The Serpent/Dragon

In this episode, we’re going to explore different viewpoints on the the serpent—otherwise known as the Satan.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9 NASB

Naga[1][2]

• found in Hiniduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
• divine (or semi-divine) race of half-human half-serpent creatures
• reside in the netherworld
• have the ability to take human form
• various beliefs accross the different religions

Quetzacoatal[3][4]

• Aztec deity
• means "precious serpent" or "quetzal-feathered serpent"
• was the god of wind, air, and learning—emphasis on learning since Satan is associated with giving man knowledge that was outside of God's will at the time
• This cycle is marked by war and strife
• some legends posit that he was born of a vigin, either by an encounter with another deity, from swallowing an emerald, or being hit iin the womb with an arrow.[]
• believed to have gone to the underworld and created the fifth version of the world using his own blood

Apep or Apophis[5][6]

• Egyptian deity
• Embodied chaos—note that Satan embodies confusion
• fought against Ra—Ra was the sun god in Egypt and considered the light bringer (interestingly, Satan was the light bringer before his fall)
• considered part of the underworld
• a created beingin that was a consequence of the creation of Ra

Jörmungandr[7]

• from Norse mythology
• sea serpent child of Loki
• rival of Thor
• said to be large enough to encompass the whole world
• when Jörmungandr releases its tail, Ragnarök will begin

You can see this article for the history of the dragon/serpent and this article for even more beliefs about serpent creatures. Also, there's real dragon in South Africa (well, sort of). Check out the smaug lizard.

Disclaimer

I believe that all religions and cultures trace their origin back to Adam and Eve. While I believe the Bible to be the true and preserved Word of God, I believe that we can find bits of truth in other religions and cultures. The purpose of this series is to examine the themes that remained universal to highlight universal knowledge--in this case, the appearance of a powerful serpent/dragon creature.

References

1. "Nāga". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
2. Matt Williams. "Nāga". Encyclopædia Britannica. August 21, 2015
3. "Quetzalcoatl". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
4. "Quetzalcoatl". Encyclopædia Britannica. January 4, 2019
5. "Apep". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
6. "Apopis". Encyclopædia Britannica. Feburary 27, 2020
7. "Jörmungandr". Wikipedia; visited January 2021
8. The virgin birth will actually be an episode all of its own. However, I do want to insert here that Satan's goal has always been to supplant God and God declared the prophecy of His son being born from the beginning. Satan is the author of confusion and seeks to deceive by duplicating or counterfeiting God's miracles (seen in the unholy trio of the beast, false prophet, and whore of babylon in Revelation).

Satan's Defeat | Dealing With the Devil (Part 6)

Introduction

This is the final peice in a series on a study I did, entitled "Dealing with the Devil," and based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering the last 4 days—we're going to look at:

• Revelation 12:7-10
• Revelation 20:7-15

Revelation 12:7-17: The Battle in Heaven

Satan and his angels go to battle against Michael and his angels. Michael and his angels represent the kingdom of God and are victorious in battle. Upon defeat, Satan is cast down to earth—not hell. This moment in Revelation is thought to be the moment when Jesus/Yeshua ascends to heaven after the resurrection. This is when He truly took the throne. That put us in a "transitional" state, much like that of the U.S. at the moment. Satan refuses to acknowledge God's victory, but the fact is, the day is coming when Christ will come to collect His kingdom.

Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out John 12:31 NASB

⁸And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: ⁹regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; ¹¹and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:8-11 NASB

Revelation 20:7-15: Satan Defeated For Good

Ultimately only those who submit to Christ are spared from the second death. When Satan is defeated, all those who sided with him, are also defeated. This passage is heavy, but only for those who are not written in the book of life. Those in the book of life are the ones who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Christ. We can be thankful knowing that eventually, the devil's reign of terror will end and no one will have to deal with him ever again!

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Ruffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020

Leadership | Dealing With the Devil (Part 5)

Introduction

This is a continuation of a study I'm doing on "Dealing with the Devil," based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering days 19 and 20—we're going to look at:

• 1 Timothy 3:1-3
• 1 Timothy 3:4-7

³This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ²A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; ³Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 1 Timothy 3:1-3 KJV

1 Timothy 3:1-3: Characteristics of a Leader

This passage defines the traits of a "bishop" (KJV) or "overseerer" (NASB), which is simply put, a leader. These traits are echoed in Titus 1:7-9.

Though this passage is likely referring to leadership within the church, it is fitting for all areas of our life. We should be exemplifying this definition of leadership in every aspect of our lives. Remember, just because you are not officially a leader, it doesn't mean soemone isn't looking up to you as a leader!

Good Traits to Have

• Blameless
• Monogamous
• Vigilant
• Sober (Sober-Minded)
• Hospitable
• Good Behavior
• Teacher
• Patient

Bad Traits to Have

• Drunken
• Quarrelsome
• Violent
• Greedy
• Covetous

⁴One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; ⁵(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ⁶Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:4-7 KJV

1 Timothy 3:4-7: Pride & Rapport

In the next part of the passage, 2 major things are called out as being behind the fall of a good leader: pride and ill rapport with the poor.

One thing I'd like to call attention to is the statement that a leader should not be a novice. In most organizations I've been in, the president of the organization is required to have been in the organization for some period of time and to have held a position within the executive board (e.g., Vice-President, Treasurer, or Secretary) prior to becoming president. It is unwise to have someone who doesn't understand the process, the history, or the mission, in a position of power.

Knowing this, it also makes sense that the fist test of leadership is your own life and family. Note, that is not to say that if your family does not fit the perfect image that you are a bad person or even that you are a bad leader, however it does mean that perhaps you time should be spent with your family instead. I've often wondered if the reason peacher's children have a reputation for actting out is because they are seeking attention from a parent who gives all their attention to the church. Sometimes we are capable of providing the necessary attention and dedication to both, but sometimes we are not. In the latter case, it's ok to take a break or to step down to focus on family.

Conclusion

This passage teaches us about the importance of leadership. The reason it is important to follow God's outline of leadership and to elect Godly leaders is because this is the easiest way for the devil to "take over." If Satan can cause one leader to fall, he can wrestle many souls from God. A perfect example of this is all the heinous crimes committed by so-called leaders of the church, such as the phedophila scandal in Catholicism, that turns people away from God.

We each have a responsibility to hold our leaders to this definition of leadership and to be leaders by this definition.

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Ruffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020
2. "Strong's G1985. ἐπίσκοπος". Blue Letter Bible; visited November 7, 2020
3. "Strong's G4131. πλήκτης". Blue Letter Bible; visited November 7, 2020

Dealing with the Deal (Part 4)

Introduction

This is a continuation of a study I'm doing on "Dealing with the Devil," based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering days 15 through 18—we're going to look at:

• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
• Ephesians 4:25-27
• Ephesians 6:10-13
• Ephesians 6:14-18

2 Corinthians 12:7-10: Strength in Weakness

Ephesians 4:25-27: Falsehood & Anger

Ephesians 6:10-13: Systems of Power

Ephesians 6:14-18: The Armor of God

The Belt of Truth

• A belt holds the rest of the armor together
• Modern day, the belt holds up our pants
• For emergency personnel or combat soldiers, the belt would be the central access point for tools (radio, gun, etc.)
• Like the belt, truth is our foundation
• Truth helps us discern things of God from decptions of the devil
• Applications:
  1. Study the Word
  2. Decorate spaces with scripture
  3. Memorize scripture

The Breastplate of Righteousness

• The breastplate protects our vital organs (heart, lungs, etc.)
• Righteousness = acting in accordance to God's moral law[2]
• God's law actually protects us:
  • Behavior protects and strengths our horizontal relationships
  • Diet protects our health and gives us strength
  • Sabbath protects us mentally and gives us rest
• Applications:
  1. Obedience
  2. Pray to overcome sin
  3. Accountability Partners

The Gospel of Peace

• Footwear gives you endurance for the journey
• Footwear should be specific to the situation
• Applications:
  1. Security in God
  2. Faith in His abilities
  3. Do not be quarrelsome or work to divide the body

The Shield of Faith

• Shields protect you from attacks
• Our faith must be rock solid so that the attack cannot penetrate
• A shield covers us just like the blood of Christ covers us
• Applications:
  1. Share your testimony
  2. Listen to others' testimonies
  3. Pray for faith (Mark 9:23-24)

The Helmet of Salvation

• Helmets protect the head (mind/conciousness)
• Spiritual battles are often mental
• Applications:
  1. Control what influences you
  2. Romans 12:2
  3. Philippians 4:8

The Sowrd of the Spirit

• Sword allows us to attack! (The only piece of the armor that does so)
• Represents the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12)
• Applications:
  1. Lean of the Word
  2. Use the Word instead of your own words

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Ruffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020
2. "Righteousness". Merriam Webster; visited October 31, 2020
3. "Anger". Merriam Webster; visited October 31, 2020

Dealing With The Devil (Part 3)

Introduction

This is a continuation of a study I'm doing on "Dealing with the Devil," based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering days 10 through 14—we're going to look at:

• Acts 13:8-12
• Romans 16:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
• 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
• 2 Corinthians 11:12-15

Acts 13:8-12: Elymas Tries To Sway the Proconsul

Satan uses Elymas, a sorcerer, tried to sway the proconsul (a man of power[2]) from the faith and it ended up backfiring on him! In this passage, we learn that Satan uses trickery and deceit to accomplish things, but we also learn that when we stand up to him, God uses those moments to bring believers to His side instead.

Romans 16:19-20: Simple Concerning Evil

Despite their obedience, Paul chides the people on being "wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil." This hit personally, because I have a tendency to complicate issues. We thinking and overthink until we end up not sure which way is up and which way is down. Satan can use this to his advantage.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5: Separate From Evil

In this passage we learn about a church that struggled to separate themself from evil. A rotten apple spoils the whole bunch! There were 2 key points I took from this passage:

1. The devil isn't always external; sometimes we are our own adversary
2. If we need to separate from someone, the goal should be to ultimately get them back to Christ

2 Corinthians 2:10-11: Forgiveness is Key

This passage focused on forgiveness and the fact that when we don't forgive each other, the devil can get a foothold in our relationships. It reminded me of church hurt and how we both push people away and allow ourselves to be pushed away. The devil wants us to be separated because that is when we are at our weakest point.

2 Corinthians 11: Stay The Course

Sometimes we're tired, overlooked, and overworked; but if we don't do what God calls us to do, the devil will certainly send someone to replace us. There are many false prophets who are just waiting for the spotlight and with that spotlight they can do a lot of damage. It is our responsibility to be where God tells us to be, doing what He tells us to do so that the devil doesn't get to voice his deceit.

Conclusion

The biggest take away I took from this selection of passages was that we must call out false teaching and evil. We must take a stand and declare the goodness of God to contrast the devil's darkness. This is how we win souls for Christ and how we keep ourselves from being deceived.

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Reffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020
2. "Proconsul". Dictionary.com; visited October 23, 2020
3. "Strong's G5218. ὑπακοή". Blue Letter Bible; visited October 23, 2020

Dealing With The Devil (Part 2)

Introduction

This is a continuation of a study I'm doing on "Dealing with the Devil," based on a 30 day scripture plan I found by The Ruffled Mango.[1] In this post, I'm covering days 5 through 9—we're going to look at the parable of the Sower, the betrayal by Judas, Peter denying Christ, and Ananias and Sapphira's lies.

Mark 4:2-4: The Parabale of the Sower (pt. 1)

The Israelites lived in a agrarian society, so analogies to farming or taking care of livestock was the perfect way to explain things to them, and Christ utilizes this in most of His parables. In this case, He speaks of a sower (or farmer) who is sowing (planting) seeds. Plants, vines, and fruit have a long history in the Word—Matthew 7:15-20; John 15; Romans 6:21-22; Ephesians 5:8-10; Colossians 1:10; James 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-23. From these passages we know this is related to our behavior.

Note that "seeds fallen to the way side" are seeds separated from the group. In the previous post, we determined that fellowship between Christians is crucial to our walk with Christ and warding off the devil. Another important understanding of "seeds fallen to the way side" is that these seeds are not where they are supposed to be and that makes them vulnerable. If they were in the garden (the proper place), there would likely be a fence and scarecrow protecting them from being devoured before even sprouting.

Mark 4:13-15: The Parabale of the Sower (pt. 2)

Later in the chapter, Christ explains the parable for us, so we don't have to do any guess work about what He means. He identifies the seeds as the Word and the fowl of the air as Satan. Essentially Christ is saying that when you sow the Word in an unprotected place, Satan will swoop in and steal that information before it can take root.

When I read these verses, I focused more on the applicaiton to protecting self than the question of if I sow seeds in the wrong place. The major concern that struck me was "what if I'm on the path?" Have you ever had a Bible Study or discussion about the Word and you dismissed it? Or maybe you read a few verses and by the time you got to the end you forgot what you've read? I felt like these were examples of me not being in the right place to cultivate the Word.

So, I asked my self, how do we create an envirnoment in our minds that ensures we aren't "on the path"? The following is what I came up with:

• Be mindful of what we allow to take up space in our mind
• Pray for retention of the Word
• Be intentional when reading the Word
• Be intentional when listening to the Word

Luke 22:2-4: Judas Betrays Christ

I knew Judas betrayed Christ, everyone knows that. However, I never noticed that the Bible tells us Satan entered Judas. There were three main ideas that I dwelt on after reading Luke 22:2-4.

What Does it Mean to be Possessed?

Hollywood has given us very interesting ideas of possession, albiet some passages in the Bible do warn of depravity due to possession. However, in each of the last three passages discussed in the post, you'll see evidence of Satan wielding control over someone and it doesn't look like a madman. Sometimes, people give the devil full access of their mind and body for lengthy periods of time, but in these cases it appears to be a single bad decision.

In cartoons, there's always the scene where an angel of God is on one shoulder telling the character to do right, while the devil is egging the character on to do wrong from the other shoulder. In real life, God gives us free will and each second of the day we are presented with choices. When we start choosing to listen to the devil more that God's Spirit, we are giving the devil control of our life. This is how he gains a foothold and is able to manipulate our actions.

Choose Your Friends Carefully

The passage starts off talking about Jesus' enemies, but that's not who Satan enters. Satan goes for the someone close to Jesus, someone in His inner circle. People in our inner circle see us at our best and our worst; they know our flaws and weaknesses. They know exactly the kind of information Satan needs to exploit us.

This is one reason he targets those close to us, but another reason is that they have our trust. We usually trust those closest to us to give us good advice, to keep us safe, and not to put us in compromising situations. This means we are more likely to go along with them. There are people I know that I would never travel with because even though I like them well enough, I have no idea what they will get into. My closest friends, however, I trust to share my values and not put me in an uncomfortable position. Because of this, I'm more likely to go on a trip with one of the latter over the former. So, Satan knows to get to me, he too has to come through the latter.

The saying "choose your friends carefully" rings true here. We want to surround ourselves with people who have our back, but more importantly, we want to surround ourselves with God-fearing men and women who are actively fighting off Satan's attacks.

Don't Let Satan Use You

Speaking of God-fearing men and women, we have to be that for our friends. Just like Satan used Judas, he can use us against our friends. When we find ourselves plotting for someone's downfall, that's an indicator that Satan is putting thoughts in our head. It's one thing to think someone should go to jail for a crime, but when we wish bad on people our of jealousy or spite, there's a problem. When we aren't happy for our friends' success or we're ready to tell their business to people we know don't like them, there's a problem. If we find ourselves in these situations or feeling like this, we need to take it to God immediately, because likely, Satan is in our head.

Luke 22:31-32: Satan Wants Peter

Satan didn't just go for one person in Jesus' inner circle. He also wanted to take Peter away from the faith. I see Peter's experience more like a Job experience, in the sense that Christ knew Peter had the faith to maintain their relationship.

Four things stood out to me in this passage: Christ already knew the devil's plan, Christ warns Peter about said plan, Christ prays for Peter's faith, and Christ aknowledges that He and Peter will be separated for a time.

God Knows All

God is omniscient; He knows all of His creations better than they know themselves. Since Satan is one of God's creations, this is true for him too. Satan can't outsmart God or catch Him off guard. This means He knows exactly which one of His children Satan is plotting against and exactly what test Satan will put before them.

God Warns Us

Because God knows what's coming, He often sends us a warning to help us avoid Satan's traps. There are at least three examples of this that come to mind: God warns Cain that sin is lurking before Cain kills his brother (Genesis 4:6-7); Christ sublty tips Judas off to His knowledge of the betrayal, which is in time for Judas to take a different course of action (Matthew 26:21-24); and Christ warns Peter that Satan is trying to get to him (Luke 22:31-32).

God Wants us to Succeed

Christ prays for Peter, telling us that He wanted Peter to win against Satan. What's interesting is that of all the things He could have prayed for, He prayed for Peter's faith. This tells us that the main factor in successfully defending against Satan's attacks is our faith.

God Knows We Aren't Perfect

Christ makes a point to note that Peter will be "returning" to Him. While this could be literal, since they get separated in the commotion, I have a feeling it's spiritual. Peter goes on to deny Christ three times, which is also a way of separating himself from Christ in it's own right. In doing so he's distancing himself from Christ, the way we may distance ourselves from Christ to fit in or enjoy things of the world. There's a real danger that we will put so much distance between ourselves and Christ that we won't be able to find our way back.

Yet, Christ knew Peter would regret His denials and find His way back. Christ didn't have to reveal any of this information to Peter, but by doing so, and by giving Peter a specific task to complete upon his return, Christ exemplifies His forgiving nature and love. When Peter fails, he isn't just left with the feeling that Christ is saya "I told you so." The last thing Christ said about the incident was "when you come back to Me." This means we can return and we will be forgiven!

Acts 5:1-4: Ananias and Sapphira Lie to the Holy Spirit

The final passage for today covers the fate of a couple that lies to the Apostles about a property they sold. They withold part of the proceeds they receive for an unknown reason, choosing to lie about the amount they sold it for. Interestingly, I think they very well have simply said, "We sold our property for x and we're giving you half"—or whatever portion they gave. The deeper issue here is that everyone else was giving everything they had, and this couple was not ready or willing to do the same. Regardless of the reason, we know that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corintians 9:7), so it would be better to give what you can with joy than to try to keep up with the joneses.

Like with Peter (from part 1) and Judas, Ananias and Sapphira let Satan guide their actions rather than God. These action (e.g., lying, greed, etc.) are easy to recognize as ungodly. When we have ideas that do not please Him, Satan has put them in our head and carrying out such an action is an offense to God himself, not just the person we hurt (or lie to in this case).

Conclusion

While the last verses focused more on Satan's stategies, these verses reminded me to watch myself. The main thing I took away from these verses was to watch myself and don't let Satan use me for his on purposes.

References

1. "June Scripture Writing Plan". The Reffled Mango; visited October 4, 2020

The Woman & the Serpent

What if your parents guaranteed you a reprieve, a loophole, from your punishment before they even told you what your punishment was. That's exactly what God did for us.

Season 1 Episode I

¹⁴So the Lord God said to the serpent:
Because you have done this,
you are cursed more than any livestock
and more than any wild animal.
You will move on your belly
and eat dust all the days of your life.
¹⁵I will put hostility between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring.
He will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.Genesis 3:14-15 CSB

00:01:21	Hey guys! Welcome back to the PSALMS to God podcast. So today we're talking about Genesis 3—the infamous Chapter 3 of Genesis. It is the fall of mankind. And I feel like so much was missing, in terms of the details when I was taught the story as a child, and even as I read it as a teenager—and even some probably in college. I feel like I was so much older when I realized how significant this story is. More importantly, how beautiful this story is. Yeah you heard that right: I said this story is beautiful.
00:02:11	So just some context for those who are a little fuzzy on exactly how the fall happened: Adam and Eve were in the garden. Everything is perfect but there is one tree they're not supposed to eat from—they can eat anything else. They have all of the great fruits; everything is delicious, everything is perfect, and it's free, more importantly, but they just can't eat from this one tree. So the serpent convinces Eve that she should eat from it and that it will make her like God. So then Eve further goes on and convinces her husband that they should both eat from it. And they do. And then they become ashamed and they realize that they are naked. They hide from God, but eventually they come out and God confronts them about what has happened. Adam is the first to speak: he blamed Eve. Eve blames the serpent, and then starting in verse 14 God starts divvying out punishments.
00:03:17	And this is where it gets really interesting. We focus so much on the fact that mankind fell. We focus in on the fact that we were punished, that we were banished from Eden, and that that is, you know, why we are in the state that we're in. People focus on the fact that the woman was made submissive to her husband or to have a desire for her husband, and that the man was placed in charge. And we could do a whole 'nother podcast, probably several podcasts, on the ramifications of that and the misinterpretations and misuses of that, but we're not going to get into that.
00:03:59	What I want to get into is the fact that before God ever punished mankind, before God curses us, before He curses the ground, before anything bad really starts taking place... God first punishes the serpent, who is the devil[1]. The first thing that he does is ensure that there is a way out for us! What people don't often teach, at least in my experience growing up in a Baptist church and popping around from Methodist and Baptist and AME churches, no one stopped to talk about Genesis 3:15 is the first Messianic Prophecy in the Bible. It's, I guess, the first prophecy, period—but it's about Jesus. The seed that's spoken of, the offspring of the woman is Jesus[2]
00:05:10	So when you look at symbolism in the Bible, obviously we know the serpent is the devil, the woman is Eve, but the woman could also be a church. Throughout the Bible when they start talking about women, they're often talking about the church,[3] or they were talking about the bride of Christ. And it's interesting, because if you flip all the way to the end of the Bible and you go to Revelation, if you go to chapter 12 and you start reading just from verse 1, it says " A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child. She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, to be nourished there for 1,260 days." (Revelation 12:1-6 CSB)
00:06:42	Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Advait Berde I probably didn't need to read the entire passage, but I just kind of got carried away, sorry guys. But the point is this is a prophecy given in Revelation and is talking about the woman giving birth to this child that will rule the nations, that child being Jesus and the woman is not Mary, but it's about the church. It's about just the entire concept. This whole thing is tied together. The whole point—once again we have the dragon/serpent/Satan—It's the same narrative all the way through. It's all boiling down to this war in heaven where Satan has lost his mind and is trying to become God, and started stirring up discord. But from the beginning, from the very beginning, God specifies that this seed is going to come. This child, this person, the Messiah, Jesus the King of Kings, He is going to come and He's going to defeat the serpent. The serpent will try to defeat Him but he will fail. So we get in Genesis 3 that the serpent would you bruise the heel the seed of the woman, but the woman's seed will crush the head of the serpent. And that is exactly what happens.[4]
00:08:10	So Satan has Jesus crucified which is bruising the heel. He thinks he's going to have a victory, but really all he did was set up the grand finale. This gives Jesus the ability to pay for our sins and that's exactly how it was supposed to play out. And now Jesus has the victory, and He's going to come back and deal the final blow to crush the serpent's head once and for all. I think it's beautiful, because God is speaking salvation before He ever punishes us, and there's something very, very parental and very, very reassuring about that. It's almost like, it's like I have to give you the good news before I give you the bad news. The good news is you're going to live forever and I love you and I'm going to take care of you and I'm going to get you out of this. The bad news is, you know, you're going to have to struggle a little bit until we can work all this out and I got to punish you, but don't worry. Remember the good news I told you five seconds ago.
00:09:28	I think that's so amazing, because even though throughout all of our trials and tribulations we don't necessarily understand God's plan, a lot of times we get impatient. We want what we want now. We want the benefits now. We feel like He's abandoning us. From the very beginning, from the inception of our creation, before anything was ever wrong in this earth, God gave us hope. He spoke our salvation before He spoke our downfall, and He gave us His word all throughout the Old Testament, all throughout the New Testament. So even today, as we struggle, He has given us hope first. He has told us that He will make a way out of no way, every single time. So anytime we get ourselves into some mess, there is always a way out. And He always provides us a way out, before we even dig ourselves in the hole. Before He wants to lower the hammer on us, He wants to save of us first and foremost.
00:10:38	I think that's a beautiful thing and an important thing to take away from Genesis 3. Instead of focusing on our shortcomings and our failures but to see how God uplifted us and how He provided hope in such a desperate situation. So that's what I wanted to leave you guys with today. I hope that as you continue your day-to-day life, that will meditate on that. Don't be so hard on yourself If you mess up, and remember that God already promised us the victory, and that even if you have to go through something because of a decision you made or because of decisions other people made, God is going to give you hope. He already gave you hope, and He will bring you through it. It will be great and grand and beautiful.
00:11:37	Thanks for tuning in. I will see you guys on Monday. In the meantime, don't forget to subscribe, like, suggest this podcast to your friend, whatever the Spirit moves you to do. You can find a transcript for this particular episode at www.psalmstogod.com/TheWomanAndTheSerpent

Footnotes and References

1. Revelation 12:9; 20:2
2. Galatians 3:16
3. Jeremiah 6:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7-8
4. On playback, this isn't as clear as I thought it was. What I was trying to point out is that in both cases the woman is a stand in for us, the Church. So before God punishes the Church (us), He gives hope. I was also trying to illustrate how this theme of Satan attacking this hope is also connected to this initial event.

Isaiah 14: Satan's Origin Story?

In this post we'll continue to look at the fall of Babylon, and we'll also look at the passage that many site as the origin story for Satan.

Introduction

Isaiah 14 continues Isaiah's prophecy about the fall of Babylon that was started in Isaiah 13. It also contains the segment that leads majority of the Christian world to believe Satan's name is Lucifer. The chapter concludes with a brief prophecy about the fall of the Philistines.

The most involved part of this section is definitely the passage concerning Lucifer. There are actually quite a few perspectives concerning the passage: some believe Lucifer is a name, other believe it is a title; some believe it refers to the earthly king of Babylon, other believe it refers to Satan. You can find various articles discussing these points of view online, if you want more details than what I provide below.

The Return Home

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Dan Grinwis

Isaiah prophesies that when the Medes take over Babylon, Israel will be allowed to return home (and they were, by Cyrus' decree). When they returned home, non-Israelites would accompany them, just as it was when they left Egypt. Some of these people would be the same Babylonians who had previously been their captors; now Israel would be the master and Babylon the servant.

Before we move on, however, I want to make an important point about servants or slaves. We all know that the words translated to servant in the Bible could also be translated as slave. What most people don't know is how servitude and slavery in Biblical time was different (and the same) as modern slavery. As an American, specifically as a black person in the U.S., "slave" and "slavery" is defined, by default, as the transatlantic slave trade and the chattel slavery that occurred in the U.S. In this form of slavery, people were bought and sold as property; families were separated without thought and slaves really weren't looked at as human. A major difference in American slavery was that slave status wasn't based on being too poor to care for yourself (remember government assistance, soup kitchens, thrift stores, etc. did not exist until recently) or having lost a war, but solely on the color of a person's skin.

Is this the type of slavery God was dooming the Babylonians to? People often read passages like Isaiah 14:2 and bemoan the fact that God accepted and allowed slavery. The problem is, you have to set aside modern connotations and put each verse in context with all the other verses. When Isaiah penned this verse, it was on top of everything Moses had already written—Moses' writings were the law for Israel and had been created either by or with the assistance of God. There are two important things about Moses' (and many after Moses) writings that clue us in to how God viewed slavery: attention to the poor and the commandment to remember they (the Israelites) were slaves in Egypt. Too many passages to name are in favor of protecting the poor, the orphans, and the widowed. These are the people who would have become slaves. Exodus 22:21 tells the Israelites not to vex or mistreat strangers in their land and compels them to remember how they were treated in Egypt. These laws were to be remembered when Israel began taking Babylonians as servants or slaves. The type of horrific treatment of people we associate with slavery was not condoned by God. Does that mean the Israelites were better masters than the rest of the world? Probably not; they weren't known for actually following God's word. However, it does say something about how God intended for us to behave.

A Reprieve

God promised to give the Israelites rest; a reprieve from the sorrow that came with bondage. God's creation week is a reminder to us that rest will always come. He knew that we would tire and need time for resting, whether it is from work or a situation. Sometimes we are pushed to the limits, beyond what we'd like or what we think we can handle, but God knows that we need rest, and when we absolutely need this rest, He will always provide it.

Celebration

God gives Israel a proverb to chant in the wake of their victory. It appears to be a song expressing the magnificent defeat of such a powerful kingdom. The proverb contains a reminder that though the king was powerful and rich, when he died, he died like everyone else—possibly worse since worms (maggots, maybe?) would be on his dead body.

Also, the statement that the Earth was at rest and elements of it, such as the trees, rejoiced is a powerful reminder of how the Earth suffers when we engage in war.

Lucifer

Isaiah 14:12 begins the part of the chapter in which God is speaking to someone known as Lucifer. There are two main, but opposing, schools of thought on the passage. The common belief is that the person being spoken to is Satan. However, some people believe this passage is talking about the human king who was disgraced. In either case, people debate whether Lucifer is actually a name, title, or description.

Who is Lucifer?

Meaning of the Word

Lucifer actually means "light bearer" or "light bringer." It stems from the Latin root for light—luce or lux. The original Hebrew word is helel, which likely is derived from a Hebrew word meaning to shine or radiate. It is also possible that helel means "day star" or "morning star."[5][6] Despite the common perception that Lucifer is a proper name, both words are more like titles, and the context of the passage supports that usage. So, while we've turned it into a name, Lucifer probably isn't the devil's name. Given the belief that it is, and the association, it's obviously not a popular name.[2][3][4] As of 2016, 91 babies in the United States had been named Lucifer since 1980.[1]

Is Lucifer Satan?

Photocredit: Unspalsh.com/Pro Church Media

Let's talk about whether Lucifer is or isn't Satan. Most people agree that it is, but some believe God is talking to the king of Babylon, given the context of the passage. So, which is it?

First, I want to point out two other examples of God speaking to an earthly human, but really speaking to Satan. In Matthew 16:23, Mark 8:33, and Luke 4:8, Jesus is talking to Peter, but He addresses Satan, because it was Satan who placed such a thought in Peter's mind. In Ezekiel 28, a similar revelation about Satan's past is addressed when God is addressing the king of Tyre. We know God can't be talking to the literal king of Tyre after a certain point in the passage because He places the person in the garden of Eden and refers to them as an anointed cherub. In both of these cases, God is speaking past the physical human and to the entity (Satan) that is controlling the human like a puppet.

Second, let's address the issue of lucifer being a title rather than a name. Just because it isn't a name, doesn't mean it isn't in reference to Satan. Similarly, God is not God's name, it's a title. Because most of us in the U.S. are Christian, when we see God with a capital g, we assume the God of Abraham, but "god" is a generic title that people from various cultures and religions apply to any deity (real or not). God's name is actually YHWH, but we rarely use this; instead we refer to Him as God, Lord, and Father. To me it actually makes the most sense that in light of his behavior, Satan's name is never revealed, since that would only increase his fame.

Third, I think the address God makes applies to both Satan and the king of Babylon. The reason I say this is because the king has succumbed to Satan's madness. Babylon's king probably did think he could do all of things listed in the passage (we'll get to those in just a few), and probably denied God the way many leaders, entertainers, businessmen, and scholars of today do. However, the reason he believed this was because of Satan whispering in his ear. The king's situation is not so different from Eve's; Satan put the idea in the human's mind, but the human acted on the idea. Just as God addresses both Eve and Satan in Genesis 3, in Isaiah 14, God is addressing both Satan and the king.

Light & the Morning Star

This passage tightly couples "lucifer" and light, which causes much confusion considering Jesus is also highly associated with light (John 8:12). As mentioned earlier, the title, plus the reference to the son of the morning, essentially refers to this person or entity as the morning star. Yet, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus says He is the morning star. It's a bit confusing that so many of Jesus' attributes or titles have been applied to whomever is being spoken to, whether it is the literal king or Satan.

Do not forget that Satan specializes in confusion; he wants you to be unable to recognize him, so he's taken great pains to confuse your perception of him so that God's Word can be manipulated to confuse you more. People often think of him as being the opposite of God, since he is in opposition to God, but Satan's goal is to be like God. 2 Corinthians 11:14 tells us that even as a fallen angel, Satan can transform himself into an angel of light, proving that the verse in Isaiah 14 is justified in associating the devil with light. Furthermore, when we are in submission to God, we are supposed to emulate His light. As one of God's created beings, Satan would have done this all the time before his fall.

The Fall of an Angel

God doesn't rebuke people without cause, and so far every example I've seen in the Bible, He tells us why He's rebuking the person. Throwing people in jail without reason, punishing them without informing citizens why, and other similar behaviors are telltale signs of a corrupt system. God doesn't operate that way; instead He lays it all out on the table for us to see. This way, we know that God is a just God and we learn from others' mistakes.

Satan and the king's crimes are listed as being boastful and exalting himself to the throne of God. Truthfully, this is possibly the most important passage in the Bible to read concerning our enemy, because it tells us exactly what he is attempting. All of Satan's temptations lead back to this very concept. His goal is to undermine God's authority so that it is him we are bowing to instead of God. The very first record of Satan speaking to a human (Eve in Genesis 3), this is essentially the same thought process he puts in her head. By convincing her that she could be like God if she ate the fruit, Satan became her leader because it was his ideology she chose to follow. Satan does the same when he tempts Jesus; in fact, Satan explicitly asks Jesus to bow down to him (Matthew 4:11). Another example of this mentality is that of the people in Babel; they thought they could make themselves more powerful than God, as well (which was probably inspired by the devil).

Something to really take into account when reading the charges against Satan is the usage of I. Over the course of 2 verses, the word I is used 5 times. Satan is extremely self focused. When our speech begins to imitate this pattern and everything starts with I, we should stop to re-evaluate who we're serving.

Aftermath of the Fall

Satan may get most of the world on his side, and kings like the king of Babylon may wreak havoc on the world in their conquest for power and wealth, but in the end, these people will not prosper. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that people who seek to save their life will lose it and those who lose their life will save it. It seems just as likely that those who seek power and riches on earth will lose them, while those who build their treasures in Heaven will reap their reward. Satan and the king will not be able to keep anything they achieve. God says the fall of the king will be so great that everyone will marvel at how someone so powerful could be brought so low.

The Coup of Babylon

Sometimes when there's a coup, the country survives, but in most cases there's either a collapse of the government or a serious loss of power. The same is true with the fall of Babylon. The collapse of Babylon, though described as a thorough punishment ridding the region of any and all who participated in their evildoings, was actually a fantastic event for the nations that had been taken captive. These nations were now free to rebuild their homelands. It was only after Cyrus conquered Babylon that the Israelites were permitted to return to Jerusalem and begin reconstructing the Temple, after all. The same will be true of spiritual Babylon. The pains of God's wrath that pour out on the earth during those final days will be tremendous, but after spiritual Babylon is defeated and Jesus is seated on the throne, we will finally be able to return to our perfect paradise.

Another thing that's typical of a coup is killing anyone that could pose a threat to the newly established throne. Since leadership was passed on by blood, descendants of the royal family could always stake their claim to the throne. Since this claim would be valid, it was always possible that they could rally men behind them, regroup, and become a threat to the newly established power. To avoid this, usually the entire lineage was killed. The Israelites fell victim to this when Athaliah takes the throne of Judah upon the death of her husband, she attempted to have everyone with a claim to the throne killed (2 Kings 11). A more recent example would be the murder of the entire Romanov royal family in Russia, when the Bolsheviks overthrew Tsar Nicholas II.[7] Isaiah 14:21 prophecies that this action would be taken upon the king of Babylon.

We can also find a second, spiritual meaning in Isaiah 14:21. Just as we are children of God, those who follow and worship Satan will be like children of Satan when the final judgement comes, in that they will share the fate of Satan. All of those who worshipped the beast and took his mark, as well as those who rejected Christ—basically anyone who would have claim to Satan's "throne"—will be eliminated to avoid another war in Heaven.

Rejected From the Grave

Isaiah 14:19-20 is quite interesting because it talks about the king of Babylon being cast out of the grave. Upon reading that, I was quite confused. It seemed unlikely that the grave would reject a human, and honestly sounded zombie/vampire-ish. After looking at a few commentaries and digging deeper into the passage, I realized this is more about honorable burials than literally being rejected from the grave.[8] To put this in perspective, think of ancient Egypt. The kings were given extravagant pyramids upon their deaths and while these tombs had religious significance for them, they were also lasting markers of their reign—they're still there to this day. The king of Babylon would not be celebrated when he died.

The same can be said of the antichrist and spiritual Babylon. When God renders judgement at the end of the world. All traces of sin and evil will be removed from the universe and the world will be restored to it's perfect state. Despite all the effort Satan will have put in to destroy things, his work will be completely erased.

God's Will Will Stand

If God speaks something, it is true. If God says something will happen, it will happen. In this particular passage, God is speaking a pronouncement on Babylon and Assyria (later in the chapter He mentions Palestine, as well). While this particular example is rife with bad news for God's enemies, we have to remember that all the great news He's proclaimed for His people is just as true and just as concrete. We will have enteral life, we will be blessed, and we will have a more abundant life.

Palestine

I don't know why the person who split the books into chapters decided to put the breaks where they did, but it seems to me the end of Isaiah 14 should have been verse 27 and Isaiah 14:28 would actually start the new chapter. Here, Isaiah begins a new vision that he was given in the same year that king Ahaz died. This new vision was for the people of Palestina.

Palestina would be the region we call Palestine today. The people God was referencing were likely the Philistines who lived there at the time. Surprisingly, the Palestinians of today probably aren't related to the Philistines; it's supposed that they simply inherited the name by living in the region. In fact, at one point, Jews were known as Palestinians.[9] This also explains why Isaiah is prophesying that they will be wiped out. In the end, God would set His judgement on them through famine and extinction of their culture.

Something interesting about this passage is that the serpent begets another serpent. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles make it clear that our words and actions are our fruit; these fruit identify whom we're serving. Evil can only produce more evil and the fruits of evil are evil.

Fulfillment of the prophecy may be seen in 2 Kings 18:8, when Ahaz's son Hezekiah defeats the Philistines.

References

1. "Lucifer". Names.org; visited July 2018
2. Mike Campbell. "Lucifer". Behind the Name; visited July 2018
3. "Lucifer meaning". Abarim Publications. September, 10, 2014
4. Douglas Harper. "Lucifer". Online Etymology Dictionary; visited July 2018
5. "“Lucifer” or “Day Star” in Isaiah 14:12?". KJV Today; visited July 2018
6. "Why are both Jesus and Satan referred to as the morning star?". GotQuestions.org; visited July 2018
7. "Execution of the Romanov family". Wikipedia; visited July 2018
8. "Isaiah 14:19 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited July 2018
9. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Israel: Origins of the Name “Palestine”". Jewish Virtual Library; visited July 2018

Job 1&2: The Fall of Job

The book of Job follows a man's descent from abundantly blessed, to seemingly cursed, and back to favored by God. It is an important lesson for Christians today because it answers the fundamental question of why bad things happen to good people.

Introduction

Job is a righteous man living in the land of Uz. Although scholars aren't positive where Uz was, it is generally agreed that Uz was in the vicinity of Edom.^[1][2] This would place Job's home somewhere in the southern part of modern day Israel and Jordan.^[3] Job was one of God's favorite people and was blessed abundantly. The book of Job follows his descent from abundantly blessed, to seemingly cursed, and rise back to favored by God. It is an important lesson for Christians today because it answers the fundamental question of why bad things happen to good people.
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Wealth and Prosperity

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Nathan Anderson

There's a branch in Christianity known as "prosperity preaching;" the most famous preacher from the branch is probably Joel Osteen. Subscribers to this form of Christianity often hold to the idea that if you do right, you will be rewarded with prosperity. Job's friends seemed to subscribe to this philosophy as well. In the beginning of the book, we see that indeed, Job is very prosperous and wealthy—though the definition of wealthy back then is not what we consider wealthy today.

Today, we think of wealth in terms of money, but money is only worth what we make it worth. Back then, wealth came in the form of land and livestock. With an abundance of land, you could raise an abundance of livestock and grow an abundant harvest. Obviously the harvest would provide a person with food, but the livestock could provide a person with food, clothing, and tools. This is why Job's wealth is described in terms of livestock (Job 1:3).

Job not only has land and livestock, he has a large family and servants. If we imagine Job's blessing in today's world, he'd probably have a mansion on the water, a yacht, a butler, a maid, and a driver. Job would have been the guy on Instagram with millions of followers and the coolest photos. What's even better, is that he was righteous and God-fearing; which means he also would have been the first person to donate to your GoFundMe campaign or comfort you when you had a bad day.

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.Job 1:21 KJV

From a prosperity stand point, Job is the guy everyone wants to be. Except, the whole point of Job's story is that no matter how righteous you are, life won't always be flowers and unicorns. In fact, Job sets us up to understand Christ, who was truly perfect yet suffered on the cross. Job reminds us that God gives and God takes away, but it is all for the glory of God. Contrary to the teachings of prosperity preachers, the riches of this world hold no value and are not indicators of our commitment to God. As Job proves, there are good people who suffer and bad people who seem to prosper. Our focus should not be on how much we have, but how much we give.
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Satan's Challenge

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.Job 1:6 KJV

In the beginning of the book we are made the audience of a conversation between Satan and God. There are several different theories concerning this conversation, some of which are quite interesting. Some believe that the sons of God spoken of in Job 1:6 are angels and thus this meeting took place in Heaven among the angels. This interpretation calls into question when Satan fell if he was allowed in Heaven during Job's lifetime. I have also heard people theorize that this meeting took place on Earth and that the sons of God were righteous men of our world. Of course, that makes you wonder why Job wasn't present at this meeting... A third theory is that this happen on a world God created that has not fallen. In this theory, men from each world are meeting before Him to relay how their worlds are doing and as the prince of our world, Satan goes representing Earth. The basis for this interpretation stems from Hebrews 1:2 and Hebrews 11:3, which state that God created multiple worlds.^[4] Being a huge fan of science fiction, this last option sounds quite intriguing to me.

I can't say for sure which of these three theories is correct, or even attest that there isn't another scenario that is closer to the truth, however, I am fairly certain this did not take place in Heaven. For starters, there are plenty of examples in the Bible where sons of God refers to men not to angels. Also, if the devil was already out stirring up confusion among God's creation, he must have already started the war in Heaven and been cast out. As an outcast, he would not be allowed in God's holy kingdom. It seems unlikely that man kind was able to become so wicked without provocation from Satan that God wiped out the entire world (re: Noah and the flood), so it's probably safe to assume the war in Heaven had already started.

Regardless of where they met, the Satan played the part of our adversary (as usual) and took the opportunity to boast about the evil mankind participated in. As Satan attempted to gloat about how terrible we are at keeping God's commandments, God brings up Job as an example of mankind's righteousness. Upon this, Satan asks the most important question covered in the book (though the question Job asks in return is more popular): would Job still love and serve God if he were not blessed?
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Why Do We Follow God?

A lot of times, we do things because we want something or we know we'll get in trouble if we don't. For instance, I follow the speed limit on campus, not because I think 25 mph is a reasonable limit, but because I can't afford a speeding ticket. Prosperity preachers often invoke the idea that if we follow God's word, we will receive rewards. This creates people who quote "you reap what you sow" and insist that if you tithe you will be rewarded financially. Many of these people are carrying out actions in the hopes that they will benefit or earn a blessing. This isn't what God truly wants from us, though. He wants us to follow Him because we love Him and we delight in doing His will. If we're just following Him to gain a blessing, we're exactly the people Satan was accusing Job of being.

Are We Pawns?

When Satan brings up this point concerning Job, God already knew what was in Job's heart. That brings us to the question of why God allowed the devil to momentarily have his way. For many people, the story of Job "proves" that we are merely pawns in the cat-and-mouse game being played by God and Satan. These people often ask why God allowed so much to befall Job if He already knew Job's heart was pure.

Something we often neglect is God's supremacy. As the supreme ruler of the world, of course God knew what the outcome would be. So, why not just tell Satan he's wrong and spare Job? The problem is that while God knows everything, the rest of us don't! God wanted to prove Job had a pure heart, not just to Satan, but to the world (or worlds). God was giving everyone the opportunity to choose for themselves whether He was just or unjust in spoiling Job with riches.
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Restrictions on Satan

Job's suffering is the result of 2 conversations between God and Satan. After the first, God allows Satan to take away some of Job's blessings, but God does not permit Satan to touch Job. During the second conversation, Satan suggests that Job is selfish and doesn't mind loss as long as it does not impact his own health. At this accusation, God allows Satan to take away Job's health but does not allow Satan to kill Job. These restrictions remind us that God still has ultimate control and is referenced in the New Testament (Matthew 10:28).

Often, the next thought people have after this revelation is that God is evil because God allows evil to happen. This ignores the vast complexity of life. Our first mistake is assuming that we deserve God's protection. Although Job is described as perfect, this is not the equivalent of sinless. Job's perfection comes from his repentance from his sins. We have all sinned and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). We are lucky to have any protection at all from God. We also have to seek His protection. We often claim God is first in our life, but our actions do not testify to this. If we cast Him aside and do not place Him as King in our life, why should we expect Him to protect us? Suggesting that nothing bad should ever happen to us, is like excusing convicts for their crimes and never making them serve a sentence. We are not perfect, so at some point we will experience hardships.
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Job's Loss

Th first thing Job loses is his wealth and his family. All of his livestock, all of his servants, and all of his children die on the same day. As depressing as it may be, it also speaks to the presence of higher powers in the world. If you have two children or even three, the possibility of them dying together exists, though it is very small. Job has 7 sons and 3 daughters! What is the likelihood that they all die on the same day? When you add the servants and the livestock to the count, it really only seems possible if there was a natural disaster or a nuclear attack. Had there been a natural disaster, however, Job would not have been the only one to lose so much. Bombs didn't exist back then, so we know that only a being with a tremendous amount of power—like a fallen angel—could cause such damage.

When Satan sees that Job does not curse God, even after losing so much, he goes for Job's life. Satan knows that most of us are more concerned with our own well being that with everything around us. While the death of his children was probably heartbreaking, and the death of his servants probably made him sad, Job hadn't experienced personal suffering. I can't say I would rather my loved one die than to suffer, but I can tell you that I would rather become poor than to be diagnosed with cancer. I suspect many of us fall in to this category as well. Satan knew it then, and he knows it now. After Satan's second conversation with God, he takes away Job's health and curses him with painful boils.
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References

1. "Land of Uz". Institute for Creation Research; visited May 2017
2. Lamentations 4:21
3. "Land of Uz". Wikipedia; visited May 2017
4. Pastor Doug Batchelor. "Lessons From Job Part-1: There Was A Man". Amazing Facts. 1997