Job 1,2,13,19
The Righteous Suffer

Bill Blurb: Now that we've finished the Historical books of the OT, we come upon the five books of Poetry, which will be followed by the Major, then Minor Prophets. Since we've been slicing and dicing Psalms and Proverbs, we won't be covering them in the sequential text portion of the blog (like Genesis to Esther). The hallmark of Hebrew poetry is not rhyming like a Hallmark card, but repetition and parallelism of ideas and concepts, expressed in scintillating symbolism. Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon will be given a brief overview in the next posts, and then we will savor them a sip at a time in future posts, after we exhaust Psalms and Proverbs. We'll also portion out Psalm 119 in more bite sized (ok, meal sized) portions so we can appreciate the unique flavor of each taste, rather than choke on the huge amount of Truth in the psalm. Bon Appétit!

For those of you who like categorization (and alliteration):

• Job teaches how to have the our (w)right place in life;
• Psalms teach how to have worshipful praise in our life;
• Proverbs teach how to have wise practices in our life;
• Ecclesiastes teaches how to have worthwhile purpose in our life;
• Song of Songs teaches how to have wondrous passion in our life.

OK, I'll stop now.

Psalm 69:16-36 Praise is More Pleasing

16.Answer me, Yahweh, for your hesed/loyal love is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.17.Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!18.Draw near to my soul, and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.19.You know my reproach/scorn, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.20.reproach/scorn has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.21.They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink...”22.Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.23.Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.24.Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.25.Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.26.For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.27.Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness.28.Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.29.But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.30.I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.31.It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.32.The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.33.For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.34.Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!35.For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.36.The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein."

Observation

69:22-36. In the last half of the psalm David expresses confidence in God's hesed to not only deliver him, but pay back his enemies. His calling down curses upon them might look a little severe, but then he is only asking God to act justly. Blotting out their name from the book of life might be a reference to the removal of them from the register of those who participation in the rule or blessings of the kingdom. The wicked will not inherit blessing.
David vows to praise God with thanksgiving, which He likes more than burnt offerings. The humble who depend on God will rejoice in the testimony of God's deliverance of His people. David looks forward to God saving Zion, regathering the people and fulfilling His promises in the Kingdom.

Application

Trust and resultant praise to God for deliverance is more pleasing to Him than a bunch of burnt animals, or any material thing we could give Him.

Prayer

God, thanks that You are the God who saves, and sets things right; I will be faithful to trust and praise You so You can be exalted in the eyes of others. Amen.

Proverbs 18:9 Sluggards Are Sinners

9.“One who is slack in his work is brother to him who is a master of destruction.“

Observation

18:9.

Sluggards are lower life forms that cause damage and destruction by not doing what should be done, when it should be done. It sounds like they lack wisdom (choosing the right objectives and the means of attaining them), and thus fear of the Lord. That would pretty much put them in the fool category. They waste the hours of their days by not heartily using them for the Lord's purposes, failing to build a legacy or a witness. They waste the precious minutes of others by being unfaithful and unreliable, contributing to nothing except the selfish pursuit of their temporal ease. Time is the interval during which we get blessed or cursed. Guess the destiny of the sluggard as a result of how they used their allotment of time. See Faithfulness with our Time to get a grip on stewardship of the 10080 minutes God entrust to you each week. The outline is also at the end of the TOYL Booklet.

Application

If you happen to catch sight of a sluggard in the mirror, spend a little time cleansing yourself from the deadly sin of sloth by studying the Saga of the Sorry Sluggard.

Prayer

Lord, help me invest every precious minute You've given me for Your purposes, be it work or play, so You'll be glorified. Amen.

Job 1,2,13,19 The Righteous Suffer

This is considered the oldest book of the Bible, almost a prelude or “porch” to the “temple” of Genesis to Deuteronomy. It describes life in patriarchal times, before the Law was given. The postscript of the Septuagint version is worth noting (under Digging Deeper). There are some plausible arguments for Mosaic authorship there as well. In this and the next post, we'll look at some key chapters from the beginning, middle, and end of Job.

A frequent hang-up to a correct understanding of God as revealed in the Scriptures is: “Why do the righteous suffer if God is all loving and powerful? He should be willing and able to do something about the evil we see and experience in our world." This is answered under the 7QUESTIONS and in sermons on suffering on Truthbase.net, but for now, the Book of Job shows us that we don't have the entire story, just like the main character and his “friends.”

Job 1 God Gives and Takes Away, Blessed Be His Name

1.There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from/ eschewed evil.2.There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.3.His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east.4.His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.5.It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified/purified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts." Job did so continually.
6.Now it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan also came among them.7.Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."8.Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from/eschews evil."9.Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "Does Job fear God for nothing?10.Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.11.But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face."12.Yahweh said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t put forth your hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh.
13.It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,14.that there came a messenger to Job, and said, "The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them,15.and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."16.While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, "The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."17.While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."18.While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house,19.and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you."
20.Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped.21.He said, "Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh."
22.In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

Observations

1:1-5.

Job is described as blameless, upright, fearing God and eschewing evil, by both the author and God himself. To deny this was true is to follow Satan's tactic of denying truth. Job is great, and blessed, and scrupulous in even offering sacrifices for his children, so they don't come under God's wrath. A real God-fearer.

1:6-12.

Satan stops by to have tea with God (so much for the idea that God can't look upon evil, a total perversion of Hab 1:13 perpetrated by those oblivious to context). Only a divinely inspired author could have insight into this heavenly conversation (just like divine inspiration was necessary to listen in on Genesis 1). God brags to Satan about His super servant Job. Satan says Job only serves for the benefits, making God look like a bribing parent who can only get their kids to behave by buying them a candy bar or a BMW. God gives Satan permission to take all that God had given Job.

1:13-22.

Note the forces that Satan commands, lightning, wind, and the usual bad guy. Job responds blamelessly, mourning the loss of his children, but recognizing that all he had was the blessing of God, on loan to Him.

Application

Do you view your possessions and relationships as a blessing entrusted to you by God as a stewardship? Or do you think it's your stuff to do with as you please? If the former, you can bless God when you no longer have it.

Prayer

God, thanks that You bless your servants who fear and obey You; may I hold all Your blessings with an open hand, knowing You may require them back at any moment. Amen.

Job 2 Blameless and Upright, Fearing God, Eschewing Evil

1.Again it happened on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh.2.Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."3.Yahweh said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from/eschews evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause."4.Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.5.But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face."6.Yahweh said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life."
7.So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head.8.He took for himself a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he sat among the ashes.9.Then his wife said to him, "Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die."10.But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job didn’t sin with his lips.
12.When they lifted up their eyes from a distance, and didn’t recognize him, they raised their voices, and wept; and they each tore his robe, and sprinkled dust on their heads toward the sky.13.So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.

Observations

2:1-6.

Satan loses round one, and comes back for more. This time God allows him to physically afflict Job, noting again, that there is no cause in Job for the evil that befalls him.

2:7-10.

Job lost power, pleasure, and possessions, now the physical pain starts. Never helpful nagging wife was not killed in chapter one so she could add to his affliction here. Job maintains his blamelessness by recognizing God is in the heavens and can do as He pleases, sending good to evil guys or evil to good guys, according to His purposes.

2:11-13.

Job's “friends” come on the scene, sitting with him to share his grief. They will be used in the rest of the book to make arguments that Job's afflictions are consequences of his sinful actions. In doing so, they say much that is generally true, but not the truth about Job's situation. In responding to them, Job maintains his innocence and gives a great picture of blameless righteousness.

Application

If we know we're walking righteously, we can trust that the hand of God is upon us for good, even when bad things happen.

Prayer

God, may my response to the “bad” things in my life be a reaffirmation of Your infinite goodness, justice, and sovereignty. Amen.

Job 13 If God Slays Me, I'll Still Trust Him

1."Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.2.What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.3."Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.4.But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.5.Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.6.Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.7.Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?12.Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your defenses are defenses of clay.13."Be silent, leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
14.Why should I take my life in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?15.Though, he slay me, even so, I will trust Him (KJV) Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.16.This also shall be my salvation, that a godless man shall not come before him.17.Hear diligently my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.18.See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.19.Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.20."Only don’t do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from your face:21.withdraw your hand far from me; and don’t let your terror make me afraid.22.Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you answer me.23.How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.24.Why hide you your face, and hold me for your enemy?25.Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?26.For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth:27.You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,28.though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Observations

13:1-13.

Job berates his “friends” for their foolish and irrelevant “insights.” Those who understand the parallelism of Hebrew poetry will appreciate the humor of verse 4 (unless you're a doctor). He asks them to keep silent, and then asks God to speak in the last section (13:20-27).

13:14-19.

Job laments the extreme deprivation to which he has been brought, and then makes the martyr's confession: Even if God kills me, I will trust Him. This affirmation of the goodness and trustworthiness of God is the ultimate answer to Satan's provocation of 2:5. Then Job rightfully maintains his innocence of wrongdoing, knowing that it will turn out for his salvation and vindication, because he is indeed, innocent.

13:20-27.

It's a good idea to ask God to reveal our sin if we want to get rid of it. Job asks God to tell him what He wants him to do, and he'll do it; or to answer Job's request and tell him what he's doing wrong. The silent treatment is torment.

Application

If God allows us to live or die, we can always trust in His goodness, righteous, and justice. He will make it up to us.

Matthew 5:11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Prayer

God, You have revealed Yourself to be infinitely good and just and powerful, so I can always trust that You are doing what is in my best interest, even if I'm martyred. Amen.

Job 19 I Know That My Redeemer Lives

1.Then Job answered,2."How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?3.You have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me.4.If it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.5.If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach;6.know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.7."Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.8.He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass, and has set darkness in my paths.9.He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.10.He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. My hope he has plucked up like a tree.11.He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries.12.His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.13."He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.14.My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.15.Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.16.I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.17.My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.18.Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.19.All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.20.My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.21."Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.22.Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?23."Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!24.That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!25.But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.26.After my skin is destroyed, then in my flesh shall I see God,27.Whom I, even I, shall see on my side. My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger. "My heart yearns within me.28.If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,29.be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment."

Observations

19:1-7.

Job tries to shame his “friends” for they attack him unjustly. The consequences he's experiencing are not his own doing, they are God's doing (good insight Job!).

19:8-22.

These are some of the most pitiful verses of anguish in the Bible, which make Job's following confident expression of faith astonishing.

19:23-29.

Job wishes his words could be recorded so every matter could be established (they were). He then makes one of the greatest confessions of the Bible, especially in light of 19:8-22; He knows that his redeemer/rescuer live/exists, and will vindicate him, upon the earth, which implies Job is around, on the earth for a final vindication. Job makes the case for life/resurrection after death in verses 26-27; after his skin is destroyed, he will, in his flesh, see God, who will be on his side. Job warns his “friends” that while he will do well in the judgment, they might not.

Application

Know that God will vindicate the righteousness of His servants and cause them to stand in triumph on the earth. It's not over, until the day after the last trumpet sounds.

Prayer

My Redeemer and Sustainer of my soul, I know that You live, and will act in my best interest at the time that best suits Your purposes, whenever that may be. (It's OK with me.) Amen.

Digging Deeper

The Septuagint Ending Of The Book Of Job.

Appendix 62 Bullinger's Companion Bible

In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament into Greek, there is a long subscription.  A similar subscription is found in the Arabic Version. It professes to be taken out of "the Syriac book"; but there is nothing to be found of it in the Syriac Version as published in Walton's Polyglot. It was doubtless written B.C. It is interesting, especially when compared with the notes on p. 666/7 (in the Companion Bible, where you'll find a decent case for Mosaic authorship), but what authority there is for it is not stated.

The last verse of Job (42:17), "And Job died, an old man, and full of days," reads on as follows: "And it is written that he will rise up again with those whom the Lord raises up." This man is described in the Syriac book as dwelling in the land of Ausis, on the borders of Idumea and Arabia; and his name before was Jobab; and having taken an Arabian wife, he begat a son whose name was Ennon.  He himself was the son of his father Zara, a son of the sons of Esau, and of his mother Bosorrha, so that he was the fifth from Abraham.  And these were the kings who reigned in Edom, which country he also ruled over.  First Balak the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dennaba.  After Balak, Jobab, who is called Job:  and after him, Asom, who was governor out of the country of Thaeman; and after him Adad, the son of Barad, that destroyed Madiam in the plain of Moab; and the name of his city was Gethaim.  And the friends that came to him were Eliphaz of the sons of Esau, king of the Thaemanites, Baldad sovereign of the Sauchaens, Sophar, king of the Minaeans".

God in a nutshell: God is working out a bigger purpose on earth than our comfort and salvation. Creation and the human race exist for His glory. God is infinite, with purposes which are beyond our cursory understanding, but are revealed in Scripture if we seek for them. He is worthy of our trust regardless of our circumstances because His character is totally trustworthy. He lets His servants suffer, using them for His glory, in ways they don't always initially comprehend. He can look upon evil, and has tea with Satan on Monday and Wednesday afternoon. They play bridge on Friday :)Point to Ponder: Satan fell because he underestimated the infinite nature of God. A third of the angels, who are pretty smart critters, placed their bets on Satan, because, as far as they could see, Satan, the highest created being, looked like he could defeat God. Satan and the angels grasped at the glory and lost, because there was more to God than met their eyes.

Us in a nutshell: Sin always results in suffering, but suffering is not always a result of sin, but is used by God to purify and reward us, and glorify Himself. It's not about us. We're just pawns, but richly rewarded pawns, in the chess match between God and Satan, to teach Satan that he should have obeyed (more in next post; Ephesians 3:8-11). We need to respond to the difficulties of our existence with the awareness that all we have is a gift of God, entrusted into our stewardship, which can be recalled without warning. It is possible to live a blameless and upright life in the sight of God if we fear Him and eschew (a great word to know and do) evil.

Where to go for more

Truthbase.net