The Book of Job

Bob Sorge's Hermeneutical lens on the book of Job.

1. Job is a godly and blameless man.
2. His inexplicable calamity is the result of God's pleasure in his life.
3. The book is a primer on spiritual warfare, charting the perplexing territory between God's sovereign purposes, Satan's harassements, and people's opinions.
4. The purpose of the calamity is to glorify God by changing Job and bringing him to a higher spiritual inheritence.
5. The suffering of Job parallel Christ's cross in many ways.
6. Job's journey lays a pattern for God's dealings in our lives.
7. The book is a prophecy foretelling the nature of God's dealings in preparing the church for the end time harvest.

The Covenant of the Lord

When we study the covenant of God between Him and Abraham, we see a couple of important things. It is God who wrote and established the covenant. (Gen. 17:7) Also, God is the keeper of the covenant. Keeper in the sense that He will never break the covenant. It is an everlasting covenant. Keeper in the sense that we are unable to keep the covenant without his strength.

Yet, in order for Abraham to enter the covenant and keep his end of the covenant, he and all others who wanted to be a part of the covenant had one obligation which was to be circumcised. (Gen. 17:10) Yet, it was not to be only a circumcision of the foreskin, but a circumcision of the heart. He said to Abraham that you must live in my presence and be devout. (Gen. 17:1)

This is no different with the New Covenant that was established through Christ Jesus. It is only through God's strength that we are able to keep the covenant. To enter this covenant we must have a circumcised heart. A heart where the worldly thing and/or sinful things have been cut from our hearts. (Colossians 2:11) As children of God, we are to live in His presence a be devout. If we do not remain in God's presence and devoted to him, the covenant has been broken because of our uncircumcised hearts. (Gen. 17:14) This does not annul the covenant of God but annuls our partaking of His covenant.

Paul explains this in Romans 14:9-12 - "Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” ¹⁰ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; ¹¹ and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, ¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised."


We see that we enter the covenant of God by faith in Christ. It is not by works we enter into the covenant of salvation through Christ Jesus.

Romans 2:28-29 - " For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. ²⁹ But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God."

Our salvation is dependent on Christ's work on the cross, our faith and a circumcised heart. This circumcision is not done with a knife in the the flesh, but by the Spirit of God. We can not circumcise ourselves. We are circumcised when we give place to the Holy Spirit in our lives. Yet, different than natural circumcision in the flesh, we are circumcised by the Holy Spirit in salvation, but the flesh is not gone in a single moment. Therefore, we are still in the circumcising process. We are still under the knife so to speak. Yet, it is not us who cut the worldly things away in our lives, but the Holy Spirit as we remain yielded to him.

Laboring in Vain

Psalms 127:1-2 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

In vain you rise early and stay up late,toiling for food to eat—

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

So often we wear ourselves out for nothing. We do things God has not asked us to do. We take burdens that God has not asked us to carry. We strive in our own wisdom and strength. We work with all we have, but void of the power of the Holy Spirit. We come up with our own solutions to the problem we face, and not even consult God.

I know that we have done this many times. I remember when we went through financial troubles, months on end. We tried to solve them in our own strength by launching different business endeavors in Haiti that each fell flat on its face. Then we heard the Word of the Lord. God said, did I send you to Haiti to make money? You need to trust me. I will meet your every need. We then stopped striving in our endeavors. Guess what, we lack not good thing.

The House of the Lord

Psalms 122:1 - "I rejoiced with those who said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

I love this verse. There is no greater place to be than with the saints in the presence of the Lord. Yet, I am afraid that many a Christian has lost their love of coming together with other believers and offering up sacrifices of thanksgiving, and worshiping the Lord our God.

We as individuals are God's house (temple), but are part of the greater house of believers. The doors of the church are less frequented in many developed countries because we are more focused on our busy lives than the life of the body of Christ.

Hebrews 10:25 - "not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

We need each other more than ever as the days are becoming more blatantly wicked and Christ return is more eminent.

We can meet together in small groups, but when we do this only, we miss out on greater body ministry.

When I speak of the greater body ministry that often is lacking in small groups, I speak of a lack of:

- the five fold ministry which God established for his church.

- local and world evangelism.

- solid Bible teaching.

- accountability to the larger body of Christ.

- rubbing shoulders with people who are different than you (iron sharpens iron)

- a full worship experience.

Don't get me wrong I am not opposed to cell groups/home groups, but I am opposed to home groups alone. Cell groups/home groups have many pluses. Yet, home groups should be connected to the greater body of Christ, the local church. In the same way, a local church should be connected to the universal body of Christ.

Many believers confuse a house church with a home group. A house church is biblical and healthy as long as it functions as God's church and fulfills the great commission.

Steadfast Heart

Psalms 112:6-8 - "Surely the righteous will never be shaken;they will be remembered forever.They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes."

The righteous will never be shaken, and have no fear.

Why?

It is because of their steadfast hearts,

Why do they have steadfast hearts?

They have steadfast hearts because they are righteous and trust in the Lord.

Two sources of fear is the fear of being found out, and the fear that comes from lack of trust in God.

Do you have a steadfast heart?

Beauty in Holiness

Today I was reflecting in my devotions on the holiness of God. It is this holiness that makes him beautiful.

Psalms 29:2 - "Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." (NKJV)

True beauty is not outward but inward. Yet, we spend so much time on the outward and neglect the inner beauty. True beauty is the holiness of God shining through us.

If you are wanting to attract others to you, they will be drawn to you by your holiness. Any who are attracted to you by your outward appearance alone, you don't want them. Then there will be those few who are repulsed by your holiness and you are better off without them.

Are people drawn to you because of your holiness? What kind of people are attracted to you?

God's D-Day

Things were pretty messed up in the world into which the Savior was born so many years ago. The nation of Israel was under the oppressive boot-heel of the Romans. They had no rights, they paid oppressive taxes, and justice was non-existent.  But, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…”  (Gal. 4:4)  The world was a mess, but God was working out His eternal plans.

God is working out His eternal plans right now, in 2015.  He has not been caught off guard. In fact, the plan He is at work in executing today, is the exact same plan He initiated more than 2000 years ago. Here is the plan:

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.  (Isaiah 9:6-7)

These are not just comforting words that appear on Christmas Cards. The whole idea of Christmas is not quite as peaceful and tranquil as the sentiment of the season might indicate.  Yes, we rejoice, yes we take comfort, yes we receive hope because He has come.  But, this coming that we celebrate each December was God’s D-Day invasion on the shores of a world held under the control of an evil power. It was the beachhead by heaven that would soon spread to the whole world. Our Champion, Jesus Chris, came to do mortal combat with the enemy and win our freedom.   A child is born (Mary’s child, a man), a Son is given (God’s Son, Emmanuel), and THE GOVERNMENT shall be upon His shoulder.  Do you see it?  The Kingdom of God is a government headed by Jesus Christ our Lord! After the description of Him, and how this Kingdom would be far different than the oppressive government of Satan, we read: “Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:7)

He is still the Lord!  He is still on the throne. The difference is that His ever-expanding Kingdom is bigger now than it has ever been before. Of the increase of His government and peace…there will be no end! The guarantee of this is the zeal of our very own Lord. He will do what He says He will do.

We are, it would seem, nearing the end of the struggle of the ages between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness.  The outcome is sure. Though nations rage and people imagine vain things, He remains our Champion, our King and the Lord of all lords.