King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Saturday, January 08, 2022
Chapters: Job 13-17
Message: Overcome The Wicked One
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading the chapters for today, I started thinking about my past job and how negative my supervisor was toward me, it did not matter how well I did, she always found something bad to say. Then I thought about my ex-boyfriend, no matter what I did for him, he was always so negative, often accusing me of things, and making up stuff. For a long time I tolerated the verbal abuse because I actually thought that it was God’s way of punishing me for going against Him, and was something that I had to just live with. Did you know that while God does chasten us, it is not forever, and He even blesses us through it? Did you also know that we are much harder on ourselves than God is on us? Yep, as far as I was concerned, I had condemned myself already and deserved the way I was being treated. Well, when we get to that point, that is when God says, “Enough! You are forgiven, you are justified! Stop condemning yourself and get back to doing my work!”
[I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. – 1 John 2:12-14]
The wicked one, now, that is an understatement, Satan does not know our thoughts, he does not know our heart, he does not even know our desires, but he does know how to draw them out. He has his minions watching our every move, patiently waiting to see what we desire or fear, and then, that is what he uses to afflict us with. As we continue in the reading of Job, Satan learned that Job would not curse God and die, even when he took everything away from him. Satan learned that Job would not curse God and die when he took his health away from him. Perhaps he thinks he could get Job to curse God and die if he got his friends to turn on him. Well, he did move his friends against him, and even though Job was confused, he did not curse God, and he did not want to die either, but Job knew that even if he did, that God knew the truth about him. And as his friends keep accusing him, he tells them that the best thing they could do to help him is to just stop talking.
[Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. – Job 13:3-10]
[if ye do secretly accept persons.] Did you ever notice that people are friendly and kind until you no longer have what they need? The second you cannot give them what they want, or agree with them, then, they turn on you? Well, you have overcome the wicked one the second you received Christ as your Saviour, who needs anyone like that in our lives? I was better off cleaning bathrooms where I was appreciated than working for a company who would throw you under the bus because you accidentally gave out the name of the manager. We have no one to prove anything to, but God, and if they are going to think that way about us, then that is all on them, because they have to deal with God. As Job continues, he just wants to be left alone, even though he felt like God was slaying Him, he knew where he would be when he died.
[Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost. – Job 13:13-19]
[if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.] Job knew that he was justified and that his friends were just making up stuff, for what reason he had no clue, but right now, it was his faith in God that was keeping alive. I have seen a lot of people, including my own brother, recover from some incredible health situations, but when they have had enough fighting and are ready to be with the LORD, they do not stay here much longer. When we know we heaven to look forward to, we do not fear death.
[For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. – 2 Corinthians 5:1-5,8]
Because we have overcome the wicked one, there comes a point through any kind of affliction that we start to realize that God is in control and His will be done. If it was in God’s will that His only begotten Son suffer and die on the cross, then there was no stopping it. Job definitely had no idea why God was slaying him, but he trusted God, knowing two things. One; life is full of trouble from the second we are born until we die.
[Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. – Job 14:1-6]
[and full of trouble.] Even back then they knew that their own righteousness could not save them and that they needed a Saviour. They, by faith, just as we, by faith, have the same Saviour, they just had no idea that His name is Jesus. Job knew that his own righteousness would not keep him from judgment, but he was not about to let his friends be his judge. The second thing that he knew was that there was something better waiting for him on the other side of all this.
[As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. – Job 14:11-14]
[till my change come.] Job, having no Bible, knew that there was life beyond the grave and that his body will change. Because we have overcome the wicked one, there will come a day when, we who are saved, shall all be changed. While those whose souls have gone on to be with Jesus in heaven have left their earthly bodies for a time, they will reunite with them when Jesus comes for them, and shall all be changed, [In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. – 1 Corinthians 15:52-53]
Now, Job’s friends were not very happy at all with the way he was talking. Eliphaz speaks again, quite irritated with Job for refusing to admit he has sinned and saying that he knows he will be justified with God. In fact, he tells him that his talking the way that he is is sin in itself.
[Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? – Job 15:1-6,14-16]
[and restrainest prayer before God.] Eliphaz is beside himself, he thinks that Job truly believes that he is innocent, but is guilty as sin and that is why he does not have the guts to talk to God, and his defending himself is proof of his own personal convictions. I swear, from the beginning since God created man, it has been a crime to defend yourself, you must be guilty if you are so defensive. And this is where they are the ones who will look like fools when it all comes out that we are innocent. Okay, so, no one is without sin, but there is a difference, and God knows that.
[As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: – Romans 3:10-12,21-24]
[and he which is born of a woman,] Do you see how Satan twists words around to make it sound like God or we are discrediting our testimony? Do you remember the movie, Polar Express? The girl kept getting asked if she made the right decision? She kept second guessing herself until she finally became confident that she made the right decision. That is exactly what Satan does, he tries to get us second guessing our decisions, especially when our faith in God is involved. How many times do you hear that voice in the back of your head, “Are you really saved?” Well, our faith in Christ determines our faith in God. If we are confident that Christ died to save our soul from hell, which is the punishment for sin, and confess that we are a sinner and need Jesus to save us, and ask Him to save us, then there is no need to second guess our faith. And we are justified through our faith alone in Jesus Christ, [That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. – Romans 10:9-12]
Now, after Job had heard that, he had had about enough. There is nothing more aggravating than having someone accuse you of something, then telling you that because you are speaking up for yourself that you are proving that you are guilty. If it is one thing I have learned these past couple of years, it is, never assume you know what is going on with someone because they have some affliction in their lives. Now, the more they spoke against Job, the angrier he became, he was beginning to think that God sent them to bring more grief to him. Job figured out that it was a waste of time to argue with these men.
[Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! – Job 16:1-5,11-12,19-21]
[if your soul were in my soul’s stead,] “Put yourself in my shoes!”, that is what Job is asking them. “If you were the one suffering, I would be there for you, comforting you, not tearing you down!”. My ex was great at that, he did not care what I was going through, it was all about him and did not want to hear me when I would ask him to put himself in my shoes for once to see what I was going through. It was during that time that I found strength in God like I never have, and He saw me through some very heart breaking situations. Can you sort of understand why we are put through these tests? We have overcome the wicked one, we belong to Jesus, and Satan cannot touch our soul, but sorrow really does bring is closer to God, when we truly love Him, of course, [For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:18,21,24-25,28]
[O that one might plead for a man with God,] Job had no hope in finding comfort from anyone on earth, and was starting to think that God sent them to him to punish him, but he did have hope that God would see him through it eventually. And that He Himself would find him innocent, [He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret. Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you. My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. – Job 17:6-11,15-16]
[as for my hope, who shall see it?] The hope that we have is definitely not the same hope that the world or these fools who think they know God have. Our hope is in Christ! And we have overcome the wicked one! And that includes his minions as well, [Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. – 1 John 4:1,4,6]
Let Us Pray: God, Because greater is He that is in me, I have overcome the wicked one, through my faith in Christ alone. And because greater is He that is in me, I have overcome the world. And because greater is He that is in me, I have overcome every trial, every heartache, every affliction, and every sin that so easily besets me. I am who I am today because Your Son walks with me, I do have Him standing right there next to You, pleading my case, letting You know that my faith in Him is greater than anything that Satan or his minions, or man can do to me. And because I have overcome the wicked one, I will change one day, and I will rest in that hope. Lord, until the day comes when You bring me home, lead me and guide me, put Your hedge of protection around me, shield me from all of the wicked ones devices and minions who watch my every move. Cover me in Your mercy and grace, and let me show the world what true hope is by showing that Your Son is alive in me. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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