READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2024: JOB 1, MATTHEW 12, PSALM 9:1-12                                     JOB 1 What made Job such a fine person that even God bragged about him? Twice in this brief chapter his qualities below are mentioned. Perhaps we should aspire to them: 

• Turning from Evil, Job made a conscious choice to resist the evil that confronts us all. 
• Fearing God. This describes his faith in and reverence for God —submitting to God’s will.
• Blameless/Upright. This speaks to his moral character—being a man of integrity.

In New Testament language we might say it this way: “Lot repented from his sins, put his faith in Jesus, and grew in holiness.”  Is this true of us? What about our family and friends?

We read that Job was blessed with 10 children. Likely due to Job’s influence, they liked each other so much that they continually ate together, rotating from house to house. Job was not worried if they were doing well physically or professionally. He was worried about the purity of their hearts and prayed for this daily. Is this our prayer for our children and grandchildren?

Satan didn’t disagree with God about Job’s faith but attributed his goodness to God’s blessings. Satan said take away his blessings, and Lot will lose his faith. Perhaps Satan had seen this happen many times. So, God allowed Satan to test Lot, but only within certain limits.   

After a series of devastating personal and family tragedies, Lot expressed his deep sorrow in the traditional manner: shaved his head and tore his clothes.  So far, his response is normal.  But then what? He fell and worshiped. That’s not normal. No wonder God bragged. 

Here is a tough question—the first of many in the book. Job said the Lord gave and has taken away. Perhaps It would be more accurate to say Satan took away with the Lord’s permission, but Job wasn’t privy to that nuance. Does the fact the narrator said Job did not sin imply Job didn’t make a theological error saying God took away? Does God ever do this for purposes that might be beyond our understanding?  Some say yes, others no. We will keep reading.                                                                                                                                                  

MATTHEW 12 The chapter begins with Pharisees denouncing Jesus’s disciples for munching on heads of grain as they walked through the fields on the Sabbath. There was no law prohibiting this on the Sabbath, but there was one permitting this in general (Deut.23:25). Jesus responded by giving two Old Testament examples, one involving David and one a temple priest, that might be considered legally questionable. In both cases they were blameless. 

Even though His disciples broke no law, Jesus used this opportunity to reveal His lordship over and fulfillment of the law. He also addressed the Pharisees’ underlying problem of trying to earn righteousness by piling on needless, even harmful rules: “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). Let’s not equate manmade rules and tradition with God’s Word!

Jesus went on to show His compassion on that Sabbath day by healing a man with a withered hand. As the Pharisees plotted how to destroy Jesus, He continued to heal all who came to

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 20, 2024 CONTINUED: MATTHEW 12, PSALM 9:1-12                   Him. Jesus told those He healed not to make Him known. He connected this request with an extended reference from Isaiah. This reference seems related to his trial before Pilate (no quarrelling) and the result of His resurrection (hope for the Gentiles). Thus, Jesus might have considered excessive news about his healings as hindering His main mission: the cross. 

The controversy about Jesus casting out demons by the Spirit gave Him another opportunity to declare the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus then said anyone not gathering with Him scatters. Finally, He connected this scattering with speaking against the Spirit, which is termed unpardonable sin. How might one be guilty of Kingdom scattering or Holy Spirit opposition? 

Quick thoughts for the rest of the chapter:

• Jesus stated that our words reveal our heart and warns that we will be accountable for our words at the final judgment. (Thus, seek a purer heart from which our words will naturally flow.)
• Jesus refused to give the scribes signs to validate His claims other than the upcoming resurrection. (For those still in doubt about the reality and importance of the resurrection, read 1 Cor. 15). 
• Jesus said Jonah and Solomon point to Him, the greater Jonah and greater Solomon. 
• Finally, Jesus said His biological family is not necessarily his genuine family. Rather it is those who do God’s will. His family did not initially believe in Him (Mark 3:21).

PSALM 9:1-12 David begins the Psalm committing to give joyful thanks and praise both in word and in song. What a great idea to commit to doing this regardless of our feelings, circumstances, or even available time. Can we do the same? Likely David was busy, too. 

Before analyzing the rest of this particular Psalm, let’s review some interpretative principles that apply to those of us on this side of Jesus’s life and resurrection. These principles are necessary for a whole class of Psalms known as Imprecatory Psalms:

• Remember that in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raised the behavioral standards from the Old Testament: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matt. 5:43-44). 
• We still battle against evil, but not directed against any person or people. Hear Paul: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

With this in mind, for verses 3-6, replace words like “enemies,” “wicked,” “nations,” and “cities” with spiritual temptations or sins that keep challenging us. Here are some examples: anger, inappropriate sexual thoughts, jealousy, laziness, hopelessness, food obsessions, or even Satan. If the names of persons negatively still come to mind, take Jesus’s suggestion to pray for them. Finally, here is one suggestion for verse 12 where it says, “declare His deeds.” Be bold. Post on Facebook, send a text, or write an email to someone, sharing a great attribute of God, a blessing from God, or even something from today’s Bible reading.