E-pistle for February 27, 2015
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e-pistle
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation February 27, 2015
God's probing interrogation of job
(Job 40:1-24)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. God confronted Job: "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty
correct Him? He who rebuked God, let him answer it," vv,. 1-2.
2. Job answered: "Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my
hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes,
twice, but I will proceed no further," vv. 3-5.
3. The Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: "Now prepare yourself like
a man; I will question you and you will answer Me," . . . going on to
specify Job's sins and errors and to humble him by exposing his
ignorance and impotence, vv. 6-14.
4. God then compared Job's weakness with the strength of one of His creatures,
the "behemoth" . . . perhaps a hippopotamus, vv. 15-24; this animal was not
an elephant, as some scholars suggest, because no mention is made by the
speaker (God) of the elephant's most unique feature (his trunk); further, the
elephant has an relatively small mouth opening in contrast to the hippo's very
large mouth, v. 23.
II. Meditation: on God's probing rhetorical questions
(A rhetorical question is a statement in the form of a question to which no answer is
expected)
1. "Would you indeed annul (nullify) My judgment?" v. 8.
2. "Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?" v. 8.
3. "Have you an arm like God?" v. 9.
4. "Can you thunder with a voice like Him?" v. 9.
III. Revelation: on God's challenges to Job
The answer to God's probing rhetorical questions if "NO" . . . but God continues to
discipline Job by saying that if he could answer "YES" to those questions, then (and
only then) would the following things occur:
1. Job could adorn himself with divine majesty, splendor, glory, and beauty, v. 10.
2. Job could punish (tread down) the wicked in his wrath, vv. 11-12.
3. Job could humble the proud, pushing their faces down into the darkness of the
dust, vv. 11-13.
4. God would confess His sins to Job, and Job could save himself by his own good
works, v. 14.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Stand in awe and silence before the Holy God, as Isaiah did, Isaiah 6:1-8.
2. Humbly repent of my great wickedness, confessing my sinful pride and self
righteousness.
3. Cease making foolish and arrogant statements questioning God's judgments,
purposes, and actions.
4. Trust in God's mercy and grace as my only hope of salvation.
"Christ made us alive together with him"
(Colossians 2:13-15)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the text
"You, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He
has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having
wiped out the handwriting of requirements that were against us, which was
contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Having disarmed principalities and power, He made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in it."
II. Meditation: on Christ's finished work ("having . . . ")
1. Having forgiven you all trespasses, v. 13.
2. Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements (signed confession of
indebtedness; I.O.U.) that was contrary to us, v. 14.
3. Having nailed it to the cross . . . He has taken it out of the way, v. 14.
("IT" means the indictment)
4. Having disarmed principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12), He made a
public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it, v. 15.
III. Revelation: on the benefits we receive through the cross of Christ
1. Forgiveness of sin.
2. Cancellation of debt.
3. Death of the old life; birth of a new life.
4. Victorious power to conquer evil spiritual forces.
IV. Applications: Daily I need to go to the cross . . .
1. In repentance and confession, asking God to forgive all my sins.
2. Receiving from God a "clean slate" . . . cleansing (I John 1:9) . . . another
chance . . . a fresh start.
3. Putting to death my old, sinful, carnal nature (Galatians 2:20) . . . allowing
Christ to live in me (Colossians 3:4).
4. Exercising spiritual power over Satanic, demonic forces.
(See Romans 8:37; I Corinthians 15:57; and I John 5:4)
PRAYER: Lord, today I confess and repent of my sins, asking You for forgiveness and
cleansing. Nail my sinful nature to the cross, empowering me, through Christ's
life, to live victoriously also. Amen
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