Job 5:2 - Eliphaz Regarding Wrath and Envy

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. -- Job 5:2, King James Version.

Eliphaz appeals to his own observation, and says that though the wicked for a time seem to be prosperous, yet he had observed that they were soon overtaken with calamity and cut down. He evidently means that prosperity was no evidence of the divine favor; but that when it had continued for a little time, and was then withdrawn, it was proof that the man who had been prospered was at heart a wicked man. It was easy to understated that he meant that this should be applied to Job, who, though he had been favored with temporary prosperity, was now revealed to be at heart a wicked man. -- Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834].

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This verse is sometimes quoted as a scripture lesson pertaining to anger and envy, although the words were spoken, not by Jehovah, Job nor Elihu, but are the words Eliphaz. (Job 4:1) As recorded in Job 42:7, Jehovah tells what he thought of the words of Eliphaz. Jehovah said to Eliphaz: "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." -- American Standard Version.

Obviously, Eliphaz was stating that Job was a foolish and silly man. It is possible that Eliphaz was quoting a folk saying of his time, although we cannot be certain of this. Thus, it is just as possible that the words were original to Eliphaz. We can say, however, that wrath can, but not necessarily, lead to death, and also that envy can possibly lead to being slayed. 

The real point we should note regarding this scripture, however, is that Eliphaz was obviously endeavoring to find something very evil about Job as being the reason for his suffering. We should avoid be like Eliphaz in this, and we also should be careful about how we cast our accusations and judgments against others. We cannot know absolutely everything about others so as to condemn them for whatever reason. All of us fall short due to the condemnation in Adam, and likewise, our judgment could easily fall short of fully understanding what is happening to others. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.

1 John 2:27 - Anointing

 The anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you. -- 1 John 2:27

THE blessing and power of Jehovah accompanied David's anointing in some manner -- just how we may not understand -- enabling him to progress in knowledge, etc., and fitting and preparing him for the duties of the office to which he had been anointed. May we not consider as an antitype to this, the anointing which comes upon the church from the time of her acceptance with Jehovah? Ours is not a physical anointing, nor are the blessings conferred of a temporal character: it is as New Creatures that we grow in grace and knowledge and love; and as New Creatures that, by and by, we shall be perfected in the First Resurrection and come to the throne with our Lord and Master as our Head. Z.'03-223 R3227:4 (Edited to present God's Holy Name as "Jehovah").

Malachi 3:17 - Jehovah Makes Up His Treasure

Malachi 3:17 - And they shall be Mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, for the day that I will make up My treasure. And I will pity them as a man has pity on his son who serves him. -- Green's Literal.

HAD Jehovah sent us forth to seek Jesus' bride, we might have gathered in some whom he rejects as unworthy -- because we are unable to read the heart. This thought should make us very humble, gentle and meek toward all, and very trustful of Jehovah, and very much inclined to look for his leading in respect to our labors as his servants, just as Samuel looked to Jehovah in connection with the anointing of David. -- Based on excerpt from the article, "The Lord Looketh on the Heart", Watch Tower, July 15, 1903.

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The Hebrew word rendered as "treasure" above is a form Strong's Hebrew #5459, which is often transliterated as segullah. Brown-Driver-Briggs give this word the meaning of "valued property", "peculiar treasure". In our text above it is singular, but in the next sentence, the Hebrew text refers to this singular "treasure" by using a plural form which rendered above as "them". Thus, while viewed as a singular treasure, that singular treasure is made up of many individuals.

We know that the nation of Israel is often referred to as God's "holy/peculiar people". Likewise, those who belong to Christ in this age are also designated as God's "holy/peculiar people". In our text, however, Jehovah appears to be referring to the result of the work being done in the present age. As applied to the church, it would be the time when "we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 13, World English) This work is done by God in us, for as the apostle stated: "I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase." -- 1 Corinthians 3:6. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.



References:

Bible Hub's Hebrew Analysis of Malachi 3:17
Commentaries on Malachi 3:17