Program 288
What Job Knew

Job endured because he knew his difficulties were ordered by Yahuwah for his eternal good.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of WLC Radio Ministry, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Have you ever felt like your life was crumbling down around your ears? Have you gone through experiences so painful you felt like there was nothing left to live for? Personally, I’ve never reached the point of feeling as though I had nothing left to live for, but I have gone through some difficult times. In fact, just a few months ago, our family went through a really challenging time after my son, who is extremely allergic to tree nuts, was exposed to some in a restaurant. He didn’t even eat them, but the particulates in the air were enough to land him in intensive care on a ventilator for a week.

It was an incredibly stressful time. A couple of times, we almost lost him, but he managed to make it through even though there are some on-going physical effects. My wife and I were allowed one brief visit a day: she would visit for 15 minutes in the morning, and I’d get 15 minutes with him in the evening. I remember just after we almost lost him the second time, I had a striking realization. I remember thinking that all the things that had been stressing me just a few days before were nothing compared to what I was experiencing then, and I honestly wished for … I guess you could say, a “normal” level of stress. But what do you do when life is overwhelmingly difficult? How do you find the strength to keep on keeping on?

Hello, I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, practical piety, Biblical beliefs, and living in constant readiness for the Savior’s unexpected return. Today, we’re going to be looking at the story of Job. Specifically, how he got through the devastating losses he endured. What Job went through is still the standard for most people when it comes to overwhelming loss and suffering. So, how’d he do it? What did he know that gave him the strength to keep trusting Yahuwah despite everything that happened? Dave Wright has some insights he’s going to be sharing with us.

Later, during our daily mailbag, Dave will answer a question we’ve been getting asked on a fairly frequent basis, and that is why do we still use the title “god” even when we know—and use!—the divine name. Then, Jane Lamb has a wonderful promise for those who need Yahuwah’s sustaining strength.

Dave? The time is all yours.

Dave Wright: Thank you, Miles! I want to start by telling you about Jerry. He was born to Lithuanian Jews who had fled to the United States to escape persecution. His father was a tailor and when Jerry was still just a teenager, his father was killed in a robbery gone wrong. A shoplifter punched him really hard in the chest, causing a fatal heart attack.

It wasn’t an easy life, as you can imagine. When Jerry was still in high school, he became friends with another kid by the name of Joe. The two shy and quiet boys hit it off, sharing a love of science fiction and movies. Jerry loved to write, and Joe loved to draw. Together, they created a superhero. One that was so strong, no hit to the chest could ever kill him. One that persevered to overcome bad guys and who fought for the innocent. Together … Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman.

Miles: Seriously! The comic book hero that’s been made into a whole string of Hollywood movies?

Dave: The very same. When these shy young boys were faced with overwhelming loss, overwhelming difficulties, they conjured up in their imaginations the very thing they needed and longed for: a hero strong enough to overcome any and every difficulty.

Miles: They even called him The Man of Steel. You can see how creating this character would help Jerry mourn the loss of his father. He protects the innocent; he takes down bad guys; he can’t be killed.

Dave: Sure! The point I’m wanting to illustrate is that when life is overwhelming, when we’re hurting, we look for something to give us the strength to persevere. Joe and Jerry found that in an imaginary world. That can be a helpful survival tool, but when everything crumbles and your imagination isn’t enough to get you through, you need something more.

I believe the story of Job can teach us how to gain the faith to access the strength we need to overcome the very worst life, or the devil, can throw at us.

Let’s read it. Would you please turn to the first chapter of Job and read verses 1 to 5.

Miles:

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Dave: Not only was Job the equivalent of one of today’s billionaires, but he was also devout. Truly devout. But I think there was something he observed in his children that made him nervous. Perhaps they had more worldly standards. Perhaps they didn’t seem as serious and devout as he was. We don’t know. But for whatever reason, Job felt the need to make sacrifices for his adult children after every one of their get-togethers.

Okay. Let’s keep going. Verses 6 to 22.

Miles:

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahuwah, and Satan also came among them. Yahuwah said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered Yahuwah and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And Yahuwah said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered Yahuwah and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And Yahuwah said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of Yahuwah .

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. Yahuwah gave, and Yahuwah has taken away; blessed be the name of Yahuwah.”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Dave: Let’s put this in modern parlance. In one dark day, Job becomes a pauper. His ability to pay his bills, his ability to pay his employees … that’s all swept away all at once.

Miles: And notice the timing: “While he was yet speaking, there came another … while he was yet speaking, there came another.” Over and over.

You know he had to be reeling.

Dave: And then the worst news of all, news no parent should ever have to hear: the death of his precious children. I can’t begin to imagine what Job was feeling.

Miles: You know he had to be in shock.

Dave: Oh, I’m sure he was. Which makes what he did and said next very important because these were Job’s reactions. You can control your actions, but a reaction is different. It’s your immediate, knee-jerk response before you have time to give it any thought.

So, what was Job’s first reaction? Verse 20.

Miles: Uhhh … he worshiped.

Dave: No. Read it again.

Miles: “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.”

He worshiped!

Dave: But first, he tore his robe and shaved his head. In his culture, this was what you did when you were in mourning. Job’s first reaction—and it’s a very normal, human reaction—was to grieve.

Miles: He had a lot to grieve.

Dave: He did! This tells us that grieving is not a sin. Sometimes, ultra-conservative Christians adopt the attitude that unless they’re happy! Happy! Happy! all the time, they’re somehow dishonoring Yahuwah and showing a lack of faith. But that’s not true.

As Solomon said, there is a time for everything, and there is a time to grieve, too. That’s appropriate and it’s not a sin to feel sad. Then, what did he do?

Miles: He worshiped.

Dave: Yes. It’s very telling that worship was one of Job’s first reactions. How many of us would have that be our first reaction?

Miles: Not many!

Dave: Honestly, I find this amazing. I’ve lived long enough now that I’ve lost a few people close to me. And while I didn’t blame Yahuwah, my first gut reaction wasn’t to bow in worship, either.

Miles: Me, neither! Why do you suppose that was? How could that be Job’s initial reaction?

Dave: We’re going to talk about that because I was wondering that, too. Read verse 21 again. This gives us a hint of what his thought processes were. What did Job say?

Miles: Uhhh … “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. Yahuwah gave, and Yahuwah has taken away; blessed be the name of Yahuwah.”

Dave: And then Moses, the author of this book, adds: “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

Today, many people view Yahuwah as some benevolent Santa Claus in the sky: ask for what you want and, if you have enough faith, you’ll get it. We don’t like to talk about Yahuwah taking things away from us. But Job did. Right here, he says, “Yahuwah has taken away.”

That makes us feel squirmy. Uncomfortable. We don’t like to think of Yahuwah being responsible for loss. And yet we’re told that Job’s words stating Yahuwah was responsible for his overwhelming loss was not charging God with wrong.

Miles: Hmm. So, was he just mistaken? I’d say Satan was responsible!

Dave: This brings us to the first thing that Job knew that I want us to remember in our times of trial: Yahuwah is in ultimate control. This is what brought Job comfort and it’s what will comfort us and give us the strength to patiently endure trials, too.

What Job’s doing is acknowledging Yahuwah’s sovereign power. He flat-out says: “Yahuwah gave, and Yahuwah has taken away.” He’s not charging Yahuwah foolishly. Instead, he’s acknowledging that everything that happens is either due to Yahuwah’s direct action or His acquiescence.

Miles: Yeah, but how would that bring him comfort?? I mean, that’s pretty cold comfort when he’s now bankrupt and his kids are dead. You know what I mean? I’d think it would be easier to blame the devil. That’s what I’d do. There’s nothing in this account to suggest that Yahuwah would have done this if Satan hadn’t come along and taunted Him.

Can we say Satan did that? Is that accurate?

Dave: Sure! That’s exactly what he was doing.

And it’s in this chapter we have a hint that there are other inhabited worlds that never fell to Satan’s lies. In Luke 3, we have the lineage of Yahushua in ascending order. In verse 28 it says that Cainan was “the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.” So Adam, as the first created being of the human race, is called the “son of God.” Job 1 verse 6 speaks of the “sons of God” coming and presenting themselves before Him. If all of them are the heads of races like Adam was, they are representatives of their worlds.

Adam, of course, isn’t there. He died because he sinned. But Satan shows up in his place and Yahuwah basically asks him, “What are you doing here?” What was Satan’s response?

Miles: “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”

Dave: Basically, like a dog. He’s marking his territory saying, “Earth is mine!” And notice that Yahuwah doesn’t dispute him on this! Satan wrestled ownership rights from Adam and so was able to represent us in Heaven right up until Yahushua redeemed us back right where Adam fell.

Miles: So, Satan’s not able to go up to Heaven anymore.

Dave: No. Yahushua, as the second Adam, is now our representative in the heavenly courts.

Rather than dispute Satan’s ownership of the world, Yahuwah instead denies that he has everyone under his control. He says, “Okay. So, you stole the earth. But not everyone is yours. Have you noticed Job?”

Miles laughs: Lord, don’t draw Satan’s attention to me! Let me just fly under the radar!

Dave: Right? But there was more at stake here and Yahuwah knew Job could be trusted to stay faithful. Satan immediately told lies, impugning Job’s motives. In order to reveal the truth, Yahuwah said, “All right. Do your worst. Just leave the man himself alone.”

So, in a sense, Job’s suffering was because of Satan. But it’s only in a limited sense. Satan wasn’t allowed to harm Job himself. Satan’s power is limited, and this was a truth Job knew.

We like to attribute suffering to the fact that we’re living in a sinful world. And that’s true as far as it goes. But ultimately, if we truly believe that Yahuwah is all powerful and that He is still in control, then we also have to believe that everything that happens, happens because Yahuwah has allowed it. Even if He didn’t do it Himself, He allowed it to happen. So, ultimately, Yahuwah is responsible for everything that happens to us. This is why Job said, “Yahuwah has given and Yahuwah has taken away.” It was the knowledge that Yahuwah was still ultimately responsible that brought Job comfort.

Miles: How did this bring Job comfort? His children were still dead. He was still financially destroyed. How could this comfort him? How, believing this way, wasn’t he angry at Yahuwah?

Dave: This is where Moses’ commentary that Job did not charge Yahuwah foolishly comes in. Job knew Yahuwah’s character. He trusted that whatever Yahuwah allowed to happen was for some higher purpose. It was this soul-deep conviction that gave Job the patience to endure under heart-breaking hardship.

Centuries later after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, the prophet Jeremiah was comforted by the same knowledge. He wrote in Lamentations 3:33 that Yahuwah does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

Miles: So, what you’re saying is, that Yahuwah’s sovereign power is revealed as much when He takes away, as when He gives.

Dave: That’s exactly what I’m saying. We mustn’t say that Yahuwah gave and Satan took. That’s saying that Yahuwah blessed me, but a force greater than Yahuwah then came along and took away what He intended for me to keep! That’s not what’s happening here.

Only Yahuwah is God. Only He has ultimate power, so inexplicable loss reveals His sovereign power as much as blessings do. He can do what He wants, what He knows is the best for our eternal god. Job understood that Yahuwah had the power to stop Satan. Satan isn’t more powerful than Yah! So, in his time of deepest sorrow, he chose to trust what he knew of the divine character. He chose to trust that there was a purpose to the pain. He might not yet know what the purpose was, but Job knew Yahuwah. He knew Yahuwah does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men, so he trusted Yahuwah’s love and knowledge even when he didn’t understand the reason for what was happening. This brought him comfort, and it’s what can bring us comfort, too.

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A careful examination of this passage, however, has revealed that the majority of this chapter deals exclusively with the destruction of Jerusalem. Mark 13 and Luke 21 are parallel passages that help clarify Matthew 24. The Gospel of Matthew, being written for a Jewish audience, contains certain Jewish idioms we have interpreted literally because we haven’t understood them. Mark and Luke, however, were written for gentile audiences so these parallel accounts can help us understand Matthew’s meaning.

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: Job knew, as we covered in our last segment, that Yahuwah is sovereign. He’s ultimately the power in control.

The next thing Job knew that gave him strength to endure is that Yahuwah is faithful and that He loves us. Job didn’t have the benefit of having the Bible, but he knew Yahuwah. He trusted His love.

Satan tried to get Job to doubt Yahuwah’s love. The sheer volume of Job’s loss would have been mentally and emotionally overwhelming. Timing it for the very day Job’s kids were gathered together enjoying each other’s company was adding bitter insult to already horrible injury. Satan wanted to make it all spiritually overwhelming, too.

But more than the timing, it was also the manner in which everything was lost.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: Well, the Sabeans came and stole the oxen and donkeys. The Chaldeans came and stole all the camels. But what happened to the sheep?

Miles: Uhhh … they were burned up? That’s weird.

Dave: Not really. Sheep were used for sacrifice. By burning up all of the sheep, not only was Job prevented from offering sacrifice—all of his animals were gone—but it could imply that Yahuwah was uninterested in receiving sacrifices from him. It was a way Satan could plant doubt in Job’s heart.

Miles: Wow, I never picked up on that before. But you’re right. Verse 16 says, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them.” In Scripture, fire falling from Heaven is a sign of divine judgment.

Dave: That’s right. Satan was wanting to destroy Job’s faith in Yahuwah. He wanted Job to feel forsaken of Yah. He wanted to Job to start doubting and assuming that Yahuwah had rejected him and forsaken him, or that He was punishing him. But Job … knew … Yahuwah. He knew the Creator is a God of love. So, he knew that there was something else going on.

Job knew that, since Yahuwah is ultimately in control, his problems were from Yahuwah allowing it. It wasn’t the gods of the Sabeans or the Chaldeans that were responsible, but Job’s own God, Yahuwah.

Miles: It’s interesting that the very same suffering that Satan uses to try and shake our hold on Yahuwah are what Yahuwah uses to strengthen our faith.

Dave: This shows, as nothing else can, the omnipotent power of Yahuwah. What Satan intends for our destruction Yahuwah can turn to our eternal good. This is why Paul, in Romans 8:28, could say that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Job knew this. There’s not the slightest hint anywhere in the book of Job that Job, even for a moment, fell into the trap of thinking that Yahuwah no longer loved him or had turned His back on him. Job’s statement that “Yahuwah gave and Yahuwah has taken away” was a statement of conviction. He was saying, “Yahuwah did this because He loves me.”

Miles: Wow. That’s amazing. It would have been so easy to get mad at Yahuwah or start to doubt His goodness.

Dave: But that would have been charging Yahuwah foolishly.

We have the benefit of Scripture, something Job didn’t have. We know that Yahuwah never changes. We’ve had ample demonstration of His love for us, both in the stories preserved in Scripture as well as in our own personal lives.

Miles: Not to mention the gift of Yahushua.

Dave: So, we can choose to trust, too. Our Creator is our heavenly Father. He corrects us. Yes, He even punishes us. But like a good earthly parent, it is mixed with love and for our eternal good. And when, like Job, we accept this, when we embrace it and cling to it, we will have strength to endure as well.

Turn to Hebrews 12. There’s a passage here that speaks to this point. Would you please read verses 3 to 11?

Miles:

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of [Yahuwah],
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For [Yahuwah] disciplines the one He loves,
and chastises every son whom He receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Dave: When we exercise our free will to accept with gratitude whatever happens as being the direct will of Yahuwah for our greater good, we’ll find that we have peace, strength, courage and endurance. What we’re doing, in a very real way, is trusting Yahuwah to know best.

And that brings me to the next thing Job knew. He knew that Yahuwah has the wisdom to direct and coordinate everything for our eternal good. That’s something we can’t do, but that’s something omnipotence can.

Now we know that Yahuwah’s plan is to save as many souls as He can. This will glorify His name and clear His reputation that has been impugned by Satan’s lies. This is an important point.

Turn to Ephesians 1 and read verses 3 through 8. Ephesians 1 and verses 3 to 8. Paul makes a rather cheeky comment here, almost to the point of impudence.

Miles:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yahushua Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Yahushua Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Dave: Paul’s saying it was “prudent” of Yahuwah to treat humanity with love and grace. I don’t think I’d have the nerve to say something like that, would you?

Miles laughs: No! Can you imagine? “That was wise of you to forgive me, Yah!” That’s audacious!

Dave: Paul knew that it was this demonstration of Yahuwah’s love that would forever put the universe on an eternal basis of security. Sin will not rise a second time because everyone has seen what happens! No one will ever again doubt Yahuwah’s goodness and love.

Now, with this as Yahuwah’s goal, would He ever do anything to jeopardize it?

Miles: Not at all.

Dave: He always acts with wisdom and far-reaching insight. Job knew this. This is why he didn’t charge Yahuwah foolishly. Or, to translate it literally, Job didn’t charge Yahuwah with folly. Instead, what Job did do was acknowledge that in all things Yahuwah acts with wisdom.

When Job said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return,” he was admitting that he came into the world with nothing, and when he returned to dust, he would take nothing with him. Everything that was “his” came from Yahuwah. So, as everything belonged to Yahuwah to begin with, He had the right to take it back when, in His infinite wisdom, He knew it was for the greater good to do so.

Miles: Trusting Yahuwah’s wisdom, trusting that all things will work together for our good, is really hard when we’re suffering.

Dave: Oh, absolutely! It’s much easier to say, “Why did Yahuwah do this to me? What does He have against me? How does He expect me to trust Him now?” But that’s not what Job did. Job knew that Yahuwah is a God of love, and that all His actions are wise. When we know this and make it a part of our personal experience, we will be able to trust as Job did, too.

I have a quote here I’d like you to read. It’s from a 19^th-century American author and it’s always stuck with me. Took me a while to track it down, but I’d like you to read it. It’s something we should all remember.

Here … go ahead and read that.

Miles:

God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as co-workers with Him. [Neither Enoch nor Elijah were] greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. “Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Philippians 1:29. And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in his sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor.

Dave: Why is it a “weighty trust and the highest honor”? Because if our faith should crumble, it would lend credence to Satan’s accusations.

Job’s experience shows us the importance of acknowledging Yahuwah’s wisdom in ordering everything, even the experiences we find the most painful, if we will stay focused on the fact that a loving Father ordered them for our own good, our faith not only won’t fail, but will actually grow stronger.

One more quote I’d like you to read and it’s by the same author. Yes, just … right there.

Miles:

All that has perplexed us in the providences of [Yahuwah] will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying.

Dave: Notice this isn’t just “allowed” but actively “ordered.” Job knew this. This is why he could look beyond the lies of Satan and still trust in the love and wisdom of his heavenly Father.

Keep going.

Miles:

He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. The blow that is aimed at him falls upon the Saviour, who surrounds him with his presence. Whatever comes to him comes from Christ. He has no need to resist evil, for Christ is his defense. Nothing can touch him except by our Lord’s permission, and “all things” that are permitted “work together for good to them that love God.”

Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of [Yahuwah] supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. … As we commit our ways to Him, He will direct our steps.

Wow. That’s beautiful.

Dave: As we embrace this knowledge as the foundation upon which we build our beliefs, we will be able to say with Job, no matter what crisis we’re in, “Blessed be the name of Yahuwah.”

Miles: What does that phrase mean? “Blessed be the name of Yahuwah”? Yahuwah is the one that blesses. How do we bless His name?

Dave: Great question. We bless His name when, like Job, in the midst of heart-breaking trials and overwhelming sorrow and stress we still confess that He is good and kind and loving and that we still trust Him.

Psalm 89 opens with the words, “I will sing of the steadfast love of Yahuwah, forever; with my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.” Such strong faith becomes a witness to others, strengthening their own faith, and this is how we bless Yahuwah’s name.

Turn to Isaiah 63 and read verses 7 to 9.

Miles:

I will recount the steadfast love of Yahuwah,
the praises of Yahuwah,
according to all that Yahuwah has granted us,
and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that He has granted them according to His compassion,
according to the abundance of His steadfast love.
For He said, “Surely they are My people,
children who will not deal falsely.”
And He became their Savior.
In all their affliction He was afflicted,
and the angel of His presence saved them;
in His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Dave: It is knowledge of Yahuwah’s steadfast, unchanging love, of His power exercised in our behalf and always for our greater good, that keeps our faith strong. It’s what strengthened Job to remain faithful, and what will give us the strength to persevere as well.

Job did more than just submit to Yahuwah’s will. He went further and, in his moment of extreme shock and grief, he worshiped Yahuwah. This shows the depth of his trust and the degree to which his faith still clung to what he knew to be true.

We’re out of time, but Satan had said that if Yahuwah would let him attack Job himself, Job would curse Yah to His face. Of course, we know that didn’t happen. Instead, Job declared “Blessed be the name of Yahuwah.”

That kind of faith only happens when you trust Yahuwah, and that trust only comes with personal knowledge of Him as a loving, caring, trustworthy heavenly Father. And how do we develop that love and trust? By spending time with Him in His word. By making it a habit to trust Him in the little things. Then, when the big things of life come, we continue on in the path we’re already in, knowing that in His love and infinite might, He is working all things out for our good.

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WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

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While many Christians believe a triune godhead is the foundational doctrine of their entire belief structure, the way in which Scripture describes Yahushua contradicts any possibility of him being divine. The Savior was fully—and only—human. Interpreting certain passages of Scripture as teaching a triune godhead came in centuries later. But the original Bible writers never intended their writings to be interpreted as proof of a trinity because they didn’t believe in a trinity! That’s a pagan doctrine.

For a close examination of the biblical passages that prove the Savior was fully and only human, look for Program 283 on our website. Join Miles and Dave as they look at Scriptures descriptions of the Messiah; descriptions that deny any possibility of the Savior having a divine nature, even one that he “laid aside.” Look for Program 283 called “Yahushua: Yahuwah’s Servant” on WorldsLastChance.com. You will marvel at the infinite wisdom of the Father in providing a fully human Savior to redeem the human race.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Today’s question is coming from the land of pink lakes and 10,000+ beaches.

Dave: Uhhh … no clue. No clue.

Miles: It is home to the world’s longest fence, stretching some 5,600 kilometers.

Dave: Oh! Well, that would be Australia, then.

Miles: You’re right! The world’s longest fence was designed to protect livestock from wild dogs.

Anyway, Amanda from Down Under writes: “I’ve noticed in more recent programs you aren’t using the divine name as often as you used to. As you yourselves have said, it’s a privilege to know and use the name of Yahuwah Elohim, our divine Creator. So why are you now reverting to using the pagan title ‘God’ so much? I actually learned about the divine name from WLC so it’s very disappointing now to hear you reverting to the use of titles. Please, WLC, do better.”

Dave: That’s a fair question. And you’re right, Amanda, we are using the title of “God” more frequently than we did in the past.

Miles: This has actually been a point of discussion amongst the WLC team members.

Dave: Yes. To answer your question, when we first learned the divine name, we were so excited to know it, we were so enthusiastic to use it, that we admittedly went a bit overboard. Every time in the New Testament we’d see “God,” we’d stick in “Yahuwah.” And every time we’d see “God” in the Old Testament, we’d insert “Elohim.”

For your reassurance, we do still use the divine name. In our modern Bibles, it most commonly appears as “Lord,” in all capital letters. It should never have been hidden by the generic title of “lord.” Our Creator has a name, and the Old Testament uses it repeatedly.

What you’re noticing now is, after a lot of discussion amongst the team, we’re now using generic titles when the original Hebrew does. El, Eloah, Elohim … those are all the Hebrew words for “god” or “gods.”

Miles: “Elohim” is the plural form. It’s equivalent to our “gods.” It’s just something the Israelites would do: pluralize a title to show greater respect.

Dave: Right. But what we found by always replacing every reference to Yahuwah with His name and replacing “God” with “Elohim,” was that we were running into issues where the meaning wasn’t clear.

Let’s look at a few examples so you can see what I mean. Miles, would you please read the first three verses of Exodus 20 for us? Read it just as it appears in our modern Bibles.

Miles: All right, uhhh …

And God spoke all these words:

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

Dave: So, if you want to restore the sacred name like we did, we’d read this passage as:

And Elohim spoke all these words:

“I am Yahuwah your Elohim, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

And that’s fine; that’s correct. But it’s losing some nuances here. The word “Elohim” is simply the Hebrew word for “gods.” Elohim itself is a title that is used for false gods as well as for Yahuwah.

Miles: So this idea that you can’t apply the same word to Yahuwah that is used for false gods is wrong. Scripture itself repeatedly uses Elohim to refer to Yahuwah as well as false gods.

Dave: Correct. Because unless you have a word that can be used to apply to the true as well as the false, you can’t make comparison statements. This first commandment is a comparison statement. It is saying that Yahuwah is the only true Elohim. He’s the only true god. That’s why He explains, “You shall have no other—elohim—before Me.”

So, unless you’re going to use the word “Elohim” every time the word “gods” appears in Scripture, you’re going to miss these statements of comparison.

Miles: And the problem with doing that is that some people in our listening audience may not know that the Hebrew for “gods” is “elohim” or that pluralizing a title was commonly done to show respect.

Dave: If you use “Elohim” exclusively for Yahuwah, you’re basically doing what the translators did when they used “Lord” in place of Yahuwah’s name. Elohim is simply a title, just like the word “god.” There are concepts in Scripture you just can’t communicate unless you have the language capacity to make a comparison statement.

A perfect example of this is found in John 17 verse 3. Would you read that for us, please? John 17 verse 3.

Miles: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Yahushua Christ, whom you have sent.”

Dave: This is a powerful statement affirming that Yahuwah alone is the only true God. But if the person you’re speaking to doesn’t know that the term “Elohim” refers to false gods, too, it’s not going to carry the same weight if you say, “This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true Elohim.” Or, “This is eternal life; that they know you, the only true Yahuwah.”

Miles laughs: That’s even worse!

Dave: Well, it’s changing the meaning of the original sentence, and we don’t want to do that.

Another statement you can’t make without the use of a title that refers to both the true and the false are statements of identification. An example of this is Deuteronomy 20 verse 1. Could you read that for us, please? You can replace the actual name, but leave in the titles so it’s clear.

Miles: Okay. It says: “When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because Yahuwah your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.”

Dave: Yahuwah … your God. We’re not talking about the gods of the Zidonians or the Moabites or the Egyptians. We’re talking about your God. And that’s Yahuwah.

Another excellent example is Deuteronomy 10 verse 17. Let’s look at that one next.

Miles: “For Yahuwah your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

Dave: Without the use of a generic title that refers to both Yahuwah and false gods, you couldn’t say that Yahuwah is “God of gods.” You couldn’t even say that He’s “the great God.”

Miles: I suppose you could say, “For Yahuwah your Elohim is Elohim of elohim and âdôn of …” I’m not sure what the plural for “lord” would be. Um, “the great El.” But again, inserting foreign words can create confusion if the other person doesn’t know those foreign words. Communication can’t occur if you’re using words the other person doesn’t know or understand.

Dave: And remember: in the original Hebrew, Yahuwah Himself used generic titles to draw a contrast between Himself and false gods. It’s not a sin to use the word “god.” That’s simply the word that’s come down in our language family from the words Yahuwah assigned our ancestors at the Tower of Babel. Words are just sounds to which we attach meaning. They don’t have moral worth. The point is communication and not limiting yourself arbitrarily in ways even Scripture doesn’t.

Miles: Let’s talk about the New Testament. Everything you’ve said applies to the Old Testament. What about the New?

Dave: All right. That’s a little bit different. Much of the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. The Greek word for “god” is thěǒs. And, like the Hebrew “Elohim” or our word “god,” it was a title applied to both Yahuwah and false gods.

There is evidence to suggest that some of the New Testament was written in Aramaic—especially the gospels. But what we have to remember is that by the time of Christ, the Israelite religion was spiritually dead, but full of rigid rules and cold formality. One of those rules was that the divine name was too holy to say. So, they didn’t use it. That’s why you don’t find “Yahuwah” in the New Testament, not even in Greek or Aramaic.

Miles: What about “lord”? That appears in the New Testament.

Dave: It does and it’s usually referring to Yahushua. I don’t know what it would be in the Aramaic, but “Lord” in the Greek was “kuriǒs.” It’s simply a title of respect. It doesn’t necessarily imply divinity.

So, for the New Testament, when it’s clear who they’re talking about, we often do what we do for modern writers when it’s clear they’re referring to Yahuwah. We’ll restore the divine name in those circumstances.

Scripture repeatedly urges believers to call upon the name of Yahuwah. And it doesn’t say “Lord” or “God” in the original. It uses the divine name. We are to call upon the name of Yahuwah.

Miles: There’s power in that.

Dave: Absolutely! But it’s not a sin to use a generic title to refer to Yahuwah when Yahuwah Himself does that to communicate specific concepts that can’t be communicated any other way.

Miles: This is true. Up next is Jane Lamb with today’s daily promise.

* * *Daily Promise:

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

When you go swimming, do you like to dive? Is that something you do? Personally, I don’t. I don’t mind jumping feet first, but especially if we’re out swimming, jumping into a lake … there’s no way I want to go in head first! And that’s when I know the water’s deep. I still don’t like to dive.

Well, I want to tell you about Jonathan Bauer. He’s a technology executive at a hospital in the United States and on May 2, 2021, he made a leap that, as you’ll see, was a real leap of faith. Jonathan and his 13-year-old daughter, Ava, were out running errands. The weather was pleasant as father and daughter drove across the two lane, Route 90 bridge that spans Assawoman Bay, connecting Ocean City, Maryland, with the mainland. It’s a long bridge: 1.4 miles, or over 2 kilometers in length.

Now the thing you need to know about Assawoman Bay is that it’s shallow. Very shallow. The bridge soars 25 feet, or more than seven and a half meters, above the water. As Jonathan and Ava drove across the bridge on their way home, suddenly they saw a black pickup fishtailing across both lanes of traffic. It hit a concrete barrier and flipped over the SUV directly in front of them. Traveling at highway speeds, the accident resulted in a five-car pileup. When the truck finally came to a stop on it’s side, the truck bed and the rear passenger compartment were dangling over the railing of the bridge, high above the waters of the bay. After making sure Ava was all right, Jonathan ran to the truck. The driver climbed out and fell to the pavement before rushing to the guardrail and looking down.

Jonathan couldn’t understand what the man was saying as he was speaking in Spanish, but he looked to where the man was pointing. To his horror, Jonathan saw, far below, a child’s car seat and floating in the water a couple of meters away was a little girl that looked about two years old. Her brown eyes were wide with terror as she thrashed in the water, struggling to stay afloat. Jonathan waited for the man to do something, but it quickly became apparent the man was either in shock or didn’t know how to swim. If the child was to be saved, Jonathan was her best hope.

The thing is, like I said, Assawoman Bay is shallow. The most depth he could hope for was about four feet, or 1.2 meters. That’s not much when you’re jumping from such a great height, and Jonathan didn’t even know if there were rocks under the water. With a quick glance back at his own daughter, Jonathan took a leap of faith, jumping off the bridge, down into the cold waters of the bay.

To his surprise, he wasn’t hurt! He quickly grabbed the child and stood up in the shallow water. The little girl wasn’t breathing. He laid her across his shoulder and whacked on her back with the flat of his hand. Again, and again. Ocean water came up but she still wasn’t breathing. Finally, she gagged and gasped in a gulp of air. It was the sweetest sound Jonathan had ever heard. Little arms hugged him tight around the neck and he held her close to try and warm her up. A nearby pontoon boat carried Jonathan and the little girl to a boat ramp where an ambulance was waiting to take the child to a hospital.

That night, Jonathan, his wife and daughter, were so grateful for how everything turned out. The day could have ended in tragedy, but it didn’t.

In Psalm 18, David declared:

You, Yahuwah, keep my lamp burning;
my Elohim turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my Elohim I can scale a wall.

As for Elohim, his way is perfect:
Yahuwah’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
For who is Elohim besides Yahuwah?
And who is the Rock except our God?

It is Elohim who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.

You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
[Psalm 18:28-33 and 35-36]

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles)

Miles: Thank you for joining us for today’s program. If it’s been a blessing and you’d like to share it with others, you can find it on our website. Just click on the WLC Radio icon and scroll down to Program 288 called “What Job Knew.” Again, that’s “What Job Knew” on WorldsLastChance.com.

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.