--From Edited Messages on Isaiah by Dr. J. Vernon McGee
God has never asked anyone to believe anything that does not rest upon a foundation. Faith does not mean to move blindly into some area and say, "Oh, I am trusting God." That is very foolish. God never asks us to do that. For example, in our salvation we do not bring a little lamb to offer as a sacrifice; our faith rests upon the historical facts of the death, the burial and the resurrection of the Son of God. God never asks us to take a leap in the dark. He asks us to believe and trust something which rests upon a firm foundation, and it is the only foundation, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). If any person is an honest unbeliever and sincerely wants to know God, he will come to a saving faith. Folk with whom I have dealt who say that they cannot believe are not being honest. The fact of the matter is that no man's eyes are blindfolded unless he himself chooses to be blindfolded. If a person really wants to know God and will give up his sin and turn to Christ, God will make Himself real to him. In our day the problem is that a great many folk do not really mean business with God.
That was the problem with King Ahaz - he didn't mean business with God. God knew that Ahaz didn't have faith, and He was willing to give the king faith; but Ahaz was nothing but a pious fraud - and there are a lot of those around today. Listen to his false piety: "But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD" (Isaiah 7:12). Isn't that sweet of him? He sounds so nice, but he is one of the biggest hypocrites you will find in Scripture. This sort of thing is sickening, and I believe God feels that way about it.
And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? (Isaiah 7:13)
My friend, don't think you are being pious when you say, "Oh, I won't test God." God says, "Test Me. Try Me, and see if I am not good." I actually feel fatigued when I talk to some folk who say that they are just going to step out on "faith." Oh, my friend, wait until God puts a rock underneath you. Wait until God gives you definite leading before you make a fool of yourself and bring criticism upon the cause of Christ.
God said to this unbelieving king, "I'm not asking you to believe My message just because Isaiah said it. I want to put a foundation under it. I want to give you a supernatural sign so you will know that the message is from Me." But Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. So God gave a sign - not to Ahaz - but to the whole house of David.
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 10
Enough said. Yet, allow me:
"Then...the sons of Israel...camped at Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water that we may drink." And Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water; and they grumbled against Moses and said, "Why, now, have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?" ...And he named the place Massah [which means "test"] and Meribah [which means "quarrel"] because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" ~Exodus 17:1-7~
Years later, Moses looks back on this event and warns the people: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah." ~Deuteronomy 6:16~
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." ~Proverbs 3:5-6~
Oh, BTW, I am trusting God.
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
~Psalm 37:3-5~
Job never got a direct answer from God as to why he was suffering, Job "...never sinned with his lips."[Job 2:10] God even rebuked him for questioning the goodness of God, leaving Job humbled, saying, "Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth."[Job 40:4] And, Job repented, "Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."[Job 42:6]
Personally, I have better things to do than to be testing God
"God even rebuked him for questioning the goodness of God . . ."
I must speak in defense of Job, for God spoke twice of his approval of Job, before his ordeal, and after;
And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
. . .
Job shall pray for you, for him will I accept,; lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
So, now I ask you; Are you quite sure you know God rebuked Job? Could there be more going on there? Please note; it is not Job that is speaking when God first addresses him, but Elihu;
Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said.
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without wisdom?
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.
I submit for consideration, that it is not Job that is trembling and regretful at the coming of God, and would venture a guess that he was smiling from ear to ear ; ) I think he knows his redemption has arrived.
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefor have I utterer that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
I believe there is a very subtle thing going on there, having to do with what the three "friends" were yammering about, and most of all, the one called Elihu, who I suspect may be a horse of an entirely different color, so to speak.
Thinkest thou that this is right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's? . . . (Job never said that!)
. . . Elihu also proceeded, and said, Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.
I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
For truly my words shall not be false; he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.
Do tell ? ; )
My thoughts on a couple items in Job..
Job 42:6 The Lord has already embodied his mercy to Job in the way he graciously reproved and questioned Job for his good. I despise myself. That is, “I recognize the ignorance behind my own words.” God's mercy is pictured further in the humble posture of Job, who in dust and ashes finally enjoys the comfort of relational peace that had been withheld from him by his friends: repent translates a form from the same root used of the friends' intention to “comfort” Job in 2:11
(“I despise myself and am comforted in dust and ashes”) finds support in the way it corresponds to Job's search for comfort that runs through the book and is consistent with God's declaration that what Job has spoken of him is right (42:7)
Job 42:7 My anger burns against you. The Lord's anger is directed against Eliphaz the Temanite and the other two friends (Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. This contrasts with Elihu who had presumed to speak, though harshly, on God's behalf (36:2), and whose anger had burned against Job as well as his friends. "spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." Job's words certainly expressed deep anguish and frustration; but God does not count these words sinful. This is probably because Job never lost his earnest desire to appear before God, and his words are testimony to that.
I must speak in defense of God...who rebuked not only Job's visitors, but, Job also. The following excerpt puts it better than I can:
"At last, Job is finally given his desire to have an audience with God.
It is not what he expected. Speaking from a whirlwind, the Lord
charges Job with darkening counsel by words without knowledge. A
challenge is then made for Job to answer questions posed to him. A
series of questions follow in rapid succession regarding the creation
and nature that certainly contrast God's great power and wisdom with
Job's limited ability and understanding. God ends His first discourse
then with a repeated challenge for the one (i.e., Job) who contends
with the Almighty and who rebukes God to answer these questions.
Overwhelmed, Job admits his unworthiness and inability to answer. He
admits he has spoken before, but will do so no more (38:1-40:5).
The Lord is not through with Job, however. A second discourse begins
with another challenge for Job to answer God's questions. Job is asked
whether he truly thinks he can annul God's judgment, or condemn Him so
that he can be justified (cf. Elihu's charges, 32:2; 33:8-13). If Job
can thunder with a voice like God's, adorn himself with majesty,
splendor, glory and beauty, bring the proud down low, then God would
confess that Job could save himself. To once more illustrate the power
and wisdom of God, Job is asked to consider two great creatures, the
behemoth and Leviathan. If man is fearful before them, how then could
one stand against God (40:6-41:34)?
Job's final response is to humbly acknowledge God's ability to do
everything, and that no purpose of His can be withheld from Him. He
also confesses that he has spoken of things he did not understand, and
beyond his ability to comprehend. Having now heard and seen God, Job
abhors himself and repents (42:1-6)."
http://www.churchesofchrist.net/authors/Mark_A_Copeland/job/job_08.htm
Job is depicted popularly as guiltless and having suffered unjustly...which, carried to it's logical conclusion, would make God unjust. Job is seen as being without sin and innocent of an wrong. Well, wrong...for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...except, Jesus, of course.
Job might have been just, but, the mere fact that he considered himself just is sin.
God allowed for the testing of Job, but, he did not allow Himself to be tested...that attempt was firmly rebuked and rightfully so.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place -- what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" ~Psalm 8:3-4~
There's a big difference between asking questions of God and questioning God.
God was fine with Job's questions until Job puts God on the witness stand and says: I have some questions for you.
You can question God about anything, only, don't question HIM, the I AM THAT I AM (if you catch my drift)...He IS. That's all we know (or should know) that He IS...and all we need to know. Simply, that He IS.
"...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." ~Hebrews 11:6~
Let us never forget who we stand before:
"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." ~Isaiah 6:1-5~
Lastly, this excerpt from an article:
"When God stands before man, and the eyes of His holiness bore into the heart of a man, all excuses are gone and all defenses are destroyed and man stands exposed in all of his horrible enmity against God. Then, apart from faith, men will call upon the mountains to cover them and to hide them from the face of Him who sits upon the throne ( Rev. 6). There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is reality. The most holy God has made you and He will judge you. The only response must be: "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish when His anger is risen but a little." Or the response will be, by God's grace in the heart of the believer, humble, reverent love. Job said, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes have seen thee. I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." Isaiah, when he saw the vision of the holy God, cried out, "Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips." John says that when he saw the ascended Christ he fell at His feet as one that was dead. And Peter came to Christ upon his knees and cried out, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.
...We need to meditate upon Him all the day long. The thoughts of His majesty and glory must flood into our souls. This will be our strength, and this will be our joy: This God, who is God, will be our God forever and ever. He will be our guide, even unto death.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank Thee once again for Thy Word. Give us that grace whereby we bow before Thee in all of Thy majesty, beauty, and glory.
In Jesus' name, Amen."
http://www.prca.org/refwitness/1998/1998mar01.html