Category Archives: Morning Thoughts

Morning Thoughts (Job 4:7)

Morning Thoughts,

Job 4:7, "Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?"

This morning, man continues to have misguided and skewed thoughts on his existence and the interaction of God with His people in the earth.  Today, man suffers even moreso with a lack of understanding since he lightly esteems the source material for truth and uprightness: the written word of God.  However, when reading the Bible, we need to always remember that the Book does record things that are not true.  While they are falsehoods, the Bible faithfully and truthfully states the falsehood that was uttered by an unsavoury character.  For example, in Genesis 3, we see the faithful recording of a lie uttered by the serpent to Eve when he said, "Ye shall not surely die."  We understand from the tenor of Scripture that that statement is not true, but the Bible faithfully tells us what happened on that occasion.  Therefore, when reading the material, we need to not only remember that the source material is true (these things really happened), but also that some things were spoken or done by untruthful people.

When reading the book of Job, one of the most difficult things to ascertain from the book is whether what we are reading is true or not.  While the prolonged conversation between Job, his 3 miserable comforters, eventually Elihu, and finally God Himself, happened just as it reads on the page, not everything the men said during the exchange is true.  This is especially true for Eliphaz and his two compatriots as they engage Job in conversation.  From what I have gleaned over the years in reading this conversation over and over, it seems that the three miserable comforters – Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad – said things that fit into three different categories: 1. What they said is true, 2.  What they said is false, or 3.  What they said is true, but they misapplied it to Job.  Admittedly, the third category is the hardest to detect, but our study verse above fits very comfortably into the second category: patently false.

Eliphaz asks a couple of – what he considers – rhetorical questions in his opening statements to Job.  Following the context (before and after our verse), Eliphaz is trying to prove that only wicked people suffer the way Job has suffered, and therefore, from that logic, Job must have done something to merit this great condemnation.  In the context, he also makes some statements that are true, but misapplied in the line of reasoning.  For example, Verse 8 shows that wickedness in sowing will reap wickedness of the same.  This statement is true and Galatians 6 proves it, but Eliphaz is trying to use this true statement to bolster his false argument in our verse against Job.  Does wickedness get rewarded with destruction?  Yes, it does, and quite often, it does to our perspective.  Yet, the Bible tells us that the Lord shall avenge all that is rightly His. (Romans 12:19)

What about blessings in obedience?  Do righteous people get rewarded for righteous lives and behavior?  Indeed, the Bible also clearly and unequivocally states that premise as well. (Hebrews 11:6) So, now one might inquire, "If the point of all that was to show that righteousness is rewarded and iniquity is punished, what is the point or problem with what Eliphaz said?"  Knowing the Biblical points of timely deliverance (time salvation) and righteous judgment of the Lord upon the wicked, it would be easy to fall into the same trap that Eliphaz is here in.  That trap is that the righteous have no problems but are always delivered "from" their troubles by the Lord because of their righteous behavior.  The Scriptures also teach a deliverance of the Lord "through" the trials and problems of life with sustaining and sufficient grace to bear up. (II Corinthians 12:9-10)

Many believe that Job is perhaps the oldest book of the Bible, and should the chronology be correct, Job occurs shortly after the flood and before God's dealings with Abraham.  This would means that the accounts of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel were still relatively "fresh.".  Eliphaz's first question "who ever perished being righteous?" is clearly refuted in the story of Abel.  His perishing at the hands of his wicked brother Cain had absolutely nothing to do with some "hidden" wickedness as Eliphaz is here attributing to Job.  Rather, Abel perished because of Cain's jealousy over his righteous brother.

Eliphaz's second question "where were the righteous cut off?" is actually different from the first.  At first reading, it appears to be almost a repeat of the first, but the term "cut off" does not necessarily carry connotations of death, perishing, or termination.  The term "cut off" carries the implication of "hidden, concealed, or covered."  In other words, Eliphaz is asking, "When were the righteous ever not known as righteous?"  Again, this particular "rhetorical" question misses the mark even from historical perspective.  While I realize that Lot had not yet come along, he is a prime example of a righteous man that many did not know he was righteous.  Had I not read Peter's account of him in the New Testament, I will readily admit that the Genesis account of his life is far less than a declaration of righteous decorum. 

So, Eliphaz is asking Job when the righteous ever innocently perished or were concealed.  In other words, since Job is manifestly condemned in his tribulations and his whole world is perishing around him, Eliphaz concludes that Job is neither innocent nor righteous in this matter.  As we know from Scriptural account, the very opposite is the case.  Job's righteous character is being tested perhaps more sorely than any other character in Scripture.  There is no hidden sin in his life that brought this on, nor is this a revealing of sinfulness to show others.  The Lord will eventually rebuke Eliphaz for this presumptuous and false accusation of Job, but let us consider that a modern day Eliphaz mindset occurs.

For starters, what is one of the most popular "gospels" today?  The "health and wealth" people really draw the masses due to the ear tickling fancies that they promote.  In their theological framework, God will not allow the righteous to perish or lose everything, but rather will have the prosperous life that Job had before his awful day.  So, if you have a day like Job, they make the same claim that Eliphaz here makes.  Something must be amiss in your life to merit such dreadful circumstances.  God simply would not allow you – or cause you – to perish if you are strong in your faith.

Another popular gospel today is the argument that every child of God will be manifest.  This ideology claims that fruit will be borne, produced, and manifested that cannot conceal the righteous person for who he is.  Again, this mindset not only misses the Scriptural mark that shows in many ways on different occasions that righteous people can be hidden (even Elijah had no knowledge of the 7,000 that God told him of) but it also breeds some of the highest forms of contempt, hypocrisy, and arrogance.  People who believe that righteousness cannot be hidden generally always think well of their own conduct, but rarely find the same measure of aptitude in others.

Friends, while righteousness should be manifested, we should never equate bad circumstances to personal sinful causes in every occurrence.  While some things may "feel" like there is a judgment aspect to them, we many times just do not know for sure.  Eliphaz and his friends did not know for sure in Job's case, but they presumed to and badgered him about it.  Righteous people can suffer some of the worst tribulations and perishings in this world, and some may not even be known as righteous by common perception.  However, God can bless His children with the calm assurance and peace that He is with them, even if no one else knows or perceives it.  He can also bless them with the strength to bear up during the trial(s) though no one else around them can tell.  May we not look to outward circumstances to prove our position but rather prayerfully beseech God in all things.  Since we are not in charge of determining who is innocent and righteous, we should commit these things to Him who is faithful in all things and pray He bless us with the wisdom and discernment to know how to handle the matters that He has left us to judge and discern about.

In Hope,

Bro Philip

Morning Thoughts (II Thessalonians 3:13)

Morning Thoughts,

II Thessalonians 3:13, "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."

This morning, one of the hardest things to determine sometimes is if we are going in the right way.  With so many influences on a daily basis, we may get to the point of doubting and second-guessing our actions, decisions, and motives.  After all, as the old saying goes, "To err is human."  However, something else that requires just as much effort as knowing if what we are doing is right is to continue doing what we know to be right regardless of influences or the winds of change.  This attitude of determination to follow after righteousness and goodness is harder and harder to find in the world.  When the world becomes faster, changes more often, and keeps short attention spans, the idea of wholeheartedly pursuing something for prolonged periods of time becomes a very foreign concept.  It is this lack of determination to follow after goodness that leads to a rise in divorce rates, lack of church attendance, and very slack Bible reading and study.  However, determined effort to prolong godly behavior yields amazing results that cannot be had otherwise.

As Paul heads to the close of his second epistle to the Thessalonians, we see very fitting closing remarks that a man would make to a beloved group.  This church – much like the Philippian church – was quite dear to Paul.  Looking at the general scope of his language to them over two epistles, they were much closer to the Philippians' crown and joy than the Corinthians' headache.  During Paul's first epistle, he comforts them about a great many things, but one of the most prominent comforts that they received as the promise of the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This detailed discussion of that blessed event and comforting promise had likely yielded some undesirable fruits in the Thessalonian church.  For, in the 2nd chapter of the 2nd epistle, Paul encourages them not to think of it imminently – thereby implying that perhaps some or many of them had begun to do so.

As we reach the dawn of a new year, what would your year look like if you firmly believed the Lord would return this year?  How many things would seem not worth our time, and how many others would seem worth infinitely more.  Doubtless, our jobs and natural inclinations would lose some of their shine, and the Lord's house and His word would seem exponentially more important.  If such were the case, the problems of life would also seem much more bearable.  How many worries would we have if we knew that the Lord's return was coming imminently in the near future?  Paul encourages the brethren to maintain their vigil and not let honourable things slide since the day of the Lord would not be as immediate as they had initially thought after his first letter.

For us today, some 2,000 years later, we see Paul's words ring just as true and clearly as they ever have.  We know not when the Lord's return will be, but we do know that it will come.  If God has promised it, rest assured it will come to pass.  Therefore, let us not be weary in well doing.  Finding the right path and staying in it seems to prove difficult for the disciple of Christ when the world pulls him in six different directions at once.  No doubt, many are now embarked in the early journey of new-found resolutions, and more than likely, the next few weeks will see many of those goals fizzle out.  However, serving the Lord in well doing never "goes out of style," regardless of what the world says.  No matter what winds of change and mindset may blow, His commandments are still worthy.

As Paul encouraged the Galatian brethren in the same mindset (Galatians 6:9), we see that this manner of life will have the susceptibility to faint.  Since labouring takes effort, there is always the opportunity to faint (get discouraged) by the way.  When the world tries to make the child of God feel foolish for believing in creation, going to church, faithfully reading the Bible, etc., there is pressure to faint and fail to pursue these godly goals.  However, there are many things that Paul enumerates that we can expect just as assuredly today as the brethren did then for faithfully following this pattern of life.

If someone picks something and stays in it for a prolonged period of time, there is a sense of familiarity that grows from it.  Consider marriage.  As a couple stays together for many years, they begin to understand one another like no one else.  Although I am relatively young on the marriage chart – currently 8.5 years – I believe that I know my wife better than anyone else alive.  Even her parents do not have the familiarity with her that I do, and this is due to pursuing a "togetherness" that cannot be found otherwise.  When we faithfully read God's word and faithfully attend His house, we gain familiarity with God that we would not have otherwise.  The more we read the Bible and listen to the gospel, the more real and familiar God's promises and blessings become to us.

Another point of faithfully continuing in a path is that the knowledge level is going to predictably increase.  I am always amazed today to hear the mindset that someone believes they can learn as much outside of church or outside the Bible about God and His ways as they can in it.  That would be like me going into engineering and saying that I could learn as much on my own about the trade without ever reading the source material and listening and learning from the experts in the field.  No one would hire me with such credentials, and one should expect the "credentials" of the disciple of Christ to be no less. 

Besides the knowledge growth and familiarity with godly service, a prolonged pattern or righteous living also yields sweet peace and comfort.  By considering the above examples of marriage and credentialed work, we see that comfort and peace comes from knowing and understanding your place.  My marriage is sweeter now than it was 8.5 years ago in the early stage.  The reason is simply because by knowing my wife as well as I do and learning more about her, there is sweetness that stems from it.  Used to, I might misread a reaction and get disturbed by it.  Now, I see certain things and know what they mean, and that knowledge and understanding is far better than those dubious moments of wondering what was going on.  Likewise, my professional life as an engineer is much better now than it was when I was in college worrying about passing tests and wondering "if I would ever get it."  Since I know the material and can read different situations, I am comforted that I know what to do based on my prolonged service in the field.  This particular peace and comfort of place is where we will spend the remainder of our thoughts on this verse.

When we spend many, many hours in God's Book it seems more real and vibrant with each passing moment.  When I first started reading the Bible, there were a lot of concepts that I did not understand and some that I understood a little bit about.  However, after more and more time in it, I found that subjects like "grace" were not just words on the page but very real and meaningful things that had "taste" to them. (I Peter 2:1-3) I learned and understood that "sacrifice" was not just a word but had a "feel" to it.  As the gospel has sounded in my ears over the years, it has steadily grown from heralded words to deep and impacting concepts that are quite relevant in my life.

As I have grown older, seen more, and experienced more, I have grown to realize that God's Book and His associated gospel bring real-world answers to real-world problems.  15 years ago, I was one of the biggest "worry warts" the world had ever seen.  As God becomes more familiar through His word and church, worry seems so unprofitable.  15 years ago,
I was quite hot-tempered, but now from tasting grace and mercy, there seems to be so little value in it.  When Satan comes calling, there is a great peace and comfort of knowing how to deal with him.  When the problems of life knock upon our door, there is something sublime in the knowledge of God's blessings in the midst and face of trials and tribulations.

When the songwriter penned the words to "Thus Far the Lord has Led Me On," he knew and understood the value of faithfulness in well doing and the curses in failure to do it.  When we fail in the pursuit of godliness, we find "much of my time has run to waste, and I perhaps am near my home."  However, experiencing His mercy yields "but He forgives my follies past, and gives me strength for days to come."  That peace of knowing and understanding stays with us through "in vain the sons of earth or hell, tell me a thousand frightful things."  That knowledge of the vanity of their actions is because "my God in safety makes me dwell, beneath the shadow of His wings."  As the song goes on, we see the ultimate benefit of this righteous conduct "faith in His name forbids my fear, oh may His presence ne'er depart," and this is based on the promise "and in the morning, let me hear, the love and kindness of His heart."

As we go through life, no matter what is thrown in our path, nothing is worthy of keeping us from well doing.  While the road is long and wearisome at times, we can draw strength and comfort from familiarity with God and His ways.  Has He ever let us down even when life seemed too hard to handle?  Has He ever changed?  Familiarity with Him yields an immediate answer of "no He does not, has not, nor will not."  Though the world may boldly promote the failures or total non-existence of God, we can take comfort in our "walk with Him" that we know and understand Him. (Jeremiah 9:23-24) And though we do not know when He will return, the knowledge that He has never failed on a promise gives strength and comfort to know that He will not fail on that one either.

Getting back to the thought of His return, I have absolutely no idea whether it will occur this year or not.  However, what if it did?  What should I do in the meantime?  Everything just like I would should His return not be this year.  Be faithful.  Be faithful in all things.  As the last verse of the hymn states "thus when the night of death shall come, my flesh shall rest beneath the ground."  What if I die this year and do not live to see that glorious time?  I can enter death in well doing (walking faithfully) with the sweet comfort and familiarity with God to finish the song "and wait Thy voice to rend my tomb, with sweet salvation in the sound."  Brethren, whatever the years holds – life, death, pain, suffering, blessings, curses, joyous seasons, etc. – be not weary in well doing.  Resolutions come and go.  Years pass and fade.  God never changes.  Instead of walking with the resolutions and thinking so much of the years of our travail, may we walk with God this year and faithfully stand with our hand in His.  In so doing, what joys and comforts will be ours.  May we learn and understand more about Him and His ways.

In Hope,

Bro Philip