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Caution to students of God's Word - Please remember two things when using our American Wisdom Series studies:
#1. Our commentary is not God's Word. It is only our interpretation or understanding of "His Word" and even though we try our best to be accurate we may or may not be correct. #2. The King James translation, or any other translation, of the original Hebrew text has some words which were given different translations at different places probably because of the interpreters preconceived ideas of what they think God meant to say. For example: According to the notes in the "Drake's Annotated Reference Bible" the Hebrew word hayah in the KJV is Trans. (became) 67 times, (becamest or came to pass) 505 times, (become) 66 times, and (come to pass) 131 times, but for some reason in Genesis 1:2 it is translated (was)! That sure changes the way a person perceives the original creation of the earth, doesn't it? Gen. 1:2 And the earth was (became) without form, ... Having said that, let us continue with our "studies". These studies contain knowledge, we believe, you must have to fully and accurately unlock and understand the Word of God.
May the Holy Spirit be your only guiding light. Sincerely, John Rhine

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[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. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson,
published at http://www.theseason.org/

You can view it at the season`s web site (address above) as originally published
or here, as now edited by people at
The American Wisdom Series

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

Job 17:1 "My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me."

"My breath is corrupt" should read "My spirit is consumed". I am at the end of my life.

Job 17:2 "Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?"

Job is pleading with God to not let these mockers bring him to trial before my case can be heard in heaven.

Job 17:3 "Lay down now, put me in a surety with Thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

Is there but one that will stand with me and give me support, and take my part. This is in reference to that "Son of man" spoken of in Job 16:21. That one man is Jesus Christ who came and He does take our part before the throne of God.

Job 17:4 "For Thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt Thou not exalt them."

Job is saying that God has hidden the understand from all these people, and only God and his elect know the truth. Job is out there fighting Satan, and all the people had the truth hidden from them. They blamed God for Satan acts, as Satan and his realm were completely hidden from them. This is as it shall be in the end times, for the True Redeemer will be hidden from the people, their spiritual eyes will be closed, and they will blame God for the evils that Satan shall do.

Editor's Note: I believe the truth was also hidden from Job. If I understand what I've read so far Job didn't have any idea Satan was behind his problem.

Are you striking out at the Kenites today? For you know who they are and what they do. However, your family members and friends may not have the understanding to be able to listen to you with understanding. When you tell those next to you about the Kenites, where they came from, and what they intend to do with our people, do your friends mock you? As one of the elect, I hope you do not see yourself in Job's shoes, just as the people around Job passed by him and mocked him? Job knew the truths and secrets of God, and the rest of the world mocked him for that knowledge.

Job 17:5 "He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail."

This is another of those verses that the scholars say is lost to understanding, and just doesn't fit into their translations. However through the Massorah text it reads as such; It means if you flatter and go along with the crowd, you and your family are going under. You are going to suffer for your act, and your family right along with you. You will live in vain, and your children will suffer, for you will not teach them the truth."

Job 17:6 "He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret."

Before this happened to me, I and my name was as a "drum" [tabret] sounding the beat that the people followed.

Job 17:7 "Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow."

"My members" are my limbs, for I have wept so much that my body is as a shadow, this is in reference to the fact that Job's family is all gone.

Job 17:8 "Upright me shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite."

We all know what a "hypocrite" is, for he is one that plays a role of something that he or she is not, a play actor. This is talking about that time when God will make clear the truth and all the people will know for a fact that Job was upright and true. There is another time coming also when those that mock the elect and their words will see the truth, and understand that they have been spiritually blinded.

Job 17:9 "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."

Job is saying that when you know your right, hold fast your integrity. When you know that you are right, hold fast to those things you know to be true. Don't be swayed by the majority. For any thing we know to be true; the majority almost always is wrong. Job knows that when you stay with God, you will grow stronger and not weaker.

Job 17:10 "But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you."

Job 17:11 "My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart."

Even at Job's age, Job is fixed in his mind as to who God is and God's purpose for his life. But Job is saying that these other people have no idea what he is saying, or what the purpose of Job's grief is. Does it sound familiar in these days? Listen to the religious people accuse the elect of teaching God's Word falsely, or blasphemy when God's Word is translated correctly, and the error of their traditions are made known through the Word of God.

Job 17:12 "They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness."

So who is the prince of darkness, and what have they changed darkness into? Satan is the prince of darkness, and through their traditions they made themselves watchmen for the prince of darkness, instead of holding fast to the seventh trump. They have devised their fly away doctrine, which makes them watchmen to the first messiah coming, instead of preparing themselves to hold fast to the truth for the second Messiah, Jesus Christ. The first comes at the sixth trumpet, while the second comes at the seventh and final trumpet.

We are children of light, and the followers of Satan are the children of the night. The people have become so twisted in their minds that they don't know the day from the night, darkness from the light, or Satan from the true Christ, Jesus Christ. It is no different today than what Job faced thirty five hundred years ago. People still prefer to chase after lies, than to seek out the truths from God's Word, and have the light. Those of the true light read and study the Word of God to know the truths, while the children of darkness find comfort sitting in their pews every Sunday, listening to flatteries and story-telling to make themselves feel good. Those that like to play the role of the hypocrites, and refuse to prepare themselves for the spiritual warfare that Satan will bring, will become one of those children of darkness.

Job 17:13 "If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness."

Job 17:14 "I have said to corruption, `Thou art my father:' to the worm, `Thou art my mother and my sister.' "

Job 17:16 "They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust."

Stop and ask yourself; What rests in the dust? The flesh body rests in the dust of the earth when the soul has departed from it. The soul does not stay in the pit or the grave, but returns to the Father that sent it at conception. This is what happens after the price of our Lord Jesus Christ was paid.

The lesson that is learned here should strengthen you when you live your life in these end times. When all the people were against Job, their minds were sealed shut from the truth but Job's mind was set on God's ways. The people were so far out in their understanding that they couldn't tell right from wrong, good from bad, nor the works of Satan from the works of our Lord. The people were so confused that the things of light they thought to be darkness and the things of darkness of the Devil they thought to be of God.

Our problems are minor compared to the problems of Job, for when the going gets too tough, we have our Lord Jesus Christ to call on for help. When we rely on Him then there is no task too great. Jesus lightens the load, and make our crooked path straight, when you go to Him for help. Job did not have that opportunity, for the Jesus would not be born until some fifteen hundred years after Job lived. We will see every example in detail that we are going to face in our lives in the end times, which are given in the life of Job.