Thoughts on the Bible Readings December 30th (Job 40; Malachi 2; Revelation 19, 20)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]In chapter 40 the Almighty continues His challenge to Job. In verse 1 the LORD accuses Job of being a faultfinder without a cause. From verses 2-5 Job acknowledges his fault and promises that he will listen in silence. Again, out of the whirlwind His Sovereign says, dress like a man in a contest and answer if you're able. Begin by considering the awesome majesty of the Almighty. God will abase all who are lifted up in pride. From verses 15-24 Job's attention is drawn to the wild river ox - most likely the hippopotamus. The hippo symbolises untameable human pride. Of all our ugly lusts pride is the worst. It creates a mighty chasm between ourselves and our Creator. The hippo has an incredible girth and a great appetite for procreation. He has the tiniest tail, yet waves it as though it's a mighty cedar - in our pride the easiest person to deceive Is ourself. The hippo's hide is legendarily tough - meaning that he is immune to correction. The hippo luxuriates in the filthiest parts of the river. Hippos kill more people in the rivers they inhabit than any other creatures of those habitats. Malachi 2verses1-9 contain a rebuke to the priests for a failure to fulfil the commission of their Sovereign. The responsibility of priests is to lead the nation in their reverence for Yahweh. The priests were to comprehend God's Word, break it small and dispense it to the people. They were the LORD's "messengers" - but they had failed in their duty. They bore no resemblance to Phinehas, from the tribe of Levi, who demonstrated his loyalty to His Sovereign; even at the great cost of slaying the guilty, even his own relatives. And for that reverence of the Almighty, God made a covenant with Phinehas of an everlasting priesthood - Phinehas will be among the immortal priests in Messiah's kingdom. Contrary to Phinehas' example the priests of the prophet's era were corrupt and partial. From verse 10 to the end of the chapter the prophet tells of one of the great abuses of that epoch - Jews were divorcing their covenant wives to marry younger, attractive Gentile brides - which was forbidden by God (compare Nehemiah 13, which describes the same evils of that era). The prophet, on God's behalf, upbraided them for their failure to uphold their Father's covenant. Verse 11 spells out the problem; in marrying these foreign wives they were in effect joining themselves to the foreign god. So, the person bringing an offering, while committing this evil, was an unacceptable hypocrite. The refused and rejected Jewish wives were imploring Yahweh to put an end to this evil. Examine your attitude towards your wife, says the prophet; and see that your own lustful and covetous motives cause you to be faithful to your marriage covenant which was made with your Sovereign as your witness. In the beginning, Genesis 2, the LORD made man and woman one by His creative act and His accompanying declarationverses read Genesis 2verses20-25. True marriage typifies the union of Christ and his brideverses Ephesians 5verses22-33. The oneness of husband and wife must be in thinking, even more than by just a physical union (which is characteristic of the lower created beings). The Almighty still had uncalled on reserves of power, but He is zealous over the faithfulness of His peopleverses James 4verses4-10. Your actions and callous disregard for your covenant wives and for the law of your God is tiresome to Him, says the prophet. In Revelation 19 we firstly read of rejoicing at the overthrowing of the Roman system. It is because the long-awaited judgments have been consummated. The rejoicing is from the angelic host and those saints ruling in the new Messianic heavens. Verses 6-10 speak of the Marriage of the Lamb. It is now another step closer to the filling of the entire earth with the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, symbolising the victory of the Lamb's warfare. The fine linen is representative of "the righteous deeds of the saints". We must, as the prospective bride of Christ, remain faithful so that at the time of our marriage to Christ we will be one with the Lord who we love. Verse 9 tells us what a blessing this will be. The Apocalypse speaks of 7 blessings. The angel who revealed this to the Apostle John refused John's homage, as he says that he also has been faithfully contending and witnessing for Jesus, which he says, "is the spirit (or motivation) of prophecy". Verses 11-21 describe the going forth in war of the rider on the white horse - symbolising the righteousness of the Lamb's warfare. The saints with Christ are also mounted on white steads; as they, too, are "called, and chosen, and faithful". The Lamb's white robe had been dipped in blood indicating that the saints' source of righteousness is the offering of their leader. And Christ's source of victory is attributed to his divine Sonship and the empowering force of the Word of God. Christ's furious judgment is represented by the treading of grapes in a winepress. The nations are described as the ravenous birds, who will be invited to feast on the Roman Church's carcass. The total destruction of the Beast's organisation is spoken of by their being cast into the consuming lake of fire. Chapter 20 of Revelation speaks of the events of the kingdom age - 1,000 years - termed the Millennium. The symbolic powers of sin are spoken of as being cast into a bottomless pit and chained for that term. There will be a releasing of all would be rebels at the end of the thousand years. The reason for this is to test the willing loyalty of the kingdom's subjects. Service to God must always be on the basis of a choice made from a loving heart and not from fearful compulsion. The resurrection prior to the start of the Millennium will be of the responsible believers. From these the faithful will become the rulers of the Messianic Age. The rejected will be consigned to the "second death" from which there will be no raising. The subjects of the Millennium will be raised and judged at the end of the thousand years. The blessing upon the faithful believers of the first resurrection will be to make them king-priests (Revelation 5verses9-10) i.e. corulers with Christ. A great white throne will be set up as the final tribunal for those who will die during the Millennium. Those adjudged to be faithful will swell the ranks of the immortals. Those who were not faithful will be consigned to sleep perpetually in the grave. Tomorrow's readings in chapters 21- 22 will show the scene of the Final Consolation. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow Penned by Warwick Rosser and his team, produced by Christadelphianvideo.org See more Thoughts from the Christadelphian Dialy Bible Reading Planner (By R.Roberts) here... [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-bible-readings-december-30th-job-40-malachi-2-revelation-19-20/?feed_id=108405&_unique_id=69522ff537c8c