Msg#1626 Where To Get Truth

What The Bible Says

Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What is truth and where does one get it? In the epic Hebrew poem of Job, the first of the sixty-six books penned in God's Holy Word, Job has truth and his three friends have error. Where did they get their ideas, what were their sources? They had no Bible to reference. Eliphaz says a spirit talked to him in the night and gave him his insight (4:12-16). Be very careful around those types. Bildad says he just believes what his forefathers believed (8:8). He was only a couple generations from Noah himself, but his rhetoric was still errant. Job responds with talk about his Daysman (9:33). Zophar expounds secretes of man's inner wisdom, kind of like the world's first philosopher (11:6). All three sources prove faulty and gave false information (42:7-8). In their second round Eliphaz the spiritualist checks his horoscope (15:11,15); that is abomination (Deut 4:19). Job responds with a prophecy fulfilled in the crucified Christ (16:10-11). Spirits flee before the resurrected Christ. Bildad the historian talks of terrors of death and punishments of brimstone (18:11-16), and Job assures, “I know that my redeemer liveth... (19:25). Zophar the philosopher hangs on to his own thoughts and understandings (20:1-3), but Job reveals that the human light will be put out (21:17), and the fear of the Lord that is wisdom (28:28). Eliphaz the spiritualist is up for a third round and makes the “name it and claim it”, “blab it and grab it” argument of the modern TV preacher (22:23-24). Job's answer is perfect, he says, “I will just wait to hear from God himself” (23:2-5). Man still uses these errant sources for their “designer truth.” God still insists his Word is truth, in fact he sent his Word, and he said “I am the... truth” (John 14).

An Essay for week #26 Jun 26, 16

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