I Am Not Inferior Unto You

These were Job’s words to his friends, as he grew exasperated with them, and their unasked-for advice.

Job 12:3 says:

“But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yeah, who knoweth not such things as these?”

And in Job 13:1-2 says:

“Lo, mine eyes hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.”

When the Holy Spirit revealed these words to me, i.e. the bolded phrases above… they illuminated like neon lights in my spirit, as far as His wanting to emphasize them.

It was read immediately after a Facebook conversation interchange wherein a stranger attacked me with “his truth” that wasn’t applicable in my situation…and therefore, the words were highlighted to me, and The Spirit began to teach me as I read upon the next few verses:

It would have been best for that man on Facebook to “hold his peace” for he was “talking deceitfully”, “speaking wickedly”, and “contending” – totally unnecessarily!

Job 13:7-9

“Will you speak wickedly for God? And talk deceitfully for him? Will you accept his person? Will you contend for God?”

Knowing what that man said and how it affected me, and knowing that Holy Spirit talks to me for me, I then prayed,

“Lord, I ask you to help me also to know when to “be quiet” and not think I have to speak “for God”.

The Holy Spirit then said this to me:

Beth, you are hearing me! What I am saying here, via Job, is “let ME speak to people” – You don’t always have to feel you need to speak FOR ME!

This was Job’s friends ERROR! Their love and support, being there FOR him, and even physically WITH him, WAS ENOUGH.

As they took it upon themselves to GET FOR HIM – A SOLUTION – by sharing their spiritual insights or talking to him FOR ME, they began to wear on him, and produce frustration in him.

In other words, they were of NO HELP WHATSOEVER! They worsened his suffering.

Job knew I didn’t give them their words BECAUSE he could hear me for himself! I just was NOT TALKING to him!

So, when ‘they’ spoke, and it DIDN’T BEAR WITNESS with his own mind and heart, he was aware it WASN’T ME COMMUNICATING!

It instead frustrated him, to no end!

Then I saw Job’s retort in Job 13:10-12…

“God will reprove you! Aren’t you afraid to mock him? Shall not his excellency – and dread – fall onto you?”

They weren’t BETTER than him! His friends weren’t better than Job! This is why twice, in the verses we began with, Job says, “I am not inferior to you!”

He realized they were “talking down to him” and “trying to put condemnation on him” … and it was ruffling his feathers! He was not only frustrated, but Job got mad at his friends…

He says to his friends in Job 13:13

“Hold your peace! Let me alone! …that I may speak, and let come on me what will!”

It really stirred up Job’s anger that his friends thought themselves superior to him.

Clearly in these two verses he makes it clear to us all that he had the same knowledge as his friends had, the same understandings, etc. i.e. he knew the same biblical principles as they did. Their treating him as if he was ignorant spiritually upset him!

Leonard and I had a similar experience, recently, where we were invited, as new people, to a home bible study, and instead of the leader asking us our testimonies or backgrounds in the Lord, they “assumed” we were “sinners” needing to be bottle-fed, not realizing we’d been eating meat for decades. The spiritual pride was so thick that we both had a difficult time making it through the meeting. It was because the leader thought himself “superior” to us and all the other attendees, including his wife. He was “aiming” at us…”targeting us” with how he taught… and Leonard and I were both alert to it. Therefore, we did get frustrated too… because we shared Job’s expressed sentiment: “We are not inferior to you!”

Why am I sharing this lesson that God gave to me?

Because, if the Lord doesn’t give us something “from the Spirit” for another person, and we get “into their business” without “understanding their situation”, we may end up doing just as Job’s friends did to Job!

We could be speaking “inapplicable” truth. We can do more harm than good with our “counsel”!

Job in the last chapter (Job 42) ended up praying for his friends and offering a sacrifice for them. Why?

We find the answer in Job 42:7

“…the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have NOT SPOKEN OF ME the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.”

They “misrepresented” God. They “misrepresented” what was right in Job’s situation. They put “condemnation” and “additional sufferings” upon Job, that wore him down even further! Especially when he was suffering physically already!

Now let’s apply all this to the modern-day believer:

First, we know that now, in Christ, each genuine believer has “the Holy Spirit” within them. He is their helper, their comforter, their counselor, their guide. Is He not?

Then what makes some believers think they ARE the Holy Spirit to another person?

Isn’t He, God?…in Spirit, within them? Quite capable, on His Own, to give that believer his guidance!

The answer is YES!

For clarity, I’m not speaking of a person’s role as an author or bible teacher etc, wherein they share general principles of The Word… I’m speaking mainly about those one-on-one encounters between believers, wherein someone is giving unasked-for advice that may not be applicable, because they don’t know the full situation of the person; They are pridefully trying to help without knowing what God is doing in the person’s situation. They’re meddling!

Secondly, we know that Christ, is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for that person, right?

Let’s look at Romans 8:34…

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

Job’s friends were “condemning” Job, without any facts…. they were “speculating” “out loud” and giving general truths about God, that were not applicable in Job’s case. Job knew all these “truths” already. They weren’t answering “his questions and concerns” because GOD was being SOVEREIGN.

In modern day, God is still sovereign. Isn’t He?

Yes, He is.

Now we are getting to the heart of the whole matter!

We live within a society where we want to understand every little thing that happens, or doesn’t happen, and we over-analyze everything to try to find out “Why?”.

Yet, God will not fit into a mold!

Why?

Because God is Sovereign!

What exactly does “that” mean… I hear some of you asking…

It means He, God, is LORD over ALL OF CREATION! As its sovereign, he exercises HIS RULE. He makes decisions based upon His Understanding, not ours. He reigns supreme not only over mankind, but over heaven and earth, and all created things! What’s more, he can even “create” things! He can control the hearts of Kings and authorities. He is in control over all circumstances. Nothing surprises Him! He allows things, He hinders things, He releases things, He holds things back… All is under His Control! He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Everywhere, Holy and Just. He is also Love, and Merciful.

It’s hard for proud, arrogant people to realize that they are dealing with someone so much greater than themselves! They may desire to feel superior to others. But we are all equal at the foot of the cross. We are all of one-blood and have no distinction of race or color in God’s eyes.

Much of the Anti-Christ society in the world today, FIGHTS WITH GOD, for they don’t WANT HIM TO BE SOVEREIGN. They want to rule themselves! They don’t desire someone messing into their lives! They don’t want anyone telling them what to do or not do.

But guess what? God and Satan both mess in everyone’s lives! Whether we like it or not!

The Sovereignty of God can be trusted by TRUE BELIEVERS though. Why? Because we are under several covenants with God, and God himself places his sovereignty under the covenant’s conditions. Therefore, if we know these, we can be at peace and will not fear.

We, who are In Christ, believe that Jesus died upon the cross, shedding his blood to purchase us out of the kingdom of darkness, and that he rose again…appeared unto men, and ascended into heaven…and is alive and will be coming again. This is our foundational gospel…it is the New Covenant. We are saved by “grace” – it is a “gift of God” – not of works, lest any man should boast.

So, we conclude… We are not inferior to each other… but we are inferior to a Sovereign God. Amen?!

We must hold our rightful place. Which is not to take the role of Holy Spirit in our brothers and sisters’ lives.

We must hold our rightful place, however, which is surrender and trust of our Sovereign Lord. We must “realize” that He IS GOD. He allows whatever circumstances touch us or others. We must trust that He has a reason for these circumstances. Are they molding us? Testing us? Giving others a picture of trust? Causing us to press into intimacy with our God?

There are so many various reasons for God “allowing” what He does in our lives.

Let’s allow God to BE GOD! And stay “out” of His Business, by keeping ourselves “out” of others’ business, as we look upon what is going on in their lives. Yes, get involved, IF the Spirit of God instructs you to say something, or support that person, but do not… think you have to SPEAK FOR GOD or meddle in their lives!

He is quite able to speak to that person himself…unless He gives you something specifically to say or do, in obedience to His Spirit.

I believe the Lord is telling me that too many of his children are so concerned about “others”, that they are not attending to their own selves.

Let’s allow God to BE GOD in other’s lives.

And let’s begin to pay attention to what He desires to do within our own lives.

Do you know there is a way to mind our own business, and yet get involved with them out of a loving concern for them?

We pray for them! If we notice their struggling, their rebellion, their sufferings…whatever it is we are observing, just take that to The Lord, in intercession. After praying awhile for them, He may indeed reveal to you how to help them. But He may just keep you out of it, and hear your intercession, and speak to them himself. They will never know you prayed for them… but God knows… Amen?!

I’m not saying never to get involved. I believe the Spirit of God is saying, “Do not think yourself superior spiritually” that YOU FEEL you have to get involved. For your involvement, more times than not, is not going to be God’s Will… unless He specifically tells you how to involve yourself.”

As we began, God revealed that IT WAS ENOUGH for Job’s friends to “be close”… “show they cared”… and to “empathize with his sufferings”.

They didn’t need to try to help him “figure it all out”!

They didn’t need to “speak aloud their thoughts” that were not edifying to Job.

They didn’t need to try to find a way for his suffering to stop.

They started out silent with Job. They should have just stayed silent.

What caused them to speak?

They thought themselves superior to Job.

This is why Job had to respond not once, but twice, with “I’m not Inferior to You!”

BELIEVERS, LET’S KEEP OUR TONGUES! Let’s only speak for GOD when we know we are given something to speak.

That person’s “response” will let us know then, that they bear witness to what was given them by the Lord. It will resonate with them! They will know the Lord gave us our words to help them!

If we speak from ourselves, we are sure to get a response that indicates that “we have missed it” and have “done more damage than good”. We might be speaking a truth but it’s not applicable truth in their circumstances. Be mindful that there is a difference!

As we close, I will give you a personal example, that the Spirit has just quickened to me. I believe this will give clarity to everyone, as to what lesson He desiring to convey to us all:

When visiting the summer in Johnson City, TN, after being widowed and while recording an album there, I went to church at one of the area churches and was “new” to them. A lady there asked me to lunch, and I was excited, thinking that maybe this was a friendship the Spirit was making happen! (He does that!) But, when at the restaurant, within a few sentences of her speaking, immediately I “perceived” that “I was her project”. Simply put, she had asked me to lunch “to preach at me”. It was not a Spirit-led conversation at all, my friends. Yes, she spoke some things from the bible… yet she failed to ask me anything about myself! She just immediately began to “talk down to me” in spiritual superiority, and I can tell you… it disturbed me at the time… and I remember it well, even though the conversation took place in 2009! It was ‘the spirit of the thing’… not so much what she said.

I sensed that she thought I was a sinner that she needed to save, but she knew absolutely nothing about me.

So, the conversation had no applicable truth in it, though she told me truths. It wasn’t a helpful conversation at all…to me.

I had to make the conscious decision not to be offended, and then I boldly shared of my own intimacy with the Lord toward the end of the meal. Thereafter, I think she realized she “assumed” things, and spoke “from the flesh” not from the Lord to me at all.

God turned it around so that she could learn from the experience, but I can tell you, it was a very uncomfortable conversation throughout most of the meal, for I was letting her talk, wondering if I was to receive from her. In other words, I was open. No walls up! It was just a totally frustrating meal time! From the receiving end!

I knew exactly how Job felt! Only he felt it way worse because he was already physically suffering, and the mental suffering of his friends just worsened His Suffering! It certainly didn’t relieve him of any! Poor man! Glad God showed up!

This then is a message that would have been beneficial to that woman to have read prior to taking me to lunch!

Why would I, or another person, find this type of conversation frustrating, and even offensive?

Didn’t she have a good heart, trying to convert me?

The answer is NO!

She didn’t have a Good Heart, or a surrendered heart, nor was she being led by the Spirit in her conversation with me. She was proud. She was arrogant. She was self-righteous. And she didn’t even bother to inquire about me before she set off on her mission to SPEAK FOR GOD! She missed it folks! And had I not been a mature believer, who was listening to the Holy Spirit which later enabled me to turn the conversation and actually help her spiritually… it would have been devastating to a New Believer or to an Unbeliever.

They would have been turned off to God rather than being brought toward God.

How many times has this happened?… I wonder.

I am sure it has happened with me… and I am sure it has happened with you… either on the giving out end or the receiving end.

This is why the Spirit is bringing it to light. Amen?!

Believers can MISS IT! Yes, indeed. We can shut the door of salvation right in someone’s face! …If we are not being led by the Spirit of God, but our own form of religious zeal.

Why? Because we need to walk in humility toward one another, preferring one another in love.

We need to find out things about the “other person” before we involve ourselves with them, as far as speaking “for God” into the details of their lives.

What we do must be Spirit-Led! Otherwise, that “other person” will know!

Job knew his friends were “missing it”! He knew the same truths they did, but those things weren’t applicable in His Situation!

This is a lesson for ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST!

Other Believers – who are not us – have the Holy Spirit too!

We are not “better than them”!

They are not “inferior to us”!

This is the truth Job basically shouted at his friends!

Twice!

So, the takeaway from this article is this:

Beware of the spirit you are resonating toward another believer. Is it pride? Is it superiority? Is it thinking you have all the answers, and they know nothing?

Then it is sin. Turn, change your communications, and begin to build up, edify, and speak “for God” only when He gives you something to speak.

Please, get to know the other person(s). Only then can you know what applicable truth to speak. They will ask for your counsel if they want it, Amen?!

You can share truth as it applies to you, give your testimony, even give out general truth… but do not be giving out “pointing of a finger” application, or general truth specifically aimed at that other person! Unless God gives to you something specific to help that person. For, yes, He does do that.

So be aware of what spirit you speak from… the flesh in a superior attitude… or the Spirit in a nurturing caring attitude. There is a difference.

Are you trying to usurp the position of the Holy Spirit in other’s lives? That is another question to ask yourself.

I’m not going to say anything more. But will pray that “as a circumstance” presents itself that this lesson may relate to… whether you are the listener or the speaker… that you’ll have the wisdom from the Lord to speak or respond as the Spirit leads you to.

The Holy Spirit seems to be “fine-tuning” us in spiritual disciplines, and this is one: How to relate to one another and give the Spirit the respect and honor due Him.

So, I exhort us all…and I include myself… to listen to His still small voice within us… especially before we “engage our mouths”, be it in spoken or typed format.

It’s better to be silent than to be used by the enemy to discourage another person in their trials or faithful walk with God.

God, in His Sovereignty can speak to them in many other ways, Amen?!

Let’s give Him Respect and not “interfere”, especially if your words are just brain-storming or trying to figure out stuff for the other person, in your flesh. There may be a reason for the “storming” mention within that term, so let’s avoid bringing a storm upon them. Amen?!