Bible In One Year-Day 246 (Wednesday, September 3, 2014)

Commentary: Job7-9. There are two basic lessons worth learning from Job’s plight so far.

1. The boasting of God over His own is not in the mass of material wealth but in the faithfulness of such in trials and righteousness in wealth. Job was tried, yet did not sin; he remained faithful to God. Instead of blaming God for his predicament, he looked at himself as a mortal person who cannot be righteous before God and a shame to God for his iniquity which he couldn’t figure out;

Job 6:24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”

Job 9:2 “I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?”

2. We also learnt that sin is not necessarily the reason for all afflictions. Afflictions come in the form of trials sometimes but this leads to a better state if one endures to the end.

Job was afflicted on all sides and in every aspect you could think of.

1. Materially, he was devoured
2. Financially, he was squeezed to the bone

• Bodily, he was tormented, i.e. assumedly decaying; his mouth could not taste food

1. Family wise, he was reduced to a nagging wife.
2. Death was preferred to what he was going through; not denying God in his words but probably there would be some relieves from the suffering. The devil was very hard on him
3. His dream was full of fear to the point that he was afraid of his bed

Job 7:13-15 “When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.”

Beloved, the greatest asset a man could ever have is JEHOVAH; not as confessed in the mouth but as regarded in the heart. Job’s totality was Jehovah God in his heart. It was very hard for him to deny and forget God even in his affliction and at the advice of his dear wife. He trusted God for His righteousness and faithfulness. Job’s attitude in his trial marked Satan as a liar and God the truth. His friends tried to convince him out of his conviction, he remained adamant against their counsels. Job needed to know what was going on; he trusted God for the right answer and not what his friends uttered. Studying the comments of his friends, we could see that they were actually helping Satan to condemn Job. Their statements praised God out rightly but they were to make him to deny his God. This was the same tactics Satan used to fall man in the Garden of Eden and to test Jesus in the wilderness. His responses were outstanding just as Jesus knocked out Satan in the wilderness.

Job 9:1-4 “Then Job answered and said, I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?”

He still honored God in his trials as read in chapter9. He refused to trust in his righteousness, good works, sacrifices, ability and strength.

Beloved, the righteous do suffer but it ends well and better than what he was before the trial for as long as he is faithful.

Jesus came to die and pay the price for our sin. Satan is there to make believers remain ever guilty (not forgiving themselves) for their shortcomings. Many Christians don’t even know much about their salvation not to talk of their rights as children of God.

Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Salvation is absolutely a gift to sinners and not to the righteous. You don’t need to fast for it, nor pray for it. You need not be a good person before you obtain it. It is a gift not of works.

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

It is not by the works of righteousness either.

Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit;”

All you need is to confess and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. The only thing He asks from us is to believe (inter-changeably used as FAITH) in Him.

However, this is not to mean that you will automatically make heaven; rather your FAITHFULNESS to the salvation you receive is what earns you the reward of the KINGDOM of HEAVEN. That is to say you obtain salvation by FAITH and make heaven by being FAITHFUL. Only the faithful will God usher into His glory (Matthew25). Kingdom of heaven is a REWARD (not a gift) to the righteous (not for sinners). You don’t work for a gift but you work to earn a reward. In essence, SALVATION is a GIFT to all SINNERS but the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN is a REWARD to the FAITHFUL (righteous)

Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Without REPENTANCE no sinner shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven as the scripture says.

Matthew 5:20 “For I say to you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The ‘faithful’ aspect is being consistent with God’s will in all areas of life, i.e. observing or doing His will. To preach His word or confess His name is not the yardstick but living a life of Christ. Ministering in the gift is not the pathway but for the fruit of the Spirit in you to preach Christ to others. The summary of the New Testament is for us to be Christ-like; this is the works of the Holy Spirit

Matthew 7:21 “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Job went through satanic persecution, condemnation, ruin and woe, yet he never denied God. He was a righteous man yet suffered for that.

Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 10:22 “And ye will be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Job was faithful to God in his predicament. Christians that will miss it are the unfaithful ones who compromise trials and practice lawlessness as Christians. Faithfulness is the only price you will have to pay to earn the reward of the kingdom of heaven. Job acknowledges his righteousness could not help him before God, but trusted in God’s mercy. Jesus is our righteousness without which we cannot make heaven. Whatever you are going through, NEVER compromise Jesus for anything.

Let us seek for the old path where we could find rest. Let us listen to the trumpet’s sound, wherewith we could escape the calamity to come. Our reading for today is Job10-12. Keep the fire of burning and alive.

Pastor Supo Abayode

+1-302-230-6792

Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries

Delaware, USA