God Cares for the Poor, as Should We! Job 31

God Cares for the Poor, as Should We

Job 31:16-23 (ESV)
16 “If I have withheld anything that the poor desired,
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 or have eaten my morsel alone,
and the fatherless has not eaten of it
18 (for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father,
and from my mother's womb I guided the widow),
19 if I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
or the needy without covering,
20 if his body has not blessed me,
and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

In this final chapter of Job’s plea to God for relief from and an explanation, for his suffering, Job lists out twelve “if” clauses.  He is trying to justify himself before his friends and wants them to know that he has NOT done these things.  But IF he has done these things, he is willing to admit that certain disaster should come upon him.   In the above passage he is talking about caring for the poor.  He notes that “from my youth” he was taught to care for the disadvantaged.  Social justice for the disadvantaged is not a constitutional right, it is a human right based upon the character of God.   Notice what Job states would be his penalty if he does not care for the poor and those who are in some kind of need.   He states:

21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
because I saw my help in the gate,
22 then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder,
and let my arm be broken from its socket.
23 For I was in terror of calamity from God,
and I could not have faced his majesty.

He believes he should have his shoulder blade fall off!!   He believes he would be in “terror of the calamity from God.”  Remember, Job is claiming he was NOT like this.  But, he agrees that people like that ought to fear the terror of God’s justice when they are practicing injustice toward those in need.  God cares about the disadvantaged and so should we.  

Presence and Protection - Psalms 45-47

Presence and Protection

Psalms 46:11 (ESV)
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 46 starts out with this opening remark;

Psalms 46:1 (ESV)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

In between verse one and verse eleven are all the reasons why one and eleven can be stated.   God is our help and our refuge.   He is the strength we need for the battles of life.  God is our help in times of trouble.  Verse elevens states that He is the Lord of Hosts.   But the key is that God is “with us.”   That is the hope we have.    We have His presence at all times.   But, we also have His protection.  The second part of the verse states that God is our fortress.   In Christ we are in the presence of the God of the universe and have His protection.   There is nothing more comforting than those thoughts in our lives.   We can find refuge in God during trouble because we know He is with us and we know we have Him surrounding us.   His presence and protection is our strength in times of trouble and turmoil.  While the world seeks safety in its political systems, its financial institutions and/or its social structures, we, as believers, can find rest in the presence and protection of God over us.  

God Only Listens to Those of Faith - 1 Samuel 26-31

God Only Listens to Those of Faith

1 Samuel 28:3-7 (ESV)
3 Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. 4 The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. 6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”

What a blessing to have God listen to our prayers.   Prayer is probably the most underused, under appreciated and under cultivated gift we have in Christ.   Note what the New Testament writers say about prayer:

James 5:16 (ESV)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Romans 12:12 (ESV)
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

We simply, as modern day believers, don’t pray.  In the above text about Saul we see what happens when a man used by God, turns away from God.   Saul wanted wisdom from God, but, because of his sins, God turned away from him.  Note what we later read when Saul conjures up Samuel through a medium:

1 Samuel 28:16-17 (ESV)
16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has turned from you and become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done to you as he spoke by me, for the LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David.

God is not obligated to hear and respond to those who reject Him.  But, He will answer those who follow Him and seek Him.  The power of prayer is unmatched in the blessings of God to believers.   We ought to use it to the fullest.  Having God not listen to our prayers is terrible experience.   

God Destroys the gods! - Genesis 9-12

God Destroys the gods! 

Exodus 12:12 (ESV)
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.

The exodus from Egypt is an important historical fact of Israel’s national existence.    It also has significant theological purpose.  When Moses first approached Pharaoh, to demand that he let them go, Pharaoh resisted.   He even asked;

Exodus 5:2 (ESV)
2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.”

Pharaoh did not know God.  That does not mean that Pharaoh didn’t know gods.  In fact, the Egyptians had many gods.  The ten plagues God is about to bring on their nation actually correspond with ten of their gods.   Since Pharaoh did not know God, God was about to introduce Himself to him, by destroying and mocking each of his and the Egyptians gods.  Note:

1. Plague #1 - Water of Nile turned to blood - Egyptian god: Hapi- the god of the Nile. 

2. Plague #2 - Frogs out of the Nile - Egyptian god: Heket - god of fertility and renewal (symbol was the head of a frog). 

3. Plague #3 - Lice from dust of the earth - Egyptian god: Geb - god of the earth.

4.  Plague #4 - Warm of flies - Egyptian god: Khepri - god of creation, rebirth (symbol was the head of a fly). 

5. Plague #5 - Death of livestock - Egyptian god: Hathor - goddess of love and protection (symbol was the head of a cow). 

6. Plague #6 - Ashes turned to boils and sores - Egyptian goddess: Isis - goddess of medicine and peace. 

7. Plague #7 - Hail rained down from the sky - Egyptian goddess:  Nut - goddess of the sky. 

8.  Plague #8 - Locust sent from sky - Egyptian god: Seth - god of storms and disorder.

9. Plague #9 - Three days of darkness - Egyptian god: Ra - the sun god. 

10. Plague #10 - Death of firstborn - Egyptian god: Pharaoh - the ultimate power of Egypt. 

God took apart the Egyptian entire worship center to prove who He was and to make sure they would know who the God of Moses was.   

Pursue Love, Desire Gifts - 1 Corinthians 12-14

Pursue Love, Desire Gifts

1 Corinthians 14:1-3 (ESV)
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2 For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

In the above verses Paul is continuing his instructions to the church at Corinth in regard to their pursuit and use of spiritual gifts.  To understand his teaching we have to understand the backdrop of their history and the Greek worship system.  These believes were are one time, “pagans.”   Note:

1 Corinthians 12:2 (ESV)
2 You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.

In their pagan worship of “mute idols” the practice of gibberish was part of the worship service.   The Greeks thought this to be the language of gods.   The Corinthian church was starting to weave in their past practices with their current worship.  Paul found this wrong and was writing to correct them.   In the above passage he is telling them that in the act of using spiritual gifts (already explained in chapter 12) we need to first and foremost practice love (already explained in chapter 13).  But, the gift of tongues (what they were trying to simulate in the flesh like their pagan worship) was not as a preferred as the gift of prophesy (being explained in chapter 14).   Paul is going to use chapter 14 to outline why prophecy is a great gift and why they (the Corinthians) should don’t put so much emphasis on speaking in an unknown tongue.  They key Paul is stating here is that tongue speak in a mystery (if that) and do not edify the body.  But, prophesy (proclaiming God’s Word, plan and purpose) is edifying, upbuilding, encouragement and consoling to the entire body.   The Corinthians were, according to Paul, debase in their spiritual nature.  Rather than lift their worship to the level of God’s desire, they wanted to return to their old natures.   This is, however, all they new.  Paul is not, necessarily, admonishing them in anger.  He is teaching them in the Spirit about things they didn’t know.    Our worship ought not mimic what we knew in the flesh. It ought to be something we seek to glorify God, obey God and bring praise to God.   

Wealth and Salvation - Mark 9-10

Wealth and Salvation

Mark 10:23-27 (ESV)
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

The backdrop to the above verses is about the rich man who comes to Jesus to ask what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus knows he is rich and tells him to give away all he has that he might gain eternal life.   Jesus was not saying he could buy eternal life by doing the good work of giving away his goods.  He is showing him (and the disciples) that it is a matter of the heart.  The man had too much money and did not want to part with it, therefore he did not have God at the center of his heart.   Jesus uses this time to teach the disciples.   The disciples had no idea how to answer Jesus’ question.   This was typical of most of His questions to them. Jesus wants them to know:

1. The rich have many distractions in life.   Distractions cause us to look away from our eternal needs because we are so caught up in the world around us.  This is what James was warning us about in his epistle.  James was one of the three key disciples (along with Peter and John) and he might have been thinking of this event when he wrote this:

James 4:4 (ESV)
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The rich young ruler was a friend of the world and coveted his riches.  

2. The rich can be saved, but it is through the power of God.   Now, to be clear, no one has eternal life unless it is the power of God.  But, Jesus’ point, above, is that what seems impossible with man is possible with God.  Nothing is impossible with God.   Knowing that truth is vital to our working with those who reject God.  Even the riches, the most wise-in-their-own-eyes, and/or the most vial, who hate God, can be saved if God so wills it.  We ought not to give up on those who, at first reject Christ.   God is powerful.  He can turn the wicked heart and set it free from the bondage of sin. Or, the bondage of a 401K, a big boat, a condo on the oceans and/or a penthouse in Manhattan.   With God it is possible for anyone to inherit eternal life.  But, they will need to have Christ at the center of their lives.  

The Message Clarified and Messenger Encouraged! - Jeremiah 12-16

The Message Clarified and Messenger Encouraged!

Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)
19 Therefore thus says the LORD:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.

In this section of Jeremiah we have several themes unfolding all at once.  We have:

1. God declaring His wrath on the nation of Israel is being declared. 

2. Jeremiah is offering his complaint to God for this work and for the way he is being treated by the nation of Israel for their reaction to God’s wrath being told to them by Jeremiah. 

3.  The nation of Israel’s reaction to God word and Jeremiah’s delivery of that word is being unfolded.  

In the above passage we have God trying to encourage Jeremiah, while keeping the severity of His words intact.   God wants, in the above verse, to unfold the following. 

1.  The repentance of the messenger.  God has heard Jeremiah’s complaint about how he is being treated.     He wants Jeremiah to get his mind straight.   A messenger of God needs to have their mind on the things of God.  God assures Jeremiah that he will “stand before me.”   That is a promise of God.  Jeremiah can hang his heart and head on that promise.  

2.  The refinement of the message.  God is also saying to Jeremiah that if he speaks “what is precious and not what is worthless” he will be as God’s mouth.  That is an amazing truth as well.  That truth can allow Jeremiah to tolerate the suffering in order to convey the message.  

3.  The reinforcement of the ministry.   God, in the last line, assures Jeremiah that his ministry WILL BE affective.   God states, “They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”  Jeremiah is assured that God will fortify the ministry, enable him in the ministry and provide fruit from the ministry.  This is a great principle for Jeremiah to remember.   God gives fruit for HIS work through OUR efforts.  

God gives Jeremiah a promise, a truth and a principle to enable his ministry to stand, despite the situation and circumstances he faces.