That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
God speaks to open the ear and seal instruction, even in dreams and night visions when man does not perceive it, to turn him away from his own plans where they conflict with God's will and to keep pride from taking hold and clouding his judgment to ruin. That warning is appointed to correct and save, to preserve life and keep him from the pit and from perishing. When speaking in prosperity by His Word and by dreams and visions, and then by counsel through another, is not heeded through dull hearing, He speaks more impressively a second and third time, even to a last appeal through pain upon the bed, sickness and wasting disease that brings near to death, to open ears dull of hearing because He does not cast man aside after the first hearing. Every trial is sent to teach the truth man failed to learn in prosperity, to withdraw him from proud purposes to God's purpose, to change pride to humility and bend him after the divine similitude, and to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living. He does this work also through the spirit of prophecy, and affliction so sent is loving discipline for man's good and a warning to turn back toward life, not proof that the sufferer is under His displeasure, calling for the response of owning smallness before His wisdom, repenting and humbling the self.
How God Instructs Man
The words stand in Elihu's discourse, which is admirable yet had little effect on Job. God speaks once, yea twice, even when man does not perceive it, and one way is in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men in slumberings upon the bed, when He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction. That sealing of instruction is given in order to withdraw man from his own purpose and hide pride from man.
God uses instruction and correction to turn a person away from a chosen course and to keep pride from taking hold. That instruction is given through dreams and night visions to turn people away from their chosen course and hide pride from them. It is a warning meant to be heeded, appointed to correct and save by preserving life and keeping a person from the pit and from perishing by the sword. God uses the spirit of prophecy to this same end, to turn people away from their own purposes and to hide pride from them.
The purposes to be withdrawn from are those that conflict with God's will, and the pride to be hidden would lead to ruin. Pride can cloud judgment so that people cannot see where their choices lead. So the dream and its interpretation given to Nebuchadnezzar warned him against prideful conduct, which humiliation he could have avoided by acting justly and showing mercy. The surrounding account applies the lesson to human smallness before God's wisdom, as Job comes to recognize his own unworthiness, repent, and humble himself.
Affliction as Loving Discipline
God addresses a person in different ways toward the same end of turning him from his chosen course and removing pride, first speaking directly, then sending another person to give counsel, and also using pain and disease as means of correction. When His speaking in prosperity by His Word and by visions and dreams is not perceived through dull hearing, He speaks in a more impressive way through other nerves, through the fire of affliction and chastening with pain upon the bed and sickness and severe pain that wastes the body and brings near to death, only to open ears dull of hearing. He speaks once, yea twice, and many times to withdraw man from his own purpose and to keep back his soul from the pit.
The sinner is usually given more than one opportunity, three distinct opportunities to recognize the necessity of transformation of character. God does not cast man aside because he is not in suitable condition to hear His voice the first time, but speaks once to show the error of the way and a second time to show the folly of the course, and if these do not change the mind and transform the character He gives yet another and last opportunity and makes His last appeal through the voice of pain and the language of disease. God's object in all His speaking is to withdraw man from his own purpose to God's purpose and to hide pride by changing pride to humility and transforming the character.
Every trial is sent to teach a truth God tried to teach in prosperity but man failed to learn, to withdraw man from proud purposes and from his own purpose to God's purpose, to hide pride by changing pride to humility and transforming the character, to bend and mold him after the divine similitude, to correct dulling indulgence such as fullness of bread and dainty meat, and to arouse him to spiritual and physical danger and preserve him from destruction before the crisis when his soul draws near to the grave, bringing back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living. God permits affliction for correction to bring men back to the right path.
Pain and physical affliction can serve as a warning meant to bring a person back from ruin and toward life, to turn from his own course, restrain pride, and teach more truth. Treating pain only as an enemy to be silenced can conceal that corrective purpose. Affliction can be God's loving discipline and serve a person's good, for God uses correction to turn a person away from a chosen course and to keep pride from taking hold. Suffering does not prove that the sufferer is under God's displeasure, and the words of Job's friends about suffering must not be applied as a universal rule.
God speaks to open the ear and seal instruction, even in dreams and night visions when man does not perceive it, to turn him away from his own plans where they conflict with God's will and to keep pride from taking hold and clouding his judgment to ruin.
That warning is appointed to correct and save, to preserve life and keep him from the pit and from perishing.
When speaking in prosperity by His Word and by dreams and visions, and then by counsel through another, is not heeded through dull hearing, He speaks more impressively a second and third time, even to a last appeal through pain upon the bed, sickness and wasting disease that brings near to death, to open ears dull of hearing because He does not cast man aside after the first hearing.
Every trial is sent to teach the truth man failed to learn in prosperity, to withdraw him from proud purposes to God's purpose, to change pride to humility and bend him after the divine similitude, and to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living.
He does this work also through the spirit of prophecy, and affliction so sent is loving discipline for man's good and a warning to turn back toward life, not proof that the sufferer is under His displeasure, calling for the response of owning smallness before His wisdom, repenting and humbling the self.
How God Instructs Man
The words stand in Elihu's discourse, which is admirable yet had little effect on Job. God speaks once, yea twice, even when man does not perceive it, and one way is in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men in slumberings upon the bed, when He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction. That sealing of instruction is given in order to withdraw man from his own purpose and hide pride from man.
God uses instruction and correction to turn a person away from a chosen course and to keep pride from taking hold. That instruction is given through dreams and night visions to turn people away from their chosen course and hide pride from them. It is a warning meant to be heeded, appointed to correct and save by preserving life and keeping a person from the pit and from perishing by the sword. God uses the spirit of prophecy to this same end, to turn people away from their own purposes and to hide pride from them.
The purposes to be withdrawn from are those that conflict with God's will, and the pride to be hidden would lead to ruin. Pride can cloud judgment so that people cannot see where their choices lead. So the dream and its interpretation given to Nebuchadnezzar warned him against prideful conduct, which humiliation he could have avoided by acting justly and showing mercy. The surrounding account applies the lesson to human smallness before God's wisdom, as Job comes to recognize his own unworthiness, repent, and humble himself.
Affliction as Loving Discipline
God addresses a person in different ways toward the same end of turning him from his chosen course and removing pride, first speaking directly, then sending another person to give counsel, and also using pain and disease as means of correction. When His speaking in prosperity by His Word and by visions and dreams is not perceived through dull hearing, He speaks in a more impressive way through other nerves, through the fire of affliction and chastening with pain upon the bed and sickness and severe pain that wastes the body and brings near to death, only to open ears dull of hearing. He speaks once, yea twice, and many times to withdraw man from his own purpose and to keep back his soul from the pit.
The sinner is usually given more than one opportunity, three distinct opportunities to recognize the necessity of transformation of character. God does not cast man aside because he is not in suitable condition to hear His voice the first time, but speaks once to show the error of the way and a second time to show the folly of the course, and if these do not change the mind and transform the character He gives yet another and last opportunity and makes His last appeal through the voice of pain and the language of disease. God's object in all His speaking is to withdraw man from his own purpose to God's purpose and to hide pride by changing pride to humility and transforming the character.
Every trial is sent to teach a truth God tried to teach in prosperity but man failed to learn, to withdraw man from proud purposes and from his own purpose to God's purpose, to hide pride by changing pride to humility and transforming the character, to bend and mold him after the divine similitude, to correct dulling indulgence such as fullness of bread and dainty meat, and to arouse him to spiritual and physical danger and preserve him from destruction before the crisis when his soul draws near to the grave, bringing back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living. God permits affliction for correction to bring men back to the right path.
Pain and physical affliction can serve as a warning meant to bring a person back from ruin and toward life, to turn from his own course, restrain pride, and teach more truth. Treating pain only as an enemy to be silenced can conceal that corrective purpose. Affliction can be God's loving discipline and serve a person's good, for God uses correction to turn a person away from a chosen course and to keep pride from taking hold. Suffering does not prove that the sufferer is under God's displeasure, and the words of Job's friends about suffering must not be applied as a universal rule.