Nehemiah 10:
The agreement to be the people of God was sealed as a covenant between them and their God. They took this decision very seriously and they understood the consequences if they failed to keep it…but they also understood the blessings which were available to them as they continued to live under such a rule and so it was a joy to them to be sealed under it. There was another attribute of their attitude which stood out boldly…their willingness to be generous and to honour the Temple of God and to provide offerings, gifts and the overflow of their ‘first fruits’ to meet the needs of the Priesthood. In fact, their generosity was such that there was an overflow. This is a common pattern when the people turn their devotion to the Lord, it impacts every aspect of their lives including their generosity and willingness to serve the Lord and the house which bears His name. Building His church should be a joy and one which overflows from our hearts and from the resources which we possess.
Job 11:
The second of Job’s friends to speak is Zophar and he is less gentle than Eliphaz. He states his opinion very clearly that Job is filled with nothing but empty words and is focused on nothing but himself. He offers no comfort, no encouragement, nothing but a simple statement of judgement that God is greater than Job and Job is obviously a sinner. The only answer is that Job repents and God will restore him. Again this demonstrates that Job’s friends do not understand the true nature of suffering and the purpose of God in allowing His people to face various trials. The truth is that the Lord takes no delight in seeing His people in difficulty but He allows it so that their faith and reliance will be truly upon Him and not the items of comfort which surround them. What Job needed was someone who would come alongside and weep with him, rather than trying to apportion blame to a specific action or inaction of his past.
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