SOAP 11/10/2015; Job 36:5

Today's reading: Job 35, 36; 1 Corinthians 7, 8

S) "⁵ Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any;
He is mighty in strength of understanding."

Job 36:5 (NASB)

O) Elihu's words continue, here. From this verse, he actually goes into a fair amount of detail, about how God will counsel kings directly, in their afflictions, about their sins. In their repentance there is restoration, but in their resistance there is destruction. The whole of that passage, though, all points back up to this verse. Elihu starts by clarifying that God, even though He is mighty, supremely powerful, completely sovereign, and a righteous judge (all of this relative to be mighty), He does not despise. This is an element of His holiness that cannot be missed. It is human nature, that when we are in the right we will despise those who are in the wrong. It is human nature, that when we are strong we will despise the weak. It is human nature, that when we are successful we despise those who fail. Most people will agree that these aren't really good responses, nevertheless, these responses prevail in humanity. Like many things we observe in humanity, we have a terrible tendency to project those things into God. In His the execution of His judgment or vindication, it can be easy to mistake His actions as contempt or disdain for those who are guilty. But that is how humanity would be motivated. That is not God. In contrast to us, God's actions are motivated, if you will, by His strength of understanding. This is why, as we can read in the ten verses after this, God reaches out to the afflicted, even if He directly caused the affliction.

A) Every verse that reveals God's nature, humbles me as I learn more and more about His character. This verse gives me a key insight into God's grace, and How the plan for redemption extends all the way backwards through time. I need to remember, when I feel afflicted, that God is seeking me during those times. So, when I turn to Him, I am assured that I will find Him quickly. Whether the affliction is the result of some sin in my life, or simply a time of God testing, the solution is the same. Then, my response must be repentance and worship, turning my heart to God fully.

P) Father, Your holiness is alluring to me. I am drawn to Your compassion and lovingkindness, which is uniquely married with Your sovereignty and might. You hold the keys to my redemption, salvation, and rescue. Your grace, that You do not despise me in light of my sin, humbles me and invites me to confession and repentance. Please forgive me, Lord. Help me to remember the depths, and even a glimpse of the cause, of Your grace and mercy. Help me to have a deeper understanding of Your holiness and love. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/09/2015; Psalm 86:11

Today's reading: Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4, 5, 6*

S) "¹¹ Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name."

Psalm 86:11 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Psalm 86

O) This is a prayer of David, seeking the LORD for help, and affirming his trust in God alone. In this particular verse, David asked for God to teach him, which was a fairly common thing for David to ask. In his life, there would not have been a lot of men who could teach the king, either because of status or because of trustworthiness. David sought the truth of God from the source, through prayer. Last, there is a fairly peculiar line. There are many verses, even in the Psalms, that deal with the ideal of fearing (i.e., revering) God. However, David used the word, "unite" when referring to the stature of his heart. This has a connotation of a divided heart on the subject. This is really the way most people are, when trying to serve God. This is the same concept Jesus meant, when He said you cannot serve two masters (see Matthew 6:24), James brought up with a double-minded man (see James 1:8), and Paul described, about not doing what he wants to do (see Romans 7:15-16).

A) This is very real to me, especially in the context of fearing God. In my flesh, I am very disrespectful of authority. In fact, it is one of the most clear marks to me, that God is at work in my heart, that I respect authority as I now do. However, it still takes efforts for me to fear the Lord. There are ways that fearing God comes plainly, but obviously every time I sin, I am choosing not to fear Him. Even beyond that, my thoughts of the LORD are not necessarily what someone would call reverential. In the part of myself that chooses, I choose to fear the LORD. In the part of me that is my personality, I might say, that part does not easily fear Him. So, this prayer fits me perfectly, because I want God to unite those two elements of my heart, to fear His name.

P) Father, teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. You are holy, righteous, and mighty. I am guilty, helpless, and broken. In Christ, You have already redeemed me, and I know His righteousness was given to me. I also see, that my sanctification is still in progress, God. So, please continue to teach me, that I will walk in Your truth, and unite my personality with my will, to fear Your holy name. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/08/2015; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13

Today's reading: Job 33; 1 Corinthians 1, 2, 3

S) "¹⁰ Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. ¹² Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, 'I am of Paul,' and 'I of Apollos,' and 'I of Cephas,' and 'I of Christ.' ¹³ Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 (NASB)

O) The letter to the Corinthians seems to answer many concerns that had been brought to Paul's attention, and in the first letter, we see that there had arisen some division within the church at Corinth. Apparently, there were various believers, who were trying to take sides with different teachers. We don't know to what extent they were debating sides, but that some would call themselves "of Paul" or "of Cephas" clearly means they saw some conflict in the teachings of these two apostles. The tricky thing about that, though, is that God does not contradict Himself. These were both apostles of Jesus Christ, Himself. God would not give them conflicting messages. But, more importantly, Paul is reminding this church, that no mortal man should be the focal point, anyway. After all, Paul was not crucified. It was not into his name that anyone was baptized. So, he implored the believers to lift their eyes higher than their teachers, and put the focus back on Christ alone. Paul had been literally idolized at least twice (recorded in the book of Acts), and he was quick to shut that down. Similarly, he did not want the Corinthians to even remotely idolize anyone. The passage begins with an exhortation to be "made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment." That happens by keeping the focus on the indisputable facts. Jesus Christ was crucified for them (and us), and it is into God's name that we are baptized.

A) With modern terms like "denomination," "dogma," and "systematic theology," it seems like modern Christianity is completely entrenched in divisions. Even going to a "non-denominational" church, I find myself being asked to choose between things like Calvinism and Arminianism. Really, though, this passage makes a pretty hard line against those kinds of divisions. As often as more than one person is reading something, we will find opposing interpretations of the subject matter. Certainly, after thousands of years studying difficult Bible passages, there will be some widely varying opinions. I think the most important thing, is for me to do what Paul did with this exhortation, and that is to bring it back to Christ. While there can be endless debates about eschatology or predestination, there should be no debate about the Lordship of Christ. While I could mine the Scriptures to try and discover how old the earth is, in reality, that is a fruitless debate that is in danger of causing a much more dangerous divide. Even in cases when a point of theology should perhaps be debated, I think it's most important not to take sides with previous debaters about it. It would be actively divisive for me to say I agree with some scholar, while another person says they agree with some other scholar. That is taking sides, highlighting more division. Instead, I must study Scripture carefully, striving to learn what it says, and if my opinion differs from that of another brother, I must tread lightly. I should strip the argument back to the most essential question: what is the gospel? I can never let an argument cost a relationship, inasmuch as it depends on me.

P) Father, I do not want Your house to be a house divided. It seems obvious that it would play directly into the hands of satan, for Christians to be so divided on doctrines that have nothing to do with the Lordship of Christ, or the gospel itself. Give me the boldness to fiercely proclaim the truth of the gospel, and the humility to refrain from meaningless, divisive controversies. Help me to resist the cultural urge to take up names other than Christ. I don't want to be a Lutheran, Calvinist, or Arminian. I don't even want to be a Catholic or Protestant. I want to be a Christian. That is all. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/07/2015; Job 32:7-9

Today's reading: Job 31, 32; Galatians 5, 6

S) "⁷ I thought age should speak,
And increased years should teach wisdom.
⁸ But it is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.
⁹ The abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may elders understand justice."

Job 32:7-9 (NASB)

O) These are the words of Elihu, who was a fifth character in the story of Job (that is, not Job and not one of the three friends). In v.4, we see that this man was younger than the other four, and customarily did not contribute to the dialogue. But, because of frustrations at the inability of the other three friends to reach Job (see v.5), he found himself unable to hold back any more (see vv.18-20). Regardless of his judgment of the situation at hand, he showed remarkable wisdom in this chapter. He began with a series of disarming statements, and in them, the above verses are found. He humbly acknowledged that the others were not his contemporaries, but he also gave credit to God for all wisdom. He affirmed that wisdom is not gained from age, but it is gained from God.

A) In years past, I would have related the most to this young(er) man, and the application of this passage surely would have been all about how I must humbly approach those who are older than me, before trying to introduce wisdom that is not truly from within myself, but from God. Those are all still good principles, and no doubt, there will continue to be occasions when I might counsel men older than me. Still, I find myself at a tipping point. No longer do I relate to the younger generations on TV, but instead I relate more and more to their parents on TV. Similarly, in this passage, I find that the words of Elihu are less of an encouragement to me as a young man, and more of a warning to me as a man approaching mid-life. As much as I ever enjoy teaching, I must always value learning. It is such an important thing, that I humble myself to remember that I do not hold the keys of wisdom and understanding. Truly, wisdom and understanding come from God alone. When I study scripture and think through theology, I must recognize that I do not have all of the answers. Good solid counsel is always valuable. I must remember, especially as I get older, that there can be as much to gain from men older than me, as there can be from men younger than me. The most important thing is whether their words align with holy Scripture. Perhaps the least important thing is the age of the speaker.

P) Father, You are the giver of all life and breath, and the giver of all wisdom and understanding. In grace, I have some understanding and wisdom. In grace, You also give more to other people. Please keep me humble, Lord, enough that I am always willing to be taught biblical wisdom, by anyone who knows the Bible, regardless of such temporal things as age (or gender, or race, or stature, or anything else). Open my eyes and ears, to receive whatever wisdom You will give me, by whomever You wish to use to teach me. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/06/2015; Psalm 120:6-7

Today's reading: Job 30; Psalm 120; Galatians 3, 4

S) "⁶ Too long has my soul had its dwelling
With those who hate peace.
⁷ I am for peace, but when I speak,
They are for war."

Psalm 120:6-7 (NASB)

O) In this song of ascents, lying lips are the source of anguish for the singer. It is unclear if these were the results political scheming, or some kind of personal attack on character, but the deceit is likened to sharp arrows, and it caused much woe. In the end of this song (which these verses are), there is no real closure, as there typically is with Psalms. In this case, there is a lingering restlessness. There is an open-ended form to this, because the problem was not resolved. The most compelling thing about these last two verses, to me, is the emphasis on time. "Too long" gives the impression that some short time is bearable. Conflict, lies, or opposing views can be worked out, resolving through discussion or negotiation. But when it drags on and on, without any progress, it is simply exhausting.

A) As much as anything, this warns me to be careful about engaging in confrontation. There are times when discussions are fruitful, but when it becomes clear that the other person(s) is not interested in peaceful resolution, I must be careful not to stay too long. When I have no recourse, then wisdom will have me seek God for refuge, sooner than later.

P) Father, You are the God of peace. I know that I should, as much as it depends on me, live at peace with others. I also know that there will always be people who simply hate peace. Please give me the discernment and discipline to recognize when I have engaged too long. Guide me resolve conflict according to Your will, and to seek refuge in You, when conflicts persist. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/05/2015; Job 29:2-4

Today's reading: Job 28, 29; Galatians 1, 2

S) "² Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;
³ When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
⁴ As I was in the prime of my days,
When the friendship of God was over my tent;"

Job 29:2-4 (NASB)

O) This chapter is a lament for times past. Job began the discourse with the above verses, and he went into quite a bit of detail throughout the rest of the chapter, describing a lot of how his life looked, before God allowed him to be tested as he was when he was speaking all of this. The notable thing is that, while reading through the chapter of hindsight, he never really mentioned a sort of self-awareness of the blessings he had, while he had them. That is, you get the impression reading the whole chapter, that he didn't know what he had till it was gone.

A) The opening verses here are haunting, when I go on to compare how Job was blessed, and I currently am blessed. Don't get me wrong, I do not have any of the prestige or influence, or affluence, that Job had. But still, in my life today, I am surrounded by a wife who loves me dearly, children who are healthy and like me. My family seeks God, together and individually (so far as the younger children are learning how). I have a good job with a livable wage. I am active in my church, and I'm blessed to be a part of many lives. With all of this, I can trace it back to see that God watches over me. His lamp shines over my head, and by His light I walk through darkness. I am in the prime of my days, right now, and the friendship of God is over my house... do I dare take any of this for granted? Obviously, under the grace of the gospel, there are elements that will not be taken away. The friendship of God that I have, the righteousness given to me through faith in Jesus Christ, this will not change. However, Job was tested because of his righteousness. He was not even tested despite of it, but because of it. Who am I, to ever presume to know what tests lie in wait for me? In an instant, God could take away my wife, my children, my career, my ministry; all of it could be gone tomorrow. Would that leave me as Job was in the verses above? Would I look back on today longingly, remembering when I felt the blessings of God upon my life so obviously? The only way I can avoid that same fate, is to strive to relate to Job's sufferings now, in the midst of my happiness. I must strive to more fully appreciate what I have, here and now.

P) Father, Your grace is humbling. Reading the story of Job, and realizing how quickly his test came upon him, makes me deal with the possibility that I could be tested in a similar way, any minute. I know that in Christ, I am promised reconciliation with You. The fact that the Holy Spirit is within me, brings comfort and peace such as Job was hard pressed to recover. Also, he was tested in literally biblical proportions. I would not think so highly of myself to ever imagine You might test me in the same way, to be such an example to countless people who may follow my life. Still, I know that tests and discipline will still be coming in my life, on some levels. I could selfishly ask that You not take certain things from me. But really, who am I to make such a request? I confess that everything I have is Yours to control. My marriage, my family, my job, my relationships, my ministry, my hobbies... all of it is Yours to do with them as You see fit. I only pray that I am faithful in the face of such testing. Find me faithful, Lord God. Help me to glorify You in every part of my life. And help me to more fully appreciate all of the manifested blessings You give me, while also realizing how briefly I may have them. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

SOAP 11/04/2015; Job 27:3-4

Today's reading: Job 26, 27; Mark 15, 16

S) "³ For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
⁴ My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit."

Job 27:3-4 (NASB)

O) There are many ways in which Job can be seen as an example for holy living. Obviously, God saw him as righteous (see the beginning of his story), and that righteous way of life extended to many areas of his life. Here, we see Job proclaim and affirm his honesty. The Hebrew word life, here, can actually be translated literally as breath, and the Hebrew word for breath, here, can literally be translated as Spirit. In Hebrew, the concepts for life, breath, and spirit are all very closely related. With the way that Job presented his statement, it gives the sense that his honesty is almost by compulsion. That is to say, because the spirit/breath of God was in his nostrils, giving him life, then as long as he has life/breath, he can only speak justly, and can only be honest. Because speaking unjustly and even muttering deceit would be against God's character, and this same God is who sustained Job's very life, his breath, then there was no way he could, with that same breath-spirit-life, speak lies.

A) Honesty became a very big issue for me, when I submitted my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I had lived such a deceitful life when I was rebelling against God, that it was one of the most stark differences between my life apart from Jesus, and my life with Jesus. In my marriage, and in my family, we place a very high premium on honesty. Without clinging to the truth, and in fact clinging to the Truth, every other part of my life will fall apart. Repentance and confession, sacrifice and compassion, teaching and serving, these all require truth in order to function. The way that Job presents the need for honesty, as a fundamental, necessary, axiomatic part of the very life within him, this is probably the very best way to explain the need for honesty. God gives me life, gives me breath. The Holy Spirit within me, gives me life and breathes into every part of me. So how could I, with that same breath, mutter lies or speak unjustly. If lies are every anything less than repugnant to me, then I should be alarmed.

P) Father, Your grace is upon me is readily apparent. I cannot abide lies in my life; they eat away at my soul. I confess that lies still try to creep in. There are still times, situations, instances however rare, when I am tempted to lie. I confess that I have crumbled under those temptations. Forgive my lying lips, Father God. Stoke the fire of Your Spirit within me, to purge me of lies that corrupt my heart. Let me lead my family in honesty, as an example of how You change Your children to reflect Your Truth. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.