Genesis 24, Pt 2, Will God be Faithful?

After my last Abraham blog I got a Gold Bond sponsorship!

Last time we were talking about Abraham he had decided to find a wife for his son, Isaac. Abraham made his servant promise, in a really gross manner, (see prior blog), that he would NOT take a wife for Isaac from the ungodly Canaanites where the lived, but would find a wife from one of Abraham's relatives. Today we're going to meet the servant and Rachel, (aka the Whoa-man).

A lot of people look at this chapter to learn how to find a mate, dating advice, or wisdom in relationships.* In my humble opinion Genesis 24 is more about showing God's covenant faithfulness to his servant. Sarah, Abraham's wife, had died in Genesis 23. Abraham is really old and he's going to die soon. God did so much in Abraham's life, (Genesis 12-23). How do we know the covenant will continue with Abraham's son, Isaac? I know God said he would, but can he be trusted? Will God's covenant continue? Will God continue to work his promises in Isaac's life? Will God be faithful? This is the key question answered in Genesis 24.

*To be sure there are some good things that can be taken from this chapter about finding a good spouse, but to be fair I don't think that was God's main purpose in this story. We have to be sure when we read the Bible that we are first understanding the original meaning and purpose of a story before we start making applications to our own life, capiche?

So let's meet the servant. Who is this guy? His name is never mentioned. He's just known as Abraham's servant. (I'll call him Phil). I think it's safe to assume he had lived and worked under Abraham for a long time. He was "the oldest of his household who had charge over all that he had," (sounds like Phil). He had probably witnessed a lot of Abraham's life and seen how God had worked in and through Abraham. He probably knew all about the miraculous conception and birth of Isaac as well as God's salvation of Isaac on Mt. Moriah, (Genesis 22). In short, Phil had seen and heard of the amazing works of God. He also knew about God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants, (Genesis 12, 15, 17, 22).

So what happens? Abraham tells Phil the servant to go the the land of his relatives and find a wife for Isaac. Abraham is confident God will provide the right woman for his son. But just try and put yourself in the shoes of Phil. You're riding your camel somewhere in the desert. You've got a long way to go. Abraham made you make a serious promise to find the right kind of wife for his son. He's your master and he's trusting you to be faithful. Meanwhile you've got to go to this country where you don't know anybody. Somehow you've got to find a good wife for Isaac, your master's son. It's a big responsibility. Would you be nervous? Anxious? Filled with doubt? I would. So Phil finally gets to the city and he prays. He needs God to be faithful to his covenant with Abraham. He needs God to provide and he knows he can't do it himself.

"And he said, 'O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let the young woman to whom I shall say, 'Please let down your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, 'Drink, and I will water your camels'--let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master." 

Stop one second, I want you to see something. The servant mentions the term "steadfast love" here in his prayer. It's a word and idea that runs throughout this chapter, as seen in verses 12, 14, 27, and 49. Some versions translate this as "lovingkidness", "kindness", or "graciousness". I think those other translations fall a bit short of the idea of the word here. It's not just that God was being kind or loving or faithful to Abraham. That was true, but the word carries an even deeper meaning. God was being loving to Abraham, yet also faithful to the covenant he had made previously with Abraham. He was being faithful to carry out his gracious and loving promises to make a great nation from Abraham, to bless whoever blessed him, and to curse whoever cursed him, and to bless all of the nations of the earth through Abraham and his descendants. So it's not just love, or kindness, or faithfulness. I think the ESV translation is the best, "steadfast love". The idea is of God's loving faithfulness to his promises, which is what this entire chapter is about.

Now back to Phil: The servant is asking God to provide a woman, but he's also asking she be the right kind of woman. He's looking for a good woman who has a servant's heart, and who is hospitable. He doesn't want to bring a lazy, mean spirited and arrogant woman home to Isaac. (Who would?) Notice the servant doesn't pray for a hot woman with great legs. Either he just assumed God knew Isaac would like that, (not likely), or it's more important to find a woman with great character than great legs, (more likely). So what happens? "Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder," (v15). Alright, good start! She's a part of Abraham's family. The servant didn't know it at the time, but the first woman God brought out was a relative, which is what Abraham asked for. Groovy! What else do we find out about Rachel? "The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known," (16). BONUS! As Animal would say, "WO-MAN!"

Phil the servant is seeking to see if this woman was the answer to his prayers, so asks if she would give him a drink of water. Rebekah, without prompting, agrees to give this random stranger a drink, and furthermore agrees to provide water for all 10 of his camels as well. In short, Rebekah is a kind, servant-hearted, and hospitable female. So Rebekah is not only a woman of character, but family to Abraham, AND she's a babe! Whoa-man!

The servant, seeing God answering his previous prayer, runs up to this woman of inner and outer beauty and asks who she is. She confirms to him that she is related to Abraham's family. Why is this important, you say? Well Abraham knew his family had some understanding or belief in the one God. He knew a woman of his family would be of good character and a blessing to his son's faith in the Lord, (see also the prior blog on Genesis 24).

How does Phil respond to what has just happened? He praises God for his love and faithfulness. "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness towards my master," (27). God has brought him a woman of great character. It doesn't hurt that she also appears to be quite the looker. Good looks and great character?! And all the men said "Hallelujah!"

Phil the servant is about to lose his mind right now because all of the pieces are falling together. He's so
overjoyed that he starts acting like Uncle Si. When he meets up with Rebekah's family he can't wait to share how God has worked in Abraham's life and how God had worked in that day's events to purposefully lead him to the right woman for Isaac. Literally in verses 34-49 the servant babbles on and on, (like Uncle Si), recapping everything that happened previously in chapter 24. He gives glory to God for his steadfast love and faithfulness to Abraham and his sovereign answer to his prayers. (To his credit, he appears to be much more coherent than Uncle Si).

After recapping all that God has done, the servant concludes, "Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left." The servant has just described how God has faithfully worked to answer the prayers of Abraham and the servant and in so doing, continued the Abrahamic covenant God started many years ago in Genesis 12. God has shown steadfast love and faithfulness. Now the servant wants to know if Rebekah's family is going to get on board with what God is doing or not. Is she going to come with him and be Isaac's wife or stay here? (Cue the dramatic music and soap-opera time freeze looks).

This reminds me of the time when I went to my future in-laws and asked for their daughter's hand in marriage. I said, "Hey, Jack. I'm about to be a journalism graduate. I have no idea what I want to do with my life and I have no money. Can I marry your daughter?" Actually my story doesn't sound like Isaac's story at all, does it? Now that I think about it, what were my in-laws thinking? What was my wife thinking for that matter? Geez.

Luckily for me, Alison's parents didn't throw me out of the house. Luckily for Isaac, Rebekah and her family said "yes" as well. Rebekah chose to be Isaac's wife, and we even get a reference to the Abrahamic covenant continuing through her life. "And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, 'Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!" (v60).

Mind = blown.

So what's the point of this story? Is it about dating? Not really. Is it about romance? You betcha. Does it have good insight on finding a good spouse? Sure. Is it about Si Robertson? No. No it is not. There are some neat and incredible things in this chapter, but the main point of Genesis 24 is the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. God had made a covenant with Abraham and he shows here that no matter what happens God will faithfully and lovingly keep his Word to Abraham and his descendants. Most of the Old Testament is about how God chose a person and a people, through whom he would accomplish his purposes and ultimately bless the world. We are reminded here of God's unfailing love and faithfulness to his people and his promises. Cool stuff.

Isaac and Rebekah live happily ever after...that is, until they have children. (Cue the dramatic music). See you next time.

Job 8-9, Bildad is a moron. Job is broken.

Job is a book of the Bible where a righteous man experiences the deep and painful questions people have asked towards and about God: Why God? Why me? Why am I suffering? Why did you do this? Why do evil men prosper? What are you doing in my life? Where are you? How could you allow this if you're good and loving and all powerful? Job deals with the problem of man living with God. That sounds like an odd thing to write, but I think it's accurate. People who live with the knowledge of and relationship with an all mighty and loving God inevitably deal with these sorts of questions. In the story of Job we get to watch and experience a righteous, God-fearing man deal with these questions in the midst of incredible and heart rendering suffering.

So what happened previously? In chapter 5 one of Job's "friends", seeking to give him counsel, says Job was suffering because of sin/evil in his life. He encouraged Job to repent before God and all would be well. In chapters 6-7 Job wishes for death, complains his friends are sorry good-for-nothings, and rails against God's continual affliction upon his life.

Mind = blown.

Now in Job 8. (As always you are encouraged, yea invited to read along for yourself in your Bible or online). Bildad the Shuhite steps up to the plate to offer his "wisdom". So what does he have to say? I'm sure it will be really helpful...NOT! "How long will you say these things, and the words of your mouth be a great wind? Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?" (2-3). Bildad was offended Job had complained against God. He says Job should stop blowing hot air and should just remember God always does what is right. Then Bildad drops this bomb on Job, "If your children have sinned against him, he has delivered them into the hand of their transgression," (4). Surprisingly Bildad will not be guest hosting on Dr. Phil anytime soon. What a jerk! (I mean Bildad, not Dr. Phil).

Peacemaker. Assassinated.

Now comes Bildad's counsel, "If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy...surely then he will rouse himself for you and restore your rightful habitation," (5-6). In Bildad's mind righteous people do not suffer before God. Instead the universe is a cause and effect place where only evil people suffer. In other words, "Everything will work out in the end", "Karma", "what comes around goes around," etc. His reasoning is as follows, "Can papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Can reeds flourish where there is no water? While yet in flower and not cut down, they wither before any other plant," (11-12). There is always a cause and effect for the things that happen. Plants wither due to lack of water. Sinners suffer before God because he will not allow them to prosper. Bildad continues talking, but this is the gist of what's being said: 'Good people don't suffer before God. Bad things only happen to evil people. Therefore Job, you should repent and God will graciously restore you.' Apparently Bildad had never heard of Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Mao, bad guys who did whatever they wanted, killed millions of people, and lived long lives. He also didn't know about Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr, Jesus, William Wilberforce, or any other good and righteous person who lived in poverty, was assassinated, wrongly accused, or suffered their whole lives doing good with very little to show for it. Congratulations Bildad, you're a moron.

Mass murderer. Lived a long life.

Here's the point Bildad missed. Life isn't fair. Sometimes, (unfortunately oftentimes), the bad guys succeed and good guys suffer. This world is broken and messed up. It's evil and corrupted. Sometimes what is evil is glorified as good and righteousness is mocked. Evil dictators don't get horrible forms of cancer and suffer miserably. Sometimes saints do. The world is not as it should be. It is not as it was. At one time God and men lived in harmony in the Garden. God walked with man on a regular basis. Man and nature were rightly related to their Creator. However, corruption, evil, and brokenness entered the world because of man's sin and the world and mankind have never been the same. The good news though is the world will not always be this way. One day God will come back and the world will be restored. There will be no more sickness, no more crying, no more pain, and no more death. The guilty will be judged. Those who accept God's salvation in Christ will be saved.

Unfortunately Job doesn't know that. In chapter 9 he responds. His general point is God is so great, so holy, so awesome, and so powerful that no one can be right before him. He isn't admitting of wrong doing or unrighteousness, but instead he is pointing out how God is so strong he can overpower anyone, so therefore he will "prove" his own rightness. The question Job is raising is whether something is true/right because it is, i.e. "Roses are red." Or if something is right because God is so big and strong that you just simply have to agree with him or he'll step on you, i.e. "I say the rose is purple. If you disagree with me I will shoot you." "If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times...Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?" (3, 12).

Job knows he has not sinned before God, but that doesn't seem to matter to the Almighty, (13-24). Right now God seems to be acting towards him without any rhyme or reason. Several times in this section Job asserts his righteousness. "Though I am in the right, Though I am in the right, Though I am blameless, I am blameless", (15, 20, 21). Even if that's the case, (as Job asserts), it doesn't matter, because "he would prove me perverse," (20). His conclusion is "He destroys both the blameless and the wicked," (22). Here's the problem as Job sees it: Job knows he has not sinned against God and did nothing to cause this calamity in his life, (as his friends have stated). But yet God has seemed fit to bring about the destruction of his family, his health, and his possessions. Job can see no reason why a good, loving, and all powerful God would allow such events in his life. Therefore even though Job feels like he could win an argument in court before God based solely on the facts, he has concluded God destroys whoever he wishes without any regard to righteousness or evil.

Job 9:25-32 - Job: Even if I tried to forget my problems or make myself righteous God would still not leave me alone. Job has determined God has put a target on his back and will not leave him alone, no matter what. Even if Job was able to forget his problems or make himself a completely sinless man, God, (at least in Job's mind), would still pursue and destroy him. "There is no arbiter between us, who might lay his hands on us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not dread of him terrify me." God, to Job, is like a mean kid on an ant hill with an magnifying glass. He takes delight in setting the little ants on fire. To Job, God is not a God of kindness, mercy, or fairness. He arbitrarily ruins and destroys people's lives. Ouch.

Let's stop and consider something here. Job was making judgments on the character of God based on his experiences and feelings. It's hard to blame the guy because he had no written Bible, no prophets, and no objective revelation from God. Remember, this was about the time of Abraham. The information on the Almighty was a bit limited. However, you and I cannot make the same mistake as Job. God has revealed himself in the Bible. We have a written, objective revelation from God about who He is, what He is like, and what is true. We cannot decide who God is and how he acts based on our feelings, our experiences, or what we would like. We live in a subjective and relativistic world where men create their own truth and ideas about God/religion as it suits them. Deciding what we think is true or right doesn't work in the field of math, law, science, or on Hwy 85. Subjective thinking about God isn't going to be work either. God has given the Bible to reveal himself and what is true. Look to IT to find out what is true about life and God.

It's hard to blame Job for his thinking getting out of whack, but Job is starting to get in a dangerous place. You and I can do the same thing. When someone we love says "cancer", when we lose our job, if our kids get wronged or God forbid someone gets killed it is natural to draw conclusions about the justice, power, and love of God. The problem Job faces is he is drawing wrong conclusions about the Lord based on his experiences. His conclusions were subjective, not based on any objective reality outside of himself. This is why you and I have to be sure what we think about truth, life, sex, money, marriage, and God are based in an objective reality. Truth is not based on what our friends think, our circumstances say, or what we like. Truth is simply truth. It's like the rose analogy I used earlier. A red rose is a red rose, period. This is based on the objective standard of the definitions of colors and flowers. If you don't like that a red rose is red, it doesn't change that reality. We must define truth, life, and God on the objective reality of the Bible, not our preferences or our circumstances. Is that hard? Yep. But it's also the only way we can have any certainty and security in our hearts and minds.

We must stress that the basis for our faith is neither experience nor emotion but the truth as God has given it in verbalized, prepositional form in the Scripture and which we first of all apprehend with our minds.

Job is getting in a bad place and it's going to get worse. Just hang in there Job, (or you if you find yourself in a similar situation). God has not forsaken you. He knows what he's doing even if you, (or I), don't. See you next time.

Genesis 24:1-9, Where we Talk About Abraham's Privates, (seriously) Pt. 1

Pants...because pants are a safe picture.

Yes, you read the subject line correctly. We are going to talk about Abraham's private parts today, (sort of). Did I say that for shock value and to get your attention? Yes. Is it actually a part of the Bible? Yes. So there.

Today we're going to begin looking at the longest chapter in the book of Genesis. It involves God acting in kindness and faithfulness to Abraham and Isaac. It shows God faithfully fulfilling his unilateral and unconditional promises to Abraham. It also involves a beautiful romance and the faithfulness of a servant to his master. It would really make a great movie. (If anyone does make a movie based on this blog then I automatically get 10%. This statement may or may not be legally binding). And yes, we are actually going to talk about Abraham's private parts. And yes, it is Biblical.

Note: It would be difficult, nigh impossible, to find appropriate "privates" related pictures. So I'm going to just going to choose something a little more...suitable, (i.e. pants). I trust you'll understand.

A little background first. God had made promises to Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22. He promised Abraham that he would make from him a great nation, bless Abraham, make his name great, and through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. God further promised Abraham would bear a son through his wife Sarah through whom the promises would continue, (Isaac). In Genesis 22 Abraham trusted God, even with his beloved son's life, and God reiterated his promise to bless Abraham and fulfill his covenant promises. God's promises to Abraham were unilateral and unconditional, meaning they were not based on the faithfulness of Abraham or his descendants, but rather on the unfailing faithfulness of God.

In Genesis 23, Sarah, Abraham's wife, died. She was 127 years old when she died. Considering that they were probably married at an early age, it's not inconceivable that they had been married for 100 years or more. Needless to say I'm sure Abraham and Isaac were devastated. It's a sad and important story, but a story for another time. Today for our purposes we are skipping ahead to Genesis 24.

More...um..."pants"

So what's going on here? (Genesis 24:1-9) Abraham is old, (most people over 140 years or so are considered "old"). He wants to provide a wife for his son but there's a problem. Abraham doesn't want his son to marry one of the women in his area who did not know or believe in God Almighty. He knew that the women in his area would corrupt his son and turn him away from God.

Quick question: Have you ever seen a woman have a powerful or negative influence on a man? (Think Biblically or even non Biblically). Let me count the ways: Solomon, Ahab, Samson, Adam, the nation of Israel in general, Bill Clinton, JFK, your buddy from college who married that awful harpy who ruined his life, etc. I'm not saying men don't have a responsibility to make wise choices, etc. I'm not saying men can't have a negative effect on women. I'm just saying there's a clear example in history, the Bible, and in your life and mine that women can have a powerful effect on a man, (and vice versa). Therefore men: be careful about the women you associate with. Women: use your powers wisely.

Question: What do you think the application here is about marrying people who don't share your faith in God? What do you think the conclusion should be about joining your life to someone who isn't morally, philosophically, or theologically in agreement with you? Abraham knew there was a danger there to his son, which is why he commanded his servant so seriously, (as we'll see in a moment). God knows it, which is why he repeatedly told the Jews in the Bible not to marry women from other countries or religions. So Abraham is going to make his servant swear a very serious vow that he will go to the land of Abraham's family and find a wife for Isaac and NOT take a wife for Isaac from the ungodly land of Canaan. Abraham knew that within his relatives there was belief in the one God and he was trusting the Lord to provide a wife for his son from that land.

Pants humor.

Now, on to Abraham's privates. Verse 2, "And Abraham said to his servant, 'Put your hand under my thigh, that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac." Now I'm no Old Testament scholar, but the idea here, from what I understand, is that either the servant was literally putting his hand under Abraham's thigh next to Abraham's "parts", or that he was literally, according to the custom, supposed to grab hold of Abraham's...um...you know. Let's just pause a moment for the gross factor to pass us by...

You ready now? Me neither.

...

Ready now? Okay? Let's continue. Regardless of what actually happened in this agreement between Abraham and his servant, the point you should walk away from is the seriousness of Abraham's request. If you've ever bought a house you know that you have to sign about 9,999 pieces of paper to show your intent and agreement to buy that house. There's no way you walk out of the office after signing those papers without a serious hand cramp as well as an understanding of the gravity of what you've just done. It's the same way with Abraham and his servant. Abraham wanted this servant to know, in no uncertain terms, of the severity of what he was asking him to do. There was no way Isaac was to be partnered with a non believing Canaanite woman. In our day we put our hand on the Bible in court to signify the seriousness of our oath. In Abraham's day you put your hand on a person's...pants. All joking aside, this agreement between Abraham and his servant is very significant.

Kind of makes you wonder how seriously God takes believers partnering with unbelievers, doesn't it? Remember, this is the longest chapter in Genesis, which speaks to its importance. Again, serious business.

It's NOT okay to go pantless on a plane.

One final point on these first 9 verses in 5-8. "The servant said to him, 'Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?' Abraham said to him, 'See to it that you do not take my son back there. The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there."

Implied in the agreement the servant was making with Abraham is the warning of judgment on the servant should he not fulfill his task. So if you were the servant and you were in this situation you'd probably want assurances from Abraham should things not work out. Not to worry, says Abraham. God is going to send his angel ahead of you to make sure his covenant and blessing to me and my family are fulfilled. Abraham, at the end of his life, is a man of incredible faith in God. God has brought him to a point in his life where he completely and utterly trusts the character and promises of God. Was that easy? No, (see also Genesis 22). But God was faithful to bring Abraham along to a point of utter trust and rest in God. This is good news for us all, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus," (Phil. 1:6). For those of us who believe and are walking with God we can be confident that he is always at work to grow us in faith and in our relationship with Him.

So far we've looked at Abraham's agreement with his servant, (as well as some interesting pictures of pants). Next time we're going to look at the faithfulness of this servant, as well as God's faithfulness to provide a bride for Isaac. I know you're all anxious for the next blog, but just keep your pants on...(ha!)

P.S. This may be a touchy subject for some folks. Maybe you married an unbeliever and it all worked out, they got saved, etc. Maybe you married an unbeliever and things got bad and this blog is hitting a nerve for you. My point here is to illustrate what is being said in the text and what that means for our lives. My point is to show the wisdom of God in his words to us, the seriousness about this issue, (i.e. the involvement of private parts), and the faith of Abraham. It is up to you to examine the text of the Bible yourself and see whether or not I have been faithful to God's Word. It is always my prayer and effort to do in my posts.

Job 6-7, Dedicated to Rainbow Spike, the Fish.

Goodbye Lamont. Goodbye Rainbow Spike.

Today's blog is dedicated to Rainbow Spike, my daughter's pet beta fish. My wife put Rainbow in a cup today while she cleaned his bowl. Rainbow, forgetting he can't breathe outside of water, decided to jump out of the cup. Maybe he was a very depressed fish. Maybe we didn't see the signs. All it took was a cry for help, a note, a phone call. Alas, it was not to be. Rainbow Spike passed away today. My daughter was quite distraught.


All this sadness reminds me of Job. Let's catch up with what's going on with his story in Job 6-7.

So how did we get here? Here's the Heath"Cliff

" notes version: Job was a very wealthy and blessed man who lived about the time of Abraham. He had a large family and a lot of possessions. Not only that, but he was a righteous man. He "feared God and turned away from evil." God boasts to Satan about Job. Satan tells God that Job only fears God because he has blessed him. God allows Satan to torment Job. Job subsequently loses his children, his possessions, and his health. However, in spite of all of his Job "did not curse God or charge him with wrongdoing," even when his harpy wife tells him to curse God and die. Understandably Job cries out about his pain and suffering. Eliphaz, one of Job's friends who has come to "comfort him", (irony abounds), tells him that he's suffering because he's sinned and he just needs to confess his sin before God and all will be well. Now we get to Job's response.

*Remember, it's as if we're watching a movie or a play. There's not going to be a tidy little ending until the end of the story. What we're trying to do right now is watch the story unfold so we understand what's going on.

In Job 6:1-7, Job laments the level of his pain. "Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;" (1-2). He says it is as if God has aimed his arrows at me, (4). He says he has every reason to complain and cry aloud, (5-6).

Next in Job 6:8-13, he wishes God would just take his life. He feels there is no hope for him and he just wishes his life would end. Remember, not long ago, in the span of a few minutes Job lost his children, his wealth, and his servants. Soon after that he lost his health. Some people surely have experienced similar loss and sorrow. It is doubtful, however, that few people have experienced it as quickly as Job.
"Oh, that I might have my request, and that God would fulfill my hope, that it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!" (8-9). Job further says that he has no hope in his strength and no hope that his life will be restored, (11-13). His only comfort is that he knows he has not denied God. He knows he is a man of integrity, (10). "This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One." 

Observation:  This story does not hide the fact that life has pain, injustice, despair, and sorrow. The Bible is real. The characters are real. The issues and people we see in the Bible are just as real as the issues we encounter in every day life. I love the Bible because it does not sugarcoat anything. God deals with realities, not fantasies. We have here a person in Job, who is experiencing the same feelings of the most devastated person we could ever encounter. It is so bad that he wishes he would die. He is without hope. He is in pain. The Bible encounters man at his lowest and most despairing moment. Strangely, this is encouraging. God is not a stranger to man's pain, sorrow, and despair. He understands the deepest cries and hurts a person can feel.

Not only is Job suffering, but his friends are about as helpful as lemon juice on an open wound, 6:14-23. He compares them to ice hidden with snow that melts away when the summer comes. They are unreliable and untrustworthy. "My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed, as torrential streams that pass away," (15). Job is in pain and sorrow and instead of comfort from his friends he's only received harsh and stupid counsel. He then challenges them to prove how he has sinned against God, 6:24-30. "Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray," (24). "But now, be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face," (28). "Is there any injustice on my tongue?" (30). I don't know about you, but I've had my share of crappy advice and "help" from people when I've been in pain. If you've experienced it yourself then you know how hurtful and maddening it is for someone to say something stupid when you're broken inside. Job knows that better than most.

Having excoriated his "friends" Job returns to the expression of his own anguish, 7:1-6. Just as the slave looks forward to the end of his labor, so Job is looking forward to the end of his life. "Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages, so I am allotted months of emptiness," (2-3). His only expectation is to fade away into nothingness and never be remembered. "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone," (8).

Therefore, since he soon will pass away into nothingness, Job turns his attention to God, 7:11-21. In Job's mind he is going to die soon anyway, so he figures he might as well bring his complaint before the Lord. "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;" (11). To Job it seems as if God has set a watch over him to make sure he suffers, "Am I the sea, or a sea monster, that you set a guard over me?" (12) Even when he sleeps Job can find no comfort. Even when he lies down he is terrified by nightmares, (13-14). Let's look at his final words before he finishes his monologue. You can feel the depth of this poor man's soul, sense his anguish, and hear his heart breaking as he cries out to his maker in sorrow and utter despair.

"How long will you not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your mark? Why have I become a burden to you? Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For now I shall lie in the earth; you will seek me, but I shall not be."(19-21).

If reading those verses doesn't break your heart, then you probably also liked the ending of Old Yeller. Job feels like he has become a target of God. He feels like God has set his sights on him and will not turn him loose in his anger. Granted, that's not the reality of what's happened, but it's important for us to see the depth of Job's broken spirit.

*Important point here: Job talks about sin a little bit here. I don't think he's making an admission of sin. Rather, I think he's saying, "Look, even if I did do something, wouldn't I have suffered enough here?" Throughout the book Job will hold fast to his integrity and righteousness, so I don't think he's making some admission of guilt.

Observations: Like I said previously, we're in the middle of Job's story here, so there's not going to be a pretty bow to wrap around each chapter or section. The ending comes at the end, (you only get to say brilliant things like that if you were a Journalism major), so we just have to hold on and watch things unfold. On a side note, I think it's important for us to learn to read and observe the Bible, instead of looking for some personal application or meaning in every verse or chapter. Some parts of the Bible are like that. We just have to read and observe the story.
Meanwhile, I do think it's important for us to see and feel Job's excruciating pain and emotions in these chapters. It's also helpful to see how the Bible deals with man's deepest questions about pain, sorrow, unfairness, life with God, and the deep questions we all ask when we are suffering. 

Oh, if only Job were a Saturday morning cartoon where everything was wrapped up in 30 minutes. Unfortunately Job isn't like that. Then again, neither is life. "Life is pain. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something." Name that movie. No cheating/Googling. If you guess right I'll send you a Dorito.

See you next time. God bless.

Genesis 22, (part 2). What it means for you and me.

Yesterday we looked at the testing of Abraham in Genesis 22. Wow, what a story! You can read more about it here. Basically God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. Abraham trusted and obeyed God and was willing to sacrifice Isaac, but was stopped by God at the last possible second. God commended Abraham for his faith and fear of God and therefore promised to bless him tremendously and unilaterally. I said this all much more eloquently and more in depth yesterday, but that's the general idea. Today's blog is more about looking to what happened and thinking about what it means for you and I today.

First a few points:
- God calling on Abraham to sacrifice his son was not totally unheard of in that time. Many of the pagan religions of Abraham's day sacrificed their children to their "gods". What was unusual was God asking Abraham to do the same since it was not something God had ever commanded and never commanded since.
- Genesis 22 talks about how Isaac was Abraham's only son. I hear you asking, "What about Ishmael?" Yes, Ishmael was his son, too. However, Isaac was the only son of Abraham and Sarah and Isaac was the only son of promise. I think that's the general idea of the language.

So What did we learn from Genesis 22?
- Sometimes God will test our faith through difficulty. Genesis 22 opens up with "Some time after these things God tested Abraham." The whole purpose of this chapter was God testing Abraham's faith. This is the first time Abraham is specifically mentioned as being "tested" by God, but I would submit that the whole of Abraham's life contains tests and challenges of faith. Abraham had plenty of challenges to his faith throughout his life. Sometimes he passed and sometimes he failed. But God used those events in his life to grow him into a man of faith and dependence on Him. Finally at the end of his life Abraham passed the ultimate test of God, being willing to sacrifice his one and only son. The bottom line is that God uses difficulty and challenges in our lives to test and grow our faith and relationship with Him.

Life is hard. Water is wet. Brussel Sprouts are gross, etc.

In the book of James in the New Testament God says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing," (James 1:2-4). Difficulty can be the ground through which we grow, see also David, Moses, Nehemiah, Jacob, Joseph, Peter, Paul, etc. Does that mean every red light and bad day is God deliberately testing us? I don't know. I think the point is every difficulty is an opportunity to trust or not trust, obey or disobey and if we're faithful the Lord can do some amazing things in our hearts and lives. Is that easy? No. Difficulty by definition is difficult. (Feel free to write that down and amaze your friends with that quote). Life is hard, (another brilliant quote, I know), and God works amongst hard things to test us and grow us up.

I do not support your penguin cupcake business.

- Abraham showed incredible faith in God. God told Abraham that he would have a son through whom he would make a great nation and inherit the promises God had given. Now God tells Abraham to kill the same son. Does that make any sense to you? I don't think it did to Abraham either. But Abraham knew God was faithful to his promises no matter what, (see Genesis 15). He obeyed God, even when he didn't understand how it was going to work out. "By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son...He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back," (Hebrews 11:17-19). Abraham told his servants who were with him, "You guys stay here. Me and Isaac are going to worship and WE'LL come back." He also told Isaac that God would provide the lamb needed for the sacrifice. He didn't know how it was going to work out, but he exhibited faith in the promises of God.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This doesn't mean that you can mortgage your house and open your dream penguin cupcake business because you "have faith". Nor does this mean you can get healed from cancer because you "have faith". God had given Abraham specific promises and Abraham's actions were based on those specific promises. Please don't do anything crazy and send me a nasty email later telling me it's all my fault because I told you to "have faith". I say Nay-Nay!

- Isaac as a foreshadow to the cross.
Abraham, the father, leads his son up a hill to die. God the Father led Jesus up Golgotha to hang on a cross and die for the sins of men. Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice. Jesus carried the cross on his beaten and bloody back. Isaac was Abraham's one and only son whom he loved. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son" (John 3:16). God provided a spotless lamb for the sacrifice in Abraham's day and a spotless lamb in Christ. Abraham found a ram caught by its horns to sacrifice instead of Isaac. As I mentioned previously, God had showed he only accepted blood sacrifices from unblemished animals. Jesus was a man without sin, without unrighteousness, without evil. He was an unblemished and innocent sacrifice to God for the sins of men. In contrast to Abraham and Isaac, there was no other sacrifice that would be sufficient to pay for the sins of men. Sin and rebellion against God requires death. There was no ram caught by the horns who could take the place of Jesus. Only Jesus could pay for the sins of mankind and Jesus willingly went to the cross to suffer and die for you and for me.

Abraham, by faith, believed God would preserve Isaac's life, even bringing him back from the dead, if necessary. We, by faith, can have life and forgiveness of our sins in Christ. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other found I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus." - Robert Lowry

The 100th Blog...Yay!...and Genesis 22...and the Swedish Chef...and Abraham...and...and...

Don't get frustrated, Swedish chef. We'll come back to Job.

If you follow ye old blog with any frequency you know that I switch from subject to subject as suits my fancy. I'm known as quite the rebel, (not really), so my moods are hard to predict, (no comments from my wife please). I am however, dedicated to the subjects I have already brought up. So fret not, we will finish the blog on Job. I wanted to switch back, (for now), to Genesis and Abraham because Abraham called and said he was feeling neglected. Out of a desire not to offend the leading Jewish patriarch I have returned to tell his story. We join him now in Genesis 22:1-19. What I would suggest is that you open the page for the link on a separate page so you can view the verses. Either that or just open the Bible. Whichever option you think the Swedish chef would like best. One other thing: Genesis 22 is one of the most deep and incredible chapters of the Bible, so I'm going to spend two blogs on it. The first is going to be mainly observing the text and the second will look more in depth at its meaning and significance. Here we go:

How did we get here? If you're interested in the long answer to that question you can go back and read my blogs on Genesis and particularly Abraham, (or you could just read Genesis 12-21, it's your choice). The short answer is that Abraham was called by God out of his homeland. God told him he would make him a great nation, make his name great, and in him all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. God also promised Abraham that he would have a son through his wife Sarah, (even though Sarah and Abraham were in their 70's), who would inherit the promises God gave to Abraham.

Abraham has been walking with God now for about 40 years or so. He has grown much in his faith and relationship with God, despite many stumbles and failings. God finally provided a son to Abraham through his wife Sarah, which was quite a miracle because both parents were about 100 when they conceived, (way to go Abraham!). All joking aside, God worked a miracle to provide a son for them, Isaac, who would be the heir to the promises given by God. So there. Now you completely understand Genesis 12-21...or at least the general idea.

Now Abraham has his son, the promised child from God. Genesis 22 seems to be, according to commentators, about 20 years down the road. Abraham and Sarah have been able to live with, raise, and enjoy their son for some time now. What a blessing. Now that we know the background, let's dig in to the chapter.

"After these things God tested Abraham..." (v1). A big part about reading and understanding the Bible is to pay attention to the context/background, (see prior paragraphs), and language. At the start of this chapter the Bible clearly states what is about to happen. God is going to test Abraham. The testing is the entire premise for what is going to happen in Genesis 22.

(v2). Whoa. Stop a minute. Let's think about this. Abraham had waited 25 years for the son God promised to him. He had endured years of waiting and trusting God. He had finally received the son God was going to use to create a great nation and through whom the world would be blessed according to God's promises. Abraham and Sarah had spent the last 15-20 years or so raising and loving this child. Now God calls him to take his son to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him to God. The language used in this sentence makes it painfully clear that God knows what he is asking Abraham to do. Each word of God's command cuts even deeper, "Take your son/your only son Isaac/whom you love"...Not only is it Abraham's son, but it is his only son that he loves deeply. To describe this as a difficult situation would be a gross understatement.

Ask yourself how you would feel in this situation? What would you do? What would your thoughts be about God? About his plan? About his heart? Why would God do this to him? How could this possibly line up with God's previous promises to Abraham about Isaac?

So what does Abraham do? "So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him , and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar," (v3-4). Faced with the most difficult command God has ever given, Abraham gets up in the morning, prepares the materials to sacrifice his son, and heads towards the mountain. The journey takes three days. I wonder if Abraham wasn't hoping God would speak to him in that time and order him to go back home with Isaac. Either way, Abraham obeyed God. 

Verses 5-8. Abraham and Isaac take the long walk alone up the mountain. Abraham tells his servants who traveled with him to stay and wait while he and Isaac go and worship. He makes an incredible statement to them, "I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." Abraham is acting in faith in God and in his promises. God had told Abraham that in Isaac would the covenant promises be fulfilled. He told him that from Isaac a great nation would come. Abraham did not understand what God was going to do, but he trusted that God would be faithful to his promises and that somehow the Lord was going to bring Isaac back with him. Abraham didn't know how it was going to work out, but he trusted God and his promises. Abraham takes the wood for the burnt offering, the wood by which he will apparently burn up the dead body of his son, and lays it on Isaac's shoulders. Abraham takes the knife and the torch and they both head up the mountain. Man! What a picture! The father leading his own son up a mountain where he will kill him.

Isaac realizes there is wood, a knife, and a torch, but no lamb for a burnt offering. (Remember, God had made it clear that the only acceptable offerings were blood sacrifices. See also Cain/Abel, Noah and previous times in Abraham's life). Isaac asks his father where the lamb is for the offering. Abraham answers, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son."  Abraham believed God would provide the sacrifice for the offering needed. Abraham trusted God.

(9-10) Now they get to the place where Abraham was to build the altar and sacrifice his son. Tom Nelson, commenting on these verses, points out that here the text slows down so you can feel the drama and emotion in each word. It's like when you're watching a murder mystery movie. It's the final scene, the killer slowly enters the room, every move is magnified and in slow motion before the climactic scene. It's the same way in these verses. You can almost hear dramatic music in the background. "Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son."

I'm told women like Sawyer. 

So what happens? It's if all of a sudden time stops and then you go to a commercial break. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? WHO KILLED JR? WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS THE TV SHOW LOST REALLY ABOUT? IS DARTH VADER REALLY LUKE SKYWALKER'S FATHER? WHY AM I TYPING IN ALL CAPS!?

"But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.' Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me," (11-12). Whoa. That was close.

God allows Abraham to get the very end of the sacrifice and then stops him. He calls out twice, like you do when you're trying to stop your kids from touching the stove. ABRAHAM! ABRAHAM! Abraham stopped from killing Isaac, (as Rembrandt's painting to the right shows so well), and his son was spared. Instead of Isaac, a ram is found caught in a thicket by his horns. Abraham is able to take the ram and sacrifice it instead of Isaac. There is a very important point here about the sacrifices God requires. Not only was the blood of an animal provided for the sacrifice, but it was an animal without any blemish. The ram was caught by his horns. The body was not marred or damaged. The ram was without fault. God requires the blood of a undamaged and unblemished sacrifice. If the ram had been scarred or damaged in any way it would not have been a fit sacrifice for God. The Lord provided just the right sacrifice, (see Abraham's comments earlier), instead of Isaac.

(14-19) Abraham in grateful praise, sacrifices the animal and names that place "The Lord will provide". God declares to Abraham that he will bless him greatly because of his faithful obedience. Pay attention to the unilateral and unconditional language God uses. "By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice," (16-18).

Has anyone ever made a movie about Genesis 22? What an incredible drama! What incredible faith! What emotion! What obedience! Maybe they should do a whole TV series on the Bible. They could call it, "The Bible". I really should check on that. Seems like a good idea.

Anyway, I told you before this was going to be mainly an observational blog. Next time we'll dive into what this all means and the incredible implications from this chapter. But it's important we take time to just read the story and breathe in all of what happened and the drama therein. That way we'll be ready once it comes to understanding and applying the lessons and truths from the story. Stay tuned for the next blog. I think it'll be a good one. Beaker agrees.

Even the fool looks wise until he opens his mouth. Job 4-5.

I know it's belated, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all! Now that turkey has been eaten, gifts have been unwrapped, (Blu-Ray player!), and miles have been traveled, I'm back to blogging about Job. I know you missed me.

My subject line is actually a proverb in the Bible, Proverbs 17:28. It speaks to the situation Job finds himself in. He's a man in intense grief who questions the plan and purpose of the Almighty, (see previous blog post and/or chapter 3 of Job). He is wondering why God has done all of this to him. He wondered why God even allowed him to live if he was just going to experience such sorrow. In short he asks a lot of the same questions you and I have asked of God when we experience pain, death, sorrow, or injustice in a fallen world.

Job's friends come along and actually seem like pretty smart guys for a while because they just sit there and grieve with him. Then they decide to open their mouths and it all goes downhill. First up to bat is Eliphaz. He swings and misses. Let's look at what he has to say.

Treebeard: "It takes a long time to say anything in old Entish."

Like I mentioned before, the speaking for the most part of the book of Job are like Shakespearean
monologues. The speeches are long and take a long time to say anything, (which is eerily similar to an Ent). Eliphaz is this way. He takes two whole chapters to say just a few things. (Why does he do this? I don't know, maybe he likes hearing himself talk). Eliphaz's comments are broken down into four sections, 4:1-11, 4:12-21, 5:1-7, and 5:8-27.

First in 4:1-11, Eliphaz encourages Job to remember the counsel he has given to others. He thinks it is odd that Job, who has counselled so many people who have been in hard times, now has a hard time understanding what is happening (1-6). Job, according to Eliphaz, should remember that those who are righteous never perish, God only destroys the wicked (7-11). In other words, Job was getting what he deserved because of his sin. If Job was righteous then these awful things would never have happened to him. (Counsel like this is why Eliphaz was never successful in his career as a grief counselor and subsequently opened a McDonald's instead). "Call to mind now: Who, being innocent, ever perished? And where were upright people ever destroyed? Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same," (7-8).

In 4:12-21 Eliphaz enlightens us with the wisdom he received from a creepy spirit. He said he was sleeping one night and a "breath of air passed by my face" and freaked him out. There is no indication this ghost was from God. For one thing, no where else in the Bible do angels scare people and speak to them like something out of a horror film. Usually angels showed up in some sort of form people could recognize. They also said things like, "Hey, I'm an angel. Listen to me," instead of the whispering creepiness described by Eliphaz. The "vision" Eliphaz received can't be verified against any other revelation from God. It's a very relativistic experience. Eliphaz himself also doesn't claim it was God or from God. He just had a creepy message from a ghost vision and thought whatever that ghost had to share would be important to this conversation. (Am I being overly sarcastic and possibly rude? Yes). So what did the "vision" share? Basically that man is a mortal creation that can never be in the right before an immortal and almighty God. How comforting. Please stop talking Eliphaz...No? You have more to say? Oh goody.

Even this Panda is less of a jerk than Eliphaz. 

5:1-7, Eliphaz: "No one is going to answer you, sinner. Stop bothering God". Seriously, that's what he has to say. What a good friend, huh? "Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?" (1). A quote here from the NetBible commentary sums it up better than I can: "If he (Job) makes his appeal against God, who is there who will listen? The rhetorical questions are intended to indicate that no one will respond, not even the angels. Job would do better to realize that he is guilty and his only hope is in God." In 2-7 Eliphaz shares that the sinners get what is coming to them. Trouble finds those who deserve it. Evil people's children, "are far from safety, and they are crushed at the place where judgment is rendered," (4). What a nice thing to say to a guy whose kids were killed when the roof fell on them. Eliphaz = jerk. The bottom line for Eliphaz is "affliction does not come from the dust, nor does trouble sprout from the ground," (6). In other words, trouble comes to a person for a reason. Men get what they deserve.

Job 5:8-27. So then, what should Job do, according to Eliphaz, the ghost whisperer? Job should repent because God is disciplining him as a sinner. If Job repents before God, then God will bless him. In other words, good people get blessed by God and evil people get punished. If Job repents and does good, then God will bless him. "Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal," (17-18). Here's the problem with what Eliphaz is saying: Job was not experiencing pain and sorrow because of his sin. By God's own admission he was a righteous man who feared God and turned away from evil. Job was experiencing this trouble because of the sovereign will of God and the evil works of Satan, (don't ask me to explain how that all works together).

Yoda Mr. T has pity for the foolishness of Eliphaz.

Lessons to learn from the foolishness of Eliphaz:
- Whenever you give advice to hurting people, make sure your "advice" is not from a voice, a vision, or a creepy ghost. I know that seems like common sense, but apparently it needs to be said. Eliphaz's advice was not based on the revelation of God, but rather his own relativistic experience. It sounded good and spiritual at the time, but was not based in truth, as we shall see at the end of the book. (No peeking ahead now). Make sure what you think about God, life, evil, suffering, etc is based on truth, i.e. the Bible.
- Remember that in this world sometimes bad guys get the girl, win the trophy, and have a big house. Sometimes good guys suffer, lose the Super Bowl, and get cancer. Therefore don't view a person's circumstances as a reflection on their righteousness or evil before God. Some of the best and godliest people I've known have suffered with debilitating diseases. Is that fair? No. Does that mean God doesn't love them? No. Some wicked jerks have their own TV shows, waste money, promote abortion, and defile God in public. God doesn't step on those folks and then scrape them off his shoe, (yet). That's the world we live in. We cannot view our circumstances as a reflection of God's favor on our lives. This is one of the key messages from the book of Job.
- God is not the uncaring sovereign portrayed by Eliphaz. Eliphaz describes God as not hearing, not caring, and highly judgmental. "Call now; is there anyone who will answer you? To which of the holy ones will you turn?" (5:1). "Even in his servants he puts no trust, and his angels he charges with error;" (4:18). God is not this way. He is the God who descended onto earth, experienced the sorrow and suffering of man, and bore their sins and brokenness on his body in Jesus Christ.
"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed." (Isaiah 53:4-5).
The God of creation is not uncaring. He loves man who he has created. He is not without understanding. He has experienced injustice, sin, sorrow, loss, and pain. He is not someone we cannot approach. We are welcomed to come to him in our pain, confusion, and suffering. He is there and he cares. We may not always  (or ever) understand his purposes, but we cannot doubt his character or his heart.

So Eliphaz strikes out with his counsel. Big surprise. Next time we'll look at Job's response to this "wisdom". So say goodbye to Eliphaz and his ghosts and we'll see you next time. Happy New Year again. Peace out.