Thank you so much for this reflection on Job 40. When I was teaching a course on Spiritual Warfare to those preparing for cross-cultural mission I’d kick off with Eph.2:1 – 4. These verses spell out the working of evil in terms of the demonic, the structural (systemic) and personal – each of which, of course, woven inextricably with the other. By and large my students would either come from a post-modern context that see things in terms of the systemic and those from pre-modern contexts (I don’t mean to be patronising) who’d see things in terms of the demonic. I digress, here in the UK we don’t preach enough about the malign and very real hatred that Satan has for believers.
An aside on Behemoth and Leviathan: Having lived amongst (only slightly!) post-animists the projection of mystic and ontic personalities on certain wild animals was a mark of their background worldview. I would see both the hippopotamus and crocodile being identified in this way; i.e. you don’t mess with these.
And just to add, what is the very attractive plant on the table next to you. The plant with the profusion of violet / white flowers – sorry but I’m into plants
Thank you so much for this reflection on Job 40. When I was teaching a course on Spiritual Warfare to those preparing for cross-cultural mission I’d kick off with Eph.2:1 – 4. These verses spell out the working of evil in terms of the demonic, the structural (systemic) and personal – each of which, of course, woven inextricably with the other. By and large my students would either come from a post-modern context that see things in terms of the systemic and those from pre-modern contexts (I don’t mean to be patronising) who’d see things in terms of the demonic. I digress, here in the UK we don’t preach enough about the malign and very real hatred that Satan has for believers.
An aside on Behemoth and Leviathan: Having lived amongst (only slightly!) post-animists the projection of mystic and ontic personalities on certain wild animals was a mark of their background worldview. I would see both the hippopotamus and crocodile being identified in this way; i.e. you don’t mess with these.
And just to add, what is the very attractive plant on the table next to you. The plant with the profusion of violet / white flowers – sorry but I’m into plants
As ever thank you for your ministry,
Derek
Thanks Derek…I have no idea what the plant is…I just like it!
Hebrews 10:31 KJV
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.