Speaking as a foolish woman

Bible Reading: Genesis 35-36; Job 2; Mark 6; Romans 6

Job 2:9-10 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

What do foolish women speak like? Job rebuked his wife for her advice saying she spoke as one of the foolish women. She was devastated by the news of her children, no doubt! Satan had been allowed to destroy them all with a great wind that collapsed the house where they were gathered. She also watched as her husband was stricken with a terrible disease that made him to break out with boils all over his body. Her reaction at this point was to ask Job a question:

Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Can you hear what she is saying? Basically it is something like this: Job, you have served God faithfully for all these years. You have always been very careful to give him praise and honor. You have never cheated anyone in business. You have been fair and just in your dealings. You have been kind to me and graceful with the children. You have raised them to worship the Lord. You have interceded for them faithfully all these years. Yet, God allows all this to happen to you. It didn't work Job. God does not reward your integrity and faith. He is not worthy of your worship. Give up, Job! Curse God and die.

Everyone thought Job served God for what he could get. This is exactly what Satan thought:

Job 1:9-11 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.

Job 2:4-5 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

But they were wrong! Job did not serve God for what he could get in return. Job loved God when it was good and when it was bad.

Job 1:20-22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

When you agree with Satan and charge God with wrong, you speak as a foolish woman!

In Christ,

Rody

Dinah defiled

Bible Reading: Genesis 34; Job 1; Mark 5; Romans 5

Genesis 34:1-2 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

Rape is a reality for young women. Unfortunately, here scripture is very honest with us and tells us what happened to the sister of Jacob's sons. Notice that the Bible tells us that she went to see the daughters of the land. Unprotected, Leah was with the daughters of the Canaanites. During her time out, Shechem the Hivite saw her. The Bible tells us he was a prince of the country. His father was Hamor the king of the land. As royalty, he was probably used to having whatever he wanted. Here was undoubtedly a beautiful young lady that was a Hebrew. Not only was she fair, but she was a novelty, being a stranger to the land. This young man took her apparently by force and he lay with her. The Bible tells us he defiled her.

When the sons of Jacob hear the news they were very upset:

Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

This thing ought not to be done! Knowing that they were greatly outnumbered, the sons of Israel concoct a plan that will give them the advantage and they killed all the males of the city. This thing ought not to be done either! Their vengeance was over zealous. Their justification for their deed was:

Genesis 34:31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

Here is the lesson to be learned by the daughter of Leah. It is better to protect a daughter before something terrible like this happens than to try and 'fix' it afterward. Why was Dinah out among a heathen people unprotected in the first place? Where were her parents? Where were her brothers?

This reminds me of college. At the university I attended, there was a van that drove around the campus all night long. It had a light on top and we all called it the 'rape van'. The purpose was for an unprotected woman to have a ride across a dark campus. I am sure it was instituted because of the rapes that occurred on the campus. Fathers and mothers don't let your daughters be like Dinah. Don't send them out among the daughters of the land unprotected because there are men like Shechem out there.

In Christ,

Rody

What saith the scripture

Bible Reading: Genesis 33; Esther 9 & 10; Mark 4; Romans 4

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

The scripture is sufficient! We have all that we need in God's Word! The apostle here is proving that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone. He takes us to the life of Abraham and points out:

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

The Bible is Paul's source book for doctrine. He is helping us to understand that God worked in the life of Abraham in a way that he will work in our lives if we will believe him like Abraham did! God made Abraham a promise. Abraham believed that promise and God counted Abraham's faith for righteousness. Think of what this means. Abraham did not have a righteousness of his own, but righteousness was imputed to him. God GAVE Abraham righteousness.

Paul realized this in his own life. Listen to his confession:

Philippians 3:4-6 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul had tried to ATTAIN righteousness through religious observance of the Law of Moses. However, when he realized who Christ was this is what he said:

Philippians 3:7-9 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Paul counted all his religious observance to be loss for the sake of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. He realized his own righteousness was not enough. He discovered a righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Paul discovered this when he met Jesus Christ and then he went back to the scripture he knew so well and saw that it was there all along. Abraham did not work for his righteousness. He believed God and was counted righteous. What about you? Are you trying real hard to produce righteousness by keeping some sort of law? Do you know Jesus? Has he transformed your life by the realization that on your best day your righteousness is like a filthy rag before the Lord? Are you believing God and receiving a righteousness that is by faith?

What saith the scripture?

In Christ,

Rody