I was listening to a Pastor the other day as he was delivering a message from the first chapter of Job. I was following along as he read the scripture. I was reading the King James Version and he was reading from the New King James Version. Now, I am not a KJV only guy, but as I read the difference, something jumped off the page to me. It makes a difference where you are reading from. The point of the message was good, but this one point made a world of difference to me.
Read both and see if you notice any difference:
NKJV Job 1:4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed[a] God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.
KJV Job 1:4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered Does burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
What hit me in the face like a ton of bricks is the last word. The NKJV says that Job was concerned about his kids in essence interceding for them regularly. Regularly can be once a day, once a week, once a month, even once a year. The KJV says he does it continually. Do you see how one word changes the mean altogether?
Here’s is what stuck in my mind making this a big thing. The Old Testament, which is where the book of Job is, serves as a type, or foreshadow of the New Testament. Job can easily be seen as a foreshadow of Jesus in this situation.
The Bible says that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father continuously interceding for us His children. How would it change that scripture if we read it that Jesus regularly intercedes at the right hand of the Father for us. No, I want Him continuously interceding for me.
I read another version that completely left the last sentence out. Friends it matters what you are reading, because that is what we are putting into our minds and hearts…… and that’s what we are putting into the minds and hearts of our children and grandchildren.
In another scripture Paul tells us that while he was in prison the church prayed for him without ceasing, or continuously. He tell us in another place to pray without ceasing, or continuously. We know that this means in a spirit of continual prayer. Willie Nelson sang a song “You Are Always On My Mind”. That doesn’t mean that every thought in your his mind is on his sweetie, but the thought of her is never far away. The same with us and God. Every word that comes out of our mouth is not prayer, but as a Christian the thought of prayer is never far away. The thought of Job about interceding for his children was not regularly, every Friday, but it was never far from his mind. Jesus is not interceding for us regularly on every Friday, but continuously.
So, am I saying that you can only read the KJV? Certainly not. What I am saying is search diligently for yourself. Invest in a good concordance and dictionary. I prefer the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance myself, but there are other good ones on the market today.
Take time to know what you know and why you know it. You won’t be sorry you did.
