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31 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 5 — Job 9:25 – 10:22. Job's reply to Bibldad (continued)

Study 5 From the Book of Job is: Job 9:25 – 10:22. Job's reply to Bibldad (continued)

  1. 9:33. The 'umpire' is mentioned for the first time in the book. Keep a list of the occurrences, noticing what new features each fresh mention brings. Suggest ways in which Jesus Christ has made Job's great wish a reality for us.
  2. What is Job's main desire in chapter 10? Do you think God is angered by such plain speaking? Cf. Pss. 55:1-8, 22; 62:8.
Notes
  1. 9:35. 'Deep in my heart I have no guilty fears.'
  2. 10:12. An extraordinary verse to find in a long complaint. Either it means 'Even in deep misery I am aware of an overriding loving purpose'; or 'Even my past happiness was designed as a prelude to my present misery'.

30 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 4 — Job 8:1 – 9:24. Bildad's first speech and Job's reply

Study 4 From the Book of Job is: Job 8:1 – 9:24. Bildad's first speech and Job's reply

  1. To what authority does Bildad appeal for what he says? How trustworthy do you think that authority is? What are Bildad's views (a) about God, and (b) about wicked men?
  2. What difficulties does Job find in this way as he tries to make God explain Himself?
Notes
  1. 8:4. A cruel remark. Job's children died because they sinned, according to Bildad.
  2. 8:11. Reeds wither without water. So wicked men fade away.
  3. 9:2. The meaning is, 'How can a man establish his righteousness before God?
  4. 9:13b. Rahab is probably another name for the dragon. . See RSV mg. Note to 9:8b.

29 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 3 - Job 6 and 7. Job's reply to Eliphaz

Study 3 From the Book of Ephesians is: Job 6 and 7. Job's reply to Eliphaz


Job is hurt by Eliphaz's attitude. He had hoped for help, not criticism(6:14). He flings questions at God.
  1. 6:1-30. What does Job's condition make him long for (a) from God, and (b) from men? What may we learn from his double disappointment?
  2. 7:1-10. By what metaphors does Job describe his present life? 7:11-21. What is the substance of his complaints against God?
Notes
  1. 6:5, 6. Even animals cry out in misery: and human beings exclaim at distasteful food. Why shouldn't Job complaints?
  2. 6:20. Thirsty caravans perish in the desert pursuing a mirage. Job is similarly cheated by his friends.
  3. 6:30. 'Cannot my taste...' means 'Am I quite without good reason for my complaints?

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28 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 2 — Job 4 and 5. Eliphaz's first speech

Study 2 From the Book of Job is: Job 4 and 5. Eliphaz's first speech


The First Cycle of Speeches 4 – 14)
The three friends, seeing Job's suffering, assume his guilt, and with mounting zeal urge him to repent. At first, Job is only grieve and hurt by this lack of understanding, but soon becomes irritated and angry. He wants God to explain Himself, and is acutely miserable.
  1. 4: 1-11. According to Eliphaz, what was Job forgetting?
  2. 4:12 – 5: 7. What did Eliphaz learn from his vision?
  3. 5:8-27. What is his view of Job, or God, and of divine chastening?
Notes
  1. 5:2. 'Vexation: an impatient querulous or presumptuous attitude.
  2. 5:6-7. Troubles in life come as sparks come, from somebody's actions. There must be a human cause. Cf. 4:8.
  3. 5:27. An appeal to scholarly research to buttress his orthodoxy.

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27 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 1 — Job 1-3

Study 1 From the Book of Job is: Job 1-3

  1. 1:1 -2:6. What is said here about Job's character, (b) position in life, and (c) sufferings?
  2. 2: 7 -3:26. In 2: 10 Job expresses his faith in God. In 3: 11 he wants to die; and in 3: 23 blames God for his troubles. How are we to account for this change?
Notes

  1. 2:13. The seven – day silence of Job's friends is a rite of mourning for a man they consider as good as dead, struck down because of his sins.
  2. Compare 3:1-26 with Je. 20: 14-18.                                                                                   LINKTO THE VERSES LISTED

26 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 0 — The introduction of Job

Study 0 From the Book of Job is: The introduction of the book of Job
Introduction
Outside the book itself, the chief character, is mentioned only in Ezk. 14:14, 20 and Jas. 5:11. We know very little about him therefore, and the date and the placing of the story are matters of surmise. All absence of clear links with the patriarchal or post-conquest. Israel point to an early date, and it is reasonable to take the descriptions of scenery and climate as referring to a country on the western edge of the desert. The book is written in Hebrew by a Hebrew.
We are given a portrait of a good man suddenly overtaken by extraordinary disasters. The main action of the book lies in a series of speeches between Job, his three friends, the young man Elihu, and, in the end, God Himself. In these speeches interest is sustained throughout by the presentation of opposing ideas about Job's misfortunes. Sharp divergences temperament and belief reveal themselves. The friends insist that suffering comes only when a man has sinned. So let Job knows that he has not sinned, at least not so greatly as to deserve so devastating a punishment. The principal agony lies, not in his diseased body, but in his bewildered mind. His cry to God to explain Himself is maintained with growing impatience. Job's real trial is theological. For he, like his friends, had once believed that men suffer here for their sins.
At last his desire is granted. God speaks to him, but very differently from his expectation. The sole divine answer consists of a vision of God's great power. Job, seeing his small concerns against this vast back-cloth, is humbled and silenced. Then God commends him, and he is restored.
The book is usually considered to be an enquiry into the reasons for innocent sufferings, with Elihu seeing furthest into its meaning, and purpose. Suffering is a merciful deterrent, aimed at reforming. Yet, from the standpoint of the Prologue, it is disinterested goodness which is under discussion. Satan asks, 'Does Job fear God for nought?' Implying that he fears God because he has been weighed down with wealth and possessions. Job then, by divine permission, becomes a test case, to see whether he does fear God for the inducements to do so which he gets from it. Stripped of family, wealth, health, reputation and friends, he emerges at last from the experiment unscathed and believing God when all comforting proofs of His presence has been withdrawn.
Perhaps this book also teaches in a limited way how God justifies a man who hash faith. He does it, not by explaining to him why life is as it is, still less by vindicating his alleged sinlessness. He does it by a personal showing of Himself to the man who cries for Him to hear, and clings to the hope of a revelation. And in that marvelous vision of power with which the book ends, totally unexpected, yet coherent and convincing as it is, Job like Thomas before the risen Christ, is delivered from his doubt, and bows in worship. God, in showing Himself to a faithful man, in the very act justifies him. Revelation in response to faith is justification. Job was 'right', but not for the reasons he supposed.
The study of the subordinate themes in the book is well worth the time. Job's preoccupation with death, for example, and his hopes of an after-life; his certainty that somewhere a mediator will be found; his irony, his reactions to his suffering, and his character; the characters, too, of his friends, so full of truths, so far from the truth. To these, and other matters, attention is drawn in the Notes and the Questions.



25 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 7 — Ephesians 6:10-24

Study 7 From the Book of Ephesians is: Ephesians 6:10-24


With this study, we end the book of Ephesians and tomorrow, we will delve into the book of Job
The same apostle and Epistle that show us how heavenly, complete and free is redemption in Christ, now indicate how certain, fierce and protracted is the conflict to be faced by those who belong to Christ.
  1. Why is conflict inevitable for all who belong to Christ? What is its character? What dangers which beset us are here particularly in mind? Cf. 2Cor. 10:3-5; 11:3. By what achievement is victory here repeatedly described? How alone may it be achieved?
  2. Some interpreters take 'truth' to mean inward sincerity and 'righteousness' to mean integrity and fidelity. Others think 'truth' here means the truth of the gospel, as in 4:21, and take ' righteousness' to mean 'the righteousness of God' given to us in Christ (see Rom 3: 22). Can you find a decisive answer? How alone can we make our standing sure before God, men and the devil? Cf. Rom. 5:1, 2; 8:33, 34; Pss. 15; 24:3-6; 51:6.
  3. Verses 18-20. Consider what is there implied about Christian praying—concerning its place, its character, its demands, its scope, and its particular interests and requests. Measure your praying by these standards.
Notes
  1. Verse 10. 'Be strong': literally 'be strengthened'. 'A person cannot strengthen himself; he must be empowered'. Our strength is to be continually maintained (present tense) by the outworked vigour of God's inherent power.
  2. Verses 11, 13. 'The whole armour of God': the complete outfit is thought of as one whole. What is most emphasized is its divine source.
  3. Verse 12. The word for 'contending', literally 'to wrestle' implies personal hand-to-hand conflict.
  4. Verse 15. For such fighting one needs to have a sure foothold.
  5. Verse 16. 'Flaming darts': devil inspired thoughts or desires, evil in their nature and tending to inflame the passions.



24 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 6 — Ephesians 5: 3-6: 9

Study 6 From the Book of Ephesians is: Ephesians 5: 3-6: 9
  1. 5:3-20. What are the positive motives and guiding princi
    ples of worthy Christian action, which the apostle here emphasizes? Add further items to your list (from Study 5) of actions, words and thoughts which ought (a) to be abandoned, and (b) to be expressed. Test your own life in this light. Why is constant watchfulness so necessary? What helps does God give to make such living possible?
  2. 5:21-6:9. The opening verse states a governing, principle. Consider how it is here applied to the common personal relations of everyday life---particularly those of wives, children and servants. What are the distinctive complementary responsibilities of husbands, parents and masters? Particularly notice in each case how the person concerned is in his (or her ) action to relate himself (or herself) to Christ.
  3. 5: 23-32. Study in detail what we are here told concerning the relation between Christ and His Church. What is the goal in view? How is it reached and realized?
Notes
  1. 5:14. Paul is here possibly quoting from a Christian hymn, addressed to those who have not yet believe in Christ. Cf. Is. 60:1.
  2. 5:26. 'The washing of water with the word': here some simply compare Jn. 15:3; 17:17, but the majority recognize a reference to baptism. 'The word' may then refer to (a) the gospel preached, cf. Lk. 24:27; (b) the formula used in Christian baptism, cf. Mt. 28:19, or (c) the answering confession of the person being baptized, cf. 1 Pet. 3:21, AV; Rom. 10:9.
  3. 5:32. 'A great mystery': the word 'great' here does not indicate that this truth is something 'very mysterious', but that this 'mystery' or 'divinely-revealed truth' is one 'of great importance'.



23 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 5 — Ephesians 4:1-5:2

Study 5 From the Book of Ephesians is: Ephesians 4:1-5:2

  1. Express in your own words the difference between the unity described in 4:3-7, as already existing among Christians, and that mentioned in 4:13-16,which Christians are to seek. How is the first to be preserved and how is the second to be attained?
  2. From 4:25-5:2 list the things which must be put away, and those which ought to take their place. Notice also in each case the reason given by the apostle why we must live thus.
  3. In what ways does Paul's fourfold description of the life of the Gentile world (4:17-19) apply to the life of the non-Christian today? In contrast, what three principles are to govern the behaviour of Christians (4:20-24)?
Notes
  1. Verse 7. 'Grace': under here, as also in 3: 2, 8, of God's gifts to His people in Christ in appointing them to His special work. Cf. Mk. 13:34; Mt. 25:14, 15.
  2. Verse 12 should be read with the first comma omitted, 'for the equipment of the saints for the work of ministry'.
  3. Verses 22-24. The tenses in the Greek show that the 'putting off' of the old man and 'putting on' of the new are definite acts whereas the 'being renewed' is a process. The living of this new Christian life is made possible for us through the continual renewing of the Spirit, enabling our minds to lay hold of the truth in Christ.
  4. Verse 26, 27. While there may be anger which is not sin, anger is dangerous. It may lead to some action which gives the devil scope to scribe a blow at the body of Christ.



22 July, 2016

Search The Scriptures —Study 4 — Ephesians 3

Study 4 From the Book of Ephesians is: Ephesians 3


The apostle shows that the union of Jews and Gentiles in one body in Christ was in God's purpose from the beginning, though only now fully revealed to men.
  1. Verses 1 – 13. What were Paul's personal calling and commission in relation to (a) the gospel, and (b) the Gentiles? Why was he chosen, and how was he qualified, for such service? Do you share his conviction that to suffer in such a cause is something to glory in rather than to be depressed about?
  2. Verses 14:21. Trace the progressive stages in Paul's prayer for his readers. What blessings would its full answer bring into our lives? What guarantees that such an answer is more than possible? What ought we also to learn concerning the way to pray for our fellow-Christians?
  3. What are the things included in the eternal purpose of God in Christ, in which Paul and all members of Christ's church are called to share? How may we more fully enter into our calling?
Notes
  1. Verse 1. Cf. 6:19, 20. Paul knew that his imprisonment was in the will of God, and in the interests of the truth and the spread of the gospel.
  2. Verses 2 and 9. 'Stewardship', 'plan': Greek oikonomia. The word refers originally to household management. In verse 9 (cf. 1:10), the reference is to God's administration, to His working out of His purpose in Christ. In verse 2, it is used of Paul's part in this---i.e., of the special commission assigned to Paul. Cf. 1 Cor. 9:16, 17.
  3. Verses 3, 4, 9. 'The mystery': i.e., divine truth hidden from natural discovery by men, but now specially revealed by the Spirit---particularly here the full content of God's plan for men's salvation.