Job in depth Study 18

Dear Readers,

Today we will go over Job 39:13-18

13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?

This may seem strange. Peacocks, in my opinion, do indeed have beautiful feathers. Yet from what I understand, they are very insanity creatures. Not taking care of their feathers and getting very dirty. I only know a little about them, due to some loose ones somewhat near where I lived in Cottonwood.


The second part about the ostriches clears is up though. Mostly because ostriches are large flightless birds that mostly use their wings for balance.

14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

15 And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.

From what I understand, so feel free to comment if I am incorrect, but the peacocks are good with their eggs. The ostriches, on the other hand, do indeed leave their eggs in large shallow holes mostly exposed to the elements. Sometimes, even abandoned for large periods of time.

16 She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear;

I think that the "fear" word here is nicely placed. So is "vain".

Vanity, as we usually think of it today, is self obsessed, prideful, and mostly being focused on one's own appearance, whether physical or social. But generally in the past, vain has similar relations to fruitless. Like planting a tree, or vine, watering and nourishing it for years, and then it being burned down before you get the fruit, or rewards from your labor. Your efforts to grow the tree in order to get fruit from it was pointless, or vain. So the ostrich's labor, possibly actual labour, as in laying the eggs, would be pointless if the eggs are trampled and crushed.

Now "without fear". How many mothers and fathers worry and care about their children? They are afraid for them. So simply, that makes sense. But also, " fear" in the Old Testament, like the "fear of God" works as being actually afraid of punishment or retribution, but was initially meant as honor. God commanded that we honor our father and mother. So I think of two things. 1: the offspring do not honor the mother, because of the neglect, and that the ostrich has no honor. 2: that the ostrich shows no honor to the children, nor to her great Creator.

17 Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

Why would God withhold blessings such as these? Maybe because she did not honor the blessing she already received, children, wings, feathers. Maybe because she was meant for other things,

18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.



With this scripture, my mind immediately goes to Prince of Persia. When he is captured by the merchant with the ostrich racing. The one time that the ostrich finds it's place, finds it's talents for running, it becomes prideful, and thus hates the horse and it's rider, because they are better. Like in 2 Timothy 3:3 "despisers of those that are good", so are all those who fall into the trap of pride, and are in wickedness.

So, a few things we can learn from this is, honor, and be thankful for the blessings God gives you. Then He will give you more. Then also shall the talents that you already possess be used for your good, instead of just causing you more despair because you are not like others. God will help you see the truth, that God has made you the way you are, for a reason, and that good things will come.

Until next time...
Love,
Elder Smithson

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

In Depth Job Study Part 9

Dear Readers,

I am going to keep this short today. We were talking about ice and snow, as part of the creation of weather on the second day. We are just covering Job 38:24. This is God tying it together with the creation of light.

 24 By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

I don't even pretend to fully comprehend what this means. But what I can gather is it is talking about light. And that light moves the wind upon the earth. There have already been days, so the earth is rotating, night and day. And we know that that rotation causes some global wind currents. That is about all I can speculate about. 

What is most important is simply the teaching system that God displays here. That after you cover one subject, and move onto another, you relate it back to the first. That way solidifying and building upon the foundation that you already created. This is why the missionary lessons are so important. Yes, we are allowed to change the order of the lessons to fit people's needs, but there is an order for a reason. 

For our first lesson, for example, we teach the Restoration. The first principle of which is that God is a loving Heavenly Father. Building upon a same ground that: There is a God, He loves us, we are His children. Also, we can go as in depth as saying that He has a body of flesh and bones. 

Then the next point is the Gospel Blesses Families. That God loves us so much that He sends us to families, to help grow and that we may experience. As a family holds together, it receives strength from God, especially if they are obeying the Gospel and living correct principles. Thus always referring back to God, who is our merciful Father. 

This system continually builds upon itself until finally the person understands the basics of what we "Mormons" believe. This allows them to then learn and build upon that foundation at church or from the scriptures, which both, the leaders and the prophets of ancient times, bear witness of. 

I hope that you enjoyed this simple example.

Love,
Elder Smithson