Job in depth study 15

Dear Readers,

Today I am continuing on about Job 39:1-4. God just brought Job up to spread about the creation, and now He is about to help him grow by talking about animals, asking him questions to get him thinking, and ultimately use parables.

1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

I think of two possibilities with this. Either Job has been hunting a few times, so that he knows about the "wild goats" and the "hinds" or deer. Or, because of the many herds of animals Job once had, he does not know much at all concerning them.

2 Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

Another great question... One that in my opinion Job would not know the answer to. The average deer is between 5-6 months. Usually going into labor in May or June. What is the relevance of these questions though?

3 They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones, they cast out their sorrows.

4 Their young ones are in good liking, they grow up with corn; they go forth, and return not unto them.

Alas, God brings in the relevance, like these "wild" animals, animals that rely wholly upon God for their needs and wants whether they realize it or not, labor and toil to bring life into this world. They are born good, without sorrows, and grow with good foods. Making them healthy and strong. Then they go forth and continue the cycle, and they don't return to their parents.

That last thought, "and return not unto them." It seems like a two way street. The parents trust that the children have been raised properly, and that they will make right decisions. The children look forward and not back.

 Though we must look to our God, our Father in Heaven, and come back to Him when the time comes, like when children return to their parents when they are old. I am not sure yet if that is even a point that God will make soon or not, so I guess we will have to continue on with the study.

I hope that you learned and are now thinking. Until next time!

Love,
Elder Smithson

Job In Depth Study 14

Dear Readers,

I have decided to keep it kind or short and sweet today. Job 38:37-41

37 Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

38 When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

We were talking about heavens, seasons, waters, but what happens when it dries up? Like droughts and famous of old, it can be wrought by prophets to bring the people to repentance.

39 Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

40 When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

41 Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

In the creation, the next step after plants was animals. As it shows here, emphasizing how it is God who provides for their needs. Also showing the correlations between droughts and the nature of living organisms. We all need the blessings of God in our lives. I testify this to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Job in depth study 13

Dear Readers,
Today I thought that I would talk a little about Job 38:33-36. For the context, we were just talking about plants and season in relation to the creation.

33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

What is an ordinance? An ordinance is an outward expression of faith. Such as baptism, which is also a covenant. Also, the sacrifices of the Old Testament were ordinances. Indeed we have sacred ordinances that are performed in the temples that allow us to further covenant with our Father in Heaven.

So with this definition of "ordinance" what would they be in heaven. Possibly righteous ordinances, or proper covenants made by the priesthood authority of God. More likely given the context, it is the planets in their systems.

For fun lets break down "ordinance" into "ordain". To ordain is to set apart, or give authority and responsibility to some one, or something. So maybe the planets and the signs of the sky are "ordained" to purposes. Or perhaps pre-ordination, ordaining of individuals in the pre-mortal life.

This would also make sense with all of the questions God has been asking Job. Can you do this, do you know that. Maybe God is asking him if he knows what he was fore-ordained to do.

"Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?" "Dominion" or authority, stewardship or even power or the ordinances. Could Job give the authority of heaven to people on the earth? Or set stewardships? Do those ordinances have power upon the earth? Oooo!

The Sun is to rule the day, and the moon the night, according to Genesis, maybe the "ordinances" of the stars also have dominion upon the earth.

34 Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

As far as I can tell, God is asking Job if he can call down rain. Or flood.

35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

Lightning, or voice of lightning, like angels.

36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

These last two questions are the same. Basically asking, "Who is the Holy Ghost? and what is His purpose?" Makes me wonder, if the Holy Ghost, under the direction of the Father of All, makes it possible to have the priesthood and perform saving ordinances such as baptism. Indeed even the power of God to perform miracles, and call forth angels. Then the greatest of all, to touch the human heart and testify to them of truth, that they may learn, grow, and be protected.

I hope that the Holy Ghost was with you as you read this.

Love,
Elder Smithson

In Depth Study of Job 12

Dear Readers,

My apologies. It has been a long time since my last post. It is amazing how thing can get away from you. To continue on, we were talking about plants, and the water cycle. So, what does Job 38:31-32 have to share with us.

31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

God is asking if Job is able to control, or hold back the pleasant, or enjoyable influences of Pleiades. I am not an astrologer, so I had to look it up, but Pleiades is a 7 sisters star cluster.

So, with this knowledge I think of two things: first, astrology, that stars and times have influences over people, especially at birth. Secondly, I think of gravitational forces, how stars move, hold their orbits and spread their "influence" through space. But it is a pleasant influence, so it must cause good, which ever influence it might be referring to.

"Loose the bands of Orion". I am fairly confident in assuming that is in reference to Orion's Belt. Is it possible for Job to make, or have, the stars move our of their proper alignment? In relation to my reasoning above, I wonder if somehow the gravity of the three stars in Orion's Belt actually bind orbits or other astral phenomena together. Maybe the next verse will help clarify things.

32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

 Mazzaroth is the group name of constellations, kind of like a biblical zodiac. Stars and signs in the sky have always been in prophecies and predictions, as well as indicators of seasons. Stars, seasons, water cycles, plants, this is beginning to make a little more sense.

Kind of for fun, what if we looked at the astrological side of it, specifically in influence on personalities. This could almost be asking if it is possible to bring the personality of the person at

their birth. Interesting, but it does not quite fit in the context.

Arcturus is a star in the Bootes star constellation. The other stars contained therein are sometimes referred to as Arcturus's sons. Again, seasons, movement of stars, but also, a name for this constellation is Bootes the Herdsman, almost like he is herding his sons. 

Cool stuff. I hope that you enjoyed this, and it will be interesting to find out what the next scripture have for us.

Love,

Elder Smithson