No One Is Immune
If the whip kills suddenly, Such a "scourge"(in KJV) as war, or pestilence, or famine, is probably meant. If one of these be let loose upon a land, and slay, as it always does slay, indifferently the good and the bad, the innocent and the guilty, what is God’s attitude? Does he interpose to save the righteous? By no means. Pulpit Commentary.
He will mock at the calamity of the innocent. Job 9:23. He looks on passively, indifferently. Job even goes further, and says, with an audacity that borders on irreverence, ... He will laugh at the trial of the innocent. St. Jerome says, "There is nothing in the whole book harsher than this." Pulpit Com.
The following statement bears repeating: Jehovah is not normally involved with an individual's situation. Christ intimated as much when he said, For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Mat. 5:45. Christ was not speaking only of the weather. This is a generic statement which says, righteous or unrighteous - you get what you get.
When it comes to the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins the Old Testament is but a shadow of the teachings of forgiveness in the New Testament! Even the books of poetry hardly admit that forgiveness of sins is possible without making restitution to God in some material or physical way.
Why do You not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? Job 7:21. He (Job) has not sinned greatly, heinously; and therefore he cannot understand why he (Job) has not been forgiven. The idea that the Almighty cannot forgive sin except upon conditions, is unknown to him. Pulpit commentary. This is the same viewpoint that many in the Christian Church also hold; Lord, I will do this or that if only You will forgive me for what I have done, or thought, or said. Some try to buy God's forgiveness by paying cash, others are willing to, or cause themselves to, suffer just so that God will forgive them.
The New Testament allows for no such teaching; but it is rich in teaching that Jehovah will grant forgiveness freely, by His grace, if a person in honesty asks for it and vows to turn from his/her sins. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph.1:7 + 9.
Forgiveness Is Free
The New Testament allows for no such teaching; but it is rich in teaching that Jehovah will grant forgiveness freely, by His grace, if a person in honesty asks for it and vows to turn from his/her sins. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Not of works, lest anyone should boast. Eph.1:7 + 9.
For He is not a man, as I am, that I should answer Him. If the Lord and I should have a debate, how could I possibly answer Him? If he, any person, will argue with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand questions. Job 9:3.
I wish that we should come together in judgment; but there is no mediator between us, who might lay his hand on us both. 9:32. How I wish that there was an arbitrator between Jehovah and me; one who would place one hand on Jehovah's shoulder and one on mine and then plead my case for me. No, in the Old Testament there is no such a person. However, praise Jehovah, the death and resurrection of Christ ushered in One who will do that for us!! If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1.
For now I shall sleep in the dust, and You shall seek me in the morning, but I shall not be. Job 7:21. When I was alive and needed your healing and forgiveness you did not bother finding me, but soon I will die and then You will want to forgive me but You won't be able to find me. But, Lord, I do not want to die unforgiven!
Job believed in the resurrection of the dead, as we will see later, but now in a period of deep depression, he spoke not of the resurrection "morning" but as anyone who must first go down to the grave. In 10:2 Job starts his lament to Jehovah; it is a dark, dreary dirge. He ends his soliloquy with these words of hopelessness, Are not my days few? Cease then, please quit punishing me, and let me alone (let me have some peace), that I may take comfort a little while, before I go, and I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; a land of obscurity, the darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the shining is as darkness. 10:20-22.
without any order, or vicissitudes and successions of day and night, summer and winter, heat and cold, wet and dry; or revolutions of sun, moon, and stars, or of the constellations. Gill's commentary.
and the shining is as darkness. This is a very striking and graphic expression. It means that there is no pure and clear light. Even all the light that shines there is dark, sombre, gloomy - like the little light of a total eclipse, which seems to be darkness itself, and which only serves to render the darkness more distressing. Barnes Commentary.
We were certainly taught an un-biblical non-truth when we were told that at death we "go to heaven". The Bible clearly teaches that we must first go to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; a land of obscurity. However, at the return of Christ, the resurrection will take place, both for the righteous and the unrighteous.
Then, after the resurrection, we will "have our day in court" at the Great White Throne and after that, depending on the court's ruling, we will either ascend to the Heavenly realms - or not.
For more on this topic see:
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1637145687407695180#editor/target=post;postID=7854763547332922244;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=69;src=link
I wish that we should come together in judgment; but there is no mediator between us, who might lay his hand on us both. 9:32. How I wish that there was an arbitrator between Jehovah and me; one who would place one hand on Jehovah's shoulder and one on mine and then plead my case for me. No, in the Old Testament there is no such a person. However, praise Jehovah, the death and resurrection of Christ ushered in One who will do that for us!! If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1.
Job believed in the resurrection of the dead, as we will see later, but now in a period of deep depression, he spoke not of the resurrection "morning" but as anyone who must first go down to the grave. In 10:2 Job starts his lament to Jehovah; it is a dark, dreary dirge. He ends his soliloquy with these words of hopelessness, Are not my days few? Cease then, please quit punishing me, and let me alone (let me have some peace), that I may take comfort a little while, before I go, and I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; a land of obscurity, the darkness of the shadow of death, without any order, and the shining is as darkness. 10:20-22.
without any order, or vicissitudes and successions of day and night, summer and winter, heat and cold, wet and dry; or revolutions of sun, moon, and stars, or of the constellations. Gill's commentary.
and the shining is as darkness. This is a very striking and graphic expression. It means that there is no pure and clear light. Even all the light that shines there is dark, sombre, gloomy - like the little light of a total eclipse, which seems to be darkness itself, and which only serves to render the darkness more distressing. Barnes Commentary.
We were certainly taught an un-biblical non-truth when we were told that at death we "go to heaven". The Bible clearly teaches that we must first go to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; a land of obscurity. However, at the return of Christ, the resurrection will take place, both for the righteous and the unrighteous.
Then, after the resurrection, we will "have our day in court" at the Great White Throne and after that, depending on the court's ruling, we will either ascend to the Heavenly realms - or not.
For more on this topic see:
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1637145687407695180#editor/target=post;postID=7854763547332922244;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=69;src=link
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