“Man that is born of a Woman”...the Wayfarer 2/13/14

“Man that is born of a Woman”
2/13/14

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.”

(Job 14:1-4)

These words are a portion of Job’s answer to Zophar’s accusation of his condition being caused by sin.

Just as did Elihu, Zophar  ASSUMED  that Job had to have done something to anger God, and place him within his wrath.

Although this was not the case at all, Job realized the same thing that Paul did, as he gave us the words in Romans 3:23, that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

He accepted the fact that he was imperfect, but refused to admit to sins not committed.

The response in the 3^rd and 4^th verse, also immediately bring to mind Christ’s admonition to those gathered that only the one without sin should cast that first stone!

There is another Hymn that I dearly love, and often sing, entitled “Hold to God’s unchanging Hand.”

A line therein is most appropriate, not only to Job’s situation, but to the situation of any who finds themselves falsely accused, particularly by friends, who often in fact mean well, but are, like Elihu and Zophar, not in full possession of all the information needed to make any judgment.

“When, by earthly friends forsaken… still more closely to Him cling!”

This is the reaction we find taken by Job. He trusted God! He continued to cling to God, even in the face of adversity after adversity, to include the condemnation given by well-meaning friends despite the lack of evidence, or sure knowledge of any supposed sin with which they accused Job.

This condemnation is given through the eyes of the self-righteous, well-meaning or not.

It is that very self-righteous condemnation that chases those in need of finding forgiveness and repentance from the pews of a church, and leaves only room for those who claim a cleanliness, and righteousness above that of others.

It is then that same self-righteousness that divides the congregation by means of whispers and rumors caused by the wiles of Lucifer, who cannot even tolerate the possibility that one among them might actually enlighten that congregation to the reality spoken by Paul in that 23d verse of the 3^rd Chapter of Romans, and force them to the understanding of what is truly required of worship, and that only God himself is fit to make those judgments.

“Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou has appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”

(Job 14:5-10)

While life still exists in a body, that of plant or man: if tended properly, it may be coaxed back to where it needs to be to produce effectively the intended fruit.

This requires that the root be strong, and that that root is what is fed and watered, not the dead stump that is in fact no longer useful.

It is the necessity of those, calling themselves Christian, to tend the root, that one living piece of the soul still holding that possibility of becoming something good and beautiful as intended by God, with the love that is required of us by Christ to nurse that soul to the point it grows into what was intended.

It cannot be done by taking an axe to the very root, and eliminating all possibility of that soul recognizing the need for repentance, finding salvation and having the sin forgiven which should be the mission of all “Christians”.

It is to be done with patience, love and through the proper use of the teachings of Christ to enlighten that soul to its need for that salvation instead of only the threat of damnation for not fitting in with those assembled who forget that they too are sinners, saved by Grace… not by works… By God himself… not by their recognition of each other’s earthly claims of righteousness.

“but man dieth, and wasteth away: yea man giveth up the ghost, and whre is he?

As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

(Job 14:10-16)

Once we have left the confines of this flesh suit, we are of no more effect until the final Trumpet has been sounded, and we are called from the grave to account for ourselves, either good or bad.

Just as Job, in his suffering longed for the comfort of death which would have done away with all his pain, many times those in pain, physical or mental or spiritual echo his sentiment  that he wished only to come to his appointed time, and find that change from physical being to spiritual being only.

He details the joy with which he looks toward that change, knowing that God will indeed have a desire for the work of His hands, and knows that God will ask no accounting for sin not committed, only that which was.

“My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man,

Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

 But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn”

(Job 14:17-22)

God alone is capable of the remittance of sin, it is His purview and His alone that judges what is to be forgiven, and what is not.

There is no power on earth, no philosophy, no idea, no political concept, no ability in any way that man can prevail against the wishes and plans of God.

Anything of this world, including our lofty concepts cannot withstand the power, nor overcome the will of God.

Mankind places his hope and dreams in the things which he himself conceives, and attempts to pass that hope to others whether it be in line with God’s plan or not.

That 20^th verse is very clear as to who will prevail, and it is certainly not man!

Job, was righteous before God, without having been given the law of Moses. That righteousness was sufficient in that Job met each requirement given by God to attain that righteousness.

We, and I would denote WE, are incapable of attaining that righteousness without the sacrifice made by our Savior, His intercession and the remission of sins WE HAVE committed through that Savior’s Grace, and the Grace given by the Father despite those sins.

The hopes of those relying only on the contrivances and devices of man, will find that hope destroyed.

The only true hope is through that time that is yet to come, that change Job mentioned, ant the will of our Father to grant that hope.

The world has changed much since the Time of Job… and it has changed little.

We have had time in which to build the contrivances and devices that so many would place their only faith and hope in.

We have been given the TRUTH THE WAY AND THE LIFE, to accept or deny, and the collective has denied Him.

We have been given chance after chance to turn to God, and most have instead turned from Him.

Like Job, I choose to place my hope and faith in my creator, and choose to recognize Him for who He is, and what has been given me to provide that surety of receiving that call with the knowledge that God will want to see the work of His hands.

I am able to do this only because of having heard a message given by His Son, and having heeded it to:

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

I place all hope and confidence and surety of the resurrection, the change Job spoke of, in the fact that I am indeed a sinner, but a sinner saved by grace through faith. I remain that same sinner saved by grace  until such time as that change is allotted to me, and remain also the soldier called to service to reach the yet reachable, teach the yet teachable, in a way that the root is not cut out, but is fed, nourished and that souls be saved instead of forever damned to the destruction of having only the hope of the imperfect creature called man, deceived by one who would steal the glory of God’s most precious creation if none stand and give battle as is required of me before achieving that change.

2 Timothy 1:12 ¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer