Job 17
Job is broken and ready to die. He calls all his 'friends' mockers. Judging from the phrase in verse 4, "Therefore You will not exalt," this next string of verses is Job talking to God. In verse 3 Job asks God to make a pledge to Job that, in verse 5, his mockers children would languish if his friends were somehow gaining from their friend's trial. In the next few verses, it seems that Job is again loathing his existence, but he seems to begin to see that he will be stronger through the end of these trials. He says in verse 9 that the righteous (and it seems that he considers himself righteous) will grow stronger.
In the next verse he claims again to not find a wise man among his friends. Job then contemplates making death and hell his home.
Job 18
Job's friend Bildad calls out Job and asks why is it that he is regarded as stupid? Then Bildad continues the same chorus as the rest of friends, "Job you are wicked, and here is why it is bad to be wicked, so you should turn from your ways." So clearly Bildad has gotten it yet. He still thinks that Bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. What they all miss is that there is no one good, not even one. If we all got what we deserved, we would not exist. Praise the Lord for his mercy!
Some verses to consider:
John 6:45 - Christ says that the people who come to know God are taught by God.
Jeremiah 31:31-34 - An old testament prophecy that says the same.
Hebrews 8:7-12 - A new testament reiteration of both of these.
What does it mean to NOT be taught by man, but to be taught by God?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Job 15-16
Job 15
Eliphaz tells again of Job's windy talk and useless complaining. He says that by doing this Job ignores reverence and meditation before God. Job is condemn by his friend as guilty. His friend reiterates what has already been said, "Do you limit wisdom to yourself?" We find out that old men are his in this counsel (v10). Eliphaz is calling out Job, saying that Job has allowed himself to be turned from God through all of his trouble, reiterating that no man is pure and righteous before the Lord.
Eliphaz begins a story about an evil man who knows of his evil and cowers before God (his main sin against the Lord being arrogance; v25). The evil man, through this arrogance, attacks God. Eliphaz says that this man will not prosper. His livelihood will fail, and his house will be consumed with fire (seemingly acts of God, so maybe he's saying that God will pour out his wrath on this evil fellow).
Job 16
Job fires back with what seems to be a broken record or maybe the trendy thing to say during this day, "Is there no limit to windy words?" Job chides his friends for not being more understanding (understanding of what?; I would think understanding of the possibility that God may bring hardship of the righteous and the unrighteous; Matthew 5:45). Job's friends did not exactly build him up as Ephesians 4:29 says to do, and Job tells them this. He tells them that their company has shriveled him up, exhausted him, and torn him down.
It seems strange, though, still to me that Job is blaming God for all of this. Satan truly is the one who touched him though God allowed this. How about the fact that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Job deserves death for his sin, but he has not received it. However he does desire death to this torture, as he claims this life to be; perhaps God still has plans for him.
Job does have a good understanding that man needs an advocate with the Lord. He seems to be the only one who understands this. Praise the Lord that our advocate is Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25). Even the spirit of God, who lives inside those who believe, makes intercession for us to the Father! (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:26).
Eliphaz tells again of Job's windy talk and useless complaining. He says that by doing this Job ignores reverence and meditation before God. Job is condemn by his friend as guilty. His friend reiterates what has already been said, "Do you limit wisdom to yourself?" We find out that old men are his in this counsel (v10). Eliphaz is calling out Job, saying that Job has allowed himself to be turned from God through all of his trouble, reiterating that no man is pure and righteous before the Lord.
Eliphaz begins a story about an evil man who knows of his evil and cowers before God (his main sin against the Lord being arrogance; v25). The evil man, through this arrogance, attacks God. Eliphaz says that this man will not prosper. His livelihood will fail, and his house will be consumed with fire (seemingly acts of God, so maybe he's saying that God will pour out his wrath on this evil fellow).
Job 16
Job fires back with what seems to be a broken record or maybe the trendy thing to say during this day, "Is there no limit to windy words?" Job chides his friends for not being more understanding (understanding of what?; I would think understanding of the possibility that God may bring hardship of the righteous and the unrighteous; Matthew 5:45). Job's friends did not exactly build him up as Ephesians 4:29 says to do, and Job tells them this. He tells them that their company has shriveled him up, exhausted him, and torn him down.
It seems strange, though, still to me that Job is blaming God for all of this. Satan truly is the one who touched him though God allowed this. How about the fact that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Job deserves death for his sin, but he has not received it. However he does desire death to this torture, as he claims this life to be; perhaps God still has plans for him.
Job does have a good understanding that man needs an advocate with the Lord. He seems to be the only one who understands this. Praise the Lord that our advocate is Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25). Even the spirit of God, who lives inside those who believe, makes intercession for us to the Father! (Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:26).
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