Hey All,
It is football season. I wait for it every year. I like college football best because most of those guys know college will be the end of their careers. So they are out there for the love of the game (and a free college education).
As I was watching last Saturday's Oregon/Colorado game something came to mind and I believe I need to share it.
Job 1:8-10 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Rigteous Bragging
Take a good look at verse 8. It reads like the Lord is bragging about Job. Well He is .
1. None other like him (high praise)
2. A perfect and upright man.
upright - Honest just adhering to rectitude in all social intercourse not deviating from correct moral principles as an upright man. ( My dictionary)
3. One that fears God
4. and eschewest evil (Eschew - From old French eschever, "to flee from" (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 1 Pet. 3:11). eschewest" is being used a metaphor to describe Job's attitude towards sin. Job ran or fleed from evil. Job is an example of an Old Testament believer.
In verse 9, Satan argues that of course he is so good. You (God) have put a hedge about him. and all that he has.(hedge - Now we know that word as a wall of shubs or small trees.
Hedge can also mean surround for defense to fortify; To inclose; to obstruct;)
You get the idea. Satan saying, "Of course Job is perfect. You are protecting him, his family, and all that he has. I have not been given a fair chance to turn him to the dark side. (Hey, I got a Star Wars reference in here.) In a word, Satan is calling the Lord "unfair." (You see the pirony here right? Yeah, like Satan plays so fair.)
Back to the football game:
The Oregon quarterback would get the ball and watch, then choose the recever and thow the Ball. I have seen this type of play thousands of times. If you watch football, you have seen it also. Sometime, during the game, they showed a play from the quarterback's perspective. I could see that In the midst of all the chaos, the quarterback is safe. He was in what is called the pocket. All around him is chaos, as his blockers protect him from the defensive players who are trying to tackle (or sack) him. But he was safe. His offensive line put a hedge around him.
I want that kind of protection. I want God's hedge around me. If Job can have it, why can't I? I have been thinking about this and it came to me. I do have it. If you are a believer, you have it also. The Holy Spirit within us, to lead and guide us, and angels who protect us from the outside. Check out these passages.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Psalms 91:9-13 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Hebrews 1:13-14 But to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
The Holy Spirit is with us. John 16:13
God will give his angels charge over thee, Psalms 91:9-13 (Charge, in this context, means to entrust to as, an officer is charged with his troops.)
Angels are ministering spirits sent to believers.
Hebrews 1:13-14
What can we conclude?
1. The Holy Spirit guides us.
2. Angels do all of this for believers.
3 They (the Holy Spirit, and the angels) are our hedge.
4. If we give God our burdens, He will block the chaos associated with them., and send angels to minister to us.
5. We can then remain cool and collected.
Why? We are in the pocket. That is the hedge around us.
Football and Scripture, who knew? This thought kept rattling around in my head. I kept getting the thought to figure it out and put it in writing. I resisted because this is just my brain making silly comparisons. But the thought "Put it in writing" continued to nag me. So here it is. I hope this helps somebody out there.
Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz
It is football season. I wait for it every year. I like college football best because most of those guys know college will be the end of their careers. So they are out there for the love of the game (and a free college education).
As I was watching last Saturday's Oregon/Colorado game something came to mind and I believe I need to share it.
Job 1:8-10 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Rigteous Bragging
Take a good look at verse 8. It reads like the Lord is bragging about Job. Well He is .
1. None other like him (high praise)
2. A perfect and upright man.
upright - Honest just adhering to rectitude in all social intercourse not deviating from correct moral principles as an upright man. ( My dictionary)
3. One that fears God
4. and eschewest evil (Eschew - From old French eschever, "to flee from" (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 1 Pet. 3:11). eschewest" is being used a metaphor to describe Job's attitude towards sin. Job ran or fleed from evil. Job is an example of an Old Testament believer.
In verse 9, Satan argues that of course he is so good. You (God) have put a hedge about him. and all that he has.(hedge - Now we know that word as a wall of shubs or small trees.
Hedge can also mean surround for defense to fortify; To inclose; to obstruct;)
You get the idea. Satan saying, "Of course Job is perfect. You are protecting him, his family, and all that he has. I have not been given a fair chance to turn him to the dark side. (Hey, I got a Star Wars reference in here.) In a word, Satan is calling the Lord "unfair." (You see the pirony here right? Yeah, like Satan plays so fair.)
Back to the football game:
The Oregon quarterback would get the ball and watch, then choose the recever and thow the Ball. I have seen this type of play thousands of times. If you watch football, you have seen it also. Sometime, during the game, they showed a play from the quarterback's perspective. I could see that In the midst of all the chaos, the quarterback is safe. He was in what is called the pocket. All around him is chaos, as his blockers protect him from the defensive players who are trying to tackle (or sack) him. But he was safe. His offensive line put a hedge around him.
I want that kind of protection. I want God's hedge around me. If Job can have it, why can't I? I have been thinking about this and it came to me. I do have it. If you are a believer, you have it also. The Holy Spirit within us, to lead and guide us, and angels who protect us from the outside. Check out these passages.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Psalms 91:9-13 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Hebrews 1:13-14 But to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
The Holy Spirit is with us. John 16:13
God will give his angels charge over thee, Psalms 91:9-13 (Charge, in this context, means to entrust to as, an officer is charged with his troops.)
Angels are ministering spirits sent to believers.
Hebrews 1:13-14
What can we conclude?
1. The Holy Spirit guides us.
2. Angels do all of this for believers.
3 They (the Holy Spirit, and the angels) are our hedge.
4. If we give God our burdens, He will block the chaos associated with them., and send angels to minister to us.
5. We can then remain cool and collected.
Why? We are in the pocket. That is the hedge around us.
Football and Scripture, who knew? This thought kept rattling around in my head. I kept getting the thought to figure it out and put it in writing. I resisted because this is just my brain making silly comparisons. But the thought "Put it in writing" continued to nag me. So here it is. I hope this helps somebody out there.
Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz
