I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Job responds to Zophar by sarcastically saying that when his visiting friends die, wisdom will die with them. However, Job tells them that he knew everything they had said, they are no better than he. Job claims that he, a just and blameless man, is facing trouble while the wicked live in safety. He tells his friends to look around, it is clear that his trouble comes from the hand of God.
Job continues by saying that while those who have age and experience possess some wisdom, true wisdom and power belong to God. Everyone is subject to God’s plans and actions. No one is able to escape the fate that God has chosen for them. From that statement, Job moves on to asking for the opportunity to make his case before God directly. He asks God to show him what he has done wrong.
Eliphaz responds to Job a second time. He accuses Job of lacking proper fear and respect for God. He asks Job if any mortal can be pure or just in God’s sight? Eliphaz then says that the wicked suffers torment continuously. He goes on to describe the kinds of trouble that he says finds the wicked. The implication of what he is saying is that, since Job is suffering these torments, he must be a wicked man.
Paul continues his arguments for believing in the resurrection of the dead with an interesting question,
Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?(NIV)
Further he asks why would he and those ministering with him risk their lives on a regular basis if there was no resurrection from the dead. Finally, Paul argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead than we should drink and party for tomorrow we die. Paul responds to this by saying that we should not be fooled by those who say such things. We are to think carefully and stop sinning. Some of those who make such arguments do not know God at all.
Paul’s question about being baptized for the dead is an interesting one. I would really like to know what was going on with that. However, it suggests that the early Church put more emphasis on the importance of baptism than we do today. This makes me think that the early Church believed that baptism was required for salvation. So much so that they were baptized for those who had died without the chance to be baptized in life (there are other possible interpretations that I will not go into today).
There is another point in this discussion that I think is worth thinking about as well. Paul quotes here a Greek poet who says “Bad company corrupts good character.” In this context Paul seems to be saying two things. First, that some people hold to certain beliefs that are contrary to the Gospel because those beliefs justify to them continuing to practice one sin or another (in my experience this is usually some sort of sexual sin, but greed runs a close second). Second. that we should not associate with such people because in time, even if we do not initially share their beliefs, we are likely to be corrupted by their heresy.
Paul then continues his discussion of the resurrection of the dead by discussing what kind of bodies we will have after we are resurrected. He emphasizes that we will have bodies. However, they will be different from our current bodies in ways which we cannot even begin to comprehend. They will be at least as different from our current bodies as the sun is from the moon. Our current bodies are subject to sinful impulses. Our heavenly bodies will have no such weaknesses. Paul tells us that not all of us will die, but all believers will be transformed from earthly bodies to heavenly bodies.
This passage is one which gives me as a Christian great hope in the face of death. God has promised that our mortal bodies will be transformed into bodies that will not know corruption, that will not be subject to the aches and pains we all begin to feel as we age. More than that, I can have confidence that those I love who know the Lord who have died are experiencing something wonderful beyond description.
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
What a wonderful thought that the day is coming when I will understand this in full, when death will be a thing of the past and I will no longer need to say goodbye, if even only for a short while, to those I love. But even now, I know that those I love who know the Lord will only be parted from me for a short while. Which is even greater incentive for me to preach the Gospel to my friends. If they do not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, then death will part us forever.
There is one final thing that Paul says in today’s passage. He instructs us to work enthusiastically for the Lord, because nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless. In other words, if we dedicate ourselves to some task for the purpose of serving God, even if we fail to accomplish the goal to which we set ourselves something of value will result. It reminds me of the story of the Sunday School teacher who taught Sunday School in a small congregation that never got very big all of her life. One of her children she taught went on to preach somewhere else. That child, now a grown man, led someone to commit their life to Christ. That latter someone became a major evangelist who called hundreds of thousands to the Lord. The Sunday School teacher never saw much fruit from her labor, but because of her labor many were saved.(When I first heard this story the evangelist was named, but I no longer remember who it was).
The psalmist tells us that he vowed to himself not to sin in what he said. In order to keep this vow, he kept silent around the ungodly. But when he kept his silent as they did what was wrong, his heart burned within him. Until the words burst forth to call upon God. He was reminded, and reminded those around him, that his days were limited and his life would be short. His only hope is in the Lord, without God life is short and meaningless. If we do not turn to God and allow Him to rescue us, our life will be nothing but suffering and misery. It will be empty and meaningless.
I know what I wrote above to be true. I experienced how empty life is without God and am grateful that He has granted me the gift of His grace. I read this psalm and thought of the many friends I have who believe that there is no God. I weep for them, because I was there and the depression I felt was unbearable. I am not positive that the meaning I read into this psalm is what the psalmist meant, but it is the one that came to me.
No matter how wise we are, no matter how carefully we plan, if what we are attempting is not what the Lord wills, it will fail. In addition, no matter what we try, God’s plans will come to fruition resulting just as He intended. We may make all the preparations that we wish, but when battle is joined, victory will belong to those chosen by God.