OUTREACH SITE:   How to Avoid The Flu

A sudden crisis has erupted on the West Bank.   E1 Declared Closed Military Zone as  Crisis Builds on West Bank

ANNOUNCEMENTS: In spite of clear conditions all reports indicate the new moon has not  been seen; the new moon day must be delayed until tomorrow evening.  This is a rare case when observers do not confirm our calculations or the British Astronomy posts.  Since the lunar cycle is 29 and 1/2 days, no month can be longer than 30 days; therefore Monday will be the New Moon day, beginning Sunday at sunset.

We are only beginners at reviving the Temple Calendar practice, and are working very hard to perfect the method of calculation, which we always confirm by sighting.

SPECIAL MUSIC:  Zealous Over Zion.  This piece has a long Mideast style intro, the lyrics are in English.  It would be a good lively part of a Feast program.

The Second Eliphaz Discourse

Job is NOT about self righteousness, it is about loyalty to God in the face of severe trials; and the question of why the righteous suffer; and the greatness of God.

God tests his people to test their loyalty!  Who has not heard of the sacrifice of Isaac, the promised son of Abraham’s old age?  or Joseph’s years in prison; or the trials of all the faithful saints [Heb 11]?

Every person who is truly called out, from every generation, has his faith and loyalty tested!  Right now these COG Groups have been and are being tested, just like their forefathers:  and the test is about loyalty to God!

Will we be loyal to God and his word and commandments?  or will we be more loyal to human organizations, the traditions of men and religious executives?

Do we equate loyalty to some man, tradition or organization with loyalty to God?  Which IS IDOLITRY!  Or are we zealous and faithfully loyal to our espoused Husband and mighty God in all circumstances; whether in blessings or in severe trials?

Job 15

Job is accused of foolishness

1   Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 15:2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? 15:3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? 15:4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. 15:5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. 15:6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

Eliphaz claims to be much older than Job and that therefore Job should bow to the “wisdom” of his friends and not answer them.

15:7 Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? 15:8 Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? 15:9 What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? 15:10 With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

He claims that Job resists God when job is doing nothing of the kind.  Job does not sin against God; he merely asks:  WHY Lord?

15:11 Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? 15:12 Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, 15:13 That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? 15:14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? 15:15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

Eliphaz speaks of the fate of the wicked [which is true] but he declares Job to be wicked because of his trials [which is false].

15:16 How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water? 15:17 I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; 15:18 Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: 15:19 Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

15:20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. 15:21 A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. 15:22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. 15:23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

15:24 Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. 15:25 For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. 15:26 He [God resists the proud and wicked] runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: 15:27 Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

15:28 And he [the wicked is brought to desolation] dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. 15:29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. 15:30 He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

15:31 Let not him that is deceived trust in [the emptiness of wickedness and rebellion against God] vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.15:32 It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. 15:33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

15:34 For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. 15:35 They [commandment breakers] conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

 

Job Answers Eliphaz Second Discourse

Job complains that his friends are no comfort and accuse him wrongfully.

16:1 Then Job answered and said, 16:2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

Job admits that he would accuse his friends in the same manner if their roles were reversed.  This argument is about the knotty question of why God allows sorrows to befall people unless they are wicked. 

16:3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? 16:4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

Job says that he would also encourage and not just accuse.

16:5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

Whether Job speaks or is silent he has no comfort for God has allowed him to be made desolate.

16:6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? 16:7 But now he [God]  hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. 16:8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

God has allowed Job’s enemies to overcome him.

16:9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. 16:10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

16:11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. 16:12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. 16:13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

16:14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.16:15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn [strength] in the dust. 16:16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

Job is pure and perfect before God as God himself has said, yet Job does NOT sin against God by accusing God of wrong; instead Job seeks out mercy and pleads with God for relief.  Yet Job does begin to justify himself and not justify God’s actions.

Job complains instead of saying that God must have done this for a good reason.

This is not only about any self righteousness of Job, but about how much it will take to break Job’s loyalty to God! 

Job’s loyalty to God is being tested, ,just like we are tested day by day in another way; being asked to equate loyalty to God with loyalty to men, traditions and organizations. 

Job passed the test, but we are failing as we exalt men, organizations and traditions of men above the word of God, and seek to moderate our trials by compromising with the word and commandments of God; a thing that JOB DID NOT DO. 

Job was loyal to God throughout all his testing, while many of us are falling away from our loyalty to God during our own testing.

Job is not suffering for any personal sin, he is being tested by God.

16:17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. 16:18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place [Let me (Job) be delivered and not die to be covered by the earth, and let my cries for mercy not fall on deaf ears to be ignored.].

God knows me and my loyalty to HIM!  Even in this trial!

16:19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

The friends of the righteous scorn those who fall into trials; not understanding that God is testing his people and purging  them that they might bring forth abundant fruit in God’s good time.

16:20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

Job pleads for deliverance by God, seeking relief before he dies.

16:21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! 16:22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return. 17:1 My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

Mockers and accusers of the righteous will not be exalted in that day.

17:2 Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? 17:3 Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike [shake hands in agreement] hands with me? 17:4 For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

Neither shall flatters be accepted before God.  God wants those who are loyal to him and obey him in spirit and in TRUTH.

17:5 He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

God has made Job [the zealously loyal to him and his law] as an execration among the people; yet in due time God will deliver them and exalt them for their zeal and loyalty to god and all of his commandments

17:6 He hath made me [oftentimes the zealously loyal to God] also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a  [beautiful instrument] tabret. 17:7 Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

Through these trials the upright will be made stronger, and zeal shall be stirred up against the evil doers.

17:8 Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. 17:9 The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

As for job’s friends analogous of those who lack spiritual understanding, they are not wise in God’s sight.

17:10 But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

Job now laments that his life is over and he faces the grave because of his trials and disease.  yet he remains absolutely loyal to God even without the promise of eternal life and believing that there is no reward for his faithfulness and loyalty except the grave which is common with the wicked.

Job is not loyal to God for reward, but is absolutely loyal to God and all his commandments out of love and respect for them!

17:11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart. 17:12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness. 17:13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

17:14 I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm [maggot] , Thou art my mother, and my sister.17:15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?17:16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit [grave], when our rest together is in the dust.

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