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Job 42:8
8 Therefore take [laqach] unto you now seven [sheba`]
bullocks [par] and seven [sheba`] rams ['ayil], and go [yalak] to my servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb], and offer up [`alah] for
yourselves a burnt offering [`olah]; and my
servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb] shall pray [palal] for you:
for him [paniym] will I accept [nasa']: lest I deal [`asah] with
you after your folly [nabalah], in that ye have
not spoken [dabar] of me the thing which is
right [kuwn], like my servant [`ebed] Job ['Iyowb]. KJV-Interlinear
8 'Now therefore, take for
yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a
burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will
accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you
have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.' NASB
The sin offering is in view here.If you recall our study in Leviticus, there
are five basic offerings.The first
three deal with, or teach the principles of, the sacrifice of Christ on the
Cross.Those are salvation
offerings.
And the last two offerings deal with sin, or the
confession offerings.One offering for
confession of known sins and the other for unknown sins.These deal with the principles of the
function of the spiritual life (after salvation), or living ones life in
fellowship.
In the various offerings, several animals were
used.A wealthy man would use a bull,
because he would most likely own or have access to a herd.Poorer folks were allowed to use pigeons or
doves, as fitting to their financial condition.No one was excluded from being able to make offerings because of their
financial situation.
The first sacrifice took place when Adam and Eve
sinned. You recall their answer to sin was to put on clothing of leaves.Later, they had clothes of animal skins, and
we know that the animal did not give up their skin and walk away naked.That was the first instance of animal
sacrifices.
The second instance of sacrifices was with Cain and
Abel.Abel's sacrifice, the burnt
offering of an animal depicting the work of Christ, was accepted, while Cain's
was rejected.Cain's sacrifice was of
the grain and the fruit of his own labor, not that of Christ.
In the centuries prior to Moses and the Exodus
generation, sacrifices were common rituals.They taught principles of doctrine, both of salvation and
fellowship.
Moses recorded the sacrifice rituals as well as the
formal establishment of an earthly priesthood, the Levitical Priesthood.
The priest is simply a mediator, or a go-between,
between God and man.He is a person who
is acceptable by God, thus allowing one who is not acceptable, to be able to
have access to God through an acceptable mediator.
Until we received out perfect High Priest and
Mediator, Jesus Christ, others were allowed to symbolize His role in the
spiritual life.
Prior to the Levitical Priesthood, the family head,
the dad or the father, also held the role of the family priest or the
go-between, between the family members and God.
In this case, the dad would have to make himself
perfect through confession, and then he would be qualified to be the mediator
for his family members.Recall that way
back in chapter one, Job held regular sacrifice rituals in behalf of his
partying children.He knew what went on
when kids party!!Of course they would
still have to be present for the offering.Each child would have to place their hands on the offering animal in
order to symbolically transfer their sins to the animal (Christ).
As for the 'seven' numbers.This gives us an indication of two
things.First these men were not
poor.They were wealthy.In fact they were extremely wealthy, thus the
number of animals was increased to seven, and then doubled to demonstrate the
magnitude of their error.
To whom God gives much, God expects much.
This is not limited to worldly wealth.God has prepared a phenomenal wealth package
for each one of us in heaven in eternity, thus this vast gift certainly
qualifies as, 'much.'Therefore, God
expects much from us in return.And our
return obligation to God is our function and advancement to spiritual maturity.
Those who advance to maturity (much), will receive
much (blessings beyond imagination) in eternity.Those who do not advance, will not receive
much, if anything.
The three friends were most likely shocked when they heard
the verdict against them.They had been
condemning Job all this time by means of their subjective judgment against him,
praising God through their shallow boastings and condemning Job through their
self-righteous interpretations of truth.
They were sincere in their beliefs, but sincerity means
nothing in the grand scheme of things.God does not bless due to sincerity.God blesses based on doctrine in the soul.And Job had that.
Jobs' pleading was that suffering was not an
indication of evil in ones life, or cursing and/or judgment from God.Job was right.
His friends' position was that he must have been a
secretly evil person in order to have incurred such suffering.They were wrong.
Job was hurting and in need of sympathetic help from
his friends.His friends were not
suffering and took advantage of Jobs situation in order to elevate and voice
their opinions as wisdom, in a public setting.That is approbation lust.
Elihu, in his youth, was more of a speaker of
principles, and did not really take sides, one way or another.
Now, the really big principle here.God manifested Himself to all of these
folks.Job responded, and they, the
three friends, did not.Thus their requirement
of confession by means of the sin offering, magnified due to their entrenched
arrogance.The number seven, which also
represents perfection, also emphasizes Gods sovereignty and authority.
But, a person in need of confession may not represent
himself before God, but must go through an acceptable (to God), mediator.
Job has already been identified as the most
outstanding person in all of the land.See chapter one.Job pursued
truth in his arguments and in his response to God.
Job adhered to truth, whereas the three friends
adhered to their own views, took advantage of Jobs situation, demonstrated no
empathy toward Job, and manufactured accusations that did not exist, in order
to justify and advance their own views.
The three friends were ordered to secure the animals,
and take them to Job.Job was placed in
the role of the priest or mediator, between them and God.Just as Christ is between all of us and God.
Their confession, of their own energy, as demonstrated
by the many views which they expressed, would not and would never, be accepted
by God.
We must all approach God through our perfect mediator,
Jesus Christ.There is no other
mediator, no other doorway through which we may gain access to God.
If they refused to abide by Gods command, then their
'folly' would be dealt with, and here that dealing, suggests something more
harsh than what Job had been enduring.
I noticed in the news the yesterday, that a survey was
conducted regarding the role of religion in America.It appears that there is a growing population
of folks that do not have any inkling of what the fundamental principles of
their religion are.That far too many
folks seem to believe that there are many paths to God, and that one only needs
sincerity in their life in order to be accepted by God.
If the folks of today, do not get back to the basics
of Christian doctrine, then what do you suppose the repercussions might be?
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
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