NL-Day036 Exodus 11-12; Job 36; James 5

02/02/25 • 24 min

EXODUS 11-12:Yesterday we heard of the plague against the livestock, the plague of boils, and the plague of hail. We are not told how much time there was in between each plague. It seems there was enough time for many Egyptians to buy more livestock before they were again decimated by the hail. Then we heard about the plague of locusts followed by the plague of darkness.

I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9.

JOB 36:This is Elihu's 5th chapter.

JAMES 5:In chapter 4, James preached against the way the world had infiltrated the church— and we could say, still infiltrates the church. He gave an important clue about why God doesn't answer our prayers. And he taught that we need to purify our hearts from pride and having divided loyalty between God and the world. He gave a big clue on how to be rid of Satan's influence. Finally James taught us how prideful it is to judge others, and warned about prideful planning.

Note that in verses 1-6 of our reading today, James is using the rhetorical device called ‘apostrophe’— where he harshly rebukes rich people who are NOT actually in his audience. He is is doing this to give comfort to his actual audience, which includes many who are poor. It is almost certainly the case that any rich people who were actually part of James’ audience had not done the crimes James mentions.

NLT Translation notes:James 5:3-4 3 Your gold and silver [have become worthless//are corroded]. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This [0//corroded] treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. [The wages you held back cry out against you.//0] The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. [I moved the idea of ‘rust’ in verse 3 to verse 4. Literally, ‘the rust of them will become a testimony against you’.]Jam. 5:11 We give great honor to those who endured under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how[-- at the end/0], the Lord was kind to him [0/at the end], for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.15 [ [PET] And God will answer their prayers for healing which are supported by fully believing that the Lord is answering. The Lord will bring him back to health. And if his sickness was caused by his sins, through such prayers, the Lord will forgive him. //Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.]

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I hope you noticed Who is doing the hardening of hearts and causing the stubbornness. Paul talks about that in Romans 9.

JOB 36:This is Elihu's 5th chapter.

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NL-Day035 Exodus 9-10; Job 35; James 4

EXODUS 9-10:The two chapters we read yesterday included the story of Aaron's staff becoming a serpent, and the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, and flies.

Note verse that in our reading today:

9:19 Now give orders for your livestock and everything else you have in the open to be put under shelter. Hail will fall on the people and animals left outside unprotected, and they will all die.’ ”

Evidently enough time had passed between the plague against the livestock so that the Egyptians were able to buy livestock, and I am sure the people of Israel profited in that!

JOB 35:This is Elihu's 4th chapter preaching to Job.

JAMES 4:Yesterday James preached about controlling the tongue, then he taught about the qualities of wisdom from God.

NLT Translation notes:4 You adulterers!* Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.* 4:4 Greek You adulteresses![And this is about faithfulness to God, using human adultery as a picture of it. That is exactly how God views it.]

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NL-Day037 Exodus 13-14; Job 37; 2 Peter 1

EXODUS 13-14:Yesterday we heard of the final plague— including the death of the firstborn and the first Passover. And we heard the rules for the Passover celebrations. Note how Christ is foreshadowed in the Passover lamb, including the detail that not a bone was to be broken.

JOB 37:This is the conclusion of Elihu's speech.

2nd PETER 1:Yesterday in James 5, James railed against the rich to encourage the poor. He also told us how to be patient in our suffering. The last section teaches about prayer for the sick and finally about repentance. I add a little footnote here. So often I hear the part about praying for the sick quoted by people who do not bother to fulfill all the instructions that James gives. If we are going to claim promises in Scriptures, we need to fulfill the conditions given!

This 2nd letter of Peter's was probably written not long before he was martyred in AD 68. Or it could have been written as early as AD 65. A different person with a very different vocabulary served as Peter’s secretary to write this. One of the things that tells me that Peter really was the author is his consistent humility. In 1Peter 5, he spoke of himself as a fellow elder and a fellow in looking forward to the glory that will be revealed to us. And he starts this letter in a similar vein, calling his listeners those ‘who share the same precious [faith/way of believing] we [apostles] have.’

Constable quotes Vernon McGee:“Second Peter is the swan song of Peter, just as 2 Timothy is the swan song of Paul. There are striking similarities between the two books. Both epistles put up a warning sign along the pilgrim pathway the church is traveling to identify the awful apostasy that was on the way at the time and which in our time has now arrived. What was then like a cloud the size of a man’s hand today envelops the sky and produces a storm of hurricane proportions. Peter warns of heresy among teachers; Paul warns of heresy among the laity.”

NLT Translation notes:Exo. 13:31 When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the L ORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. [At last/0] they [fully believed//put their faith] in the L ORD and in his servant Moses.====1 This letter is from Simon a Peter, a slave and apostle of Christ Jesus.I am writing to you who share the same precious [beliefs/faith] we have. The things we fully believe were given to us//faith we have. This faith was given to you] because of the justice and fairness of [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ], our God and Savior.5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your [believing/faith] with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,14 For our Lord [and Christ Jesus//Lord Jesus Christ] has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,