Scripture

When David fell Asleep

Dan

It was my observation after Pepper reviewed the five essays on wisdom and asked me a simple question—where do I fit in when God controls everything? I pondered and formulated some ideas that became this essay. Psalm 13:36 tells us, “When David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.”

The answer to Pepper’s question starts with Elohim’s unique attributes, specifically His foreknowledge. Before the universe was ever created, wisdom existed. Proverbs 8:22 says, “The Lord created me at the beginning of his work.” Then came His total awareness of us—the things we would do, the choices we would make, and the prayers we would eventually submit for His consideration. Psalm 139:4 says, “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.”

At this point, we have a real chance to impact the world around us. He knows exactly what we will ask, and He knows the ultimate impact of that request. For example, He grants prayer precisely as needed for His overarching plan and our personal interests. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Our walk with God includes the acquisition of Elohim’s wisdom to guide our daily path (see James 1:5-6). Walking with God begins with fledgling legs and grows in power as time passes. We gradually learn how to move in unison with His larger plan. We bump into various life events and apply His wisdom to find a solution (implied in Proverbs 16:9). Then, we pray for help to implement that solution. Because our human will has gradually given way to Elohim’s wisdom, we begin to pray for things that truly matter. We pray in concert with His will, and we bring effective solutions to Him (implied in Psalm 37:4). In His infinite foreknowledge—meaning Elohim hears us before creation even occurs—He responds to our prayers and supplications before the timeline of history ever begins. Elohim gradually puts things into place months, years, and even decades before the actual prayer request is uttered, setting things up beautifully for our choices (see Jeremiah 1:5).

If you have ever worked with a project management tool like MS Project, you know how to plan a complex project by breaking it down into milestones, tasks, and individual steps. You define and cost all the activities in the project to achieve the final endgame. Then, you place those tasks in a specific predecessor and successor timeline order, with the milestones marking your progress. This plan drives every action so they support each other, ensuring the workflow runs seamlessly with no gaps in the schedule. Team A is never left idling, waiting for Team B to finish a task before Team A can begin theirs. Coordination, supplies, staffing, and budget are all factored in and made perfect. The task completion estimates are risk-assessed and made perfect.

Imagine Elohim running a master project plan for all of human life—everybody and everything. Just as a human project manager plans events before they happen, so did Elohim. Because He heard our prayers before creation started, Elohim is fully able to fold our unique requests directly into the larger plan. Elohim ensures our specific prayer is defined on His project plan so His response happens at the exact, proper time, factoring in every single collateral impact. Timelines matter. The point when Elohim considers our supplications and sets the course is incredibly important. It all happens before creation. Everything.

Once the planning is completed, then comes operations. His will is marshaled by His sovereignty, controlled by the master project plan, and ratified by His absolute holiness. He is the ultimate assurance that things will happen exactly as needed for the good of each of us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We stand in awe watching these things unfold. They are brand new to us, but because we are part of His greater plan, the events are completely commonplace to Him. Elohim saw everything unfold long before we were ever created. We are simply made aware of it “just in time” to participate. Our free will shaped things—both the good and the not-so-good—but His will ensures the final completion. Who else can do this? Not me. He can, He does, He listens, and He implements exactly as needed to magnify the greater good and to ensure we are eternally protected. When we make good decisions, cool stuff happens. When we make poor decisions, we will eventually find a path back to safety, right after some necessary learning occurs.

I choose Jesus.

Life is Messy

Dan

It was my observation when reading Ecclesiastes that life is messy. The truth of God does not fit into neat piles of guidance. Truth appears to be messy to the human mind. Yet, I am quite convinced that truth is perfectly neat and orderly in God’s mind. But let me state the obvious—we are not God.

Solomon speaks of this conundrum in Ecclesiastes 9:1-6  “So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one [else] knows whether love or hate awaits them. All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. As it is with the good, so with the sinful; as it is with those who take oaths, so with those who are afraid to take them. [We all die].  This is the evil in everything [our original sin] that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people [who do not walk with God], moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!  For the living know that they will die, but [without Jesus] the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” [the bracketed words are mine]…

I tend to believe that things worth learning should not be too easy to learn. If wisdom were easy to comprehend and absorb, why bother? We can get that kind of cheap knowledge on the back of a box of breakfast cereal. There would be no need to study. On the other hand, searching the Word of God for life lessons and true wisdom helps us navigate the deep troubles of the day. We will always learn things that are highly useful for ourselves or for others. An honest encounter with the Word of God will always lead to something practical in real life.

So, what do we do? Our happiness and balance as people who walk with God will arise from the inward support of Jesus, the Father’s comfort that immerses the righteous with peace, and the lessons learned during threat management that develop our character through the fruit of the Spirit. The tiniest crumb of support coming from the Father’s love in answer to prayer will have an amazing impact on us. The hope is that we learn to use those crumbs from God with wisdom to build enduring character.

Ecclesiastes 9:16-18 says “Wisdom is better than strength. But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.  The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

It appears to me that wisdom will cause things to happen that the forceful person will never be able to accomplish.  Wisdom will always be the right path, stronger than the weaponization of muscle or noise.  When we stand in God’s shadow, no one can touch our soul, no one can separate us from Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit will teach us the right words for each situation, wisdom will provide courage to open our mouth, Jesus will corral the listening ears.  Proverbs 4:11-13 says “I [will] instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.  Hold on to [my] instruction [wisdom], do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”  This seems like good advice to me.

I choose Jesus.

Standing in Awe of God

Dan

It was my observation while reading the 28th chapter of Job. The Book of Job is a vital part of what is known as Scripture’s Wisdom Literature, and fittingly, these books closely associate true wisdom with the fear of God.  This is no small thing.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 implores us to “hear the conclusion of the whole matter,” instructing us to “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Walking in the fear (deep respect) of the Lord yields incredible spiritual fruit:

  • It grants us deep wisdom (implied in Psalm 111:10).
  • It shields us from falling into transgression (implied in Exodus 20:20).
  • It emboldens us during evangelism (implied in 2 Corinthians 5:11).

But what does it really mean to fear God? It does not mean being terrified of Him. It means having an internal attitude of profound reverence and awe toward Him because we earnestly respect His absolute power and holiness.

When the Chips Are Down

Consider the incredible moment when Elohim spoke to Lucifer regarding Job’s character (implied in Job 1:8 and 2:3). The Lord said, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

Think about that for a moment. All throughout his immense trials, Job stood in awe of God. Now, when the chips are down, the Almighty Himself vouches for Job’s integrity. Can you think of anything grander?

Unfortunately, Job’s friends lacked this humble awe. They approached his suffering as if everything were a “known known.” They were absolutely certain they knew exactly why these tragedies were happening to Job. They presumed to fully understand Elohim’s hidden purposes and formed their rigid answers based on their own limited perspective.

Twice in this chapter, Job asked: Where is wisdom? One thing was absolutely certain—it was not to be found in the words of his friends. They completely misread Job’s troubles.

The Natural vs. The Supernatural

When Job spoke so eloquently about nature and creation, he seemed to be delivering a message to his friends: If you do not even understand the natural world—such as the complex paths of rain and thunder—how can you claim to understand the supernatural? If you cannot explain the physical and temporal, how can you presume to explain the spiritual and eternal things of God?

Clearly, his friends were completely unable to comprehend Job’s suffering. To them, it remained an incomprehensible unknown unknown.

(Note to readers: If you want to dive deeper into this concept, please review my previously posted essay, “Figuring out the Unknown Unknowns,” to fully glean the meaning behind that phrase!)

When Job’s friends pretended to understand the mind of Elohim, they did not display divine wisdom—merely flawed human wisdom. Instead, they portrayed arrogance and presumption. That is precisely why Elohim’s anger was kindled against them. Job 42:7-8 records:

“After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.’” (NIV)

Twice, Elohim explicitly stated that their message was wrong. In a beautiful twist of grace, God then asked Job to pray for the very friends who had misjudged him.

True Wisdom Defined

Here is the deeper truth at the heart of it all: Only Elohim knows why certain things happen. Only He knows why He permits specific trials. They are “known knowns” to Him, but most of the time, they are complete “unknown unknowns” to us.

So, this begs the final question: What is wisdom?

Wisdom is remaining in awe and reverent fear of God regardless of what is happening in our lives—even when we do not understand a single bit of it. Job was completely vindicated before his friends and shown to be truly wise, not because he finally figured out what Elohim was doing, but because he continued to trust Elohim even when he did not understand what Elohim was doing.

Let us look at Job’s definitive words one more time. Job 28:28 states: “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom” (NIV).

Wisdom is realizing that there are a lot of unknown unknowns out there in this life. It is choosing to stand in awe and trust Elohim through every single one of them. We may not know or understand the issue, but we rest in the fact that God does—and He has it completely under control.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

It Is Not Where You Are Looking

Dan

It was my observation while reading the 28th chapter of Job, I noticed a central question that the writer asks: Can wisdom be found outside of God?  Twice, in Job 28:12 and Job 28:20, we read the echoing question, “Where is wisdom?” The short answer is simple: Elohim is the source. True wisdom as a spiritual gift only exists because it is inherent in Elohim and reflects one of his atributes. That is precisely why it cannot be dug up or discovered in the natural world.

While the natural world can and does point us toward wisdom, simply gaining power from natural resources does not make us wise. True wisdom is spiritual, not earthly.  As Colossians 1:9 says: “We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom.”

Ultimately, wisdom is about yielding to God and the scripture he has written in our heart so that we may know His will.  We are getting there (close to embracing Elohim’s wisdom) when we are able to see things from his perspective rather than our own perspective.

The Blueprint of Creation

Job 28:24 tells us, “He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.” God is omniscient, which means He sees and knows everything. He does not have to search the earth or scan the skies to discover what is there. He already knows it all because He is the very definition of wisdom (as implied in Romans 16:27).

Job 28:25 continues, “When He gave to the wind its weight and apportioned the waters by measure…” God has the perfect wisdom required to adjust the atmospheric pressure of the wind and measure the exact amount of water vapor in the sky. If these cosmic proportions were changed even a tiny fraction, we would experience catastrophic disturbances in our environment.

Furthermore, Job 28:26-27 states: “…when He made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then He saw it and declared it, He established it and searched it out.”

Elohim commands the rain and guides the path of every storm as it moves across the globe. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder may seem completely random and arbitrary to us, but Elohim controls every single one of them. This shows us that Elohim’s wisdom is applied knowledge.

Trusting the Architect of Our Lives

Elohim’s invisible attributes are woven directly into the fabric of creation. This is especially true of His wisdom, which is clearly demonstrated by how perfectly structured our universe is.

Romans 1:19-20 reminds us: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse.”

As Job considered Elohim’s absolute sovereignty over the universe, it caused him to see God’s sovereignty over the painful events in his own life. Even though his current circumstances looked completely chaotic, he looked at how perfectly Elohim orders nature. This realization, I believe, allowed Job to accept that Elohim had permitted everything he was experiencing.

Job saw Elohim ‘s wisdom resting at the very bedrock of creation, enveloping all of life. This wisdom was established at the very beginning of Elohim’s work, as the first of His ancient acts (implied in Proverbs 8:22). Psalm 19:7 confirms this power: “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.”

This is what ultimately led Job to ask for an audience with Elohim. If God can control all of creation—in its vastness, complexity, and majesty—how much easier can He control our individual circumstances? If we can trust Elohim to order all of nature so perfectly, how much more can we trust Him and yield to Him to order our daily lives?

The Only Reasonable Conclusion

We can learn a great deal about wisdom by analyzing Elohim’s sovereignty over physical things. When we do, we arrive at the only logical conclusion. Job 28:28 states: “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.”

The world warns us against relying on our own understanding. Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” And 1 Corinthians 3:18 cautions, “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise.”

Earlier in the chapter, Job told us where to find wisdom: it comes from Elohim. But here in verse 28, he tells us what wisdom actually is: fearing God. But what does fearing God really mean? In my final essay on this topic, I want to explore the depth of that famous phrase—the Fear of the Lord.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

Digging in the Dirt

Dan

It was my observation while considering the 28th chapter of Job, a question emerges, should we pursue wisdom? Let us examine this idea as an interesting source of irony. On the surface, the author of Job appears to be commending human ingenuity. But let us take a closer look at Job’s actual thoughts.

We face great danger when we explore the earth and the sky. We work incredibly hard to build tunnels and caves through solid rock and under mountains, and we bring light to the darkest, farthest places on earth. But to what gain? Money? Wealth? I believe these verses can actually be seen as a criticism of our efforts.

Human beings work tirelessly to find material wealth, but expend very little energy to gain spiritual wisdom—even though wisdom is far more valuable than any physical treasure we pursue. This should cause us to ask ourselves: Do we truly see value in the pursuit of wisdom?

We always pursue what we value. If we value wisdom, we will gladly invest our time and energy to gain the prize. Because we often see little immediate value in it, we do not pursue it.

I think there is a second reason why we do not search for wisdom, which is implied in Job 28:13. The reason is simple: wisdom cannot be found in the inert, physical resources of the land. There is no physical place in all the world where we can dig up wisdom. We may bring many hidden things to light (as implied in Job 28:11), but there is one thing we cannot uncover on our own, and that is Elohim’s wisdom. We will never find the source of Elohim’s wisdom in material wealth.

Consider how Jesus taught this concept. In Matthew 13, He used familiar earthly situations—like a rebellious son, an annoying neighbor, or an unjust judge—to teach heavenly wisdom. He placed earthly, physical stories alongside eternal realities to illustrate them. When the disciples asked Him in Matthew 13:10, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” Jesus replied:

“This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand… But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:13-17, NIV)

The core focus here is clear: Elohim’s wisdom is hidden from an impure heart. We cannot find it in the physical elements of the earth. True wisdom is only gained by getting close to Elohim and learning from the Holy Spirit.

The theologian J.I. Packer reminds us that we learn reverence for God through submission. Scripture tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10). Packer writes:

“Not till we have become humble and teachable, standing in awe of God’s holiness and sovereignty… acknowledging our own littleness, distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.” (This attitude is beautifully reflected in Nehemiah 1:5, Deuteronomy 7:21, and Jeremiah 20:11).

Job 28:16-19 reminds us that wisdom “cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or lapis lazuli. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold” (NIV).

The world often thinks that anything can be obtained or fixed if we just throw enough money at it. Clearly, this is untrue. Elohim’s wisdom and grace are the true glue that holds our lives and world together.

This leaves us with the ultimate question posed in Job 28:20-21: “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the air.”

Wisdom cannot be found apart from walking with God; it is even concealed from the dead. Job 28:22 says that Abaddon and Death can only say, “We have heard a rumor of it with our ears” (NIV). You cannot find ultimate wisdom in the land of the living, and you cannot dig it up in the land of the dead.

Instead, Job 28:23 gives us the final answer: “God understands the way to it, and he knows its place.” Only God knows where true wisdom resides.

In my next essay from the Book of Job, we will discuss exactly where wisdom is located. Then, we will conclude this series with the ultimate key: the fear of the Lord.

As for me, I choose Jesus.

Where is Wisdom?

Dan

This is my second observation while reading chapter 28 in the book of Job, there is a strong theme presented as a question — Where does man look for wisdom?  Job 28:1-3 says “Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold that they refine. Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted from the ore. Man puts an end to darkness and searches out to the farthest limit the ore in gloom and deep darkness.” This quote is a little obtuse when it comes to evidence, but as in most things, patience is a virtue. Continue reading, you will find this observation about exerting hard work to mine precious metals is right on target – we work hard to find things important to us.

Man digs into the darkest parts of the earth to mine silver, gold, iron, and copper…but he doesn’t find wisdom. Job 28:4 says “He opens shafts in a valley away from where anyone lives; they are forgotten by travelers; they hang in the air, far away from mankind; they swing to and fro”.  When Job says they hang in the air and swing to and fro, Job is describing man descending with ropes and swinging back and forth.  Man risks his life digging tunnels where nobody lives, in places people have forgotten about, but he doesn’t find wisdom.  Job 28:5 says “As for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire.”  Grain and wheat are used to form Bread – the grains come up out of the earth, but when you go down into the earth deep enough there’s nothing but fire, referring to molten rock and lava.

Job 28:6 says “ Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold”. Man finds precious stones such as sapphires and gold …does not find wisdom. Now after 6 verses, we form a theme – many people expend very hard work (mining rock) to learn wisdom on their own (God’s irony makes me smile sometimes). Can it be done? Can we discover wisdom apart from God? So far, their effort has not yielded any discernable wisdom. Let us continue.

Job 28:7 says — “That path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon’s eye has not seen it”. Man searches out places no bird has ever flown or seen…but still no wisdom. Job 28:8 says — “The proud beasts have not trodden it; the lion has not passed over it.” Man searches out places that powerful animals (such as the lion) have never gone. Job 28:9-10 says “Man puts his hand to the flinty rock and overturns mountains by the roots. He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye sees every precious thing.” Man breaks open large rocks and cuts tunnels into them. He finds all manner of precious thing that he believes is important … but he does not take the time to search for wisdom.

Job 28:11-12 says “They search the sources of the rivers and bring hidden things to light; But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?” So, where is this place of understanding?  Man creates dams to stop rivers so he can search out riverbeds. If there’s anything valuable hidden in the dark, he brings the valuables to light.  He looks everywhere in pursuit of value, but he doesn’t find wisdom.

Job 28:13 says “No mortal comprehends its worth; it cannot be found in the land of the living.” Man doesn’t find wisdom, because he’s not looking for it, he’s not looking for it in the right place, and he misunderstands value of wisdom.  He’d rather find riches and gold, but… Proverbs 3:15 [Wisdom] “is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her”. Man will look everywhere for wealth; but does not look for wisdom…even though wisdom is more valuable.

In my next two posts I want to answer three questions: (1) should we pursue wisdom? (2) How do we find the source of wisdom? and (3) Can wisdom be found outside of God?

I choose Jesus.

There is none besides me.

Dan

It has been my observation while reading Isaiah 45 that Cyrus was given incredible understanding of his role in God’s Plan for the emancipation of the Hebrews held captive in Babylon. God pushes his agenda forward as the sole and sovereign overseer for Israel. God then asserts his plan to use Cyrus to crush the Babylonian’s and free the Hebrews. As I review Isaiah 45, I can see Elohim’s sovereignty defined by two statements: (1) I am the Lord and there is no other; (2) I the Lord, have done these things.

Isaiah 45:5-10 says — I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. You, heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish with it; I, the Lord, have created it. Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? Woe to the one who says to a father, what have you begotten? or to a mother, what have you brought to birth? [NIV].

There are several fundamental truths present in this passage. The repetition of ‘I am the Lord’ drives home the point. We can do nothing else but engage in a firm belief built upon immutable truth.

I think if any person reads and embraces the purity of this message, they will not be able to form any conclusion except to abandon idolatry and self-worship immediately. I get the feeling that God was not pleased, he speaks with commanding authority, the air of majesty infuses the words, power, dominance, and sheer animosity displayed for all pretenders. This message thunders power to the world. How much stronger can it be — I am the Lord, there is no other, there is no God besides me, there is no other self-existent, self-sufficient, infinite, and eternal God. Selah.

Sometimes I drive downtown Tucson and wander through the shops on Fourth Street. Over and over, I see defiance of the one true living God. Some of the shops sell trinkets and tools that mislead and entice our people away from the things they might have learned as children. God thunders out – There is none besides me. None! The enemy smiles and continues to sell things (tools of necromancy) that appear to be innocent but compete with the one true living God, these things are counterfeits; they are mere distractions. These resellers are like a potter who makes and sells idols. They sell chaff to distract the mind and prevent the truth of God from hitting the mark. Who gave the earthly potter permission to use clay from God’s earth to build their distractions. Who gave the earthly potter permission to use things from earth to discern the future? Lucifer’s day of reckoning is coming. Selah.

Here is the deeper truth – Jehovah Shammah is the first cause of all things we can see, hear, feel, smell, taste and know. Lightening surrounds his voice when he speaks. None can stand in his presence. He says — I am the Lord, the origin of all beings, the source of all power and wisdom. He who formed the natural light (Genesis 1:3) forms the spiritual light in our hearts.

He who at first made our peace with the principles of nature has also offered peace in the affairs of men. He who allowed the absence of light, created natural light. He who brings grace to all, is slow to judgment. He who stands against evil, offers a hand of peace to avert our afflictions. Our God, in all his wisdom, brings order to chaos. I choose Jesus.