job 19:25-27
“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
“Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see God;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
Job’s monologues are rollercoasters of faith and fear. One minute he’s saying good stuff like this, the next he’s accusing God of shooting him with poison arrows. But isn’t that how we all talk when going through extreme pain?
granted he’s on a roller coaster, but most believers are. sometimes, most believers are self-righteous, superstitious, fearful, say some stupendously dumb things, are full of self-pity, allow bitterness to take root, think God doesn’t care, blame God for their troubles, despair of life and wish they were dead. …can we expect any more from Job before all believers were given the spirit of God?
i just think it better not to say he was ‘basically an unbeliever’; it seems too strongly worded and carries an implication that many current believers are ‘basically unbelievers’ too. most believers need help to accept the rest and peace they have; this kind of language hurts them. so, if i were you, i would repharase some things in the article.
Lance, if you were me I suspect you’d rephrase a lot of things I write. 🙂
Paul, don’t be so hard on the poor guy (I know that’s not what you intended, though). Grief short-circuits the brain as brutally as insanity, and Job had been stretched beyond breaking point. Yes, God’s grace is greater still, but Job had no way of knowing how great. Certainly, his friends didn’t show it, his circumstances did not show it, and God only opened his eyes to it (although it had always been there) when He allowed Himself to be seen. I do understand where you are coming from, though- I agree that we as Christians often draw the wrong conclusions from our reading of his life, that God authors and endorses our pain, when He alone releases us from it. I just felt you came across a tad too strong on the poor guy, when he too needed grace and not judgment. 🙂
I love Job more after doing this study than ever before. I think he’s one of the most real people in the Bible. God knows if I lost my kids I would be a wreck. If I was one of his friends I’d give him a big hug and probably say very little.
Can’t wait for next post to conclude truth about God’s amazing grace
This blew me away. ike many people I was taught that Job was this righteous Godly fella. I am hooked and eagerly waiting for part two to be published…
Thanks, Paul, for your continued willingness to “swim against the current” of “churchianity”. The Holy Spirit asked me a question a few years ago, “How can you go to who you are?” We appreciate you, my Friend!
This Job sounds like a guy I use to know. Ouch. 🙂
Me too. 🙂
Thanks, Paul! Another hit that results in a home run. A hit at the wrong thinking that causes so many to live in the despair that Job experienced. The result of the hit will cause many to run home to the truth of His love and grace.
This is Awesome Paul ! a much clearer understanding of the book of Job , I feel that the one question that arose in me is going to be answered next time …… I have no doubt ! which has to do with the Redeemer !! 🙂
Now I’ve heard it all! LOL! I welcomed your post b/c I’m now reading Job, wondering what big picture I ought to keep in view. But you’re messing me all up! I was taught to not trust Job’s friends. You’re saying I can’t trust what Job says!? Even though God himself chastises Job’s friends for not speaking rightly about him, unlike His servant Job (42:7).
I don’t idolize Bible characters; God is the hero of every story. I know righteousness is not attained but obtained (Rom 9:30-32). But what are we to do, for example, with other “self-righteous” passages, like where David says God has rewarded him according to his righteousness and the cleanness of his hands (Ps 18:20, 24; 2 Sam 22:21)?
There’s too much for you to rework/undo in just one post. I’m looking forward to your next one. Is God not sovereign over Satan, the storm and raiders? He allowed things He could’ve prevented. Does He not say to the ocean, “This far, and no further”? I don’t see a problem with giving God the credit, ultimately, with giving and taking away. He’s ultimately in control.
Just yesterday, I read Job saying “Kill me now so I don’t deny You” (6:8-10). We shouldn’t let circumstances affect our faith, but Job had known only blessings; the painful suffering and adversity God allowed was indeed, then, a poison arrow, testing his faith to its limits. “Every man has his price”, as they say; b/c of evil and suffering (and not even their own), many today are leaving the faith.
Thank you Paul for this write out on Job. We are so like Job. Without Christ, we see everything based on our perspective. We set ourselves up as our frame of reference. We rather justify ourselves then justify God. We see only but a tiny portion of the situation and we immediately conclude its God’s fault. When He is the constant.
God did ask Job later where was he when God set the foundations of the earth :). Thank God for Jesus, that we can look to and away from self!
So true
Saludos en Cristo Jesús. Bendiciones y Paz. Hermanos me siento Frustrado y Triste al No poder beneficiarme del conocimiento que hay en sus Páginas, y de poder Nutrirme Espiritualmente con ellas, por cuanto No hablo y entiendo muy poco el Inglés. por favor podrían decirme si existe alguna forma de Acceder a ustedes en alguna página o web en Español.??? Gracias y que El Señor continúe dándoles entendimiento y poder para transmitir la Palabra en su Sana Verdad.
Try this and see this.
Brilliant. I’ve been asked a lot about this lately and this is clear. Sharing on FB
Paul!!! Love you bro. Glad to see someone else gets it 🙂
Whoaa… this is mind-blowing Paul.. as usual.
I never thought about Job this way before.
” My purpose is to show you how grace changes broken people like you, me, and Job.” love it, love it, love it.
Can’t wait to read the next post.
ANOTHER BLOG BUSTER, WELL DONE, PAUL!!
Woooooo…..lol! Never saw this side of the story. I’m excited about the depth of God’s Grace. Keep them coming Paul. GOD bless.
Hello, mate
What a great number of responses! I’m often surprised what ignites and what doesn’t. This piece is beautifully written and appreciated.
I’m intrigued about Elihu: he was the only “friend” of Job who wasn’t rebuked. What exactly was it about his stance that spared him? His youth? Inexperience in a self-righteous mindset?
Do you in further posts plan on dividing Job’s counsel into personalities (nudge!)?
I believe Elihu was sent by God to help Job, and when Job didn’t listen, God had to show up himself to get his attention.
Paul, what do you think of these comments by Eliphaz in Job 22:21-30? I have them highlighted in my Bible and have confessed them over myself.
“Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver; For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God. You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you;
So light will shine on your ways. When they cast you down, and you say, ‘Exaltation will come!’ Then He will save the humble person. He will even deliver one who is not innocent;
Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands.”
Parts of this are highlighted in my Bible too. I suspect there is more going on in that last verse that meets the eye – just look how it is translated so differently in different Bibles: “He shall deliver the island of the innocent” (KJV); “He makes safe the man who is free from sin” (BBE); “Even those who are guilty will be forgiven” (ERV), and “Yes, even the guilty will escape, escape through God’s grace in your life” (MSG).
Great, Paul! I can’t wait for the next post. That’s astounding!
aaaahhhhh!!!! still waiting!!! 😀
Yes that is sooo correct…..Job is not listed in the heroes of faith. And we know from the heroes of faith that God was not looking for perfect character only trust or experiential knowledge of their God. In other words they and God were ultimately ‘besties’ just like in real life friendships a real friend ‘ sticketh closer than a brother ‘ in the ‘ups’ and the ‘downs’.
Even though Job didn’t make it into the hall of fame God still kept His friendship open to Job until Job could see who God really was. Not the Big bad guy but instead the Big good guy. Once Job understood this Job stopped giving his God given authority to the fallen one and God was no longer limited to act on Jobs behalf.
Jobs behalf
Crap face, I come from such places. If I wasn’t a paranoid robot computer stack, my mother would be dead because she’s a computer too. … I’m not joking! So either it was just another bible story to ignore and looking for life elsewhere … or this was some kind of teachable moment. I’m talking about my mom not your great bible exposition. … so um… can you explain? Roshan.
P.S. you know I kinda HAD to save her life. So maybe it was just a GREAT sense of humor. Well. Thank you Jesus. ! dddddddddddddddddddddd
Sorry Paul. I know Jesus would never talk like that to you.
I loved this post. We serve a good God! If we are not experiencing His incredible goodness, then we are to blame. If it is bad, it isn’t from God! See James 1:17. We often complain and then blame God when those seeds bear bad fruit! If we speak out of line from the Word of God, then we speak against God Himself! We also curse ourselves and others with our careless words. We may believe in God but we are maligning His character when we don’t believe His Word and actually deceive ourselves when we don’t do what His Word says to do! We are calling Him a liar when we look at natural circumstances and put more faith in them then in the goodness of God and His faithfulness to His Word. This is what was happening with Job. But ultimately, God exonerated Himself! And showed Himself to be truly full of grace and compassion! One of the hardest things for me as a Christian has been admitting that some of the things I have believed and, even worse, taught to others, were wrong. Thank God for His mercy!!! And thank you for your courage Paul!
Thanks Kristen.
It’s really all about Jesus and his grace. Thanks Paul for all you do to help us rest more on his grace and finished work. God bless you real good.
The author of the article said that is is a LIE that God uses sickness to discipline us. However there are multiple examples in scripture where God did exactly that. For example God used leprosy to discipline Miriam for rising up against Moses.
He also said that is was a LIE that God gives and takes away good things like children, health, jobs. Job said in Job 1:21 that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. The very next verse says in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly. So yes God may take something good away from us if it is part of his ultimate plan. Whenever God takes something good from us it is because he has something better in store for us.
He also said that it was a LIE that God puts me through hard times to teach me humility. In Deuteronomy 8:2, God said that he was going to put the Children of Israel thorugh forty years in the Wilderness “to humble thee”.
He also said that it was a LIE that God uses Satan as a sheepdog to keep the sheep in line. In 1 Corinthians 5, God clearly uses Satan to chastise a believer who is living in unrepentant sin.
In just the first 9 lines the author of this article demonstrates a complete lack of Biblical knowledge.
Jesus said, “if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father”. Have you seen the Father?
Leroy, the first thing I would like to point out that it was Job who said the Lord gives and the Lord takes, as you say but it was not God who took anything, God allowed Satan to sift Job so it was Satan that took those things, we know from John 10:10 that it is Satan who comes to rob, to kill and to destroy so it was not God, it was Satan. Concerning Deuteronomy 8:2 the Hebrews were not under grace, they were under law by their own arrogant choosing, as is seen in Exodus 19:8. In I Corinthians 5 you are also mistaken. The person in question in the Corinthian church was an attender, not a believer. If you read further you will see in verse 9 of chapter 5 Paul reminds the church that he had warned them about fellowshipping with fornicatiors of the world nor covetous nor extortioners or idolaters. You falter again sir in the case of Miriam becoming leprous as this to was under law, recent law of which they had agreed they would obey. I hope you understand that this covenant is actually deeper and more binding than a legal contract. So I ask sir, do not suffer from the same pride and arrogance as the Hebrews under law when accusing a man, a brother in Christ of a “complete lack of Biblical knowledge”? It seems that you sir are in fact the one demonstrating a complete lack of Biblical knowledge. It is my intention ONLY to point out your hypocrisy in this matter. I hope I have not violated any posting agreement in doing this.
John,
I like your comment to Leroy. . . . except listing your motivation to point out (glaringly obvious) hypocrisy. Pray for Leroy that the veil be lifted.
Blessings,
Warren (South Carolina, USA)
I didn’t put everything is that reply that I could have. Interesting to note Exodus 4:6-8 and what happened to Miriam not to mention it was the people themselves that were afraid to have God speak to them directly lest they die so they told Moses to speak to them and they would listen (Ex. 20:19) This is the attitude the Hebrews had, which is amazing considering 400 yrs of serious bondage. I guess pride cometh before a fall huh.
HOMERUN!!!
Blessings,
Warren, South Carolina USA
The beauty of Job is in the fruit… Look at Job’s wife and kids before and after his encounter with God… Awesome. Looking forward to your take.
Hello Paul when I woke up this morning I felt like I needed to go to your page because the Holy Spirit will open some things up. So I saw this post. It’s my second time going through it about to go through it again. So good!
Absolutely correct Paul, in every point, Very well stated. People often repeat the phrase of how the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, which is wrong, the Lord never took anything, Satan did, Job was sifted much like Peter was.
Superstitious. That is behind a lot of the practices that we are commonly taught as normal and acceptable in the Christian life.
Looking forward to your next post. You are killing it!
Thanks Paul. I’m one person who has lost very dear people within few years. My dad died when I was 12, mom when I was 18, and sister 2 years after my mom’s death. And almost every time, I do ask myself if this is the will of God. I ask myself this because you always have people telling you “God knows best, He gives and takes”. Asking me to learn from Job and continue with life. To me it becomes confusing to accept these words of encouragement. The question I always ask is “if God knows best, then he should know I needed to be around these people”. I live in an area where we mostly console ourselves with that verse. I can’t wait to read your next post.
Another interesting observation, is that even though Job did not sin initially in blaming God, satan still has access to him. As long as we are still relying on our performance, we cannot stand. Its only when he sees God and comes to the end of himself (Grace!) that God finally turns things around. God works by faith so that it may be by unmerited favor.
Oh, I don’t know about the requirement of “coming to the end of oneself” before God “finally turns things around” – although I am not saying it isn’t a good thing to come to one’s end. There are some examples in the Gospels wherein Jesus healed people BEFORE they came to faith. I think our omniscient God knows who will and who won’t. But we aren’t privileged with this kind of insight this side of heaven. Our job is to trust and obey.
For what it is worth Job never turned against God but even from the beginning he thought God was the deliverer of the evils that befell him. Job was making sacrifices to the God he had heard of out of fear.
Drum Roll with my fingers next to my keyboard. . . . waiting “patiently” for the next post from saint Paul regarding Job’s life!!!
Blessings!!!
Warren (South Carolina, USA)
From memory, I think it comes out tomorrow.