Flee From Sin & Follow Righteousness & God Can Bless You in Any Situation

Continuing a chronological Bible study, I now return to the story of Joseph in Egypt:

(Genesis 39:1) And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.

Joseph's brothers had sold him to some Ishmaelites and they in turn brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, an officer and captain of the guard of Pharaoh.

(2) And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. (3) And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. (4) And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

Joseph was sold into what one would assume would be slavery, and yet the Lord was with him and he prospered!  He remained living in the house of his master, who was probably a very wealthy man as a high ranking officer of Pharaoh.  Potiphar could see that the Lord was with Joseph and that He prospered everything he did.  I don't believe "prosper" necessarily meant money profit, but everything he did succeeded with the favor of the Lord, and the blessings of the Lord were evidently very obvious to Potiphar.  It may be because Joseph served Potiphar so well that he found grace in his master's sight, and Potiphar put him in charge over his entire house, which surely meant over servants as well, and gave him control over all his household affairs.

(5) And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. (6) And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate. And Joseph was a handsome man, and well favored.

From the time that Joseph took charge over Potiphar's house, the Lord also blessed Potiphar for Joseph's sake, and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in his house and in his field.  Therefore, he turned absolutely everything over to Joseph and didn't take part in any of his household affairs.  It seems Joseph was also blessed in appearance.  I never knew just how much Joseph's physical beauty was celebrated in history and in literature until I read about it in this study.  Joseph was the subject of fine Persian poems and even the entire twelfth chapter of the Koran was supposedly written about Joseph where he is described "as a perfect beauty and the most accomplished of mortals".  This statement was quoted from Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible; I have not personally read the Koran.

(7) And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, "Lie with me." (8) But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. (9) There is no one greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

Evidently Potiphar's wife noticed how handsome Joseph was and apparently lusted after him.  She boldly approached him to sleep with her, but he refused, saying that his master (and her husband) trusted him completely with absolutely everything he had, except her, his wife, and he could never betray that trust and sin so greatly against God.

(10) And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. (11) And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there were none of the men of the house inside. (12) And she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me," and he left his garment in her hand, and fled and got out.

It appears that Potiphar's wife did not want to take "no" for an answer and continually propositioned him day after day, but he continued to refuse her.  One day as Joseph went into the house to do his business, Potiphar's wife took advantage of the fact that they were alone and grabbed Joseph by his clothing and told him to lie with her.  However, Joseph fled, leaving his garment in her hand.  I always loved that verse; he didn't just refuse her verbally, he fled!  Paul oftened used that word in his writings in the New Testament to tell the reader to flee from sin:  "flee fornication" (1 Cor. 6:18), "flee from idolatry" (1 Cor. 10:14), "flee these things" (speaking of the love of money and the lusts that follow) in the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy, and "flee also youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22).

(13) And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and had fled, (14) That she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, "See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to mock us; he came in to me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. (15) And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got out."

Potiphar's wife, a woman scorned, when she realized that she had been physically rejected and refused, not just in words this time, apparently sought revenge and called the other men of the house and lied about what had happened.  Obviously she had no love for her husband, or else she would not have been seeking to sleep with Joseph, but she seems to blame him for bringing this Hebrew into their household to mock them all.  She probably wanted to stir up discontent among all the men of the house to help in her case.  She proceeded to totally lie about what had happened between her and Joseph, and said that it was Joseph who made the advances toward her and when she cried out, he fled, leaving his garment.

(16) And she kept his garment by her until his master came home. (17) And she spoke to him with these words, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom you have brought to us, came in to me to mock me; (18) And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out."

Potiphar's wife kept Joseph's garment with her until her husband came home and she told him the same lie she had told the men of the house.

(19) And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his wrath was kindled. (20) And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.

Apparently believing his wife, Potiphar was, of course, greatly angered by what she told him had happened, and he threw Joseph into the king's prison.

(21) But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. (22) And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatever they did there, it was his doing. (23) The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him, and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.

The Lord was still with Joseph and made him prosper even in prison!  Even in prison, he was made an overseer, and he managed all the prisoners and all that they did.  Just as Potiphar had done with the affairs of his household, the keeper of the prison entirely trusted Joseph with the affairs of the prison and saw no need to look into any of it, because he saw that whatever was in Joseph's hand prospered.  Scripture said that Potiphar had seen that the Lord was with Joseph.  Verse 23 doesn't really say specifically that the keeper of the prison saw that the Lord was with Joseph, but he did recognize that everything Joseph did prospered and he therefore trusted Joseph with everything, and that was because of the Lord's doing.  Isn't it wonderful that the Lord can bless and raise us up in any place or circumstance?!

What Does It Mean to Have the Faith of Abraham in Our Day?

I chose to do a chronological Bible study this time.  I enjoy it because I get to see when something happened in relation to something else.  I get to read a psalm in context when it was written or sung as opposed to as just one in a huge chapter of many psalms.  If there are more than one telling of an incident, as in the gospels, I get the full picture of it with each writer's slightly different details.  Rather than reading a chronological Bible, I chose this time to use a chronological guide by Skip Andrews.  It is this guide that leads me from the story of Abraham to this commentary of it in the New Testament:

(Romans 4:1) What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, has found?

The fourth chapter of Romans begins with the Apostle Paul asking the question about Abraham.  Abraham is the Jews' ancestral father, the founder of their nation, and being the father of all believers, what he has found would be of extreme importance and relevance to the readers of Paul's letter.  "As pertaining to the flesh" may mean simply that Abraham was their natural father, but it may be that Paul is asking the question about what Abraham has found with respect to the flesh, as opposed to the spiritual.  Because this chronological guide has us beginning in the middle of Paul's thought, we don't get the best understanding.  In the strictest chronological sense, Paul's letter didn't occur at the same time as the events in Abraham's life, so for that reason, this has not been my favorite chronological study, but it's different, and different gives a different perspective!

(2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he has something of which to glory, but not before God.

So what has Abraham found?  We return to Paul's answer to his question.  IF Abraham were justified by his own works, he would have something to boast about, as he was certainly a very faithful and obedient follower of God.  But as all men sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), he would have no room to boast before God; therefore he is not justified by his own good works.

(3) For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

Paul refers back to scripture to answer his question.  Genesis 15:6 says, "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness."  Because Abraham believed God, and all that goes with that belief, faithfulness and obedience, therefore God counted it as righteousness, although the actions of themselves were not altogether righteous.  We certainly read of many cases where Abraham was not altogether righteous, truthful, or completely trusting of God, as no sinful man can be.  It is a gift from God that He counted Abraham's belief in Him as righteousness.

(4) Now to him who works, the reward is not reckoned as grace but as debt.

If all we had were our own good works to make us righteous before God, then our reward would not be as a gift from God, but would be in payment of a debt.  We would be constantly working to keep ourselves out of hell, and we would be sometimes failing.  

(5) But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

It must be pointed out that this doesn't mean that the believer does not work at all, but he is not working for his salvation.  James will later show in his writing that the believer will naturally do good works because of his salvation in Christ, but he does not do them to be justified before God.  The man who does not work for his salvation, but believes in the One who through His grace justifies ungodly sinful men, his faith will be counted as though he was completely righteous before God.  What a much easier path God has provided for us!  Jesus said that His yoke was easy and His burden light, and that if all who labored and were heavily laden, would come to Him, He would give them rest (Matt. 11:28-30).  What a hard and hopeless life it would be to be constantly working, working, working to please God, and knowing that you sometimes failed.  However, God provided a way that we could be righteous and justified before Him, by believing in the only One Who can do that for us.

(6) Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness without works, (7) Saying, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; (8) Blessed is the man to whom the LORD will not impute sin."

Paul uses an example of David, again someone the reader would greatly esteem as someone to emulate, who said in Psalm 32, which Paul quotes, that a man is blessed to be seen as righteous without working for that righteousness.  He is blessed to have the sins which would have prevented him from being seen as righteous, covered and not counted against him.

(9) Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Paul asks the reader to then examine whether this blessedness of God comes only to the circumcised Jews, or to the uncircumcised Gentiles, as well.  Paul points out that it has been established that Abraham's faith is what made him righteous.

(10) How then was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

Paul asks and then answers that the blessing of righteousness actually came to Abraham while he was uncircumcised.

(11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had still being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them who believe, though they are not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also,

Abraham was justified first and then as an outward sign and a seal of that righteousness, he was circumcised.  It was a seal of the covenant between God and Abraham that Abraham would be the father of all believers, even though they were not circumcised, that righteousness might be counted to them, as well.  God had said that all nations would be blessed in Abraham's seed.  Abraham was the physical ancestral father of the Jews, but he was the spiritual father of the Gentiles, because in his seed, specifically in Jesus Christ, the Gentiles could come to be considered righteous children of God.

(12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Thus is Abraham the father of that seal of that covenant to not only the circumcised Jews, but also to those who have the faith that Abraham had, even before he was circumcised.

(13) For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

The heir of the world is the same, in essence, as the father of many nations, which is what God had promised to Abraham and to his seed.  Paul says this was not promised based on Abraham's score of how well he adhered to the law, but was promised through the righteousness counted to him for his faith.

(14) For if they who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, (15) Because the law works wrath, for where no law is there is no transgression.

Paul goes on to explain why it is that the promise could not have been made to Abraham according to the law.  If those who work to adhere to the law are the ones who are the heirs, then faith would be of no use, and a promise of God would be unnecessary, because if people achieved the "proper score", they'd achieve their salvation with no special promise of God needed.  The law works wrath because its very purpose is to define right and wrong.  If a person breaks the law, he is found to be wrong, and judged accordingly.  If there is no law, then there is no breaking of the law and no crime to be judged harshly.

(16) Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Therefore it, the promise, is of faith, not by obedience to the law, that it, the promise, is by the grace of God, a merciful gift from God, not as a result of a score on the works card.  And this is so that the promise is guaranteed to all, not only to those who adhere to the law (the Jews), but also to those who are heirs because of their faith like Abraham's (the Gentiles).  That is not to say that true believers would be lawless, but the law that Paul refers to in these passages is that of circumcision, and he makes it clear that it is not circumcision, or adherence to any law, for that matter, that makes one heir to the promise.  It is by faith that he is given this gracious gift of God.

(17) As it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations" in the presence of Him whom he believed, God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as though they were;

Paul goes on to qualify what makes Abraham the father of us all from the scripture before this one, and that is because God said it to Abraham.  God, who gives life to the dead, gave life to a dead womb.  God, who calls things that are not, called someone a father who had no children and whose wife was past the age of possibly having children, as though he already was a father.  Abraham believed God who said these impossible things because he knew, or had faith, that He could do the impossible

(18) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, "So shall your seed be."

Abraham, against all probability, against all apparent and usual grounds for hope, believed in the hope of, or rather, was very hopeful for what was promised him, specifically because that is what God told him.

(19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, now dead (since he was about a hundred years old), nor the deadness of Sarah's womb; (20) He did not stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; (21) And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

This passage pretty well sums up the scripture before it.  The reason Abraham was able to believe in hope against hope, was because he had strong faith, and did not look at his personal circumstances, but rather looked to God, giving Him glory, knowing full well that God could do whatever He said He would do.

(22) And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Because of this great faith in God, this faith of Abraham was accounted to him for righteousness, before there was any circumcision law by which he could be "justified".

(23) Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, (24) But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, (25) Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Verse 22 is actually a quote from Genesis 15:6, "And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness."  That was not written for Abraham's sake alone, that he alone might be found righteous before God, but for all of us who believe...... Believe exactly what?  This is the important part--what we believe is essential, and Paul sums it up beautifully for us.  We believe in God, knowing that He raised Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead, knowing that He was delivered up to death as a sacrifice for our sins, not for any of His own, as He was sinless, and that God raised Jesus from the dead that we sinful humans may be justified before God.  This is the only belief and faith that makes us justified before God; this is the specific faith that lets us be counted as righteous before God.  People today say so casually, "Oh, I believe in God", and "I believe in Jesus."  Well, so does Satan!!  Believing that either exists is not the specific belief that saves us.  We must have the specific faith of Abraham!  That God will do what He said and save us, but just as Abraham had to pass the faithfulness test, so must we, in order to be found righteous and given this gift of salvation.  Specifically, we must believe and have faith and trust in the One who provided the only one Way through Jesus Christ that we might be found righteous before Him.  We must believe that God sacrificed Jesus Christ for our individual sins, and that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that He was raised for us, and as a perfect illustration that we might also be raised, even though we are sinful.  We are justified because of Christ.

Abraham believed God; he believed what He said.  So must we believe what God says, not what we feel must be right.  To believe in a god of our convenience, who does what we think he ought to do, is to believe in a false god.  There is only one true God and there is only One Way to Him, whether it is convenient or comfortable to all or not!  In this day and age many choose to believe that there are many paths to God; this is absolutely false and DEADLY!  To true Christians, believers and followers in the One true Jesus Christ, they see these people as headed for certain eternal death!  It IS certain death!  So what an unsaved world sees as Christians "pushing their faith" on others is really their maybe-often-sloppy attempt to save the lost people of that world.  Because the lost world does not understand what a true Christian knows, its people cannot see the truth of why Christians do what they do.  They apply their own worldly feelings and actions, and decide they must be judgmental and bigoted or living in fairy-land.

I know that Christians do not always act in the most loving manner, but for the most part, I believe they are just misunderstood.  Let's face it, we know that the largest part of our government is Godless.  How else could we allow abortion and sexual immorality, including homosexuality, to be considered right?  How could a true follower of Christ really believe that the taking of innocent human life is okay for the convenience of the mother?  Some may say that once it was the law of the land, then leaders must uphold the law.  But those same leaders do not uphold the laws they don't like, like the Defense of Marriage Act.  If true followers of Christ were running this country, there is no way they would be voting to take God out of their political platform and trying to erase Him from the public square.  It is very obvious we let Godless people run our country and then we wonder what is going wrong!

It's also obvious that the majority of media, at least what we consider the mainstream media, is Godless.  Why else would they glory more in the immorality and violence, and be so biased toward the Godless views of man?  Yes, I know they are supposed to be reporting news, and they report what they see, but who could truthfully argue that they don't report the news with a bias?  It used to make me so angry about how blatantly biased the media were, but I am beginning to understand that they can't help themselves.  They truly cannot understand a Godly perspective, so they attempt to report what they do not understand through their corrupt worldly views.  I suppose the same is to be said of our leaders; they honestly don't know any better.  After all, the Bible tells us over and over again, there is no wisdom but God's, so Godless leaders are incapable of making Godly moral laws!  Godless news people are incapable of reporting the truth of those Godless laws.  And the people who vote for Godless leaders likewise can't really know what they are doing.  Why would a true follower of Christ intentionally vote for a man who voted on three separate occasions to KILL by neglect fully born ALIVE babies who happened to survive botched abortions?  There are so many more reasons for a true Christian to flee from such a leader as the president we as a country have chosen, but to me that one reason is so black and white and blatantly illustrative of just how far we have let ourselves go if we can justify the killing of people!

I'll never forget a call-in listener on ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) with Jay Sekulow when he was fighting against partial birth abortion.  The woman used her liberal talking point about how she didn't believe the government had the right to tell a woman what to do with her body.  Jay asked her then if she believed the abortion procedure was okay, and proceeded to tell her what they did in a partial birth abortion.  She was terribly indignant, and said well, if he was going to put it THAT way, they just couldn't discuss it!  THAT was the truth!!  But it was too uncomfortable for her to hear.  Many times the truth is too difficult, but we are doing a disservice to ourselves and to our country, and certainly in this case, to the millions of lives that could be saved, if we do not take responsibility to simply vote against it, if we did nothing more.  But to turn our backs and pretend it's something that it's not...  Just think of how Godless leaders take moral issues and give them names the very opposite of what they are.  Killing babies becomes "freedom of choice" and homosexual marriage, something God called an abomination, becomes "marriage equality".  "Separation of church and state" is an absolute myth, but repeating that mantra over and over again has certainly worked, as people think it is fine and lawful to remove God completely from the public square, and then we wonder why there are so many problems in our schools.  If people really understood what "freedom of choice" meant, if it were called the "Brutal Murder of Innocent Babies Act", how many people would then go along with it?  Bad laws are purposely given names to make them more palatable.  Why hide what you are doing behind deceptive names?  If there was nothing wrong with abortion, there would be no reason we couldn't call it what it was and describe it!

Wicked leaders do lead the people to do wicked things.  That was stated over and over again with the kings in the Old Testament:

"Inasmuch as I lifted you out of the dust and made you ruler over My people Israel, and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made My people Israel sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins," - 1 Kings 16:2

The media helps to perpetuate wickedness.  Sex and violence and all kinds of sinful behaviors are glorified, and there is a definite liberal bias, as bad laws are usually reported as good, and attempts to change them to more Biblical laws are seen as bad, hateful, and bigoted, because they simply do not understand the Truth.  Although leaders and media do help to cause people to sin, the people have no excuse.  The Bible tells us they are "without excuse".  They know better, but they choose to ignore the truth:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. - Romans 1:18-25 (NKJV)

How is it people cannot see this truth?  Because they choose not to see it.  God will reveal Himself and His truth to all who seek Him first, but in this day and age, people seek personal pleasure first and seek the things that they want to hear, regardless of truth:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, because they have itching ears, they will heap to themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and will be turned to fables. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

How true and sad it is that people are willing to read other spiritual books, listen to Oprah, listen to what other people have to say, but resist reading the only true Word of God!

Continuing this chronological study, the author of Hebrews, who may have also been Paul, said this about the faith of Abraham:

(Hebrews 11:17) By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

I believe the point here is to emphasize that Abraham was promised numerous posterity, too numerous to count, and yet when God told him to, Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only begotten son, the only one through whom the promise seemed possible.

(18) Of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called",

Indeed, the author of Hebrews quotes Genesis 21:12, showing that it was through Isaac himself that the promise would be fulfilled, and yet Abraham willingly obeyed God and was going to sacrifice Isaac.

(19) Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

The author of Hebrews answers the question about how Abraham was able to do what he did, which I have pondered a great deal in my lifetime.  Here we see that if God was to use Isaac, there really seemed to be no other way for God to fulfill His promise other than to raise Isaac from the dead.  So great was Abraham's faith in God, that he did what seemed absolutely contrary to what would have seemed humanly "right"!  What a lesson there is to be learned in this!  As it was already pointed out above in Romans 4:17, God gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as though they are; the things of God are often opposite of what our sinful human nature may feel is "right".

The second part of the scripture above actually reads in the old KJV, "...from whence also he received him in a figure."  I try to stay true to the KJV, as, after much study (see this), I believe it to be the most accurate, but in my personal study, I sometimes use the NKJV for more modern terminology that I can better understand if I feel it agrees with the original meaning.  "From whence", meaning "from which", would mean from the thing just previously spoken of, that is, from death.  It can also mean "whereby" or "for which reason", but the general idea is the same.  In "receiving him", Abraham received Isaac back from the dead in a "figure", the original word being "parabole", meaning "parable".  This was meant to be an example of faith and obedience for a parable.  The same way in which Jesus used parables to explain the supernatural plan of God for His death and resurrection and salvation of the world, God used this incident in Abraham's life as a parable that was to be purposely recorded for the benefit of all generations to come.

Finally, in this particular chronological study, we have the words of James, the brother of Jesus:

(James 2:20) But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

"Will you know", meaning "are you willing to know" that faith without works is dead?  James goes on to use Abraham as an illustration of his point.

(21) Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

At first glance, this appears to be a contradiction to Paul's assertion that Abraham was justified by faith, but James continues to explain his point:

(22) Do you see how faith worked with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?

Abraham had the faith first, and because of his great faith, he was able to do what he did, with regard to being able to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to God.  As much as I enjoy a good chronological study, this particular study fails a little in that we don't get the benefit of reading what James had said up to this point, which more fully explains the point he was trying to make:

What does it profit, my brethren, though a man says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them those things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? So also faith alone, if it does not have works, is dead. A man may say "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do well; the devils also believe, and tremble. - James 2:14-19

Wow!  This should give lukewarm Christians great pause!  People who believe that just believing in God, just believing in that "salvation" moment when they went down the aisle and accepted Jesus into their hearts, and yet do not live as Christians, and continue to live worldly lives contrary to the word of God, are given a rude awakening by the brother of Jesus.  So-called Christians today may say they believe, but James says that by a Christian's works, you will see his true faith.  Indeed, Jesus said, "By their fruit you will know them."

(23) And the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

The scripture being referenced above is Genesis 15:6 which says, "And he believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him for righteousness."  Later in scripture, 2 Chronicles 20:7 refers to Abraham, God's friend.

(24) You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

James concludes, at least, he concludes in this chronological study (he goes on with another example in his letter), that a man is justified by his works and not by only his faith.  Paul had concluded that a man was justified by faith without the works of the law.  This is why it is so essential to know the entire word of God in context!  Both are correct and are not at all contradictory!  It is a person's faith in Jesus Christ that justifies him/her before God, but you will know that a person is truly a follower of Christ by his/her works!   Anything less than that, taking only one part of that out of context, is to distort the whole meaning, as Satan, who also believes in God and Jesus Christ, does, as evidenced by his deceptive temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:10-11.

In my conclusion, I have to now admit that this was a good chronological order after all, as it sums up what true faith in Jesus Christ really means in its entirety!

Elihu's Wisdom from the Holy Spirit

Continuing a Bible study of Job:

(Job 32:1) So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. (2) Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. (3) Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

At least they thought that Job was being righteous in his own eyes, but they had just failed to convince Job on any of their points because they argued from false principles. This angered Elihu; his friends condemned Job when they had found no reason to, and Job seemed to be all about himself, justifying himself rather than glorifying God.

(4) Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were older than he. (5) When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was aroused. (6) And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said, "I am young, and you are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not show you my opinion. (7) I said, 'Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.'"

Elihu was younger than Job and his three friends who had previously spoken, and was respectful of them, allowing them to speak and not interrupting them. After they had ceased speaking, and he had taken in all of their vain conversation that apparently went nowhere, he could hold his peace no longer.

(8) "But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding. (9) Great men are not always wise; neither do the aged understand judgment."

The Holy Spirit of God can give man wisdom and understanding at any age. Great men or old men are not always wise just because of their position or age, but when the Holy Spirit of God gives His inspiration to man, the man may have Godly understanding if he listens.

(10) "Therefore I say, 'Listen to me, I also will show my opinion.' (11) Behold, I waited for your words; I listened to your reasons, while you searched out what to say. (12) Yes, I paid attention to you, and behold, none of you convinced Job, or answered his words; (13) Lest you should say, 'We have found out wisdom; God thrusts him down, not man.'"

Elihu points out that he did wait until they had all finished speaking before offering his opinion. He listened to them, but they did not really answer Job. So rather than having them falsely satisfied that they had the wisdom and understanding of God, he will now speak, obviously feeling he is speaking under inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

(14) "Now he has not directed his words against me; neither will I answer him with your speeches."

Because Elihu did not partake in the conversation up to this point, Job has not directed any of his comments to him, and he indicates he will not answer Job with any of their false words.

(15) "They were amazed, they answered no more, they left off speaking. (16) When I had waited (for they did not speak, but stood still, and answered no more), (17) I said, 'I will answer also my part, I also will show my opinion.' (18) For I am full of matter; the spirit within me constrains me. (19) Behold, my belly is like wine which has no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles."

Once again Elihu points out that he waited until Job's friends quit speaking. Perhaps his friends were astonished or filled with wonder that they could not convince Job with their wisdom, but the word translated as "amazed" meant more completely "dismayed, discouraged, or broken down", so they were simply exhausted with trying to convince Job, and quit trying. Elihu implies he is so full of inspiration from the Holy Spirit that he feels about to burst. The Holy Spirit constrains, or better translated with another of the original word's definitions, presses upon him to speak.

(20) "I will speak, that I may be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer. (21) Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person; neither let me give flattering titles to man. (22) For I know not to give flattering titles; (in so doing) my Maker would soon take me away."

As he is about to burst, Elihu will be relieved to at last speak. To accept a man's person is to show partiality, so Elihu determines not to show partiality nor offer flattery in his speech. Our modern day way of speaking, and evidently the way of the KJV translators in 1611, who added the phrase "in so doing", would make the gist of verse 22, "I know better than to give flattering titles, or else my Maker would strike me dead." "In so doing" was not in the original text. Additionally, whenever we read "I know not" or any other word and then "not" in the Bible, it means "I do not know" or "I do not (whatever)", so the real meaning of the first part of that verse is that Elihu doesn't know how to offer flattery. Whether it is not in his nature or he has just learned not to do it, he is pointing out that he will not be offering any false flattery when he speaks. "My maker would soon take me away" is a little more difficult to understand exactly. He might mean that he does indeed fear the wrath of God if he were to do something he knew were wrong, such as fearing and revering man rather than God. It might be a more matter of fact statement that Elihu knows he will leave this life at some point and will have to answer to his Maker for his actions. I have my own thought on this that I did not read from any other commentary. Just maybe Elihu meant that if he spoke any flattering words, adding to what the Holy Spirit was telling him, that that Spirit would be taken away. It's a thought that doesn't change the sense of this passage.

(Job 33:1) "Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words."

We begin chapter 33 with Elihu directing his words to Job.

(2) "Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue has spoken in my mouth. (3) My words will be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips will utter knowledge clearly."

I believe the sense here is that Elihu will speak to Job as truly as he can what he feels the Holy Spirit is speaking to him.

(4) "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty has given me life. (5) If you can answer me, set your words in order before me, stand up. (6) Behold, I am as your mouth in God's stead; I also have been formed out of clay."

Elihu encourages Job to take a stand and answer him, if he can, after he has finished speaking, as Elihu and Job are equals in God's eyes. The original KJV reads "I (am) according to thy wish in God's stead". The word translated as "wish" actually means "mouth". It can also mean "word", and the sense the KJV's translators were trying to convey was that it was like breath blowing a word or saying, so Elihu's words, thoughts, and wishes were as Job's; they were equal in God's eyes.

(7) "Behold, my terror will not make you afraid, neither will my hand be heavy upon you."

Elihu may mean that he will not be as rough as Job's friends had been, or perhaps he alludes to Job's previous statement from Job 9:34, "Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not His fear terrify me."

(8) "Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying, (9) 'I am clean without transgression; I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me. (10) Behold, He finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy; (11) He puts my feet in the stocks; He marks all my paths.'"

Elihu intends to show that he has been listening to Job and begins by referring to Job's own words. However, Job never used the exact words that he was without transgression; as a matter of fact at one point Job indeed said in Job 9:20, "If I justify myself, my own mouth will condemn me; if I say, I am perfect, it will also prove me perverse." However, Job did say that he was pure and righteous. Although some of the time I felt Job may have been speaking of his enemy counting Job as his enemy, rather than God doing it, he does seem to imply it is God in some places, like in Job 10:6, when he talks about God inquiring and searching out his sins. In Job 13:27, Job said exactly, "You put my feet also in the stocks, and watch closely all my paths."

(12) "Behold, in this you are not just; I will answer you, that God is greater than man. (13) Why do you strive against Him? For He does not give an account of any of His matters."

Elihu states that Job has not been correct in his conclusions about God. God and His plans are greater than man's and we don't always understand them. I am reminded of the scripture in Isaiah 55:9, "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

(14) "For God speaks once, yes, twice, yet man does not perceive it. (15) In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumbering on the bed, (16) Then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, (17) That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man."

God does often show us His ways, but we fail to see. He shows us wonders in His creation and in His Word, and His Holy Spirit often speaks directly to us, but we don't recognize it as the Spirit of God, and dismiss it. He shows us things in dreams that we either forget or once again don't recognize as from Him. Most of the time, when there is that confirmation of something, or that "coincidence" that turns you away from something, you can be sure the Spirit of God was at work! God can change our direction in life and humble us before Him. Sometimes we may be "brought down" for our good, to save us from our own selfish pride and arrogance. I am reminded of the apostle Paul and the thorn in his flesh that kept him humble and dependent on his Lord.

(18) "He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. (19) He is chastened also with pain on his bed, and with strong pain in many of his bones, (20) So that his life abhors bread, and his soul, succulent meat."

God keeps us on a right track and saves our lives and eternal souls. Wow! If we could really get our minds around this passage! Sometimes God allows bad things to happen for our ultimate good! How many times do we want to be angry at God for something we think He did or didn't do, when all the while our loving Father is working things for a more excellent good that we can't see at the moment?! If we would only learn that our heavenly Father is ever-loving and faithful and merciful and just learn to trust Him because we know He knows best, how much more peaceful our lives would be! Of course, we do good and do what we can, but when it is out of our hands, we trust God.

(21) "His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out. (22) Yes, his soul draws near to the grave, and his life to the destroyers. (23) If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man his uprightness, (24) Then he is gracious to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.'"

Wow! The opinions on verses 23 and 24 are as varied as I have seen in this study! The messenger could be an angel or perhaps someone led by the Holy Spirit to lead the person to salvation. The word translated as "interpreter" also means "ambassador", an authorized representative; it comes from a root word which also means "intercede". Thus it is someone who will intercede for him. Does he lead man to his own uprightness, or does he show the man His uprightness, that of the Lord, his Savior? Either way, the only uprightness that will save him is that of his Lord. Again, I'm not sure if the "he" in verse 24 is "he", the angel or interpreter, or "He", Jesus Christ, who intercedes for us all, as He paid the price of our sins. Once again, either interpretation works. The sense is that upon the man's death bed, he is saved from the pit of hell. How many times do we hear of people hitting rock-bottom and only then turning to their only true salvation? So rather than affliction being the punishment of a vengeful God, it is actually a merciful act of a loving Father turning His children back to Him and therefore saving their eternal lives. How wonderful that He loves us enough to do whatever it takes to bring us to Him! And perhaps unfortunately, it takes more to bring some of us back than it does others. Our heavenly Father knows just what it takes, and He works all things for ultimate good. If we really understood that, we could always trust God and fear not.

(25) "His flesh will be fresher than a child's; he will return to the days of his youth; (26) He will pray to God, and He will be favorable to him, and he shall see His face with joy, for He will return to man His righteousness."

"Fresher than a child's"...a beautiful picture of what we are told in the New Testament happens when we are born again! Ephesians 4:24 says, "And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Colossians 3:9-10: "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds, And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him." Elihu, obviously inspired by the Holy Spirit, is telling Job essentially the same thing the Apostle Paul told the churches almost 2000 years later! God's plan has always been the same! Since the fall of Adam, God has mercifully and lovingly sought to return man to Himself and restore Him.

(27) "He looks upon men, and if any say, 'I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it did not profit me', (28) He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life will see the light. (29) Lo, God works all these things oftentimes with man, (30) To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living."

Elihu reiterates that God uses all the ways he described before to bring a soul to Him. Again very akin to something Paul would later say in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

(31) "Mark well, O Job, hearken to me; hold your peace, and I will speak. (32) If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. (33) If not, hearken to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom."

Elihu urges Job to pay close attention to him, but he is also a fair man who would do Job justice and not pervert what he said and attribute wrong motives, as his friends had done.