Sunday, November 19, 2017

Job 19:15 says, They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.  Job said that even those who lived in his house and had served him acted as though they didn't know who he was.  We may forget that even at this time at least some of Job's servants reminded.  Job had been a good master to his maids and servants, but now that he was in need of comfort, they did not even want to look on Him.  I believe it is safe to say that Job had treated his servants well, or God would not have held him up as an example of a truly righteous man.  Verse sixteen says, I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.  Since Job was seemingly cast down by God, his servants no longer answered his call.  We need to acknowledge that if we see a person in great need, especially a fellow Christian, we are called to minister to them, and are not called to abandon them.  Then in verse seventeen Job states,  My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children’s sake of mine own body.  Job was abandoned by the person who should have been his greatest source of comfort in this life, his wife.  Job said he would have gladly died in his children's place, and his wife should have known this.  We have to understand that we cannot die for another person.  Only Christ was able to do that.  Still, we would like to believe that if we suffer a great loss, if we are married, that our spouse would truly be with us in sickness and in health.  Verse eighteen says, Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. Children tend to follow the example of adults, and since the adults around him despised Job, so did they.  I believe that we could use this as an example of why we need to set a good example for our children.  They may not always follow our good example, but we certainly do not want them following a bad one that we set for them.  Verse nineteen says, All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.  It is bad enough if our casual acquaintances abandon us in time of need, but Job said his closest friends, those that he had loved, had turned against him.  I believe that is what happens when people base friendship on material things.  Job could no longer offer his closest friends anything, so they abandoned him.  Verse twenty declares, My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.  Job said that he was still alive, but that he was barely holding on.  There are people today, even Christians, who are barely holding on to hope in life, and we as followers of Christ need to be there with them to offer comfort in their hour of need.  In verse twenty one Job cries out, Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.  Job was pleading with his friends to show him compassion, even though he felt that Go d was punishing him.  If we feel that God has indeed punished us for whatever reason, then this is the time we need the comfort of friends the most. Verse twenty two asks,  Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?  Job believed that he was being punished by God, and asked his friends why they weren't satisfied with God's punishment but felt the need to punish him more.  We need to be satisfied with the way God deals with each person, and if we feel that He is punishing them, then they need our comfort even more.  Verse twenty three says, Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!  Fortunately for us they were, so we can learn from what happened to Job and his friends.  Verse twenty four says, That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!  They were preserved even better than by being chiseled in stone.  Job's words were preserved by God Himself.  In verse twenty five, Job declares, For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  We, like Job, have to know that our Redeemer lives and will return for us.  Verse twenty six says, And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Like Job, we need to declare that even if this body returns to dust, we will one day see God not only in the spirit, but in the flesh as well.  Job continues in verse twenty seven, Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.  We like Job need to stand firm in our faith that we will see God.  If the spirit alone were saved, there would be no reason for Christ to return.  Verse twenty eight says,  But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?  Job asked if the root of his persecution was found in him, why did his friends feel the need to persecute him.  If we feel that someone is being punished by God, it is not our role to add to persecute them.  We should pray for their restoration and not condemn them for their condition.  Verse twenty nine warns, Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.  I believe that Job was warning his friends that they were setting themselves up for God's judgment.  If we attempt to judge others today as though we are morally superior, then we too will face God's judgment of our actions.

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