Job Thru Song of Solomon

JOB 1:1

Have All People Sinned Or Not?

The Bible seems to suggest that some people never sinned.

So, what is the answer?

All Have Sinned

Romans 3:9-10, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; 10 as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one.”
Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Psalm 14:3, “They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

All Have Not Sinned

Job 1:1, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.”
Genesis 7:1, “Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household; for you alone, I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.”
Luke 1:5-6, “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”

The Bible clearly teaches that all people have "sinned" – except Jesus (1 Peter 2:22).

Dr Moore's Note: Romans 3:23 clearly condemns all under sin. But when it mentions people like Job, Noah, Zacharias, and Elizabeth as people who were “blameless” and “righteous,” it is not saying that they are not sinners. It is saying that they were godly people, who kept the commandments of God; and in that sense, they were righteous. But of course, we realize that no one can keep the commandments of God perfectly which is why all people are deserving of damnation (Eph. 2:3), and why we need a savior. If righteousness can come through the Law, then Christ died needlessly (Gal. 2:21). This would also mean that Dr. Moore would be wasting his time teaching others about God's Word.

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JOB 1:1, 12

If Job Was Blameless, Why Did God Allow Satan To Afflict Him?

Job 1:1 and Job 1:12

Job 1:1, “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.”
Job 1:12, “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.”

When the Bible says that Job was "blameless", it does not mean that he was absolutely "sinless". It means that he was a God-fearing man who sought to do what was right before the Lord. Job’s awareness of his own sins is acknowledged by the fact that he sacrificed animals to the Lord as atonement for his sins in chapter 1.

As the story goes, the “sons of God”, which are "angels", presented themselves before God. Satan was there and a conversation ensued about Job’s goodness. Satan challenges God by stating that Job will denounce God if afflicted. God gives permission to Satan to afflict Job. Of course, Job doesn’t denounce God. So, the question is why would God allow Satan to do this?

The reason is so that God may be vindicated at His word and so that we might understand that trials and tribulations will come to those who are Godly. In the former, we see the righteousness of God. After all, none are righteous before God (Rom. 3:10-12). In the latter, we see the perfection of Job’s faith (James 1:2-4).

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: I sometimes ask God why He allows certain things to happen today. He always tell me to remember that He is in control and to keep my eyes focus on Him. We live on earth that is currently controlled by Satan. That tells me that Satan will always reward his "Children" for doing his evil works while God's "Children" may suffer for not doing Satan's work. But let me remind you to keep moving forward with God because ultimately, this earth shall past and all will have to give an account before God why they did what they did.

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JOB 1:21

Do Job 1:21 And Ecc. 5:15 Teach Reincarnation?

Job. 1:21, “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Eccl. 5:15, “As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.”

Does Job. 1:21 teach reincarnation?

No, it does not. Job says that he would return to his mother’s womb when he died, but this cannot be reincarnation for two reasons:

First of all, the Bible teaches us that “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” (Heb. 9:27). This soundly refutes reincarnation. Therefore, Job. 1:21 cannot be referring to reincarnation.
Second, if we take Job. 1:21 literally, then does it mean that Job will be reincarnated into his own mother’s womb? If so, we have a problem. Since Job was old enough to have seven sons and three daughters (Job 1:2), he was probably advanced in years, and his mother, if she were still alive, would be well past childbearing years.

Likewise, with Ecclesiastes 5:15. The context deals with evil under the sun and not having a way to support children due to bad investments. This is when the writer says, “As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.” The writer is not speaking about reincarnation but about coming into the world with nothing and returning to the earth. So Ecclesiastes does not teach reincarnation.

If we begin with Adam, we see that he was literally taken (formed) from the earth. God said to Adam after Adam’s fall, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” (Gen. 3:19). From the beginning of creation, by God Himself declared the idea that the earth is the place where Adam came from is taught. This could naturally be considered a type of womb. It follows then that when we look at Job, we can see that the “mother’s womb” that is spoken of is about the earth.

This idea is found elsewhere in scripture. Consider Psalm 139:15, which says, “My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth.” Clearly, the earth is seen in this Psalm as a type of womb.

We can see that other verses speak of returning to the earth naked:

“For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him,” (Psalm 49:17).
“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either,” (1 Tim. 6:7).

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: Therefore, thematically Job. 1:21 and Eccl. 5:15 are speaking of returning to the earth, which is poetically called the “the universal mother.”

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PSALMS 5:5

Does God Hate People Or Love Them?

The Bible tells us that God both loves people and hates people. Whether we like it or not the Scriptures teach that God hates those who love violence and love evil. God is too holy to approve of those who love what is opposite to God’s character and nature. But on the other hand, generically speaking, God loves the whole world (John 3:16). Also, he lets the sun shine on the good and the bad. He let’s the rain fall upon all people. So, in this context, he loves all (Matthew 5:43-48).

God Loves People

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Rom. 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

1 John 4:7-8,16, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…16 God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God… “

God Hates People

Psalm 5:5, “The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity.”

Psalm 11:5, “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”

Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, 19 A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

Hosea 9:15, “All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels.”

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: God both loves and hates. God is Love and the definition of Love. His nature is love (1 John 4:8), but He is also righteous (Psalm 7:9) and holy (Isaiah 6:3). The very fact that He does not incinerate all of humanity for its sin against Him is due to his loving-kindness. God doesn’t owe anyone anything. We are all sinners and as such, we have offended Him because we have broken His laws – and His laws are a reflection of His character. But, God in His great mercy, sent His Son to die for our sins so that we might have eternal life by receiving Christ as Savior (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10).

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PSALMS 14:1

Can We Call Someone A Fool Or Not?

Matthew 5:22 and Matthew 23:17; Psalm 14:1

Do Not Call Someone A Fool

Matthew 5:22, “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Calling Someone A Fool

Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good”

Matthew 23:17, “You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?”

When Jesus said in Matthew 5:22 that you should not call anyone a fool, contextually He was speaking of those who were "unrighteously" angry. That is why Jesus mentions anger in this verse. There is a "righteous" anger that is not sinful (Eph. 4:26, “Be angry and do not sin…”), as well as unrighteous anger that is sinful (James 1:20, “for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God”). When God is angry with someone, He is always righteous in His anger.

Jesus, being God in flesh (John 1:1,14; 20:28; Col. 2:9), can righteously be angry with people and pronounce upon them the foolishness of their deeds – which He did (Matt. 23:17). Also, undoubtedly, Jesus knew Psalm 14:1 which says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” Jesus didn’t forget the well-known verse, and God is not wrong for calling someone a fool, especially when it is true.

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: As a result, we see that the condemnation by Jesus in regard to calling someone a fool is in the context of them doing it out of "unrighteous anger", not "righteous anger". The word "fool" means, a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person. The word "silly" means, having or showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish. This is what angers Dr. Moore the most. It is when you observe grown uneducated men and women playing the "fool" for the elite in hopes of gaining monetary rewards.

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PSALMS 104:5

Does The Earth Abide Forever Or Not?

Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4 and Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:10

Abides Forever

Psalm 104:5, “He established the earth upon its foundations So that it will not totter forever and ever.”

Ecclesiastes 1:4, “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

Does Not Abide Forever

Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

The context of the Ecclesiastes passage is revealed in the previous verse (3) which says, “What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?” In other words, the perspective of Ecclesiastes is from a completely human standpoint. The same is occurring in the Psalms passage, a description from a human perspective. Therefore, the writers will see the earth abiding forever because that is exactly how it appears. But, in Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Peter 3:10 the contexts are altogether different. They are speaking of the time in the future when the new heavens and new earth will be made. Take a look at 2 Peter.

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells,” (2 Peter 3:10-13).

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: Since sin is in the world, the earth and all its works will be destroyed and cleansed, and a new heaven and new earth will replace them.

PSALMS 137:9

Why Does The Psalmist Speak About Killing Children?

Critics often bring up this verse as an attack on the validity of the Bible, but does the Bible teach that it is okay to kill children? The answer, of course, is no it doesn’t. We must ask what the Psalmist was saying and why he was saying it.

“How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock,” (Psalm 137:9).

The context of Psalm 137 is the Babylonian captivity. The Psalmist speaks of the captors tormenting the people of God (vv. 1-3), a promise to remember Jerusalem (vv. 5-6), and a curse against the captors (vv. 7-9).

The Psalmist is in exile and had probably witnessed the atrocities committed against his people, babies included. In the revenge style that was so common at the time, he wishes the same upon his enemy as a description of their utter destruction. Nowhere does it say that God approves of the Psalmist’s request or that he fulfilled it. Just because it is recorded that the Psalmist wrote the imprecation, doesn’t mean it was approved by God.

It is worth noting that the Old Testament records many atrocities. The fact is that God allowed people their sinful desires, and he worked within their culture even as he does now as he permits all kinds of bad things to happen.

Nevertheless, God introduced what is called the "Apodictic Law" (Exodus 21:24): an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The Apodictic Law was instituted to prevent the increase of blood-revenge – a practice where revenge would escalate out of control between two parties. Since the hearts of the fallen are so wicked and the harsh environment and culture produced difficulties for survival, God has a few options to counter their proclivity towards evil. He can run roughshod over their free will and force everyone to obey him, or he could wipe them all out (he had already done this with Noah’s flood), or he could work within the situation at hand. In the case of this psalm and its Babylonian captivity context, God chose to work with people and through them instead of violating the freedom he had given them and forcing them to act in a manner that he instructs. Therefore, the Psalmist is expressing his curse against Babylon – a natural response to what his people have already suffered.

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: As a former military man who have traveled around the world, I have seen the atrocities performed by man against his fellow man. In the USA, we see it today. Is it okay to slaughter children because the law says that we have the power to do so in self-defense? Also, the critics need to provide an acceptable, objective moral standard by which they can criticize biblical morality. It is one thing to complain, it is another to offer a justification for the validity of the complaint. By what right and by what objective ethical standard do the critics offer moral condemnation against Biblical morals? This is a serious question that if not answered by the critics, renders the critics’ complaints moot. After all, you must first have a standard against which to measure good and bad; and without a standard, no complaints can be legitimately offered. Dr. Moore could be slaughter by someone who thinks that his life is worth that of 1/2 of a privilege/entitled man. Is that justification and if so, who made the standard?

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PSALMS 145:9

Is The Lord Good Or Bad To People?

The Lord Is Good To People

Psalm 145:9, “The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.”

Lamentations 3:38, “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?”

The Lord Is Bad To People

Isaiah 45:6-7, “I am the Lord, and there is no other, 7 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.”

Jeremiah 18:11, “So now then, speak to the men of Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am fashioning calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh turn back, each of you from his evil way, and reform your ways and your deeds.”’

Ezekiel 20:26, “and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the Lord.”

God‘s nature is good. He is not evil. He cannot sin and He can do no wrong. All that the Lord does is right and just. But that does not mean that we always understand what God does or why He does it. After all, His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways. So, does God do good or bad to people?

First of all, good and bad are relative:

He is good to all in that He gives them rain, air, food, and life (Matt. 5:43-48).
He is good to all in that He provided His Son as a sacrifice for sin so that we could escape the judgment to come (John 3:16-17).

EGYPTIANS PLAGUES

But, when He sends a plague to wipe out a crop (Pharaoh in Egypt), is that good or bad? From our perspective, it would seem bad to allow such a terrible thing to happen, let alone cause it to happen. But since God is not bad, what He does, though tough to understand sometimes, is right. For example, it was right to send the plague upon the Egyptians. They were holding the Jewish people prisoner. Was it loving to the Egyptians? Not really? Was it the right thing to do? Absolutely.

JUDGES TODAY

God moves through history carrying out various judgments. Doing so does not mean He is not good or loving. Consider a judge who is a very kind and forgiving man. When a criminal is found guilty, he must pass the judgment upon him, even if that punishment is harmful to the criminal. Does it mean that the judge is not loving or any less loving? Not at all. It means that the judge has acted righteously, according to the Law.

So too with God. He is right and just. He acts according to Law. The Laws that He has given are a reflection of His holy and righteous character. That is why it is wrong to lie, steal, etc. To sin against God is to incur His wrath since that sin is an affront to His holy character. The very fact that He so often withholds His judgment upon us is a very loving and good thing to do. However, when He does allow judgment to come through, He is just as good and loving. But He is exercising His righteousness for a purpose. In His sovereign will to carry history to its designed conclusion (Acts 4:28), He delivers righteous judgment to those who oppose Him in sinfulness. This is good and right to do.

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: Still, the question remains and hits us directly in the face, "Does God bring good and bad upon people?" As your teacher today, I say "Yes, He does." The problem is our perspective. To us, it sometimes appears as bad. To God it is righteous. There has been many things that I have prayed for but never received from God. I usually would have a "Pity Pat Party" feeling sorry for myself but God would step in and tell me that what I requested would not be good for me at that time. Guess what? He was right. Many things that we request from God may seem okay but only God can see our future. He and only He, can direct our paths to keep us within His Will.

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PROVERBS 4:7

Should We Acquire Wisdom Or Not?

Context is vital here. Proverbs 4:7 is stating that a person, on the human level, needs to acquire wisdom. It is good to seek to be wise. Solomon is teaching his son, who is a believer in God and His word, to avoid foolishness and seek wisdom. Of course, true wisdom is acquired from God’s word.

Acquire Wisdom Or Not

Proverbs 4:7, “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.

1 Corinthians 1:19, “For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: Although I have done a lot in my life, I do understand that if it was not for the Lord, where would I be? I know God to be my Father and I have no doubt about this fact. You see, the context of 1 Corinthians 1:19 deals with comparing the wisdom of God with the wisdom of man. Paul writes that the wisdom of man is foolishness compared to the wisdom of God. It will be destroyed. In other words, the unbelievers who try to defy God or proclaim that God is not true or that the Bible is not true will all be proven false. This will either happen in this life or on the day of judgment. Me and my buddy Jeffrey Hathaway often talk about this very subject.

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ECCLESIASTES 1:4

Does The Earth Abide Forever Or Not?

Psalm 104:5; Ecclesiastes 1:4 and Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:10

Abides Forever

Psalm 104:5, “He established the earth upon its foundations So that it will not totter forever and ever.”

Ecclesiastes 1:4, “A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”

Does Not Abide Forever

Isaiah 65:17, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, And the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: Since sin is in the world, the earth and all its works will be destroyed and cleansed, and a new heaven and new earth will replace them. Some have speculated how this present earth will be destroyed. For me, it really doesn't matter as long as I know that I have a Heavenly destination.

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SONG OF SOLOMON 8:8

Does Song Of Solomon 8:8 Promote Child Marriage?

No, It Does Not

Song 8:8, “We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day when she is spoken for?”

This verse speaks of a young sister whose family desires her to remain chaste (virgin) until her wedding night. It is not about child marriage. However, in the culture of the time, marriages were often arranged by the parents, even from the early age of their children. So, the parents of one child and the parents of another child might get together and agree to have their young children be married in the future. So, the phrase “when she is spoken for” occur when she was 10 years old. The parents could speak for their daughter and plan a wedding for several years in advance. So she can be spoken for at an early age, but not married for many years later. Consider the next verse…

Song 8:9, “If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver. But if she is a door, we will barricade her with planks of cedar.”

The cultural phrases are foreign to the modern, western ear. But it had meaning at the time of writing.

“If she is a wall, we will build on her a battlement of silver.”

The thought is that the young lady would be crowned with honor, if not wealth, if she maintains her virginity. On the other hand, “if she is a door, we shall barricade her with planks of cedar,” i.e., solitary confinement for her own protection. A “door” is a female who is flirtatious and improper in her relations with men.

So we can see that the main concern of these two verses is the honor and chastity of a young sister whom the family is guarding.

DR. MOORE'S NOTE: This is a very significant paragraph on the theme of keeping the expression of physical love for the right time. It is not a new theme in the book but occurs now in a different kind of way. It tells of a loyal, caring family who protected their young sister from misuse of sex. From her early years, before she was physically developed (her breasts are not yet grown), her older brothers, in particular, disciplined her and encouraged her to keep her body only for the one she was to marry. The day she is spoken for is the time of marriageable age. This was normally performed by the parents of the couple.