Today’s Bible Reading:
Job 27-28
Psalm 20
Matthew 14
**Click to read Christine Miller’s Bible study for today.
I am almost constantly on the lookout for Scripture passages that would make great science curriculum for the kids over at HomeschoolingTorah and Foundations Press. Job 28 is definitely on my list for a future lesson on mining.
Job’s descriptions of going deep into the earth, looking for iron and copper ore, as well as all sorts of precious metals and jewels, is so complete that the only conclusion we can come to is that he had actually been down one of these mines! We know he was very wealthy, so I wonder if mining operations were happening on his own expansive piece of land. And while we know that mining happened even before the flood, sometimes it messes with my head to think of these huge operations happening this early in history. (I guess it shows how much I’ve been brainwashed to think that those of us who live in 2020 are somehow smarter or more “civilized” than those who lived a few generations after Noah. Ha!)
I’ve been down into a mine. I didn’t really care for the experience. It’s so dark that the walls seem to come in at you, and the darkness itself is like a weight on you. Give me open sky and sunshine any day!
And I get the feeling that Job is relating his tragic circumstances to that feeling. Nevertheless, while he’s feeling down (pun intended) and feeling like he’s at the end of the road (and yes, I intended that pun, too), and while he cannot understand why any of it is happening, he makes a conscious decision to trust YHVH.
It feels like the mood of the book of Job starts to turn upward from this point on. Focusing our mind on YHVH does that!
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).
A friend sent me a video this morning, and it perfectly expressed this thought of trusting the Source of Wisdom (Job 28:12, 20, 23, 28). We have to wait, but while we are waiting, we can remind ourselves of things that are true, that YHVH really does understand what is going on, that He has compassion on us, and that He will lead and guide us to the other side of the dark times.
You see, Job is acknowledging that God knows how much the wind weighs, and He can measure how much water is in the seas, so He can certainly care for us! (See Job 28:25.)
And in Matthew 14, we see not only the wisdom of the Son of God (Matthew 14:33) and His mighty power to perform miracles (Matthew 14:19-21, 31-32, 35-36) — but we see His compassion for us!
His cousin had been put to death, and He longed to get away from the crowds to a deserted place. I can relate to this.
But instead, even then, He put aside His own feelings, and had compassion on the multitudes.
“When Yeshua heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Yeshua went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:13-14).
And in the “fourth watch of the night” (which is around 3 AM), even though He had been praying alone and must have been exhausted, He went to His disciples because they were in trouble on the sea.
And early the next morning, after all that and a night of no sleep, He let Himself be surrounded by crowds, all touching the edge of His garment (and invading His personal space at the height of His fatigue), so that they would all be healed.
He cares. He still cares. He is never too busy to care.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture in this blog post taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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