#1141 Amos 4 Divas Of Bashan

 

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,

who are on the mountain of Samaria,

who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,

who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’

2 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness

that, behold, the days are coming upon you,

when they shall take you away with hooks,

even the last of you with fishhooks.

3 And you shall go out through the breaches,

each one straight ahead;

and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”

declares the Lord.

4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress;

to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;

bring your sacrifices every morning,

your tithes every three days;

5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,

and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;

for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”

declares the Lord God.

Israel Has Not Returned to the Lord

6 “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities,

and lack of bread in all your places,

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

7 “I also withheld the rain from you

when there were yet three months to the harvest;

I would send rain on one city,

and send no rain on another city;

one field would have rain,

and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

8 so two or three cities would wander to another city

to drink water, and would not be satisfied;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

9 “I struck you with blight and mildew;

your many gardens and your vineyards,

your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

10 “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt;

I killed your young men with the sword,

and carried away your horses,

and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

11 “I overthrew some of you,

as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;

because I will do this to you,

prepare to meet your God, O Israel!”

13 For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind,

and declares to man what is his thought,

who makes the morning darkness,

and treads on the heights of the earth—

the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name! Amos 4 ESV

Amos 4

…17And as for you, son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says: Call out to every kind of bird and to every beast of the field: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great feast on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as though they were rams, lambs, goats, and bulls— all the fattened animals of Bashan. 19At the sacrifice I am preparing, you will eat fat until you are gorged and drink blood until you are drunk.… Ezekiel 39: 17-19

1-3 You cows of Bashan - This is in an area in northern Israel known for its exceptionally large, well fed livestock. In Psalm 22, which details and predicts Christ's suffering on the cross, it mentions being surrounded by the bulls of Bashan, making a comparison to those that were judging and calling for Christ's crucifixion, probably many of the rich who sat on the Sanhedrin, those that abused their power, neglecting or taking advantage of the poor.

“The sarcastic epithet cows of Bashan seems to refer both to the luxury that the wealthy women enjoyed and to a certain voluptuousness and sensuality which their extravagant life-style afforded them.” (Hubbard)

…11Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.… Psalm 22: 11-13

Who say to your husbands, bring that we may drink - These divas expected nothing less than first class accommodations, to be waited upon, served, even at the expense of the poor, if someone else starves then it was worth it because they needed to live in luxury. They were the kind of people that would think of love as something based in feelings, a shiny thing, to be bought or received, a sentiment, and they were incapable of knowing true love, for there was no room for true self sacrifice, theirs would have to come with a trophy. The poor were to be warn about their necks and groveling at their feet. Their husbands were a source of income and needed to idolize these high maintenance princesses, who were the center of their world.

…41But give as alms the things that are within you, and you will see that everything is clean for you. 42 Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.… Luke 11: 41-43

…20Now then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat. 21For as you eat, each of you goes ahead without sharing his meal. While one remains hungry, another gets drunk. 22Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? No, I will not!… 1 Corinthians 11: 20-22

4 & 5 Come to Bethel, and transgress - Bethel means "House of God", but they did not worship God there in the manner that He prescribed. Even if they brought sacrifices every morning, followed religiously a set of rites and ritual practices, yet these would only multiply the transgression. They prayed to God by way of metal calves, idols, which He strictly forbid, directed by priests who He did not pick, they were not Levites. In fact, anyone who wanted to be a priest, for the sake of exercising such influence, for the sake of choice wine and meat, could buy this office for a price. The Samaritans no longer worshiped the true God, they worshiped idols, they worshiped themselves.

11 I am sick of your sacrifices. Don’t bring me any more of them. I don’t want your fat rams; I don’t want to see the blood from your offerings. 12-13 Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins? The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils. Your holy celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath, and your special days for fasting—even your most pious meetings—all are frauds! I want nothing more to do with them. 14 I hate them all; I can’t stand the sight of them. 15 From now on, when you pray with your hands stretched out to heaven, I won’t look or listen. Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear, for your hands are those of murderers; they are covered with the blood of your innocent victims.

16 Oh, wash yourselves! Be clean! Let me no longer see you doing all these wicked things; quit your evil ways. 17 Learn to do good, to be fair, and to help the poor, the fatherless, and widows. Isaiah 1: 11-17

6-13 I gave you cleanness of  teeth - He brought famine as an answer to their misuse of plenty. They were ungrateful for the much, unsharring, jealous of their neighbors, so He took away that which they had, but this did not bring them to the repentance spoken of by the prophet Isaiah above.

I withheld rain - They were a very agricultural community, and bread was a staple, so when there is no rain there was no irrigation back then, drawing from the well would be too labor intensive to water a crop. Instead of turning to God they turned to other areas that had received rain, but though it wasn't enough, yet they would not humble themselves. During Elijah's ministry it did not rain for more than 3 years, and this will happen again during the Tribulation.

16So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.… 1 Kings 18: 16-18

I struck you with blight and mildew - Crops are much more fragile, but here even the fruit trees, which are planted once and send out deep roots, even these that were counted on to flower and fruit every year were brought to failure.

I killed your young men with the sword - No longer did He fight their battles for them, and so their young men, the strength of their cities, were annihilated by war.

You were as a brand plucked out of the burning - God destroyed Sodom and rescued only Lot and his daughters. His wife was brought out with them, yet her heart remained in Sodom so God gave her over to their destruction with them. Israel was like Lot's wife, or as someone who fled the city right before it's destruction, knowing that God was against sin, and in order to be just that He would have to pay to it the wages, yet their hearts were attached to what was perishing. He spared this remnant from the complete destruction experienced by Sodom, and we would think that would be the trumpet sound that warned them of their sin, convinced them of their foolishness, yet they did not turn to God.

Prepare to meet your God - When He has warned them often, and more than strongly suggested they repent, only a lost person would not tremble then at the thought of facing God. You boast now but every ounce of your strength will feel like it is draining into your feet. They will beg the mountains to fall on them, and like the Israelites in the wilderness they will not want to hear the voice of God. You will only know that you are naked, but look, the locust have eaten all the fig leaves. 

…30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering.… Hebrews 10: 30-32

4I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him! 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.… Luke 12: 4-6

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#1224 Hosea 6 Former and Latter Rains

 

“Come, let us return to the Lord;

for he has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.

2 After two days he will revive us;

on the third day he will raise us up,

that we may live before him.

3 Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;

his going out is sure as the dawn;

he will come to us as the showers,

as the spring rains that water the earth.”

4 What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?

What shall I do with you, O Judah?

Your love is like a morning cloud,

like the dew that goes early away.

5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;

I have slain them by the words of my mouth,

and my judgment goes forth as the light.

6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant;

there they dealt faithlessly with me.

8 Gilead is a city of evildoers,

tracked with blood.

9 As robbers lie in wait for a man,

so the priests band together;

they murder on the way to Shechem;

they commit villainy.

10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;

Ephraim's whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.

11 For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.

When I restore the fortunes of my people, Hosea 6 ESV

Hosea 6

1-3 He has torn, that He may heal us - We are told in Scripture that a wise man takes correction. What kind of God would He be to say that these things to which we have fallen away, that He has called sin, are damnable crimes, but then not take up the responsibility for that which He has made? He that declares himself just without seeking that justice, which is within his power, is a liar. God has loved us while we were yet sinners, but He is just, so Christ died for us. 

11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; 12for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.… Proverbs 3: 11-12

On the third day He will raise us up - So quick is He to restore to favor those that seek His forgiveness. Remember, a broken and contrite spirit He will not turn away. 

After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up: Hosea prayed this full of confidence in God’s love and power to restore. In the prayer, there is a shadowy prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection on the third day. The context supports this wonderfully; on the cross Jesus was torn and stricken for our sake, yet He was also gloriously raised up on the third day. - Enduring Word

As the spring rains that water the earth - "As the former and latter rain", the first rain of the fall and the rain for the spring crops. Farmers in that area were dependent upon rain and God often judged by withholding rain. During the time of the prophet Elijah God stopped the rain for more than three years, and will do this again during the Great Tribulation. There is a silly, yet dangerous movement called the "Latter Rain Movement", started by William Branham in the late 1940s, that was a Pentecostal movement, seeking signs and wonders, claiming healings and putting forth as evidence of the Holy Spirit, foolish behavior. Even charismatics from that time denounced the movement, yet it gained foot in many areas, popular for it's healing claims and prosperity gospel. From them has come other false prophets such as Oral Roberts, the Toronto blessing, Kansas City prophets and Dominion movement. What were they missing, what was the drought that Hosea spoke of? Just above he says, "let us know, let us press on to know the Lord", and in the preceding passage he says, "my people die for lack of knowledge."

God's coming like refreshing "rain" in the time of revival of Israel which is in marked contrast to His dealing with the sinful, unrepentant nation (north and south kingdoms) as a moth and rottenness in (Hos 5:12+). - Precept Austin

4-6 Your love is like a morning cloud - It evaporates quickly with the rising of the sun.

Sometimes Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent under their sufferings, but their goodness vanished like the empty morning cloud, and the early dew, and they were as vile as ever. Therefore the Lord sent awful messages by the prophets. The word of God will be the death either of the sin or of the sinner. God desired mercy rather than sacrifice, and that knowledge of him which produces holy fear and love. This exposes the folly of those who trust in outward observances, to make up for their want of love to God and man. As Adam broke the covenant of God in paradise, so Israel had broken his national covenant, notwithstanding all the favours they received. Judah also was ripe for Divine judgments. May the Lord put his fear into our hearts, and set up his kingdom within us, and never leave us to ourselves, nor suffer us to be overcome by temptation. - Matthew Henry

I have hewn them by the prophets - This will be true for both the northern kingdom and Judah. Hewn means to chop or cut something. God was wounding them, cutting out what didn't belong, confronting what cannot be associated with those that are associated with His name. They bring God's word which is sharper than any two edged sword, and sometimes, in the case of Samuel in the days of the Old Covenant, he literally cut and chopped. God's true prophets always confronted sin, no matter what the cost. False prophets tended to make Israel feel comfortable in their sin, and promise God's blessing though He had not sent them. God also brought in the nations against them, the same to which they went whoring.

15Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. 16But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy. 17So He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans, who put their young men to the sword in the sanctuary, sparing neither young men nor young women, neither elderly nor infirm. God gave them all into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,…  2 Chronicles 36: 15-17

10 Now the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. 12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal.” 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”

15 And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

And he said to him, “Speak on.”

17 So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? 18 Now the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are [b]consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the [c]spoil, and do evil in the sight of the Lord?”

20 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 So Samuel said:

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of [d]witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”

26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously.

And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel. 1 Samuel 15: 10-35

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings - The sacrifices proved nothing, they were totally superficial. Jesus refers to this passage twice.

…11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”… Matthew 9: 11-13

…5Or haven’t you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.… Matthew 12: 5-7

7-11 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant - Don't eat of the fruit of this one tree, do this and you shall live, and all the people agreed, but only verbally. Do not lie, and here is the temptation, now what shall we do? Our part of the covenant is to walk in the knowledge of the Lord. He says, "thou shalt not commit adultery, and even that he who looks upon a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery in his heart", so shall we continue in sin? He tells us to visit the fatherless and the widow in the time of their affliction, to show mercy if we would have mercy shown to us. If you think you are in a negotiation then you are apostate. He has revealed to you where this comes from, that we are all fallen in Adam, and that this evil originates in our depraved hearts. 

Boice on like Adam - The point is that the rebellion of Israel is something that lies deep in human nature, having been inherited from Adam, and therefore does not surprise God. This does not excuse Israel; for it is "they" who have broken the covenant... like Adam. It is merely that they have inherited their unfaithful nature from Adam and may therefore also be said to have broken the covenant "there." (Ibid) - Precept Austin

…21For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.… 1 Corinthians 15: 21-23

So the priests band together - They tow a line that was not handed to them by God, preach a gospel that does not save, for the love of money and human accolades they fall away. The people are dying for lack of knowledge, but why do you withhold from them? You are like the papal dynasty, killing men for printing God's word in the common language, blocking the way with your gross interpretations, you add what is not there, and take away the things you don't like or your audience does not want to hear. 

…25The conspiracy of the princes in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing its prey. They devour the people, seize the treasures and precious things, and multiply the widows within her. 26Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey, shedding blood, and destroying lives for dishonest gain.… Ezekiel 22: 25-27

J Vernon McGee has an interesting comment - In other words, the priests in refusing to give the people the Water of Life and the Bread of Life were actually committing murder. To be honest with you, I think that a minister who stands in the pulpit and does not give out the Word of God is guilty just as it is stated right here. I did not think that up—it is the Word of God which says that. - Precept Austin

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#803 The Poor and Those That Think They Aren't

Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!

2 May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness!

4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

5 May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

7 In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

9 May desert tribes bow down before him,

and his enemies lick the dust!

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts!

11 May all kings fall down before him,

all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live;

may gold of Sheba be given to him!

May prayer be made for him continually,

and blessings invoked for him all the day!

16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;

on the tops of the mountains may it wave;

may its fruit be like Lebanon;

and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field!

17 May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!

May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed!

18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. Psalm 72

A Psalm (of, or for) Solomon.

Give the king your justice - This seems to have been penned by Solomon, but as David's prayer to God for his next in line. It is not the esteem of just an office, lineage or other fanciful reverences that men place, out of context with where authority comes from. No, he is desirous of doing the job well, in righteousness and reason. In other words, with God's blessing.

…21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.… John 5: 21-23

May he defend the cause of the poor of the people - The poor are with you always, and it is often because of men's depravity that they take the position of the poor to be their advantage over them. In our own country men came after the abolitionist, saying that it was not right of them to put their religious views, interpretations of the Bible regarding human treatment against those who wished to use the poor, the slaves. It took away their means toward greedy ambition. It is also not right for the courts to be swayed by position or money, for that is not justice that the poor cannot afford. It is not truth that can be changed with dollars. If I am to be just then I must know the truth, not look at the name or station, but at the matter. As a man, to be just, I must also know mercy, otherwise I will condemn a better man than myself from the soap box of self righteousness. Those that we punish should be measured against the law, the spirit of the law, and then what would be done to us for the same infraction. I have too often seen men in power commit the worse of a similar offense, excepting anywhere from nothing to a slap on the wrist, then throwing the book at someone who did the same thing but in ignorance. 

…4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.… Matthew 7: 4-6

- It is much better to be poor than to be an oppressor; for both the needy and their children find an advocate in the heavenly Solomon, who aims all his blows at haughty ones, and rests not till they are utterly destroyed. - C. H. Spurgeon

…5 For if you really change your ways and deeds, if you act justly toward one another, 6 if you no longer oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will allow you to live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.… Jeremiah 7: 5-7

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass - It never fails my eye the morning after the mowing. There is a tinge of brown, like every blade has been burnt or sucked dry, but oh how it responds to a good rain that evening, and like the breaking of a fever or the quenching of the thirst, how much better things look the following day. We will be cut down at times in this life, but to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, they know that this marks the time of coming growth. We look to the heavens for rain.

…15 What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul. 16 O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and let me live. 17 Surely, for my welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.… Isaiah 38: 15-17

He delivers the needy when he calls -

- He permits them to be so needy as to be driven to cry bitterly for help, but then he hears them, and comes to their aid. A child's cry touches a father's heart, and our King is the Father of his people. If we can do no more than cry it will bring omnipotence to our aid. A cry is the native language of a spiritually needy soul; it has done with fine phrases and long orations, and it takes to sobs and moans; and so, indeed, it grasps the most potent of all weapons, for heaven always yields to such artillery. The poor also, and him that hath no helper. The proverb says, "God helps those that help themselves; "but it is yet more true that Jesus helps those who cannot help themselves, nor find help in others. All helpless ones are under the especial care of Zion's compassionate King; let them hasten to put themselves in fellowship with him. Let them look to him, for he is looking for them. - C. H. Spurgeon

Precious is their blood in His sight - God is not a respecter of persons, neither the Son of God, nor the His Spirit, and so no man should sacrifice another to his own ego, life belongs to the Creator of life. A king must and should always respect all men as made in the image of God. Whatever allowance you make against this is against all men. Those that hold themselves up in such a fashion will find themselves against a Holy God, and will find that He is in need of nothing from them. 

1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be? 2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being, declares the LORD. This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word. 3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who praises an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.… Isaiah 66: 1-3

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#673 God Speaks

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?

3 Dress for action like a man;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

6 On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

7 when the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors

when it burst out from the womb,

9 when I made clouds its garment

and thick darkness its swaddling band,

10 and prescribed limits for it

and set bars and doors,

11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,

and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

12 “Have you commanded the morning since your days began,

and caused the dawn to know its place,

13 that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,

and the wicked be shaken out of it?

14 It is changed like clay under the seal,

and its features stand out like a garment.

15 From the wicked their light is withheld,

and their uplifted arm is broken.

16 “Have you entered into the springs of the sea,

or walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you,

or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?

18 Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?

Declare, if you know all this.

19 “Where is the way to the dwelling of light,

and where is the place of darkness,

20 that you may take it to its territory

and that you may discern the paths to its home?

21 You know, for you were born then,

and the number of your days is great!

22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,

or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

23 which I have reserved for the time of trouble,

for the day of battle and war?

24 What is the way to the place where the light is distributed,

or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?

25 “Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain

and a way for the thunderbolt,

26 to bring rain on a land where no man is,

on the desert in which there is no man,

27 to satisfy the waste and desolate land,

and to make the ground sprout with grass?

28 “Has the rain a father,

or who has begotten the drops of dew?

29 From whose womb did the ice come forth,

and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?

30 The waters become hard like stone,

and the face of the deep is frozen.

31 “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades

or loose the cords of Orion?

32 Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season,

or can you guide the Bear with its children?

33 Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?

Can you establish their rule on the earth?

34 “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,

that a flood of waters may cover you?

35 Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go

and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

36 Who has put wisdom in the inward parts

or given understanding to the mind?

37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom?

Or who can tilt the water skins of the heavens,

38 when the dust runs into a mass

and the clods stick fast together?

39 “Can you hunt the prey for the lion,

or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,

40 when they crouch in their dens

or lie in wait in their thicket?

41 Who provides for the raven its prey,

when its young ones cry to God for help,

and wander about for lack of food? Job 38 ESV

The reader of Job has an understanding, from the first two chapters, that God is more than aware of Job's predicament, but none of the human players in this drama have this clarity. They have told Job from the perspective of tradition, human doctrines, supposed encounters with spirits and supposedly as the mouth piece of God, that this is all an issue of cause and effect. Job is in their eyes a transgressor, and they desire that he repent. This is all based very much upon the pillars of a material and works related religion. Until now, in this 38th chapter, God has remained silent towards Job, who has very much wished for God's presence. He has desired an audience with the only one Who can show him right, to explain his situation. Upon more contemplation he has desired even a mediator.

And the one inside answers, ‘Do not bother me. My door is already shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ 8I tell you, even though he will not get up to provide for him because of his friendship, yet because of the man’s persistence, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9So I tell you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.…Luke 11: 7-9

That storm that had long been approaching, the muse to Elihu's eloquent prose, was now the tornado before them. The storm at a distance was inspiration and testimony to a powerful Creator, and a twister would be so feared as the finger of God now in front of them. It would pale most men to be so close to the whirlwind, yet here is the paralysis, from the whirlwind comes the voice of God. God speaks through the storm. I was excited to come to this chapter, but now I must confess that it is hard to write about it. My eyes water at trying to imagine it, his loneliness, the want of such a meeting, but what a frightening presence when it appears. I have heard so many say, "when I see God, I am going to ask Him this or tell Him that," will you? Remember, Job was discouraged by Elihu to ask for the presence of God, and God does nothing that He does not want to do. Here He is, to speak on His own behalf, and this makes it even scarier to write about, but these are my thoughts, my notes, and like Job I want to have a relationship with a Holy and Just God, so I don't pretend at that sort of righteousness, but that which is by faith in His Son.

Who is this who darkens counsel - Everyone in this book was without knowledge of God's will and purpose, not only from the readers understanding of the conversation in heaven, but also of that which God knew from eternity past. Elihu was the most recent speaker before God steps in, but everyone here has misspoken. Job wants to be vindicated or as my wife's mom says, "I need closure," and his friends want to be held up as wise, but here is God, I tremble. Job wanted to face God like a man, and it is interesting that God says, "dress for action like a man", as if the ant could persuade the elephant. It's not two seasoned warriors coming to meet each other for the first time on the field of battle. It is not that sort of contest at all, a struggle, yes, and a place where God may bring us to overcome, but not man to man, sinner to sinner. It is, however, a most beautiful and unmerited encounter, the honor of being made in the image of God, valued in a moment that words can scarce describe. You can never again be the fly upon the wall, you never were, every thought you have about what we just read is open before the eyes of God. 

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside childish ways. 12 Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.…1 Corinthians 13: 11-13

Where were you - God is going to ask the questions, and this is the first problem for the demand of created things, they are not the Creator. You had a beginning, God is timeless, there is so much that God knows that we have not yet seen and cannot now wrap our heads around. He is eternal and the origin of the finite. 

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?” 58“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.…John 8: 57-59

I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed. 6 I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.…John 17: 4-6 

Thus far shall you come - The sea was a mass of great power and mystery to them. Even now, there are places in the depths that we have not traversed, and creatures that are still being discovered. Men marvel at the greatness of the sea, the changing of the sea, the effect of weather upon it and it upon the weather, yet God is over this as well. You are standing where you cannot see the other side, yet He can, and under and through, it is all His doing, and that to which the angel's sing. 

Treasury of hail - Men will develop technology, create a stock hold of weapons and ammunition against such days of trouble or to obtain what others have, but God has stored up hail and snow as the confounding armory and commerce of heaven, befuddling large armies in hot, desert places. 

So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24 The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. 25 Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.…Exodus 9: 23-25

Has the rain a father - We look on as men, and we dive in as men, thinking, discovering and growing in knowledge about things that were made by Someone else. We even go so far as to take pride in the little understanding we have, yet we were also made, given these great faculties of the mind to follow each discipline of the sciences, which should only lead even the smartest man to humility and awe. "Fearfully and wonderfully", and listen to Spurgeon's clever anecdote on this:

God showed Job that man was completely unable to cause rain. Charles Spurgeon took this idea and likened rain to the grace of God. “If both Houses of Parliament were to be called together, and the Queen were to sit upon her throne of state, and they were unanimously to pass an act ordering the rain to fall, he that sitteth in the heavens would laugh, the Lord would have them in derision, for the key of the rain is in no hand but that of Jehovah. It is exactly so with the grace of God. You and I cannot command it. The presence of the most holy men in our midst would not of itself bring it. The most earnest preaching, the most Scriptural doctrine, the most faithful obedience to ordinances, would not make it necessary that we should receive grace. God must give it; he is an absolute Sovereign, and we are entirely dependent upon him.” (Spurgeon)

Guide the Great Bear - Job, like many of his contemporaries, would not only see the stars, but name the stars, know of these constellations, follow the patterns of the seasons, be guided as the Magi from the east, always evaluating the stars. This intimacy gained by much observation over long periods of time, before telescopes, televisions, and before light pollution, was nothing in comparison to the knowledge of the One Who made and hung the stars in their place, Who has stretched out the heavens. 

God goes on to describe the provisions He has made for the animals, and as He has graciously given us the intellect to investigate these things, so He has also given them the resources with the instincts to gather their food. The design is His, and this is not a cruel rebuke, for the truth is more like honey for the soul, water for the desert of the heart, washing away the delusions of the mind causing the seeds of wisdom to sprout. I bet there is some fear here, even though they are tired from much arguing, and Job from so much heart ache, yet I think there would also be relief mingled with tears of joy. God spoke to me, from the whirlwind, yes, but He spoke to me.

But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?” 39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and thesea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. 40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”…Mark 4: 38-40

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