FROM: SUNDAY’S OPEN Q & A Please explain verse 9 of Job 23:9-10. ANSWER Job 23:9 (KJV) 9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]: Job 23:10 (KJV) 10 But he knoweth the way that I take: [when] he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. ANSWER Very interesting verses. We know that Job is used by God as a type and figure of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus cried out on the cross, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And in the book of Job, we read of a man apparently forsaken by God at the most awful time imaginable. This seeming removal of Gods presence from Job was necessary for the trial of his faith to occur. Today, at our time, I think we can see a parallel situation. It seems as if God has forsaken His people a this time. But of course thats not possible since the Bible tells us that He will never leave nor forsake one of His elect. However, in a tableau, God is allowing the appearance (since May 21, 2011) of forsaking to occur. Scriptures such as this reveal it: Isaiah 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. The Bible tells us that Christ drank of the cup of the wrath of God in the garden of Gethsemane. He did this in order to demonstrate the things He had done from the foundation of the world. Gods people died in Christ from the worlds foundation. It was then that we also drank of the cup of Gods wrath. We (the elect) accomplished this in Christ. As He drank we drank. Significantly, even as Christ drank of Gods wrath from the worlds foundation, He entered into the human race to demonstrate this fact by experiencing punishment a second time (yet without sin). And God says of true believers in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ: 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. The word translated as appear is a word often translated as manifest. The same word used of Christ concerning His manifestation into this world to demonstrate His atoning work. Now lets look at these verses: Matthew 20:20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. Notice that Christ agrees with James and John (the sons of thunder) that they will indeed drink of the cup that He will drink of. Also notice the tense is FUTURE. But if Gods elect drank of that cup in the Person of Christ from the foundation of the world----then how could Christ speak of a future time in which they will drink of the cup? The answer is found once we compare this statement with 2 Corinthians 5:10. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Not for any actual payment of sins, no. All sins have been paid for. But in order to demonstrate the things that God has done for us in Jesus atoning work on our behalf. As we consider Matthew 20:23s statement that we shall drink of the same cup Christ drank from; and as we compare 2 Corinthians 5:10s declaration that we (the elect) must all be made manifest before Christs judgment throne; and as we consider Isaiah 54:7,8,s very unusual language concerning God forsaking His people for a small moment; and also in a little wrath hiding His face from them---we can conclude that at this time God has (in a tableau only) left His people as they are living on the earth in the Day of Judgment. Let me repeat this. This is a tableau only. It is not possible for God to leave His elect (Hebrews 13:4,5). However, it is possible for Him to leave us for trial and testing.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:15:03 +0000
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