for Christian Sisters

The consolations of God - Second in a series

The key passage of this series, Are the consolations of God small with thee? is found in Job 15:11.

After losing his children, servants, livestock, camels, health and appearance, as Job sat and scraped the boils that covered his body, three friends came to comfort him, Eliphaz, Zophar and Bildad. They sat with him for seven days in silence, mourning for his losses.

Then Job spoke: Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived. (Job 3:3)

Eliphaz, to urge him to repent, countered: Remember, I pray thee, who [ever] perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? (Job 4:7) He also shared a vision he had been given; a spirit stood before him and said, Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly: How much less [in] them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation [is] in the dust… (Job 4:17-21)

Eliphaz finished his counsel with the exhortation: Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole…" (Job 5:18-27)

Job objected to Eliphaz's exhortation. Job was a man who knew good from evil and endeavored to do right in all ways. What he had experienced was not a chastisement but a decimation! He needed much more than a clucking disciplinary word from an older friend. Yet the jabs continued, as Bildad and Zophar joined in, and then a younger friend, Elihu, added his zinger.

At one point, Eliphaz reminded Job, What knowest thou, that we know not? [what] understandest thou, which [is] not in us? With us [are] both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. [Are] the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? (Job 15:9-11)

There, we see the key passage of this series of posts in context. A careful reading of Job 15 makes clear that Eliphaz felt that the vision and insight he shared with Job (in Job 4:17-21) ought to have ministered to Job's deep need for comfort and guidance. Job would have realized this, had he not been rebellious, vain and deceived!

To be fair, there was truth in Eliphaz's special "word." It's true that a man cannot be more just than his Maker. Matthew Henry restated Eliphaz's special insight as follows:

Shall such a mean, weak, foolish, sinful, dying creature as this pretend to be more just than God and more pure than his Maker? No, instead of quarrelling with his afflictions, let him wonder that he is out of hell.

In the end, Job was led to confess that he had considered himself to be God's equal, even to the point of challenging God's wisdom. He had been a man who thought he could be just or acceptable to God by his lifestyle. Indeed, he had worked hard every day to demonstrate his righteousness to God.

He had wanted God to explain why nearly all his possessions and loved ones were destroyed, but instead he was given a new way of seeing: Then he exclaimed, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. (Job 42:5) He understood that he had been presumptuous. It was a shocking revelation!

After Job’s change of heart, God called on him to intercede for his friends, and once he did, God restored his life. (These insights are also found in the God Remembered Abraham Bible Study on this site.)

So, when we meditate on our key passage, will we consider it a futile verse, since it was voiced by a man who needed the intercession of the one he sought to teach?

Perhaps, as we picture the group of friends biting and devouring one another (Gal 5:15), we will be careful not to console others in deep distress by our private store of verses. God alone can console the brokenhearted, and those consolations will not be too small.

The Lord's exhorted Job, and it deeply consoled him for his immense losses because it led to a repentance that opened his heart to see God in His glory— things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. (Job 42:3) Neither let God's consolations be too small for us nor his exhortations too great.

Twenty-first and Final in the Solomon Series

This series of posts began in early February and today is May 11. In the span of about 100 days, many reflections on Solomon have been shared. I began with these words: O Solomon, Solomon, from the heights to the depths, and then back to a level place, but never again to the heights?

I believe Solomon did attain to great heights after his sinful exploits; that is, we will see him in heaven. Some who have studied his life have their doubts. However, God disciplines those whom He loves, and Solomon was disciplined. Also, we have the evidence of his repentance in the book of Ecclesiastes.

There are numerous studies that could be pursued to further explore Solomon's life and influence on Israel and to learn from his writings. In Ecclesiastes 10-12 you will find exhortations to greater diligence and soberness of spirit.

In Ecc 12:12, we read that…"because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, [and] set in order many proverbs." Does that suggest that some of the Proverbs were conceived after Solomon was chastised for his sinful harem? There are many verses in the book of Proverbs that warn against illicit relations. Pro 5:3-5 is one example: For the lips of a strange woman drop [as] an honeycomb, and her mouth [is] smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Was Solomon stating what he learned first-hand? Only a Bible scholar with thorough knowledge of chronologies could answer this question.

A good way to end this series is with some of his Proverbs:

• The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction. 1:7
• Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 3:5, 6
• My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth. 3:11,12
• Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life. 4:23
• These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 6:16-19
• He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. 13:24
• In the fear of the LORD [is] strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. 14:26
• A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. 15:1
• Pride [goeth] before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 16:18
• The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. 18:10
• A [good] name [is] rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold.22:1

These proverbs remind us of Solomon:

• Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. 20:28
• [It is] better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. 21:9
• [It is] better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. 21:19
• Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 22:6

Well, perhaps he will depart, but he will also return.

And finally, from Ecclesiastes 12:11, The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.

Thirteenth in the Solomon Series

Before he died, David amassed the precious metals and stones, the iron and bronze and much of the wood that would be needed for building the temple, and he led the people in giving freewill offerings for the house of the Lord. He prayed: Grant to Solomon my son that with a whole heart he may keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision." (see full prayer - 1Ch 29:10-19)

We know that David's prayer was answered; that Solomon built God's house, and kept and performed the Lord's statutes, at first. However, "when he was old," (1 Ki 11:4) Solomon's wives...

turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as [was] the heart of David his father.
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as [did] David his father.
Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that [is] before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. (1Ki 11:4-8)

Although Solomon continued to worship in the temple, his loyalties were divided. Some commentators say he did not worship with his wives, but accommodated their worship practices; others say he joined his wives in idolatrous worship.

His actions and divided heart brought God's judgment:

"Since this has been your mind and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.
Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."
And the LORD raised up an adversary against Solomon… 1 Ki 11:11-14a

Thankfully, as noted at the start, Solomon's father had prayed for him. At first, it seems the prayer was forgotten after a time, as we consider the shameful backsliding (perhaps not a strong enough term), and that a divided heart resulted in a divided kingdom.

Yet, Solomon did turn back to God's Word. We see this turning in Ec 7:29, Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Solomon's acknowledgement that God made man upright shows us that he believed Genesis, that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but later fell and thereafter pursued all sorts of devious inventions.

The context of Ec 7:29 shows that Solomon realized that his downfall had been brought about by his invention of marriages, as though that was allowable for a king. Yes, some sultans and kings of nations in that region had similar harems, but Israel was meant to model righteousness, not to imitate the opposite.

I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:
And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:
Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
(Ec 7:25-29)

Solomon understood he had been foolish; snared by loose women because he was sinful, but he could not exactly understand why he had not been enabled or able to avoid the fetters of willful abandon. After all, was he not the wisest man in the world? Nevertheless, he would acknowledge that one man in a thousand was worthy of his admiration— that not all men were sinful as he understood he was; but no woman could claim his praise.

Perhaps his disappointment in himself and extreme focus on his own sins prevented him from seeing any good in women, generally.

In discouragement, all seems lost. Pray!