Job 19:15-16

15 They that dwell [guwr] in mine house [bayith], and my maids ['amah], count [chashab] me for a stranger [zuwr]: I am an alien [nokriy] in their sight [`ayin].

16 I called [qara'] my servant [`ebed], and he gave me no answer [`anah]; I intreated [chanan] him with [bamow] my mouth [peh]. KJV-Interlinear

15 'Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight. 16 'I call to my servant, but he does not answer, I have to implore him with my mouth. NASB

The husband and father is the master of his home and family. Many folks reject this notion in this world of compromised principles, lifestyles and such. But whether you accept it or not is irrelevant.

If you reject one principle of doctrine, then you will typically reject many principles of doctrine, and therein you might, if you examine your own life, discover the weakness of your spiritual life. This will, with certainty, answer many questions you probably have had, with respect as to the 'Why's' of your life.

In Jobs day, this principle was more respected than it is today. Not that this makes the father brilliant or error proof, but that too is not relevant. Respect for Gods mandates is what matters, not those whom He selects for one role or another in life.

God controls the details of our lives, not necessarily those He appoints in various roles.

Often times God will place many tests before you, just to see how you will react to His choices, verses your own opinions.

Job was a man. He was a man and nothing more. He was dust, a speck of dust, just as we all are. So, no speck of dust is really greater than any other speck, unless God makes it so.

The question really is, 'Do you accept Gods choices?' Or, 'Do your own opinions have greater meaning to you?'

Job was a prosperous man. He did not make himself prosperous, no one makes themselves prosperous. God made him prosperous. God makes everyone what they are. God promotes and demotes at His pleasure. And Gods pleasure was set out in the Devine Decrees in eternity past, when He looked down through the tunnel of time and selected the ingredients of the course, history would take.

Evil, in the form of Satan and supported by Jobs friends, tries to drive history in its own way, but that too was included in all of Gods divine plans.

Job is now crippled financially and physically. He is not living under a bridge, flat broke, but he has lost the bulk of his wealth as well as his children. His wife still lives. His maids and servants are still employed in his home.

But though it is Job, in principle, who pays them their wages, they have been affected by his physical condition.

All they hear is the gossip and the complaints, spoken by or in similar manner from friends and neighbors. All we have heard about Job, comes from this book, which is driven by the opinions of Jobs friends.

So, the media of the day, was from the spoken opinions of those near the problem. That, which was tantamount to misguided proverbs, combined with superstitions, which are nothing more than false conclusions based on false interpretations of facts, leads everyone who buys into it, to varying degrees of fear or other selfish driven attitudes.

We have already seen many aspects of Jobs' friend's attitudes and motivations.

Now his domestic employees don't seem to want to have anything to do with him.

Those who stay in his home, temporarily, could include his servants, but are probably his guests. Those who are his maids, is a reference to female servants, and His man servant, which would be his personal aid. All of these refer are people who have had very close contact with Job. They live there. They are under the same roof as Job. They have seen Job. They have heard Job. They have had the closest contact, closer than anyone, with the exception of his wife probably.

All of these people, who have been with Job for many, many, many years, and have come to know him as a person, but despite their knowledge of him, all have abandoned him in his hour of need.

And such was the case with Jesus Christ, when his day of need was at hand. Not that anyone could have done anything about it, but the attitude of people is the principle we should learn here.

God sets out principles for life such that we can learn and grow up in life to a destiny of completion for our life. Too often people will manufacture excuses, manufacture disagreements, manufacture within their own minds, reasons why they do not have to accept Gods rules.

When Christ went to the Cross, you were there. You were there in the loins of someone in that ancient world. Your genetics were there, and so was your attitude. Just as it is with you now, today. You have excuses now, and you, had you actually lived back then, would have had the same attitude then.

God looked down through the tunnel of time and considered every possible entry into history for your life. God is the author of life, you recall. He placed you into history now, rather than at some other point in history.

You now have your chance to do that which God has given you your best opportunity for, and that is to advance in your spiritual life. Now, was Gods decision for you. Or do you question that too?

Job was the dad and the father. He was the master of his household. He fell on hard times and everyone abandoned him. Jesus Christ is God, yet He humbled himself to become man, and was thereby rejected by man.

Where do your opinions stop and your spiritual consistency begin? Answer that one, and you might, just might, have a chance to make it in your spiritual life, which is the real you.

Arrogance and pride are extremely powerful forces, but then it is you who lets them loose, or cuts them off.

Now is the time to post a prayer.