Comments for December 27

v.7 This is all to do with giving God the glory. Whatever we do, and whenever we do it, it is in His strength, by definition, as there is no other power in the universe. However, recognising and humbly accepting that our achievements are not our own is quite a different thing! Psa.92:4, 109:27, 111:2, Ecc.8:17

Elihu continues

37:1-13 Elihu observes that God works through nature
37:14 So Job, Elihu says, do you understand these things?

This chapter sees the end of Elihu's speech, and we note that Job is not given the chance to reply. God takes over the discussion now and brings Job to his senses. It is as if God has been waiting for the opportunity to do this, but it was not provided by the older men.

37:19 And so now Elihu seems to taunt Job asking him to teach them (Elihu and the three friends) how they should understand how to speak with God.

37:1-13 The fact that God later calls Job to look at aspects of His work of itself does not give credence to the words of Elihu. To just ask the questions does not prove that Elihu was taking the correct approach to Job's problems. We have already seen in the earlier chapters that he took to himself a status that he had not been given.

Job 37:14. Elihu pleads for Job’s attention. Job had demanded God to give him an answer. Man must learn to submit to the fact that what ever God does is for man’s good. Job, like us could not explain the wondrous works of God.

POUNDING HEARTS
 
"At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place." (Job 37:1)
 
Elihu found that God's magnificent creation stirred his emotions like nothing else.  He only had to look around him to be awestruck by the power and majesty of the Creator.  As he urged Job later, saying, "Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders," (Job 37:14) so we should stop and consider God's wonders ourselves.
 
Elihu began by looking up.  Maybe we should do the same as we gaze at the vastness of the heavens, the ethereal blue of the sky, the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset - new pictures painted by God for us to marvel at every day.  We can see the expanse of his power as we look up into space and see the millions of stars he has created in glorious beauty, shining in the blackness on the night sky.  And when we see clouds we can be impressed by the sheer volume and weight of water that God suspends above the earth.  Who has not failed to be impressed by the thunder and lightening of a storm - thunder that can be heard all over the land, and lightening that lights up the whole earth with one almighty flash.  And what about the rain, the snow or the hot sun and the way that God can disrupt the whole of man's affairs by floods, snowstorm , earthquake or heatwave...
 
May our hearts also pound and leap from their places as we stop to consider God's wonders.

V.13 Disasters are to improve us, more than to prove us. We receive not according to our merits, but by God's grace.

Elihu concludes his speech by saying how great God is.  Elihu definitely had a good understanding of  God in nature.

Vs.11-13 show how He can display His love or His anger through using the same natural phenomenon.  He can bring the rain to grow the crops we need for sustenance.  He can also use the same medium for destruction. 

37:5  On the one hand Elihu says that it is not possible to comprehend the words of God yet on the other hand he is telling Job what his problem is – presumably because he understands God’s words!

37:14  Having spoken about the inability to understand God’s involvement in the way that things work in the natural world Elihu now suggests to Job that he ought to reflect on that, implying that Job cannot understand the way that God works in the lives of men – but then claims that he knows how He works!

37:8  It seems that Elihu is referring to animals which hibernate in winter so we have to conclude that Job was living in a less hospitable climate than that in Israel especially as there are many references to snow and frost in the book of Job.

Elihu invites job to consider the majesty of Yahweh.  He asks Job whether he had been a participant in creation with Yahweh (v.18).  This question is a precursor to the questions that Yahweh, Himself, will shortly ask Job. 

37:15-16 Now Elihu stands in God’s position, so to speak, asking Job whether he knows what God does.

IV. Elihu's fourth speech (continued).

     B. God is omnipotent (continued).

          Job 37:1-5 - the thunder of God's voice: V2 - KJV "noise"<7267>, "sound"<1899> (as if a far away rumble of thunder); V3 - "lightning"<216>; V4 - "After"<310> (suggesting when the storm is closer), "roareth"<7580>, "thundereth"<7481>; V5 - "God 'thundereth'"<7481>.  

          Job 37:6-10 - God causes the winter: V6 - God sends the snow (Job 38:22), mentions two rains (perhaps the early rains of Oct to Nov and the latter rains of Feb to March that bracket the snow); V7 - God stops man's labour so all may "know"<3045> His "work"<4639> (we can see God's power and nature in His creation Rom 1:20); V9 - "south"<2315>, "whirlwind"<5492>; V10 - "breath"<5397>, "frost"<7140> - (Job 38:29 - "ice"<7140>). 

          Job 37:11-16 - God controls the clouds: V11 - NASB "Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning" (KJV "bright"<216> "cloud"<6051> - perhaps refers to sheet lightning); V12 - perhaps this reminds us of how large storm cloud formations (including hurricanes) literally swirl around in circular patterns over the face of the earth; V13 - three reasons for storm clouds etc. - for correction, to nourish the land, to dispatch mercy (in the past Josh 10:11;Judg 5:4;1Sam 7:10 - in the future Eze 38:22;Rev 16:18); V14 - similar language used (Exo 14:13;Psa 46:10), Job is directly addressed - some view this as the official beginning of Elihu's final appeal; V15 - "cloud"<6051>; V16 - "balancings"<4657> (God hangs the clouds on nothing across the sky), "clouds"<5645>.

          Job 37:17-18 - God causes heat waves: V17 - weather so hot he "quieteth" the earth (people and animals are so exhausted from the heat they are idled/quieted); V18 - sky is "strong"<2389> and as a "molten"<3332> "looking glass"<7209>.

          Job 37:19-24 - "God is awesome majesty" - Elihu's final appeal: V19 - Tell us what we should say to him (Prov 30:3-4); we cannot present a case because of our darkness (Ecc 2:14); V20 - "...if a man speak, surely 'he shall be swallowed up'<1104>" - Job had expressed a desire to speak and reason with God (Job 13:3;31:33) - Elihu feels it would be running the risk of destruction to speak with God; V21 - "bright light" contrasting with the "darkness" of Job 37:19 -  "clouds"<7834>, "cleanseth"<2891>; V22 - "Fair weather"<2091>, "terrible"<3372> "majesty"<1935>; V23 - "...he will not 'afflict'<6031>" ("...doth not 'afflict'<6031> willingly..." Lam 3:33); V24 - RSV "...wise in their own conceit".

37:23  And so Elihu says again – like in 37:5 – that God is unsearchable – but yet Elihu has the answers!

37:23 Clearly God does “afflict”. Scripture is full of examples of God afflicting His children for their good.

Job 37:11 The Lord uses the power of nature at His disposal to fulfill His purpose with the earth.  The clouds are used to bring rain and thunder upon the inhabitants of the earth.  There are several Hebrew words translated “cloud” in our English KJV Bible.  Young’s Concordance informs us that there are two different Hebrew words used for cloud in this verse. 

(Job 37:11) “…by watering he watereth the thick cloud…”  The Hebrew word here <5645>, is for a “Scud cloud – an envelope that is dark or dense.”  (See also, Judg 5:4; 1Kin 18:45)

The same verse continues, “…he scattereth with his bright cloud:”

The Hebrew word here is <6051>, a “Nimbus or thunder cloud” as it covers the sky.  The context of the verse suggests that God uses thunder clouds in judgment.  It was a Nimbus cloud that led the children of Israel on their wilderness journey.  (See, Exo 13:22; Exo 14:19,20,24; Exo 24:16.)

Job 37:21 Another Hebrew word for cloud <7834> occurs here.

Meaning a powder or vapor cloud.

King David describes the return of Lord Jesus Christ in this way.  “He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without (i.e.Scud) clouds;…”. (2Sam 23:4).

There is a lovely theme here to follow up for a Bible Class!

37:23   It clearly is not the case that we cannot find out God. Job clearly had.

37:15-16        Maybe Elihu is not in a position to challenge Job as to his understanding of what God does and how. However God is and he does challenge Job on these points – 39:1 for example. The fact that God uses similar arguments to Job is no guarantee that Elihu was right in what he said. We have to question whether Elihu had the right to make such a challenge in the first place.

37:1    In Job 36:26-33 Elihu has spoken of the majesty of God. Now he says that he is overawed by that knowledge. By implication he is saying that Job is not!

37:18  Elihu now challenges Job asking him if he was with God when he created the earth and the principles which govern all its intricate activities. Modern scientists would do well to remember they were not there when the world came into existence. So do we.

Job 37:1 similar words are found in Psa 2:11, Phil 2:12

It talks about a fear in philipians that is reverance to a husband , trembling speaks of a distrust in ones on ability. This was one of the lessons Job learnt.

37:23  Elihu is echoing what was said – 11:17 – by Zophar. Elihu is continuing the charge that, by implication, Job does not understand God.

37:23  it clearly is not the case that God cannot be “found out” He can but only in the way in which he has given. He has revealed Himself in His written word, the Bible. So Elihu was miss presenting the situation for his own benefit. He had been saying that he was the one who could explain God whereas in truth he should have been directing Job and his friends to what written revelation was available at that time.

37:6 so we see that Job recognised that God was in control of the weather – see Psa 147:16

37:2 When Elihu says “hear attentively” he is using the same Hebrew phrase as Job has used twice already –  13:17, 21:2. It is as if he is challenging Job in the same way that Job challenged in particular Zophar.

37:15-16 Whilst later God makes similar challenges to Job we might question whether it was in the remit of a mere man to ask such questions.

Incidentally there is no indication that Job did not already accept that God was the Creator and had the power to do as He pleased.

37:6 Notice how Elihu speaks of God’s involvement in the weather. We see similar ideas in Psa 147:16. So do we think the weather patterns we see are a consequence of God’s or man’s actions?

37:2-23 Now Elihu, speaking primarily to Job, invites Job to reflect on the various ways that God has been at work on the earth.  In what we might simply call “nature”.

v.8 - here we have the essence of God manifest in Jesus - the house of David is clearly Zion or in the spiritual sense Christ, and here we are told it will be as God. It is a wonderful picture when taken with the rest of scripture. Psa.2:6-7, 110:1-2, Isa.7:13-14, 9:6-7, Jer.23:5-6 etc.

12:6 Governors ... in a sheaf Obadiah 18
12:9 destroy all the nations Haggai 2:22
12:10 they shall look ... pierced John 19:37
12:11 -mageddon Revelation 16:16
12:10 they shall look ... and mourn Revelation 1:7
12:12 the land shall mourn Matthew 24:30

12:2 Jerusalem being a cup of trembling was a stark contrast to how she had been in the past and during the rebuilding of the walls and the temple. The adversaries of Judah and Benjamin were able to cause the inhabitants of Jerusalem to tremble. This message therefore, must have encouraged the inhabitants of the city.

v.3 - Again we have Jesus language used of Zion. Here it is to be a burdensome stone, which indeed Jesus was to those who did not understand. Isa.8:14, 1Pet.2:8

12:3 introduces a recurring key phrase 'in that day' seen in the rest of the book (12:3 4 8 9 11 13:1 2 14: 6 13 20 ) We do well to realise that the chapters are related to each other by this phrase.

12:10 The 'only son' 03173 is in fact a reference to Jesus. Consider how the word is used in other parts of Scripture.
Genesis 22:12,12.16
Amos 8:10
Psalm 22:20 'darling'

ZECH. 12. As we come to the final section of Zechariah’s prophesy we see three themes being continually repeated.
Jerusalem.
That day.
All nations.

Zech 12:11. A special day was set aside for the mourning of Josiah. (2Chron 24:26) This suggests there will be a specific ceremony of mourning when Israel humbles itself before Christ and seeks divine help. (Eze 16:60-61) 

12:2,6 The repeated 'people round about' would speak to the returning exiles of those adversaries who sought to thwart their work in rebuilding the temple and then the city of Jerusalem.

V.12-14 Though Zechariah says the land shall mourn, his concern is with Jerusalem, and more particularly with the royal line, as David's mourning had been. When the royal family mourns all the nation mourn with them. The royal house (David and Nathan) and the priestly tribe (Levi and Shimel) will lead the national repentance.

When Jesus returns, He will save His people from those who have invaded Israel and Jerusalem (vs.8,9; see also Eze 38,39).  The Jews will recognize Jesus as the Messiah (v.10).  Before Jesus destroys the invading enemy, many Jews will have be killed and much destruction will have occurred.  When relief is finally realized, there will be a great mourning for the loss (vs.11-14).  This will be reminiscent of the mourning given to Josiah (Hadad-Rimmon is a place in the Valley of Megiddo where the people mourned the death of Josiah) (2Chron 35:22-25).

Jerusalem will be “a burdensome stone for all people”, (Zech 12:3).  This has happened. Now their position is decided politically as to whether they have many Jewish people in their country, such as America which needs the Jewish vote. Jerusalem is of-course to be the centre of the new world government. The new world order will require the complete acceptance of King Jesus, which will mean that the Jews mourn at first, but rejoice later.

12:4 We are reading about God saving Israel and putting her enemies to flight. Israel had been told –Deut 28:28 – that they would be smitten with madness if they were faithless. Now we see their enemies being struck in the same way. Israel, by now, have turned to God.

12:8 Israel, in the past were placed in the care of angels (Exo 23:20), chief of whom, as far as this authority over the nation was Michael (Dan 10:21). But, the work of angels will be taken over by the saints in the coming age (Heb 2:5). In leading the nation to war, and later ruling them in peace, the saints will be "as the angel of God before them"

12:2 Having spoken about a regathering the prophet now speaks of yet another time of tribulation for Jerusalem. The people might have thought that was going to be just another accident of history. However the repeated use of ‘I’ in the rest of the chapters forces the recognition that the events that are to happen are at God’s instigation.

12:7 Judah, here is not just the tribe of Judah, but the nation of Israel. When we go back to the days of Zerubbabel and Jeshua we can clearly see that all the tribes of Israel are represented. (Ezra 6:17)  

V.1 Zechariah confirms the creative power of the LORD as Elihu had in the Job reading.

12:6    The governors of Judah’  devouring ‘all the people’ is a fulfilment of what God promised through Obadiah - 1:18

Vs.12-14 The mourning for the Jesus will be shown by every faction of Jewish society.  Three comprehensive classes are described.  First the kingly class: from David to Nathan implies from the king down to his younger son (2Sam 5:14).  Then, there is the priestly class: from Levi to Shimei implies from the highest priestly order to the lowest (Num 3:18). Then, all families that remain.  They shall all mourn for the Lord, both male and female.

12:3 Notice that with the use of the word ‘I’ God is making it clear that he is the one that makes Jerusalem a burdensome stone. Given that this is so we should realise that no matter how men try they will not be able to resolve the middle east problem.

Messianic prophesy of Christ being pierced but with no bones broken; the scars of his crucifixion will be visible when he returns erasing any question that Jesus is the messiah - Zech 12:10;13:6;Psa 22:16-18;34:20;John 19:31-34,37.

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE

Mercy Me sings a song called, "I can only imagine." It speaks about the time when we will finally meet Jesus face to face and asks us how we think we will react.

I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side.

I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me.

I can only imagine.

Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing Hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine.

Zechariah leaves the Jews in no doubt as to how they will react to the return of Jesus. "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves." (Zech 12:10-12)

We need to ask ourselves how we will react at the time we come face to face with Jesus. Will we meet him in fear, rejection or love - or a bit of each? Will there be tears of regret over the way we have lived our present lives? Or will there be joyful praise for the strength, forgiveness and guidance we have received from the Lord? We can only imagine. But if we want to imagine or be sure of a better scenario, we can change the way we live.

12:1 The language here quotes the words of the prophet – Isa 42:5– encouraging the people to see their return from Babylon as the fulfilment of prophecy.

12:9   In saying that God will ‘destroy all nations that come against Jerusalem’ we are seeing here a preview of what is described later in Zech 14:2,16

12:4 The “madness” is not some natural illness. God promised – Deut 28:28– that if the nation were rebellious then they would become mad. The prophet is reminding the people of the warning given by God in Deuteronomy 28.

Zech 12:2  This verse indicates the anti-semitic nature of the invader that comes down on Jerusalem.  They will lay siege to Jerusalem in order to satisfy their political and religious policies.

In addition, the invader will lay siege to Judah.  Judah or, “the house of Judah” is a term that is used of the Jews that returned to Israel. (See,Zech 12:4,7).  The Jews now reside on the mountains of Israel.  We expect them to still be on the mountains of Israel, i.e. the West Bank, (Eze. 38:8-9) when the Lord intervenes in human affairs (Eze 38:18) to save them. The Lord Jesus Christ with the saints will overcome the enemy, (Zech 14:5).

Zech 12:3  The Roman armies came against Jerusalem in AD69-70.  However, that was only a foretaste of what is yet to come.  The prophet here speaks of a future time when, “all the people of the earth will be gathered together against it.”

Zech 12:4  The Lord will smite the riders with madness and “will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah” to deliver them.  The “madness” is the same Hebrew word translated  “furiously” in reference to the driving of Jehu (2Kin 9:20).  Jehu drove his chariot of war with great speed and “furiously”, until he achieved his purpose in slaying Jehoram, Ahaziah and Jezebel (2Kin 9:21-33). 

The Prophet Zechariah (Zech 12:4) picks up on the words of the Psalmist, (Psa 33:16-18).  No King is saved by his own strength, “the multitude of a host”. Reliance on the horse (a as weapon of war) will not deliver him from the enemy.  The “eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him” and hope for His mercy, (also see, Psa 34:15).

Zech 12:10-14. Several today -

1. V. 10 - "...They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Who is the "me", and who is the "him"? What is the point in the switch of pronouns here in the same sentence from "me" to "him"?

2. Should one understand this passage to say that the majority of the Jews (if not all of them) will not be truly repentant until they physically see Jesus? Or is there another way to read this prophecy?

3. Is there a point in vv. 12-14 of Zechariah's elaboration on who is doing the mourning - the clan of the house of David and their wives, and the same for Nathan, Levi, and Shimei? Why are these 4 mentioned here?

1. Here is a great illustration of the principle of God manifestation - where God's own Son, the Lord Jesus, has the name of God applied to Him since he is the greatest representative of God Himself. This is true any number of times in Scripture with angels taking on God's name as well as some occasions of mortal men doing so. Here it doesn't seem to matter whether God is the "me" or the "him", whichever way you take it, Jesus is the other. Here's another example of this same kind of "apparent" (but not really so!) mix up of God and Jesus. In Phil. 2:9-11 Paul says,

"Therefore God exalted him (i.e. Jesus) to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

But here he's quoting the middle verse of Isa. 45:22-24 which reads,

"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.'..." So what was meant to be true of God, Paul through inspiration, applies to Christ.

One more in tomorrow's reading of Zech. 14: 3,4 -

"Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem....." So God will fight as He has before and yet his feet shall stand on the Mt. of Olives, which applies to Christ - the same place he ascended from into heaven and that the angels said he would return to just as surely as the apostles had seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:9-11).

2. From what I have read from, I believe, reliable sources, the Hebrew of the phrase, "they shall look upon me..." is really "they shall look unto me..." The same is also true in the Greek when this passage is cited by John - John 19:37. So rather than the Jews' faith only coming into being at the time when they first lay their eyes on the immortal Jesus - as was the case with Thomas - there will come a measure of true repentance first along with a longing to see him, followed by his appearance to them which makes complete their initial faith. In effect, then, it's a fulfillment of what Jesus told Thomas at his first appearance to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed" (Jn. 20:29). Any number of New and Old Testament passages point in that direction, including Jesus' own words in Mat. 23:39 - "For I say unto you, You will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Here are just a few to get started with - Lev 26:40-42; Deut 30:1-3; Rom 11:15 - all these and more seem to carry on their surface that a change of heart must take place first before Israel's final redemption will take place.

3. David was, of course, a king; Nathan a prophet; Levi a priest; and Shimei a common Jew, a Benjamite. So the idea may be this - every type of Jew imaginable whether descended from royalty or priestly class or not - for any and all to be saved, they must show a sincere repentance and a belief in Jesus as their king.

12:6    Jerusalem being inhabited “in her own place again” looks beyond the troubles associated with the events surrounding the return of Christ to the kingdom age when Jesus is reigning from Jerusalem.

12:2    When God says “I  will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling” we realise that the current conflict in the Middle East, whilst appearing to be different groups fighting against each other for their own “rights”, we can see that behind it all is God. So any “peace process” planned by man is doomed to failure. God is in control and will bring about His will. 

12:10 “They shall look upon me whom they have pierced” has a twofold fulfilment. It was fulfilled at the death of Jesus – John 19:37 – and will be fulfilled when Israel recognises Jesus as their Messiah – Rev 1:7.

12:12  That the nation will “mourn” is exactly what Jesus says will happen when he is revealed to Israel – Rev 1:7

12:1  Notice how God, through the prophet, basis His claims on the fact that He is the Creator. We should appreciate that Creation narrative in Genesis is not something we can accept or not as suits us. The prophets repeatedly refer to the way in which God says that He created everything.

It is exciting that we come to an end of a year where Russia continues to stake its claim to the middle east. The united kingdom kick started Brexit but no more perhaps than Jerusalem being recognised by the united states as the capital along with President Trumps speech on the 25th.

So we see Zech 12:2 coming into play.

The septugant translates the verse as a shaking threshold. The word cup is translated as threshold in Eze 40:6 and eslwhere a bowl or bason.  Criminals were given a cup of wine while waiting for execution to dull their senses, it was a cup greatly desired by criminals.

Jersulam is seen by many to be a prize yet they have become intoxicated seeing the possesion of the land as some sort of prize.

Yet in Psa 2:6 we see Yahweh has a plan for Jerusalem and those that be gathered against it will be destroyed. Psa 2:4-6, Zech 12:4.

2018 will be interesting to see how Jerusalem further develops into this burdensome stone Zech 12:3 from that cup of trembling.

It was once considered a prize (prior to 2017) but here in Zech 12:3 we see it becomes a burdensome stone ( a stone so heavy flesh cannot lift it and falls back on them crushing them) Matt 21:44. Man will attempt to sort the problem of Jerusalem once and for all but will ultimatly be unable to.

Lift up your heads!

12:1     Whilst there are a number of occasions when a word is spoken and it is called a “burden” there are only three times that we read of “the burden of the word of the Lord”. Here and Zech 9:1 and Hag 1:1

12:1 Notice the Creation language

Yahweh is speaking through the prophet

The basis for His authority is

Zech 12:1 which stretched forth the heavens

God is re-stating what He said through Isaiah

Isa 42:5 created the heavens

                    Stretched them out

We should not underestimate a literal Creation as the basis for God’s authority

Isa 42  the context salvation

Zech 12:  the context salvation

If God did not “Create” then He is a liar

And His promise of salvation is empty

12:12   The way that the husbands are separated from their wives in mourning maybe has its origins in Exo 19:15and is the basis for the instruction in 1Cor 7:5.

12:2-3 From the perspective of the world Jerusalem is a problem, a burdensome stone. But that Jerusalem would rise to be the city of God is far from their minds. Isn’t it a privilege to know God’s plan for the earth and His city?

Zech 12:3

“When all the nations of the earth gather against her. In that day, I will make Yerushalayim a stone for all the peoples to lift; all who lift it shall injure themselves.”