BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday September 29, 2013                                 

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WHAT DO I DO NOW?

(Living by Christian moral and ethical standards)

Job 31

For whatever can be said of the form and relationships in the Book of Job, there can be little difference of opinion regarding the sublimity of its style, the keenness of its author’s insight into human nature, and the depth and earnestness of his thinking. However, taking the book as a whole, one must admit that its meaning may not be altogether clear.

There have been many interpretations offered up over time, regarding this divine real-life poem, and there may very well be only one common point that most scholars can agree upon, and that is, that, in the book of Job, GOD seems to be saying, “There can be no doctrine of exact retribution in this life”.

This timeless book is one of the greatest products of the “Hebrew thought”, and we can clearly see how it is orchestrated from beginning to end, by GOD HIMSELF. In fact, the book of Job clearly emphasizes that GOD’s ways go way beyond human comprehension, and, that it is both, silly and presumptuous, to suppose that man ought to be able to explain the ways of GOD, or “figure GOD out”.

In Job chapter 31 we find his final argument, or “protest of innocence”. Here he presents one of Scripture’s most powerful pictures of “the righteousness of the Old Testament saints”. In chapter 29 Job presented no less than three ways that his current sufferings contrasted his past blessing, and he again, affirmed his own righteousness. In verses 1-25 we saw a distinct pattern of;

·         Blessing (Vs.2-6 & 18-20)

·         Honor (Vs.7-11 & 21-25)

·         Job’s Compassion (Vs.12-17)  

Now, in an attempt to show his friends what he believes would be “the unfairness of GOD” if HE indeed was punishing him, Job takes each of those themes and uses them to contrast his present state of suffering.

·         In verses 1-4 Job denies being guilty of even lustfully desiring a woman who was not his own wife (the first stage of sexual immorality (lustful viewing) by a married person).

·         In verses 5-8 Job denies he has cheated or dealt dishonestly with others (using unjust scales to measure goods).

·         In verses 9-12 Job denies having committed the physically sexual immoral act of adultery.

·         In verses 13-23 Job denies any acts of social injustice towards others such as unjust treatment towards servants, orphans, widows, and the poor and needy.

·         In verses 24-28 materialism and idolatry, two closely related sins, are denied by Job.

·         In verses 29-34 Job says that he did not rejoice over the misfortunes of others, even those whom he considered to be his enemies. He also did not pray curses upon people who wronged him. He treated, both, his family, and, his servants rightly, and he also provided “an atmosphere of hospitality to strangers”. He was not a hypocrite who hid his sins from others, only to be found out later.

These verses not only isolate several characteristics of morally that can be manifested through “humility”, “social justice”, and economic balance , but they also teach us that those with the resources are responsible for making those things happen in society, because after all, we really are “our brother’s keeper”.

In Matthew 25, verses 31-46, JESUS lays out the criterion by which HE will judge us upon HIS return. In those verses HE clearly gives us the answers, in advance, to the test of life that we need to pass, before we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. There HE plainly tells us that HE will “grade us”, or “judge us” according to our reaction to human need .  

And so we see that there really exists, a “Biblical Social Gospel” that man must take heed to, and indeed, adhere to. And the message of that Gospel is that, “people who say they love GOD, must demonstrate that love by exhibiting active compassion for those in need.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

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BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

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BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday September 22, 2013                                 

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WHOM CAN I TRUST?

(Trust and follow GOD’s wisdom through persistent bible study and prayer)

Job 28

Although man has always excelled in the “technological realm”, he has always seemed to come up lacking in the “realm of morality”. He has never been able to do what was right in the eyes of GOD for too long. Even today we see an explosion of technological advances that make even the brightest minds of this generation stand in awe and marvel. In fact, one would be moved to ask the question “Is there anything in this universe that the human mind can’t master?”

Sadly, our technological advances have never been equaled, or matched by the necessary advances in “wisdom” that it takes to prevent us from destroying ourselves in the process. We’ve never been able to penetrate the moral mysteries that always seem to confound us in life, and as a result, for the most part, man still remains “lost” and “inadequate” in his “lackluster quest” to become successful in the ways of GOD.

GOD is the source of wisdom in the moral realm, just as HE is also the CREATOR of the material realm. The things that we have trouble grasping, GOD, understands completely and thoroughly. Man, lacking the moral wisdom that he needs to be successful under GOD, fills that void with things and ideas that are anti-CHRIST, and thereby, anti-GOD, because he has allowed satan to influence his decision-making with  “worldly wisdom” and desires.

Morality is what GOD says it is, and not, what man says it is. We live in a time where far too many people call themselves making “moral pronouncements” and decisions that have nothing to do with being “moral”. Moral lapses in judgment such as;

·         Government and Church leaders endorsing homosexual sin,

·         Upholding abortion as a woman’s personal freedom,

·         Sex educators distributing condoms and birth control to minors so that they can commit “safer fornication”, and never even once suggesting abstainence as the answer.

Things such as these are all clear indications of man’s ever-widening gap between himself and GOD, WHO created us. It has never been an easy task to deal with “indifference”, or its consequences, or our gradual slide into the unstructured existence that we live in today. Our only hope is to abandon our own human ideas, and subject ourselves, to the ideology of GOD, WHO created us to operate in a certain way, HIS way.

In Job chapter 28, Job seems to insert a poem inside an already brilliant divine piece of biblical literature that gives us tremendous insight into man’s far-reaching advances in technology, even in his day (read chapter 28). Job, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad have all failed in their attempt to place “human logic” on “GOD’s morality and wisdom”. They’ve all moved closer to the reality that, a GOD, no wiser than we are, is a pitiful god indeed.

Almost since the beginning, man has painstakingly sought to make himself a god in his own “physical image”, instead of seeking after the GOD WHO made us in HIS own “spiritual image”. In this chapter Job affirms our inability to ascertain the fullness of GOD’s wisdom. The theme that continues to echo throughout this book of Job is that man has to find it in himself to trust GOD in all circumstances.

Despite of all the things in life that man has ever managed to do, he has never had enough knowledge to explain why things happen in life as they do. It is possible, however, to rise above our limitations in life by trusting in GOD, and staying within our “assigned creation roles” as human beings under GOD. That way, GOD, WHO knows all things, will work out situations in life to our benefit. We must come to rest in the fact that, GOD is all that we have in life, and that, always has been, always is, and always will be, more than enough.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday September 15, 2013                                 

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WHO SAID LIFE WOULD BE FAIR?

(GOD cares about life being fair)

Job 15:5-20, 16:19-21, 19:5-27, & 21:7-9)

We must be careful to remember that all people suffer in the eyes of GOD, simply because all people sin in the eyes of GOD. Don’t look now, but, the greatest suffering in the world comes to those who insist on living without GOD. We often think or say that life is not fair, but we never stop to take into consideration that we look at life, through an unclean, bias mirror, that clearly and generally favors our own side, or position.

In the Greek, the word used for “world” is “Kosmos”, and it is from that word that we derive our English word “cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, it is “that complex intertwining of sinful desires, that shape our world of “lost” humanity”. When we live in this world, we are subject to its sinful fallout, sometimes due to our own sin, and sometimes due to the sins of others. However GOD uses our failures and imperfections to strengthen our character and move us closer to HIM, even while we are yet sinning in the world.

GOD purposes it to rain on both the “just”, and the “unjust” at the same time. It is possible for a person living without GOD to do “a right thing”, however, it is not possible for them to continue doing them on a regular basis. On the other hand, it is possible for a person who, for the most part, serves GOD, to do “a wrong thing”, however, it is not likely that they will continue to make bad decisions all the time. Likewise, there are evil people in the world who experience good fortune (Job 21:7-18), and there are good people in the world who experience bad fortunes in life.

The average person, oftentimes, does not grasp how their sin, not only affects their personal spiritual, emotional and physical life, but also, the spiritual, emotional, and physical lives of others. Every sin affects, not only the person who sins, but also, our sin always affects someone else, when all is said and done.

As human beings, because of our disobedience to GOD’s laws and instructions, we have long been destined to live in a world filled with death, sickness, and decay. However, thanks to the same merciful GOD that we perpetually disobey, man does not have to settle for “just living in the world”, we all have the option to choose to live, in and through, JESUS CHRIST, the “SAVIOR of the world”. However, when and if, we do choose to follow CHRIST, we are still not exempt from the trials and tests of everyday life.

In Job chapter 15, Eliphaz begins a second round of dialogue, this one filled with anger and blunt accusations of Job being irreverent towards GOD (Vs.1-6). He then launches a series of questions designed to shame Job and accuse him of being arrogant (Vs.7-13). In verses 21-35 Eliphaz shows us his own impersonal and grim view of GOD, as he presents a seemingly “Gnostic” opinion of how he feels GOD operates when dealing with HIS greatest creation. Here we see, through his hostility that, he views GOD, as a GOD who mechanically and impersonally metes out punishments, while totally lacking any love and compassion towards the sinner.

In Job 16, Job strikes back at his friends calling them “miserable comforters” who won’t ever stop their flow of foolish words. Job tells them that if they were in his place, he would be more concerned with comforting them, than criticizing them (Vs.1-6). Job tells them in verses 19-21 that, “Even now my WITNESS is in Heaven. My ADVOCATE is there on High. My friends scorn me, but I pour out my tears to GOD. Oh that someone would mediate between GOD and me, as a person mediates between friends” (NLT).

In Job chapter 19 verses 1-6, Job cries out in the pain of his humiliation, and we can almost sense that he is beginning to see the light as to what is really happening to him. In verses 5-6 we see what can be viewed as a “spiritual awakening”, or “spiritual breakthrough” in Job. Here Job states that, “You are trying to overcome me, using my humiliation as evidence of my sin” (A familiar trick of satan’s). But it is GOD WHO has wronged me (“tested me”). I cannot defend myself (I cannot defend myself before GOD – “For all are guilty and fall short of the glory of GOD”-Romans 3:23), for I am like a city under siege” (NLT).

In Job 19:25-27, Job gives us the earliest biblical mention of the “resurrection concept”, when he states, “As for me, I know that my redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth in the last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see GOD! I will see HIM for myself. Yes, I will see HIM with my own eyes. And I am overwhelmed at the thought” (NLT).

By choosing and accepting GOD’s help, we don’t have to be overwhelmed by the effects of past sins, nor by the chances and changes of this life, nor by a fear of what will happen to us in the future. Now we can, at anytime we choose, enter into a right relationship with GOD, and begin looking beyond this world to HIM, being powered by the HOLY SPIRIT, through JESUS CHRIST.

Each of us has experienced what we deem as “unfairness” at times, which we cannot explain. In these times, a study of the book of Job offers insight, and stimulates hope. The difficulty in setting the time and place of the events of the Book of Job is irrelevant because its timeless and universal message transcends the ages. Job serves to remind us of that great truth, that, despite our lack of knowledge, and, of why certain misfortunes befall us, we can, and must, trust GOD in all that we aspire to do in life. The “life” that GOD created is always “just” and thereby “fair”, in a divine sense. What we think is fair, and what GOD knows is not, are sometimes, though incomprehensively to us, two entirely different things.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

BIBLE STUDY LESSON

For the week beginning Sunday September 8, 2013                                      

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WAS IT MY FAULT?

(Bad things can happen to good people)

(Job 3:1-13:25)

The Book of Job is an acknowledged masterpiece both, as an expression of religious experience from the Holy Bible, and, as a work of poetic genius alongside the great secular literary works of the world. Its theme highlights the struggles of a deeply religious soul named “Job”, with his personal doubts that have been aroused by a series of seemingly undeserved sufferings, or catastrophic events.

Job chapter three opens up with the man of GOD “cursing the day he was born” (Job 3:1-19) because of a series of tests that the LORD has allowed satan and his angels to administer to his life (Job 1&2). In chapter 1, Job had been given an “emotional test” with the taking away of his property and children. Then, in chapter 2, Job is given a “physical test” by way of an affliction of boils all over his body.

Satan then enters Job’s wife causing her to suggest to her husband that he “curse GOD and die” (Job 2:9). However, Job recognizes this trick, and instead, rebukes his wife for “talking like a “GODless woman who would only accept good things from the LORD, and is never willing to receive those tests from GOD that help define, refine, and grow our character.

Here in Job 3, verses 20-23, Job does, however, lament against GOD, showing us, perhaps, the real reason for GOD testing this “righteous believer”, and man of seemingly unshakable faith. We see in verse 25 Job stating that, “What I’ve always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come to be” (NLT). Here we see that, despite Job’s apparent righteousness, piousness, and many blessings from GOD, he still harbored an unjustified, deeply rooted doubt, or, lack of trust in GOD. And it is through these tests and trials that GOD will grow Job past these unwarranted doubts that he has kept stored up deep in his heart.

In Job 4, verses 6-7 Job’s friend Eliphaz poses several question to the downtroddened man of GOD that we can all ask ourselves concerning the strength of our faint in GOD in times of trouble.

·         Does your reverence for GOD give you no confidence?

·         Shouldn’t you believe that GOD will care for those who are upright?

·         Does the innocent person perish?

·         When has the upright person been destroyed?

In chapter 8, verses 4-8, another friend Bildad suggests reasons for Job’s suffering which may be right in principle, but they suggest also that there are people on this earth who are pure in the eyes of GOD. Mere men cannot present themselves in a case before GOD as being innocent of sin, because of our many, already proven, imperfections. We must never forget that all mankind is guilty before GOD (chapter 9).

In Job chapter 11, the third friend, Zophar, weighs in with his opinion that GOD is actually punishing Job less than he deserves, because of his obvious sins against GOD. He suggests also that Job needs to repent of his wrongdoing, and then, his life would be trouble-free again. Those of us, who have been trying to live right for a while, certainly know that that is not true. Life always holds tests and trials, as they are needed in order to build our strength and character so that we can better serve the LORD.

The Book of Job is a long answer to common questions about our sufferings and trials in a world that is permeated in sin. If GOD is the sovereign Lord over all things, many may ask, “Why does he allow suffering to come to the righteous and good fortune to the wicked?” During Job’s ordeal, he was forced to examine this very idea, and also, to scrutinize his very conception of GOD.

The primary view of his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, was that human suffering is a direct result of sin. In their minds, they believed that God punishes the wicked in this world by sending afflictions upon them, and that HE rewards the righteous by providing blessings to them, and in essence, they are right.

However, that logic did not explain Job’s situation, since he knew he was a righteous man, and had done nothing to earn the suffering that he was enduring. We now know that Job was afflicted in various ways, as a test of his faithfulness to GOD. Yet, Job himself didn’t understand why “he” had to be the object of that test.

Integrity in seeking GOD means that we seek GOD for the right reasons. When we seek GOD through prayer, for instance, we must not pray for things that are contrary to the will of GOD. And prayer should never be an attempt to bend the will of GOD either, but rather, it should always be aimed toward submitting our wills, to will of GOD.

Every man is tempted when he is drawn away from GOD, by way of his own lust. That is why it is so important to stay close to GOD, through obedience to his word, as Job did. Remember, JESUS HIMSELF WHO really was perfect, started being tested just hours after he stepped out of the River Jordan, and was last tested while he was hanging on the cross.

In Mark 1:12-13, John Mark tells us that JESUS was compelled into the wilderness by the HOLY SPIRIT, where HE was tempted by Satan for forty days. In Mark 14:25, JESUS promises HIS Disciples, that HE would not drink wine, until the day HE drank it new, in the Kingdom of GOD. However, we see in Mark 15:36, that HE is tempted with wine, even while hanging on the Cross, in a final effort to get HIM to sin by making HIMSELF a liar, just seconds before HIS death.

So, when we begin to gripe and complain about troubles in our lives, remember, JESUS had to endure tests and temptations too, and as we all know, HE never sinned. So, who are we to complain? How can a Mortal be righteous before GOD? None is more righteous than JESUS. Job endured these test, because he had integrity in seeking GOD, and that’s the real lesson here.

The kind of character and integrity we have within is what will come out in times of stress and trouble. That is why we must aspire to fill ourselves with the words and ways of GOD daily. Then, when all seems hopeless, we, through our faithfulness to GOD, will always be able to endure the tragedies that are, indeed, synonymous with the human existence.

As believers, we must have a focus contrary to that of the world. We must, at all times, look beyond the world to the safety of GOD. There can be no excuses in life, only choices, and in GOD’s great strength, we can always choose what is right, despite pressures from the world at-large, which is really what entrenches us in a state of hopelessness in the first place.

A Sunday school lesson by,

Larry D. Alexander

Larry Dell Alexander (1953–) - Encyclopedia of Arkansas

LARRY D. ALEXANDER'S BOOK BY BOOK BIBLE STUDY

larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com

            Larry D. Alexander's Books and Publications Spotlight

Larry D. Alexander - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

                                 

                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website