Cornerstone

Job 38:4-8, 22-29; 42:1-3

No person has lived without wondering how all that is created came into existence. Job’s description may seem simplistic to the sophisticated. It is a statement of fact and of faith. The Christian knows that it is an inspired and accurate record of actuality. Even those who are Christians will at times tamper with the sacred truth of God’s creation.

Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Old Testament. It is interesting, therefore, to notice his apologetic for the creation of the earth and all other creation by God. In a poetic manner the author chides the reader reminding him that God has been here much longer that the oldest of creation and is actually the author of all that “lives, or moves, or has its being.” He says, “Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” The word for foundation is musada. Its primary meaning is “to found or to fix firmly” and it came to mean foundation. At times it is translated “to establish.” It means in a metaphorical sense, “that which cannot be moved.”

In addition the question is asked, “Who hath laid the measures thereof if thou knowest?” The Hebrew word for measure is madad. It occurs fifty-three times and refers to measuring lengths or distances. Does God have a big tape measure by which he measures the size of the earth, stars and planets? No. The word is used in a symbolic manner to refer to the careful and correct design of God’s creation. God measures the oceans of the earth (Isa 40:12), the multitudes of future Israelites (Hos 1:10), the stars of heaven (Jer 33:22; 31:27), the territories of the earth for His chosen people (Psa 60:6), and the people that He will judge (Hab 3:6). Thus this term turns from the picture of a measuring rod or rule to that of a calculator but all the while refers to His exact knowledge of His creation and His supervision of the same.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Job 13:15-18; 19:23-29

Job makes a sobering statement that the Church should listen to carefully. “He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.” Job is simply stating that even though others do not believe me, God will prove my integrity to be genuine for He will hear me and bless me and everyone knows that God will not tolerate the company of a hypocrite. It is not safe to play the part of an unregenerate person who is acting and claiming to be born again. Many do, some because of ignorance, some because of pride, and others because of a dishonest heart. But do we really understand what it means to be a hypocrite? A good look at the Hebrew word and its usage will be very helpful to our understanding of this concept.

The Hebrew word for hypocrite is hanep. It literally means to be defiled, polluted, profaned or corrupt. While we often think of the word as only meaning someone who is deceptive or who is acting out a part that is not genuine, this word points a the cause of the problem. The culprit is not misinformation, bad environment or poor training but rather a corrupt heart.

The main idea for hanep is to incline away from right. It refers at times to land that is polluted for various reasons. It includes breaking the laws of God and breaking His covenant which lead to a moral and spiritual pollution of the land. Five of the times that it is used in Job it indicates that the hypocrite is a godless man – one who forgets God and lives a life of sinfulness.

A different twist to the meaning of the word is found in Psalms. The Psalmist David talks about the upside-down character of godlessness. He likens the hypocrite to the coarse jesting that takes place among the godless at their times of feasting and revelry.

(Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods