Archives for 6 月 2022
Bible Verse–Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Bible Verse–James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraides not; and it shall be given him.
Bible Verses–Daniel 12:9-10
And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
In the Shocking Moment, It Was God Who Saved Me
By Zong Mei
In May 2012, I accepted the kingdom gospel of God. Although I believed in God, I only considered believing in God as a religious belief, and felt that it was all right for me to believe and confess just in my heart. When the brothers and sisters told me that the believers in God should read God’s words and attend meetings, I thought: It really takes time to attend meetings. I have to make money to support my family. … Although they said that it would not take much time to meet to worship God, I still refused. However, God did not remember my disobedience and abandon me. As I was in danger, He still cared for and protected me in secret, silently waiting for me to return.
One day, my husband and I drove out of town by our delivery car to deliver goods as usual. For saving tolls, we drove there and back along the national road (the mountain road). On the way home after we delivered the goods, my husband glanced at the gas gauge and noticed that our car was using the gas too quickly. After checking it, he found that there were minor problems with the engine. Considering that there was still some distance to get home and no garage around us, we decided to drive home and then have the car repaired. For the sake of safety, my husband drove slowly, and every half an hour, he stopped the car and checked it. In this way, our car was moving at a crawl to the direction of our house.
However, when we drove to the boundary between two provinces at 3 or 4 p.m., my husband suddenly shouted, “Oh, no! The car’s out of control. The brakes aren’t working!” I was shocked at his words, grasped the handle subconsciously, lifted my eyes and looked out the window. Our car was going downhill, and a mountain was on one side of us and a deep river on the other. Then I looked at my husband. He was pale with fear, his hands were clenching the steering wheel, and his right foot kept stamping on the brake. But however hard he pressed on it, the car showed no sign of stopping. In the rear-view mirror, I saw black smoke belching from behind the car. All of a sudden the car bumped and careered down the road. Through the windshield, I saw the oncoming vehicles traveling uphill toward us one after another. At that very time, my husband and I looked at each other, and we saw the horror of death from the other’s eyes. Immediately, horror, fear, and helplessness washed over us. Facing the sudden attack of death, we felt too powerless to do anything.
Just as we resigned ourselves to our fate and waited for death to come, the words that a sister had said to me entered my head: “Whenever and however we encounter difficulties, we just cry out to God. He will surely listen to our cry.” At that moment, on the verge of despair, I seemed to have clutched at straws. I quickly closed my eyes and repeatedly cried, “God! Help me!” To my surprise, after my cry to God, the car stopped miraculously when reaching the next intersection. We were not yet recovered from the shock though the car stopped. At that time I did not know anything except to sit in the car stupidly. It was quite a while before I came to life. As I thought of the scene that had just happened, I still shook with fear. After I calmed down, I gave my gratitude and praises to God in my heart. If God had not stretched out His merciful and saving hand to us when we were in danger, I thought my husband and I could hardly have escaped death.
Next, we faced a new test: We could no longer drive the car. How could we go back? My husband called the mechanic in our hometown and told him what had happened to our car. The mechanic said: “Maybe the key part in the engine doesn’t work. It must be repaired before you drive, otherwise it will be very dangerous.” Because of the long journey, the mechanic was unwilling to come. My husband made three or four calls and said many good words, but still no one was willing to come to repair our car. It was getting dark. A gust of cold wind blew on my face. I involuntarily shivered with cold. I wrapped myself tight in my coat and thought: If nobody else is willing to repair our car, undoubtedly we’ll stay in the car all night. Then what shall we do tomorrow? We were in a dilemma again. So, I cried out to God unceasingly in my heart: “Oh God, our car has broken down. We can’t drive home. Please help us go through the difficulty.”
Amazingly, a moment afterward, my husband received a call from the mechanic. He said he would repair our car and he also reassured us and told us not to worry. I was clear that it was not because the mechanic was good but because of the wonderful deeds of God. At that time, I was touched by God’s love again, feeling as if a wave of warmth was flowing into my heart. All my words could not describe my gratitude for God, but I only kept thanking God. At 10 p.m. the mechanics arrived. It was near 2 a.m. when the car was repaired. We asked them to go back first, but unexpectedly, they said: “Since it’s late anyway, we don’t care about the time. You drive ahead, and we follow behind your car. If finding any problem, we’ll handle it at once.” When we drove to another section of the road, the mechanic phoned us to pull over quickly and he said that sparks flew off from under our car now and then. After the examination, they found that there was a problem with a connection in the wires, which had sparked. It was really too dangerous. Once more I saw God’s love and protection for me.
God’s word says: “Almighty God, the practical God! You are our impregnable fortress. You are our refuge. We huddle under Your wings, and calamity cannot reach us. Such is Your divine protection and care.” That dangerous experience made me feel deeply that only God is man’s only reliance and refuge. Moreover, it also made me have some understanding of my life: When death is drawing near, money and fame appear so fragile and vulnerable. God’s love for me is really too great! If not for God’s care and protection, my husband and I would probably have perished in this accident. We have been struggling, going around, and laboring for so many years, only wishing to make a lot of money and live a good life, but we have never got our wishes. On this journey, we almost lost our lives. If we had died, what use would it be even if we had earned more money? Would it not be a waste of effort and all for nothing in the end? The fame, status, and money have blinded my eyes and heart and corrupted me so deeply that I can’t discern between good and evil, refusing God’s hand of salvation. Had I not experienced God’s wonderful protection this time, I would still have been blinded, unable to free myself. I’ve felt that only when people come before God, can they receive His care and protection and obtain real peace and happiness. If we live in the world while departing from God and losing His protection, then we will lead a precarious life that disasters will come upon us at any time and any place.
God’s word says: “Those who live outside My word, fleeing the suffering of trial, are they all not drifting through the world? They are akin to autumn leaves fluttering here and there, with no place to rest, much less My words of consolation. Although My chastisement and refinement do not follow them, are they not beggars drifting from place to place, wandering the streets outside the kingdom of heaven? Is the world really your place of rest? Can you really, by avoiding My chastisement, attain the faintest smile of gratification from the world? Can you truly use your fleeting enjoyment to cover up the emptiness in your heart, the emptiness that cannot be concealed? You might be able to fool everyone in your family, but you can never fool Me. Because your faith is too meager, you are still, to this day, powerless to find any of the delights life has to offer. I urge you: better to sincerely spend half your life for My sake than your whole life in mediocrity and busywork for the flesh, enduring all the suffering a man can hardly bear. What purpose does it serve to treasure yourself so much and flee from My chastisement? What purpose does it serve to hide yourself from My momentary chastisement only to reap an eternity of embarrassment, an eternity of chastisement? I do not, in fact, bend anyone to My will. If someone is truly willing to submit to all My plans, I would not treat them poorly.”
In the colorful materialistic world today, each of us devotes ourselves to money and fame. When God’s salvation in the last days comes upon us, we don’t know God’s earnest intentions of working to save man, nor do we understand that it is precious to pursue and gain the truth, much less do we see clearly that Satan is using money and fame to tempt us, so we become immersed in the evil trends of the world and can’t extricate ourselves, but desperately seek to gain money while considering our lives insignificant. And I was once one of them. However, through this experience, I have personally tasted that when death approaches us, those things like money, fame, and status are worthless, but only God is our real reliance and salvation. All the glory be to God!
I Have Found the Way to End the Strife With My Competitor
By Xiaoyue
In the bright light of a morning sun, I went into a mall with a springy step. Then I entered my quaint little clothing store and started going through the dazzling and fashionable clothes. Suddenly the quarrels of two female store owners broke the silence of the mall. Hearing this, I considered how lucky I had received a peaceful and happy life now.
I ran a clothing store and often saw the competitors quarreling with each other about the other following suit in stocking the same goods. During the quarrels, they said all kinds of harsh words, so much so that some of them even started physically fighting. “It’s really true that business is as fierce as war,” I thought, “these people are so rude. You’re all businessmen and can earn money together. Besides, you are in the same business and cannot avoid running into each other. If you are patient toward each other, won’t the thing be over?” But I also loathed those who insisted on following suit in stocking the same goods as others’, so I continually reminded myself that I must do business by the book in accordance with my conscience. In order to avoid getting the clothes identical with others’, I often went to Beijing to stock goods. I had thought that by doing this, I would live peaceably with others, doing my own business, but things didn’t quite turn out this way …
One day, the female owner of my neighboring store came to my store, and glanced round at my new supplies of the clothes with a new pattern; she went over to a woollen coat, then looked at it and said, “This one is nice. Is it popular?” I answered, “It’s new stock and very popular.” Then she walked around and left. Just a couple of days later, Juanzi, the owner of the clothing store opposite mine came to me, saying, “Lulu, the owner of your neighboring store got the woollen coat identical with yours. In addition, they’re more colorful and sell very well. You should watch out. Her aim of coming to your store and wandering is in order to glance at your clothes.” Hearing what Juanzi said, I found it a little difficult to swallow. I thought, “I was usually on good terms with the neighbor, we made small talk in our free time, I often helped her in her store and sometimes helped take care of her kids. No wonder she always came to my store when having nothing to do and frequently asked me which clothes sold well when chatting with me. It turned out that she had crooked intentions and wanted to follow suit in getting the clothes identical with mine. Her store is near the entrance of the mall and customers first pass by it. Now her clothes are rich in color, so mine will certainly not sell. Isn’t it obvious that she is stealing my business? It’s really true that the human heart is unfathomable and cannot be predicted by anyone. Everyone says that dangers abound across the land, but I never thought that the business world is also such a sinister place. I usually trusted her so much, and also helped take care of her kids and watch her store, but unexpectedly, she actually calculated against me.” The more I thought about it the angrier I got, and I really wanted to go to speak to her, get her to do business by following the rules and tell her not to do things that hurt others to benefit herself. But then I thought, “If I have this out with her, we’ll definitely quarrel and it will harm our relationship. But if I don’t do thus, I won’t stand for it.” When I was confused, Juanzi suggested, “Lulu, she has loved following suit in stocking the same goods as others’. You shouldn’t be so honest. Like other competitors, you’d better hang a curtain. This way she will have the good sense not to look around at your clothes.”
Hearing Juanzi say this, I thought of how in the past, when the neighbor saw the clothes of other stores sold well, she would try everything to procure the same ones, and how because of this she even quarreled with others. It looked to me now that I had to do something about it, or I’d never sell my clothes. After making up my mind, I right away made a sign saying “Competitors Are Refused to Peep Inside” and hung a curtain to block the neighbor’s view. I originally thought that after I did thus, everything would be fine, but I never expected that, since she got those clothes, nobody bought clothes from my store. Her store was well situated near the door of the mall, and besides, she peddled and recommended that clothes to customers, so that the customers who might come to my store were stopped by her, and thus my fortunes were disrupted by her. Moreover, my clothes were bought from Beijing and were unique before, but now she found a way to get the same ones locally, so naturally my price was higher than hers and her clothes sold more quickly than mine. As a result, I was not only overstocked but also lost money. I scrambled around like cats on a hot tin roof and was at a loss. Seeing my losing the chance to make big money was like someone using a knife to slice off my flesh. I could not help but begin to hate her and thought, “It’s all because you didn’t know the rule first. If you hadn’t stocked the same goods as mine, how would the money that was originally within my grasp be earned by you? It’s all because of you that I not only lost customers but also didn’t make money.” The more I thought about it the more I hated her, and I even wished I could go to her store to get into a huge fight with her.
When seeing her coming to my store, I intentionally stood firm before the door with a tense face and a fierce expression, declaring my power against her, as if to say to her: I won’t take kindly to you. Let’s see if you dare follow suit in getting the clothes identical with mine again. Don’t think I’m easily bullied. Just then I suddenly remembered that God said, “If believers are just as casual and unrestrained in their speech and conduct as unbelievers are, then they are even more evil than unbelievers; they are archetypal demons.” God’s words timely reminded and stopped me who was so angry. Pondering these words, I felt a bit calmer and thought, “I’m a believer in God, and if I go to her store to argue with her, then aren’t my speech and actions the same as the unbelievers’? This will humiliate God.” And so, I hurriedly said a prayer to God, “God, the neighbor’s following suit in selling the clothes identical with mine has resulted in no one buying my clothes, so I feel very angry and want to go settle things with her. God, I know doing this isn’t right, but I’m really angry. May You keep me from doing things that shame You based on my hot-bloodedness. Please enlighten and guide me to understand Your will in this matter.”
When I got home from work that evening, I saw these words from God, “Cruel mankind! The connivance and intrigue, the snatching and grabbing one from another, the scramble for fame and fortune, the mutual slaughter—when will it ever end? … How many people do not act out of their own interests? How many do not oppress or ostracize others in order to protect their own position?” And I also read a passage in the Sermons and Fellowship on Entry Into Life, “Once their interests and honor get involved, nations or races easily start wars, fighting to the bitter end. So when things do not touch on their interests, outwardly people are calm and peaceful, but this kind of calm and peace are temporary because they are without the truth; once things relate to their profits, there must be wars, disputes, and fights. Why do people fight? It’s because of their own benefit. Politicians fight for power and gain, average people struggle for their own interests, and therefore, people without the truth are prone to fight with others and start wars. Of this, there is no doubt, and countless facts have proved this point. Tell me, why do two people fight? It’s all because of benefit.”
From the sermon and God’s words, I finally came to understand that the reason why there is fighting between people is because of various satanic remarks, such as “Heaven destroys those who are not for themselves,” “A man dies for money; a bird dies for food,” “Never rise early unless there is an associated benefit,” “Fight for every inch of land and seize every bit you can get,” and so on. These philosophies of Satan have taken deep root in our hearts, and this is why when facing money and profits, we’ve become cruel, selfish, and greedy, and we’re narrow-minded toward people and haggle over every little thing. From wars between countries to conflicts between families or friends, things between people are not as harmonious as they were when God first created mankind. People have all lost the conscience, reason, character, and dignity, and at any time they can become enemies and lash out because of interests. Moreover, since ancient times, business is a battleground and it is unavoidable for people in the same business to compete with each other for interests. They all become smiling tigers—outwardly kind, but inwardly cruel. On the surface they are amiable, but if something involves their tiny little interests, they even fight to the death over them. When seeing others doing good business, they become jealous, and so tear them down behind their backs, scheme against them, and attempt to corner the market. They live every day within a vicious cycle of scheming against others and being conspired against … As it turns out, the reason why the entire society is so cruel is all because of Satan’s harms.
I also realized that, in the past I counted myself as being a rational and comparatively generous person, and believed that I would not draw blood for personal interests like others, but when my neighbor’s following suit in selling the clothes identical with mine made her business good but caused my interests to suffer, my selfish and malicious nature hidden within me was exposed. So many times, I wanted to settle accounts with her and even thought that at most we both did not sell that clothes; I hated her so much that I wanted to end up in a fight to the death with her. Only then did I see that for the sake of my own personal benefit, I had lost a normal person’s conscience and reason, and had become greedy, selfish, and self-seeking, and that I did not show any tolerance or patience toward others, nor did I live out the likeness of a Christian. Obsessed with right and wrong and living in resentment of my neighbor, I was incredibly miserable. The truth is that my nature was also selfish and I even wanted revenge for my own benefit. With this in my mind, I felt deeply regretful and so came before God to repent, “God, now I understand that my neighbor’s acting like that is also because of Satan’s affliction. And I know that everything I’ve done cannot bear witness for You. Now I’m no longer willing to argue with her over my own interests. No matter how many clothes I will sell or whether they can be sold or not, I wish to obey Your sovereignty and arrangements. May You lead me to forsake my flesh and live by Your words.”
After praying, I put away the curtain and the sign, was not afraid that the neighbor would peep at my clothes, and wished only to submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements. Much to my surprise, after changing my frame of mind, I gradually got more customers and my business got much better than before. Sometimes, other people in the same business left some of their clothes with me and had me help sell them, so I recommended them to the customers, but marvelously, the customers did not choose them but instead just bought mine. I knew that this was God’s blessing, and that all things were within God’s rule and were part of God’s orchestrations. This allowed me to enjoy the pleasure of living by God’s words for the first time.
Just when I put aside the past, picked myself up and diligently run my clothing store, a matter vital to my interests arose that made my heart surge again. On a sunny morning, after practicing spiritual devotion I went to open the door of my store, and I learned that before I arrived, a customer came, wanting to exchange a coat she bought from my store a few days ago for a different kind. Right at that time, Juanzi showed up and told me, “Lulu, when the customer intending to exchange the clothes was waiting for you in your neighbor’s store before you arrived, your neighbor said to the customer that the coat bought from you was expensive and wasn’t worth it and asked the customer to return it. Also, she tried to sell the customer the clothes in her store….”
Juanzi’s words steamed my beam, so I instantly felt a rush of rage. My heart constantly churned and I thought, “You’re really pushing it too far. You followed suit in selling the clothes identical with mine and I didn’t go settle things with you, but you pushed your luck by interfering in my relationship with the customer who had bought my clothes. Don’t you try to make my business go bust? Do you think it’s so easy to get the better of me? I must let you see what I’m capable of.” Just when I was extremely angry and was about to dash into her store to argue with her, I suddenly realized that this was Satan’s cunning scheme. If I really dashed into her store, there must be ructions. Wasn’t that being fooled by Satan? I then hurriedly prayed to God in my heart, “God, I heard the neighbor sow discord in my relationship with my customer to make me suffer loss. I feel particularly angry and even want to go settle things with her, but I know doing so would not conform with Your intentions. May You protect me so that I’m able to quiet my heart and find the path of practice in this matter.” After praying I felt much calmer. I read God’s words, “With the service of many contrary and negative things, and by employing all sorts of Satan’s manifestations—its actions, its accusations, its disturbances and deceptions—God shows you Satan’s hideous face clearly, and thereby perfects your ability to distinguish Satan, that you may hate Satan and forsake it.” After reading these words, I understood the thing that befell that did not conform to my conceptions was a spiritual war and also Satan’s deed and accusation. I wanted to pursue the truth in earnest, obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements, and manage my business, and no longer wanted to be contentious on or participate in those things like rights and wrongs or things that caused me to live in resentment, but Satan was unwilling to be defeated, and so it used Juanzi to pass messages to continue sowing discord in my relationship with my neighbor. Satan arrogantly tried to ignite my anger to have me argue with her, cause me to engage in jealous disputes like the unbelievers and so humiliate God’s name. This was Satan’s cunning scheme. Satan was so evil. God’s words timely pointed out a path of practice for me so that I saw through Satan’s schemes and could set aside my own personal benefit. This was God using Satan’s actions as a cautionary tale to give me the opportunity to practice the truth. This was God’s almightiness and wisdom. Thanks to the guidance of God’s words, my temper cooled and I felt peaceful in my heart. Then I silently offered up a prayer of gratitude to God, “God, I thank You for leading me with Your words so that I was able to let go of the anger in my heart. But I don’t know whether the customer will think the price is too high and won’t want the clothes because of the neighbor’s sowing of discord. May You orchestrate everything. Even though the customer doesn’t want the clothes and my personal profits take a hit, I’m still willing to practice the truth to satisfy You and will not clash heads with my neighbor relying on my hot-bloodedness at all.” After praying, I was able to calm myself. After a while the customer came, and I never thought that after exchanging the clothes, she smiled at and talked with me, and then left.
Within my experiences I was able to know that when we encountered something involving our own interests, only by coming before God and living by God’s words could we avoid fights with others, have patience, tolerance, consideration, and love for others, and thus avoid all kinds of strife, temptations, and suffering. Plus, how much money we possess in life and what kind of life we have are all predestined by God, they are not something that we can fight for, and all of this is based on God’s rule and arrangements. Only by recognizing God’s rule can we break away from the harm Satan’s philosophies cause us and ever find ease and release. God allowing me to work here and meet such a competitor was actually to have me know myself and see clearly that Satan’s philosophies bring mankind pain, so that I could hate Satan and live out a true human likeness by relying on God’s words. Whenever my corrupt disposition was about to flare up, God used His words to protect, lead, and guide me so that I avoided temptations one after another, or else I would also sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire of interests and struggles. From this I came to gain a little understanding of the authority and might of God’s words and felt even more God’s great salvation and love for me. I became even more determined to abandon my own interests in order to practice the truth and glorify and bear witness to God.
One day, my friend came to my store to buy clothes. During her stroll, she happened to see a cotton-padded jacket in my neighbor’s store, and then came to ask me whether its price was expensive or not. On hearing she wanted to buy the clothes from the neighbor’s store, I thought of how the neighbor had interfered in my relationship with my customer and intentionally stolen my business, I still had some resentment toward her, and thus I didn’t want my friend to buy the clothes from her. At that moment I suddenly thought of the God’s words I read when I was faced with this kind of environment before and of the resolution I had made before God, so I realized that I could not do things that cheated, defied, and shamed God or hurt others for personal gain. Although the quality of the clothes was not that good, its price was comparatively favorable. Then I said honestly to my friend, “It’s inexpensive. You can buy it if you really love it.” I felt a strong sense of peace in my heart after speaking such words.
Through consistently experiencing God’s work, the satanic ideas and views inside me such as “Heaven destroys those who are not for themselves” and “Fight for every inch of land and seize every bit you can get” changed bit by bit. In my interactions with my competitors, I could let go of my own interests and I was no longer keen on fighting with others and no longer had a complaining and hating heart as before. I felt so much more at ease and stopped worrying that other competitors would follow suit in getting the clothes identical with mine. When meeting the owner of the neighboring store, I no longer had a chip on my shoulder like I had before, and instead was willing to obey God’s orchestrations and arrangements in my heart. When practicing in this way, I felt very much at peace and I did not want to argue with or have disputes with my neighbor and the people around me because of my own interests anymore. Plus, my business was the same as always and wasn’t affected because the competitors stole my business, and I had good incomes. I truly experienced that only the truth can help people avoid strife. Thank God for giving me peace and joy. All this was the fruit attained through God’s words.
People came to the mall in an endless stream. Customers were free to choose or try on the dazzling clothes. I idly sitting on the bench outside the door of my store, there was a glowing, happy smile on my face …
Bible Verse–Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Bible Verse–Proverbs 2:20
That you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
Bible Verse–Psalm 101:2
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Bible Verse–Proverbs 28:26
He that trusts in his own heart is a fool: but whoever walks wisely, he shall be delivered.
Bible Verse–Luke 6:31
And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise.
Why Did Job’s Three Friends Have to Sacrifice Before Job (Job 42:7-10)?
The Bible records, “And it was so, that after Jehovah had spoken these words to Job, Jehovah said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has. Therefore take to you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that you have not spoken of Me the thing which is right, like My servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as Jehovah commanded them: Jehovah also accepted Job. And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:7-10). From these scriptures, I saw that Job had a heart that feared God in the trials. He did not sin with his mouth, and often pondered and sought God’s will. Thus, when he was besieged by Satan, he could hold on to his integrity and stand witness for God with his astonishing actions as well as the archetypal words spoken by him, which made Satan feel ashamed and then flee. Job’s testimony is actually admirable and is worthy of emulation. But there was something I could not understand: When Job was undergoing the trials, his three friends said some words of judgment and attack against him. They did not understand God’s will, neither did they know what God wished to achieve through such trials; this caused them to carelessly judge God. Yet, why did God not deal with them for their foolishness? Why did God not directly ask them to atone for their sins by offering burnt offerings, but rather told them go to Job’s home to offer burnt offerings for themselves? And why did He ask Job to pray for them? What on earth was God’s will behind this?
I did not understand these questions until I saw a piece of God’s word “God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself II.” Only then did I get the answer and come to know the reason why God asked Job’s three friends to offer burnt offerings to Job. It turned out that there is meaning behind this.
God says, “God first said to Eliphaz the Temanite: ‘My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends: for you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.’ These words are the first time that God had openly told people that He accepted all that was said and done by Job after God’s trials of him, and are the first time that He had openly confirmed the accuracy and correctness of all that Job had done and said. God was angry at Eliphaz and the others because of their incorrect, absurd discourse, because, like Job, they could not see the appearance of God or hear the words He spoke in their lives, yet Job had such an accurate knowledge of God, whereas they could only blindly guess about God, violating God’s will and trying His patience in all that they did. Consequently, at the same time as accepting all that was done and said by Job, God grew wrathful toward the others, for in them He was not only unable to see any reality of fear of God, but also heard nothing of the fear of God in what they said. And so God next made the following demands of them: ‘Therefore take to you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly.’ In this passage God is telling Eliphaz and the others to do something that will redeem their sins, for their folly was a sin against Jehovah God, and thus they had to make burnt offerings in order to remedy their mistakes. Burnt offerings are often offered to God, but what is unusual about these burnt offerings is that they were offered to Job. Job was accepted by God because he bore testimony to God during his trials. These friends of Job, meanwhile, were exposed during the time of his trials; because of their folly, they were condemned by God, and they incited the wrath of God, and should be punished by God—punished by making burnt offerings before Job—after which Job prayed for them to dispel God’s punishment and wrath toward them. God’s intention was to bring shame upon them, for they were not people who feared God and shunned evil, and they had condemned the integrity of Job. In one regard, God was telling them that He did not accept their actions, but greatly accepted and took delight in Job; in another, God was telling them that being accepted by God elevates man before God, that man is loathed by God because of his folly, and offends God because of it, and is lowly and vile in God’s eyes. These are the definitions given by God of two types of people, they are God’s attitudes toward these two types of people, and they are God’s articulation of the worth and standing of these two types of people. Even though God called Job His servant, in God’s eyes this servant was beloved, and was bestowed with the authority to pray for others and forgive them their mistakes. This servant was able to talk directly to God and come directly before God, and his status was higher and more honorable than those of others. This is the true meaning of the word ‘servant’ spoken by God. Job was given this special honor because of his fear of God and shunning of evil, and the reason why others were not called servants by God is because they did not fear God and shun evil. These two distinctly different attitudes of God are His attitudes toward two types of people: Those who fear God and shun evil are accepted by God and seen as precious in His eyes, while those who are foolish do not fear God, are incapable of shunning evil, and are not able to receive God’s favor; they are often loathed and condemned by God, and are lowly in God’s eyes.”
“Job prayed for his friends, and afterward, because of Job’s prayers, God did not deal with them as befitted their folly—He did not punish them or take any retribution upon them. Why was that? It was because the prayers made for them by God’s servant, Job, had reached His ears; God forgave them because He accepted Job’s prayers. So, what do we see in this? When God blesses someone, He gives them many rewards, and not just material ones: God also gives them authority, entitles them to pray for others, and God forgets and overlooks those people’s transgressions, because He hears these prayers. This is the very authority that God gave to Job. Through Job’s prayers to halt their condemnation, Jehovah God brought shame upon those foolish people—which, of course, was His special punishment for Eliphaz and the others.”
After reading God’s words, I understood: Owing to his fear of God and shunning of evil, Job was seen as precious in God’s eyes, and thereby Jehovah God kindly called him His servant and bestowed authority upon him. As for Job’s three friends, they were not the ones who feared God and shunned evil. Although they could speak so many spiritual doctrines, yet when encountering things, they looked at them on the surface, and made arbitrary judgments and conclusions. They did not seek God’s will, much less know God’s work. So, God condemned them as the foolish people opposing God. They were seen as lowly by God and were detested by Him. On the contrary, God took delight in Job. Thus He asked Job’s three friends to make burnt offerings to him. This is also decided by God’s righteous disposition. He wanted to make them know that Job, whom they condemned and abandoned, was the one whom God took delight in, and to make them see that those who feared God and shunned evil were the ones God treasured and wanted to make perfect as well as the ones they should respect and emulate. God took delight in Job, so He asked Job to pray for his three friends and then forgave them and overlooked their transgressions. This is the very authority that God gave to Job. Without Job’s prayer for them, God would get angry with and punish them. Clearly, Job weighed heavy on God’s heart. For those who fear God and shun evil like Job, God bestows authority on them as well as listens to their prayers. For those who only speak letters and doctrines and merely know spiritual doctrines, but do not have a heart that fears God, God does not listen to their prayers because they often judge God’s work, do not seek God at all, and only follow set rules. They are those who resist God and are hated by God; they very easily offend God’s disposition. God bestows the authority upon those who are loved by Him and able to come directly before Him, so that they have the right to pray for others and thereby to pardon them their transgressions. Meanwhile, God shames those foolish people in this way, this is a special punishment for them. Through this, God shows us that only those who fear God and shun evil can be seen as high by Him; contrarily, those foolish people who do not fear God are seen as lowly by Him. These are God’s different attitudes toward the two kinds of people. That is also God’s meaning in asking Job’s three friends to offer burnt offerings to Job.
From this, I saw that God’s righteous disposition is intolerant of offense by man. And I also saw God observes the deepest parts of man’s heart and what He cares about is our heart. All of our thoughts and ideas cannot escape God’s sight. Thus, God hopes we can accept His observation in speaking and acting. When encountering all kinds of trials or things that are not in accordance with our notions, we ought to follow Job’s example and seek God’s will through prayers; instead of sinning with our mouth, being influenced by the people, events, or things around us, and following the herd and doing what everyone else does, we should hold firm to our integrity before God and stand witness for Him to shame Satan. If, when encountering things, we are just like Job’s three friends, and do not seek and explore God’s will, do not have a heart that fears God, but arbitrarily judge and arrive at arbitrary conclusions, and condemn God’s work, then we will be the failures even if we believe to the very end. Through these two kinds, we come to know what type of people God likes, what type of people He hates, and what type of people He has mercy on, what type of people He eliminates. If we do not pursue walking the path of fearing God and shunning evil, and if, whatever we encounter, we do not have a heart that fears God and do not seek and pray, but speak carelessly and make blind judgments before we have grasped God’s will accurately, then we will very easily offend God’s disposition.
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