E-pistle for February 18, 2014
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E-Pistle
FreeWay Foundation February 18, 2014
Man's most difficult question: "why?"
(Job 3:1-26)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the two related themes of this chapter
1. Job cursed the day of his birth, vv. 1-10.
2. Job lamented that he had not been born dead and that the was still
alive, vv. 11-26.
II. Meditation: on the two key words in this chapter
1. Job pronounced several curses upon his birthday, beginning each
curse with the word "may" . . .
1) May the day which I was born perish, v. 3
2) May that day be darkness (shadow; cloud), vv. 4-5, 9
3) May God not seek it (not find and bless it), v. 4
4) May it not rejoice, but be eliminated from the months, vv. 6-7
2. Job asked several questions, all beginning with the word "why" . . .
1) Why did I not die as an infant? vv. 11-15
2) Why was I not stillborn? vv. 16-19
3) "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the
Bitter of soul?" v. 20 . . . "Why am I still alive and hurting?"
4) "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom
God has hedged in?" v. 23 . . . "Why won't God let me die?"
III. Revelation: on man's most difficult question: "WHY"
1. "WHY?" seeks an answer about purpose in life . . . a reason for
existence on the earth . . .
"WHY AM I HERE?"
Answer: To honor and glorify God, John 12:28; 17:1, 5.
2. "WHY" seeks an answer about God's sovereignty . . .
"Why did God choose and save me?"
Answer: Because He loves the world, including even sinful me,
John 3:16; Romans 5:8.
3. "WHY?" seeks an answer about physical suffering . . . "Why does God
Allow sickness and death to come?"
Answer: Because man's sin brought suffering and death to the earth,
Genesis 2:17; however, not all sickness and death is a result of sin . . .
Lazarus dies "for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified
through it," John 11:4; sometimes God uses suffering to lovingly discipline
His children and to teach them spiritual lessons, Hebrews 12:5-11.
4. "WHY?" seeks an answer about adversity and disappointment . . .
"Why do bad things happen to good people?"
Answer: Both good and bad things happen to all human beings, Matthew
5:45, but "all things work together for good to those who love the Lord,"
Romans 8:28.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Honor and glorify God in all that I do, I Corinthians 10:31.
2. Love God with all my heart because He first loved me, I John 4:19.
3. Thank God for health; learn spiritual lessons from suffering, I Thessalonians 5:18.
4. Live in hope and peace, trusting God's providence, Philippians 4:6-7, 13, 19.
Water into wine
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Introduction: on 200 references to Wine in the Bible
1. "WINE" in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and English refers to the juice of grapes . . .
fermented and unfermented, both intoxicating and unintoxicating, both
alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Like the sentence: "I need a drink." (water or beer?)
2. Does Jesus know the Old Testament Scripture? Including Proverbs 20:1,
"Wine is a mocker," and Proverbs 23:31-32, "Do not look on the wine when
it is red . . . sparkles . . . swirls around smoothly . . . ?
3. Would Jesus have created 120 to 160 gallons of alcoholic wine to make the
wedding guests drunk? (Drunkenness is a sin)
4. Unleavened bread (without yeast/leaven) represents Christ's pure, sinless body.
Wine represents His pure and life-giving blood, It, too, must be fresh, new grape
juice, without decay (fermentation) . . . without alcoholic content . . . because
fermented wine is a mocker, something not even to be looked at!
("NEW" . . . Matthew 26:27-29; Mark 14:24-25)
II. Meditation: contrasting water and wine (lives of unbelievers and believers)
1. Tasteless and bland vs. delicious and flavorful.
2. Colorless and clear vs. red and attractive.
3. Odorless and silent (no fizz) vs. effervescent and bubbly.
4. Passive and inert vs. active and lively.
III. Revelation:
1. Every person I meet (like these guess) has needs . . . family problems,
illness, unemployment, grief, and/or depression.
2. I need to be like Mary who (1) saw the need, (2) asked Jesus for help, and
(3) told the servants to follow Jesus' orders.
3. Some of us are like the servants . . . taking our meager resources (water) and
giving it to those in need, allowing God to miraculously supply that need, and
participating personally in the miracle.
4. The blessings Jesus supplies are far better than we expect (or deserve).
Psalm 34:8, "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!" (Chewing gum)
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Invite Jesus into every occasion of my life, v. 2.
2. Ask Him to help . . . even in the seemingly minor problems of life, v. 5.
3. Do whatever He says, following His instructions to the letter, v. 5.
4. Expect and receive His best . . . water will turn to wine . . . and the results
will be better than ever before . . . will bring glory to the Lord . . . and will
produce increased faith in the hearts of the observers, v. 11.
SING: "EV'RY DAY WITH JESUS IS SWEETER THAN THE DAY BEFORE."
A Sense of Values
During my second year of nursing school our professor gave us a pop quiz. I breezed through the questions
until I read the last one. "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times,
but how would I know her name?
I handed in the paper, leaving the last question blank. Before the class ended, one student asked if the
last question would count toward our grade.
"Absolutely" the professor said. "In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant.
They deserve your attention and car, even if all you do is smile and say hello!"
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
--Joann Jones, Guideposts
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