HIGHER-FIRE digest 382 (WoF)

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Matthew, Mark, Timothy, Steven (and whoever is interested):

I will attempt to discuss the subject of Job & Paul. But Job first, since
this may be lengthy. By the way Mark, your analysis on my last post was
good. I appreciate constructive criticism. This is good and I've learned to
analyze my own comments more closely.

In Job 1:12 (read verses 1-12 to get the context) it states: And the Lord
said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself
put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

Verse 12 is where so many people miss it. Most people interpret it this way:
"Well, God turned Job over to the devil." But wait a minute: They read that
between the lines. It's not in the Bible. Here is says God said, Behold all
that he hath is in thy power, or in your hand. God didn't put him in the
devil's hands. He was already there. God didn't pull the hedge down, Job
did, with fear.

v.5  And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that
Job sent and sacrificed them, and rose up early in the morninig, and offered
burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be
that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did
continually.

Here it says, Job did this continually. Job was afraid that something bad
was going to happen to his children. He was always offering these
sacrifices; always worring, always in a turmoil about it.

God didn't put Job in Satan's hands. Job's fear put him in Satan's power. It
wasn't something that God did at all. But so many read that in there. This
is why it's so very important to renew our minds with the Word. When we do,
we will think like God thinks because we are meditating on His Word.

In verses 13-16, the Word says "the fire of God" fell from Heaven. But it
wasn't the fire of God, it was the work of the devil. Satan uses nature's
elements to destroy. A general belief in those days was that everything that
happened came from God. Evidently, this was lightning. One translation says
lightning. But the ones who reported to Job said it was a fire from God.
Just because it came from the sky, that does not mean it was from God. All
of these bad things that happened were the works of the devil. The devil
comes to destroy.

Job 1:21 "...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the
name of the Lord." (Read v.19-21 for context) If one has ever been to a
funeral, you have probably heard this scripture quoted. This was Job's
assessment of his troubles. It is true that Job said it. But what Job said
was not the truth. But yet, Job believed it to be true. Job didn't attribute
folly to God. (v.22) Job didn't do that foolishly, because he really
believed what he said was true. But just because a fellow believes it
doesn't make it so. Here is where so many have become sidetracked from the
truth. They have looked at that and said "Well, the Bible says, the Lord
gave and the Lord has taken away." But the Bible didn't really say that. Job
said that, and the bible records what Job actually said about his situation.
But that doesn't make it true just because Job said it.

I would say to you that fish have 4 legs and climb ladders. You could go and
tell others that I said fish have 4 legs and climb ladders. It is true that
I may have said that, but does that mean that it's true? No.

Why the troubles? Faith or fear comes by hearing. Let's look at some things
Job said and we will get some insight of how things were started.  Job 3:5 says:
"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was
afraid of is come unto me."

Now let's approach this from a scriptural viewpoint. Faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith in God comes by
hearing the Word. Now that's a positive truth concerning the Word of God. On
te other hand, there is an opposite or reciprocal of that truth, which would
be this. Since faith in God comes by hearing the Word, then faith in the
devil would come by hearing the words of the devil. That's the opposite end
of truth. If you begin to listen to the devil, it will produce fear. Fear is
the reverse gear of faith. So if faith is the substance of things desired
then the reciprocal of that truth is that fear is the substance of things
not desired. Faith comes by the hearing of God's Word. Fear comes by hearing
the words of satan.

You see, Job was speaking his fears. The devil told Job he was going to lose
everything he had. Evidently, Job believed it, because when calamity came,
the first thing he said was, Naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked
shall I return (Job 1:21) In other words, "I knew it was too good to be
true; I was expecting it to happen."

Notice what Job said. The thing I greatly feared...Job didn't just fear. He
was highly developed in his fear. Job 1:10 says "Hast thou made a hedge
about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?
thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in
the land.

In other words, satan said, "You have hedged him about until I can't get to
him." I can just imagine God standing there grinning saying "Yes, that's me.
That's what I do all right." God hedged him on every side, but through fear
the hedge came down. So many believe that God took the hedge down. Job
3:25-26 indicates that it seemed that Job was worried, over-wrought, was
fretting, and was praying and offering sacrifices, but he had faith in none
of them.

This may seem to sound a little hard on Job, but we must rightly divide the
word and let the chips fall where they may. This shows what fear will do to
you. If one gets to the place where they can't sleep, can't rest, can't
believe God - they've been listening to the enemy. 

Proverbs 3:25-26 states "Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the
desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy
confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken." Remember, Job said, I
was not in safety, neither had I rest. The thing which I greatly feared is
come upon me.

Job 6:23-24 "...deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the
hand of the mighty? Teach me to hold my tongue: and cause me to understand
wherein I have erred." Now he found out his tongue had something to do with
it. So he had admitted, "I've missed it somewhere." Then he says, "...how
forcible are right words..." (6:25) So he is convinced that words had
something to do with it.

Job admitted to things he didn't understand. (See Job 42:1-6) Notice what
God said to Job's comforters in Job 42:8 "Therefore take unto you now 7
bullocks and 7 rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a
burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I
accept: lest I deal with you after your folly; in that ye ahve not spoken of
me the thing which is right, like my servant Job." Job's comforters missed
it just as much as Job had, but they wouldn't admit it.

Job 42:10 "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his
friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." God has
been accused of doing many things to Job. But this is what God really did to
Job. For a clearer understanding of Job's plight, ask yourself this, If the
Lord turned his captivity, who had him captive? We know God didn't have him
captive. It was the devil. When the Lord turned his captivity, this
indicates that after the turning, then Job had the devil captive. This came
about because Job prayed for his enemies. The Bible says "friends" but with
friends like that, you sure don't need any enemies. Most people don't talk
about what God gave Job. They usually reflect about what they thought God
took away from Job. God is not the taker. He is the giver of all good gifts.
Job allowed himself to be ensnared by the devil because fear broke the hedge. 

Unfortunately, all of us have missed it at one time or another. Thus, the
case with Job. We can learn some valuable lessons from Job's experience. God
is a good God. The devil is a bad enemy. We also need to understand that
there are some things that happened under the old covenant that won't happen
under the new covenant. For one thing, under the old covenant there was no
intercessor. God had no man to stand in the gap and make up the hedge that
had been broken. But we have a man today, Jesus our intercessor!

Finally, the question was asked, does God take people? The answer: Yes and
No. Yes, God only took two men that I'm aware of in the Word and they were
both alive: Enoch and Elijah. Also, Believers are promised  long life from
the Bible. God even says He will satisfy us with long life. Psa.91:16;
Deut.4:40; 6:2.

Paul's Thorn in the flesh will be the next posting...>