Oct 24 2013

Job 36 – On God’s Behalf

While there is some truth to some of what Elihu says in this chapter, he is using it in the context of condemning Job and ascribing Job’s suffering to God’s punishment – just like the first three of Job’s friends. Presumptuously, he begins by stating that he is speaking on God’s behalf (verse 2), as if God needed someone to defend Him. But his words are meant to wound Job and disparage his integrity; and God would have no part of such. Worse still, Elihu claims to be “perfect in knowledge” (verse 4) concerning God, His will, and how he deals with the righteous and the wicked. This arrogance is certainly not unnoticed by God, as we will see.

Elihu speaks correctly about God’s might, and even shows some knowledge of the scientific processes for rain, evaporation, and storms. But Satan moves him to use this knowledge to give the false impression that his knowledge in the matter of Job’s guilt, and God’s actions toward him are equally correct – which they certainly are not. This tactic of using the truth to lay down false authority for a lie is timeless, and certainly still used by Satan today.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com. For questions and help, please see the “FAQ” and “Summaries” pages there.

Oct 23 2013

Psalm 141 – My Eyes Are Toward You

English: Michal Watching David from a Window, as in 2 Samuel 6:16: “And it was so, as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.”; watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This lament, according to the superscription, is a psalm of David. And it does have the “flavor” of one of David’s psalms. There is no clue given as to the occasion of the writing. It could be during his flight from Saul or from the Absalom rebellion. It is likely the former, as this period was a long one in David’s life, and would provide the most opportunities for writing such laments.

Unlike imprecatory psalms, David is not praying for God to strike down his enemies. Nor is he praying for God to give him might against them. Instead, he is asking for the strength to withstand what his enemies would do to him, and to restrain his lips against speaking evil of them (verses 3-5).

He tells the Lord that he will continue praying against their evil deeds, asks God to be his defense and his refuge, and prays that his enemies will be the cause of their own demise (verse 10), rather than having him fall victim to them. What a great model of prayer from one who is so persecuted!

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 22 2013

Proverbs 24:1-18 – Eat Honey!

Honey in honeycombs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter 24 concludes the “thirty sayings” portion of the Book of Proverbs that was begun in chapter 22 (see this previous post for more information). Verse 13 is one that is natural for the reader to just skip over:

My son, eat honey, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste

When one is reading through verse after verse of some of the greatest wisdom, a verse stating that honey is sweet does not really register as being terribly wise. The lesson is in verse 14, which expounds on that thought:

Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be a future,
and your hope will not be cut off.

Wisdom is to the soul like honey is to the taste. The key is to find it; and what the writer has been telling us over and over again throughout this entire book is that the beginning of all knowledge is the fear of the Lord. The greatest source of wisdom is in God’s word. It is there that we find both our hope and our future, but the keywords are “if you find it.” Like finding the honeycomb, we must search the scriptures to find that wisdom. The writer is telling us to read our Bible – regularly!

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 21 2013

Psalm 146 – The Lord Lifts Up!

Considered by some as a part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), the last five psalms of the book (Psalms 146-150) are often called the “Hallelujah Psalms.” Each one of them starts and ends with the sentence “Praise the Lord!” The message of this song is simple. It tells the us not to put our trust in those in positions of political or ruling authority, but to put all of our trust in the Lord.

The psalm is obviously a song sung by the entire congregation; and it emphasizes the everlasting authority of God as the Creator of heaven and earth, and the giver of life. It also praises God for His love and care for the righteous, the oppressed, the hungry, and all of those who depend on Him. It declares that He is a just God, who will take care of the wicked in His own way and in His time (verse 9).

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 20 2013

Minor Prophets Part 2 – Joel

Prophet Joel, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th cen. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We should mention that, just as the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel are referred to as the “major prophets” because of their length – not as an indication of importance, the same is true of the so-called “minor prophets.” The Book of Joel, for example, is only three chapters. But do not be misled, Joel is a powerful and important book of prophecy.

There is no definitive evidence from the text as to when the book was written. Guess-timates vary greatly, and there is little agreement between scholars. Just as many can be found to date the book after the Babylonian captivity as before. This blogger believes it to have been written before the captivity. Many Hebrew scholars believe Joel prophesied under Manasseh, which would place him in most likely the late 7th century B.C. (Manasseh began his reign as co-regent with his father, Hezekiah, in about 696 B.C., and his reign ended with his death in about 642 B.C.). This was just over 20 years after the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom and deported most of its population.

Verse one of chapter one tells us that Joel (whose name means “Yahweh is God”) was the son of Pethuel (whose name means “mouth of God”). We do not know much else about him. Certainly, Joel’s message is to the Southern Kingdom, and his references to Jerusalem and knowledge of the priests and the temple suggest that he may himself have been from Jerusalem. The obvious theme of the book is “the day of the Lord.” The phrase is repeated over and over throughout the book.

English: The Captivity of Judah, as in 2 Chronicles 36:11-21, illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The setting of the book is a time of great spiritual indifference, but also of great devastation from a locust invasion that has laid the land to waste, and has affected every aspect of their lives. But Joel’s message is that the coming “day of the Lord” will make this look like nothing! The only way to avoid the coming judgment, he tells them, is to truly repent.

As we have noted is the case with this phrase in other passages in the scriptures, “the day of the Lord” simply refers to a time when God will take some sort of decisive action. It does not always, as many make the mistake of assuming, refer to the final day of judgment. In the case of this book, it appears to refer to the judgment of Judah to come (at the hands of the Babylonians), as well as to the judgment that will come to Israel in A.D. 70. Peter, on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:16-21, refers to Joel 2:28-32, as he preaches about the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, the prophesying, and other signs of the new age of Christians. The first part of this in Joel begins:

“And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.”

Destruction of Jerusalem under the Babylonian rule. Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The second part of the passage, also referred to by Peter, is the same as some of the warning Jesus gave of the signs for Christians to look for when they should leave Jerusalem before its A.D. 70 destruction (Matthew 24:29-30). Indeed, we will no doubt deal more in depth with this subject in another blog, as we discuss some of the secular evidence of the signs Jesus gave in the preceding verses of Matthew 24, which resulted in many Christians becoming the “survivors” that Joel speaks of in the second part of the passage:

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

/Bob’s boy

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image © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 18 2013

Psalm 139 – I Am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

This psalm is ascribed to David in the superscription, and its writing style does not contradict that in the least. It is regarded by some as one of the greatest passages in the Old Testament, and it is not hard to understand why when one reads it. Edward J. Young wrote an entire book on these 24 verses (“The Way Everlasting: A Study in Psalm 139”, The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, Great Britain, November 1, 1997). Most commentators recognize 4 sections to the psalm, consisting of 6 verses each. The first section deals with God’s omniscience. Verse one begins “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!” Verses 7-12 are concerned with his omnipresence. Verse 7 asks “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?”

The third section (verses 13-18) praises God for His omnipotence. Verse 14 is one of the more famous verses: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Put those last four words in a search engine, and you will have hours of reading available; and we cannot do the verse justice here. Suffice to say that “fearfully made” is intended with the same sort of respect and awe that we are to have of the Lord (as in “fear of the Lord”), and the meaning of “wonderfully made” is quite obvious to those who study the intricacies of the human body all the way down to the cell level.

The final section (verse 19-24) is one of supplication for God. It pleads for the Lord to deal with the wicked and with those who speak against him. It is also a plea for God to examine the psalmist’s heart, leading him away from any sin and “in the way everlasting.”

The psalm points out in a most elegant way how much God knows, while acknowledging how little we really know about that very fact. He knows all about us, and He knew us before we were even born, as God told the prophet in Jeremiah 1:4-5. Even His very thoughts are too vast and wonderful for us to comprehend (verses 17-18).

Altogether, these 24 verses speak volumes about the nature and power of our Creator and His care for us, and make an excellent source of thoughts for our prayers to Him.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 17 2013

Job 35 – Words Without Knowledge

Elihu continues his diatribe, as he condemns Job further for presuming to be right before God. But Elihu is himself way off track in this chapter. Consider verses 6-8:

If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
If you are righteous, what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?

According to Elihu, man is so insignificant to God that it is of no consequence to Him either way whether we do good or evil. It is only to our own detriment if we do the latter. This goes against everything that God’s word teaches, and indeed, sin hurts God so very much that He gave His only son to save man from his own iniquity.

Elihu further shows his ignorance of the Lord in verses 12-13 by saying that God does not answer the prayers of men because of their pride, and suggests that He does not even regard the prayers of some as more than empty pleas. He forgets that sometimes “no” is an answer, as well as “I have something else planned.” James 4:3 gives one reason for not receiving the answer one wants to a prayer at times – selfish motives.

As Elihu accuses Job in verse 16, his own are the “words without knowledge.”

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 16 2013

Psalm 137 – By the Waters of Babylon

Destruction of Jerusalem under the Babylonian rule. Illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This psalm is one that is often misunderstood. It is also one that skeptics and critics like to quote to “prove” that the Bible, of all things, is somehow evil (he says, rolling eyes toward heaven). Verses 1-3 make it clear – psalm 137 is obviously written either during the time of Babylonian captivity or just afterward, making it some time between 587 BC and 537 BC.

It is a lament for the destruction of Jerusalem, and for all that was lost in human life, in heritage, in freedom, and in dignity. It is lament of a people who were taken off forcibly and with certain ferocity, while others they knew – and loved – were killed violently.

What causes the misunderstanding – even among some of those scholars who are genuinely faithful – is verse 9. First it should be pointed out that the word that is translated “blessed” in some versions (here and in other parts of the Bible) is more accurately translated as “happy.” Secondly, verses 8-9 are not recounting what has happened, but they are a prediction of what will be.

“Happy shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” The third thing to remember is that the prediction in this passage is of what the Medes and the Persians are going to do to the Babylonians. God is not instructing them to do so (nor does He condone it), but His word accurately predicts what will happen – the same atrocities the Babylonians committed. And the invading soldiers in this prediction will be just as joyful in their cruel conquest as the Babylonians were.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 15 2013

Proverbs 23 – Who Has Woe?

As part of the Wisdom literature, the Book of Proverbs is literally full of wisdom. Chapter 23 is certainly no exception. Having already given warning about hanging around with drunkards in verses 21-22, the author turns his attention back to the subject of alcohol for the last several verses of the chapter. No other subject has captured the attention of the author for such an extended contiguous writing so far in these proverbs.

Drunkenness of Noah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Bible has plenty of examples of the folly and lasting consequences that man can bring on himself (and others) when he voluntarily surrenders his wisdom to drunkenness. For example, one need only read about the depravity of Lot with his daughters (Genesis 19:30-38), or the death of King Elah of Israel (1 Kings 16:8-10) for very costly examples. But this chapter’s attention to the subject does a pretty good job with advice on drunkenness. Part of the passage is included below, including a couple of better known verses on the subject.

We see clear examples today all of the time in broken marriages, unwanted pregnancies, domestic violence, and many other social ills. Alcohol abuse has destroyed the earthly happiness of so many lives for thousands of years; and still man is drawn to the “sparkle” that lies to him.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaining?
Who has wounds without cause?
Who has redness of eyes?

Those who tarry long over wine;
those who go to try mixed wine.

Do not look at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup
and goes down smoothly.

In the end it bites like a serpent
and stings like an adder.

Read or listen to audio of ESV version of this selection from this link.

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Oct 13 2013

Minor Prophets Part 1 – Hosea

As the Book of Hosea tells us in the opening verses, Hosea was called by God as a prophet during the time of Jeroboam II (whose last year of reign was ~753 BC) and Hezekiah (who reigned from about 729-687 BC, the first 14 years of which were as a co-regent with his father, Ahaz). Hosea was a prophet from the northern kingdom, prophesying to the people of the northern kingdom. It was a time of rampant and wanton idolatry that was beyond control, leading to Hezekiah’s reforms (2 Chronicles 29-32).

Temple of Baal at Palmyra, Syria. (III) (Photo credit: isawnyu)

The message in this book is about the betrayal and grief that God feels because of the unfaithfulness to him (idolatry) by the people of Israel. Hosea lived the message, as the Lord commanded him to marry a temple prostitute. Verse 2 of chapter 1 summarizes God’s feeling on that very well: “When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.'” And again in Hosea 3:1: “And the Lord said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.'” Raisin cakes were used in fertility rites during idol worship, The cakes were sometimes molded into the shape of a female goddess.

To make Israel’s betrayal of the Lord worse, their idolatry had become so much a part of the culture that they mixed their worship of the “god” Baal with their worship of God, referring to the Lord Himself as Baal, and crediting Baal with all of the things that God had done for them (see, for example, Hosea 2:16-20). Both Paul and Peter cite Hosea 2:23 to illustrate the inclusion of Gentiles in Christianity (Romans 9:25-26 and 1 Peter 2:9-10). Even their sacrifices to the lord had become so ceremonially polluted that they were offensive, rather than pleasing God. Hosea 6:6 sums up the Lord’s attitude toward their sacrifice: “for I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

Hosea ministered during the latter half of the eighth century. This was a very volatile time in Israel’s history, and saw the rise of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III, followed by several other kings that would bring Assyrian dominance. Israel had a succession of kings until Hoshea (732-722 BC), whose rebellion against the Assyrians led to the end of the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17). Hosea’s message centered on the worship of Baal which he obviously believed to be the reason for Israel’s doom. Baal was the weather god that idolaters believed to have control over agriculture, fertility, and rainfall. Israel being a largely agricultural society, they were always ripe for Baal worship.

Hosea and Gomer, from the Bible Historiale. Den Haag, MMW, 10 B 23 426r (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Baal was worshiped at various shrines where he was called by names such as Baal-peor (Hosea 9:10) and Baal-gad (Joshua 11:17). Sometimes the scripture refers to “them” as “the Baals” (Judges 2:11, 3:7, and 8:33). Beyond the supposed fertility and weather aspects, such worship had a tremendous appeal to sexuality (hence the ritual prostitution), and also such things as drunkenness, incest, bestiality, and even human sacrifice. Sexual acts were believed to make Baal respond favorably to the subject.

The Book of Hosea helps us view idolatry from God’s perspective, so we can apply it to our lives. Today, our “gods” do not seem much like the gods and goddesses of those days. But Idolatry is the act or lifestyle that places someone or something in the central and prominent place in our lives that rightly belongs to God. Our betrayals hurt the Lord just as much. The prophet in this book, makes it clear that God will punish such idolatry, and illustrates Israel’s unfaithfulness in many different ways. Hosea portrays Israel as an adulterous wife, an ungrateful son, a stubborn heifer, and more. But the book shows us as well that even Israel’s unfaithfulness and stubbornness are no match for God’s capacity for redeeming love.