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: Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Chapters: Job 27-31
Message: His Precious Purpose
Hello My Friend,
I started my first day at my new job yesterday, and do not think I have been this excited about a job since before this pandemic started. We were told that they are actually going to be keeping an eye on how well we do in the coming months because they are looking for someone to be a trainer for future new hires. So, all eyes will be on our performance and on how well we work under pressure. I have to tell you that there is another group who started their training two weeks before my group, and God has put me in the right group. On top of that, I received another blessing, a bonus from the company that I did the work in the convenience stores for. It really is quite overwhelming when God starts blessing you after you discover that He is in control and has a purpose for your suffering, even if you do not know the purpose, [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. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28-29]
Do you see what the ultimate purpose is? [to be conformed to the image of his Son,] Yes, we will face a lot of affliction in order to be conformed to the image if His Son, but in all reality, it is not for our own sake’s, it is actually for the sake of the lost, or those whom have lost their way, [Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5]
Wow! Can you argue with that? We find comfort in Christ through our troubles, then in turn pass that comfort on to others who are troubled, which may lead them to Christ as well. Believe it or not, we are testimonies for Christ, whether they despise us for our faith or come to love us, and it is our testimony that not only leads others to Christ, it puts the devil in his place as well. As we continue in the reading of Job, even though his friends had nothing nice to say about him, and felt as though God was judging him for something, nothing could ruin his testimony, he stood by to the fact that he was justified.
[Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? – Job 27:1-10]
[My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go:] Never be ashamed of your testimony that Christ is in you, and never let anyone make you think that your faith is not sound. As long as you have not believed in Christ as your Saviour in vain, then God knows who you are, you can always call upon Him and He will hear you. However, if you have believed in vain, then He does not know you, and will not spare you, even Job knew this.
[This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, and the innocent shall divide the silver. For God shall cast upon him, and not spare: he would fain flee out of his hand. – Job 27:13-17,22]
[and the innocent shall divide the silver.] This is similar to the parable that Jesus spoke about the man who hid his talent, those who have believed in vain, will lose their place in the Kingdom of God and the blessings will be taken from them and given to the righteous, [Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 25:28-30]
You really do not need the Bible to tell you that hell is a real place and is where the wicked go. God gave us His Word, not to question Him, rather receive the correct knowledge about Him so that we can discern what is actually truth from the lies about Him. There is no greater knowledge that we will ever receive than to know how we can know for sure that we will be saved from hell. There is a difference between knowing something and being wise, many have read the Bible, but very few are wise enough to understand it or apply it. In Job’s days there was no written word, but somehow they knew enough to understand where wisdom is found.
[There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: The lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. He putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots. He cutteth out rivers among the rocks; and his eye seeth every precious thing. He bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light. But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me. It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. – Job 28:7-15]
[But where shall wisdom be found?] Exactly where is wisdom found? When you stop to think about that question, the knowledge that we are given comes from what we have been taught. Not everything we are taught is correct, and not everything we are taught makes us wise, and yes, there is a difference. Job goes on to say that he knows where true wisdom comes from and it is from God Almighty, Himself.
[Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder: Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. – Job 28:20-28]
[the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;] Fearing God; having respect for Him, loving Him, even when things are not going well, trusting His Son alone with our salvation, knowing and following His will, believing every word written in His Word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us to discern the knowledge we receive, and that is wisdom, [If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. – James 1:5-7]
Do you see what the key is to having wisdom? Faith. We must believe and have faith in God. When we are going through affliction, especially when it is prolonged, our natural instinct is to find the quickest solution to the problem, then when we cannot find it, that is when we seek God’s help. When God’s help seems to never come, it often leads to depression hopelessness, and pondering. Job starts reminiscing about the days God blessed him, wishing things were like they use to be, he even starts reminding God of all the good things he has done.
[Moreover Job continued his parable, and said, Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness; As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle; When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me; When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil; When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street! I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out. – Job 29:1-7,14-16]
[I put on righteousness, and it clothed me:] When we truly accept Christ as our Saviour, we do put on His righteousness, the more we walk with Him, learn of Him, and draw closer to Him, the more we start to look like Him. We know that only God knows for sure if we are saved, but our fruit pretty much gives it away, [For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. – Luke 6:44-45]
Let me tell you, when it seems as though God is nowhere, that is when He is the closest to us, and even when we fail Him, He never leaves our side. Praise God! This is how God both reveals and increases our faith in Him, if He knows we will trust Him, then He will increase the blessings, much more than we could ever think. God never stops blessing us, if we are saved, we are one of His forever, and that means we are preserved with eternal life and nothing can change that. However, until we come to that conclusion ourselves, then, He cannot help us. At this point, Job feels like God has left him and basically fed him to the wolves.
[But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me. Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction. Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud. And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me. – Job 30:1,9-12,15-16]
[they have also let loose the bridle before me.] [Bridle; To restrain, guide or govern; to check, curb or control;] They are not holding back, now that he is the one who needs help, the truth came out about how they really felt about him, they are fleeing and some have even turned against him. Sadly, this is a lot of people. Remember what Jesus said about the majority of those who were following Him around? They just came to get their bellies filled. Our true friends show up when we are being afflicted, they do not judge or falsely accuse us, they are compassionate and actually step up to help us. At this point, Job feels like he has no one and that even God has thrown him to the curb, he just knows that he is, but a breath away from death, and wonders maybe he did not do enough, and that is why God afflicted him.
[He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not. Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me. Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction. Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor? When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness. – Job 30:19-26]
[though they cry in his destruction.] They can cry up to God all they want, but once the unsaved die and are cast into hell, He cannot save them. We must believe on Christ while we have our breath in our flesh, death saves no one from hell, [For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. – Romans 1:16-17]
[and to the house appointed for all living.] The living are the ones who are trusting in the LORD, Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Job actually does see some light at the end if all this darkness, at least, if he died he would be where he would never suffer anymore, and among the living. The longer I suffer the more I start to feel like there is no end to it, that perhaps I am a hypocrite, and wonder why God is angry. Job starts to question himself, was there something he did that he was not aware of.
[For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom: Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door? Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book. Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me. – Job 31:2-6,33-36]
[If I covered my transgressions as Adam,] Do you see how it is that we do not need to have the Bible to tell us that God exists and who was here before us? The knowledge that we receive about God did not come to us first by reading the Bible, it was told to us by whomever taught it to us. The wisdom of God’s Word comes to us after we have come to the knowledge of the Gospel, and received Christ as our Saviour. Remember, without Jesus, God does not know us.
[Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. – Matthew 7:14,21-23]
[and that mine adversary had written a book.] Job thinks that God sees him as an adversary, or an enemy, and wants a book to show him exactly how He wants him to be, and assures Him that he will follow it. Oh, how sad is it that we do have God’s written Word, and so many Christians disregard it. Nevertheless, we who are faithful to His Word find it to be the most valuable possession we have.
[Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. – 1 Peter 2:7-10]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You for life, and the life You have given me. And thank Your for eternal life, and the great sacrifice You made in saving my soul from death and hell. I do not always understand the affliction I go through, but I do understand that Your hand is upon me, and that You will show me the way out through my faith and trust in You. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your strength that I need to endure all affliction, let me not look to the right, left, or behind, but straight toward You. As long as I trust You I know You will not only help me endure, the pain will end, and I will see Your blessings unfold even more. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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