Uncategorized


31
Jan 2021

In Job 32 Elihu was just getting warmed up. In this “evangelistic sermon” Elihu, describes how God can can speak to people through dreams and visions, or through sickness (which is a controversial point), in order to bring them back from the brink of destruction. It would seem that Elihu thinks that this is what Job needs to hear and that he is the messenger that God has sent to deliver the message to Job. His motivations may have been right, as he says he desired ‘to justify‘ Job (v.32). Perhaps it was a good......

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24
Jan 2021

In this chapter we are introduced for the first time to a new character named Elihu. He says he has been listening attentively from the very beginning of the discussion between Job and his three friends (See vv.10-14). He is fuming with wrath because he feels that the three friends have not done a very convincing job at condemning Job. So he makes a few opening remarks about respect for the elderly and their wisdom, but also wants to point out that wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. In fact he seems to......

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17
Jan 2021

In this chapter we learn a lot about the kind of life Job lived, and how he was able to live a righteous life before the LORD. Clearly Job feared God and His Judgements, and that comes through a number of times in this chapter. In fact the key words that keep appearing in this chapter are “IF” and “THEN” as Job argues his case and says, “IF I have done these things, these wrong things, these sinful things, THEN I deserve all that comes upon me!” But at the end of this chapter, as v.40 says, these......

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10
Jan 2021

In the previous chapter (Job 29) Job focused on his past. The words “But now” or “And now” appear in this chapter at vv.1, 9, 16, showing that Job is ‘Now‘ focused on his present circumstances, that have gone from him being respected to him now being made fun of by the dregs of society. Job has known prosperity, but now its is all ‘gone with the wind’ (See v.15), or evaporated like a cloud. Job was learning what it was like to be content in either abundance or lack, just as Paul spoke about......

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03
Jan 2021

As we embark upon 2021 we find that although we want to be positive and hopeful for the future, the way forward is uncertain. In Job 29, rather than looking forward, Job thinks back on his past and the good old days. We get tremendous insight into the kind of person Job was from this chapter. Although it might appear to be a backward glance, the way forward is to look to our Captain and King, the Lord Jesus Christ. See Heb.12:1-2. If you’d like to watch this sermon in video format, click on this......

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27
Dec 2020

After all the debates and discussions and sermons between Job and his three friends we find a chapter on Wisdom that is like an interlude before the next book continues. Commentators tell us that this is like a stand-alone chapter in Job, yet it doesn’t take away from the story in any way but rather adds some great insights, especially concerning ancient mining and refining practices. In fact whilst reading through the list of precious commodities in vv.1-19 I was reminded of one of our favourite family board games: The Settlers of Catan. Plus......

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20
Dec 2020

This morning brother Larry O’Mahoney brought us the Christmas message, and with it the song, “O Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”, that speaks about the real treasure, the real “Star”, who is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. This message is also available in video format, by clicking on this link!...

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06
Dec 2020

In Job 25 we have the last of Job’s three friends to speak, and it is a short ‘poem’ by Bildad. He and his friends seem to have run out of steam. But what is interesting about Bildad’s final speech is that he starts with a high view of God and works his way down to man, who is no more than a maggot and a worm (Job 25:6). In Job 26, Job begins by answering Bildad’s questions (Job 25:4), with 6 questions of his own (Job 26:1-4). But the final question, “And whose spirit came from you?” is......

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29
Nov 2020

In this chapter Job lists many social injustices, and asks whether God does anything about them. This is no doubt in response to his friends arguments in which they insisted that the wicked always get God’s justice, seemingly instantly in this life. But Job disagrees, and asks where is the evidence of this. He certainly wishes that this would be the case.Job believes he has presented an air-tight argument. There are also many social injustices today all around us. This has led to some “christian ministries” switching their focus from spiritual welfare......

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