(Job 11:1-20) Then Zophar the Naamathite responded,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a talkative man be acquitted?
3 Shall your boasts silence people?
And will you scoff, and no one rebuke?
4 For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But if only God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets part of your guilt.
7 “Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are as high as the heavens; what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measurement is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He passes by or apprehends people,
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?
11 For He knows false people,
And He sees injustice without investigating.
12 An idiot will become intelligent
When a wild donkey is born a human.
13 “If you would direct your heart rightly
And spread out your hands to Him,
14 If wrongdoing is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let malice dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral blemish,
And you would be firmly established and not fear.
16 For you would forget your trouble;
Like waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
19 You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would flatter you.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last.”
And a talkative man be acquitted?
3 Shall your boasts silence people?
And will you scoff, and no one rebuke?
4 For you have said, ‘My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 But if only God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And show you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom has two sides.
Know then that God forgets part of your guilt.
7 “Can you discover the depths of God?
Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are as high as the heavens; what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol; what can you know?
9 Its measurement is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 If He passes by or apprehends people,
Or calls an assembly, who can restrain Him?
11 For He knows false people,
And He sees injustice without investigating.
12 An idiot will become intelligent
When a wild donkey is born a human.
13 “If you would direct your heart rightly
And spread out your hands to Him,
14 If wrongdoing is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let malice dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral blemish,
And you would be firmly established and not fear.
16 For you would forget your trouble;
Like waters that have passed by, you would remember it.
17 Your life would be brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would look around and rest securely.
19 You would lie down and none would disturb you,
And many would flatter you.
20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And there will be no escape for them;
And their hope is to breathe their last.”
(Job 12:1-25) Then Job responded,
2 “Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
5 He who is at ease holds disaster in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Whom God brings into their power.
7 “But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11 Does the ear not put words to the test,
As the palate tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
And with long life comes understanding.
13 “Wisdom and might are with Him;
Advice and understanding belong to Him.
14 Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a person, and there is no release.
15 Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
16 Strength and sound wisdom are with Him.
One who goes astray and one who leads astray belong to Him.
17 He makes advisers walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
18 He undoes the binding of kings,
And ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He makes priests walk barefoot,
And overthrows the secure ones.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles,
And loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness,
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 He makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth’s people of intelligence
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
25 They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken person.
2 “Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3 But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
4 I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
5 He who is at ease holds disaster in contempt,
As prepared for those whose feet slip.
6 The tents of the destroyers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure,
Whom God brings into their power.
7 “But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
8 Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
9 Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
11 Does the ear not put words to the test,
As the palate tastes its food?
12 Wisdom is with the aged,
And with long life comes understanding.
13 “Wisdom and might are with Him;
Advice and understanding belong to Him.
14 Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a person, and there is no release.
15 Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
16 Strength and sound wisdom are with Him.
One who goes astray and one who leads astray belong to Him.
17 He makes advisers walk barefoot
And makes fools of judges.
18 He undoes the binding of kings,
And ties a loincloth around their waist.
19 He makes priests walk barefoot,
And overthrows the secure ones.
20 He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles,
And loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He reveals mysteries from the darkness,
And brings the deep darkness into light.
23 He makes the nations great, then destroys them;
He enlarges the nations, then leads them away.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth’s people of intelligence
And makes them wander in a pathless wasteland.
25 They grope in darkness with no light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken person.
(Job 13:1-28)
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 “But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
4 But you smear me with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
5 Oh that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument,
And give your attention to the contentions of my lips.
7 Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it go well when He examines you?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 He will certainly punish you
If you secretly show partiality.
11 Will His majesty not terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come upon me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15 Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
16 This also will be my salvation,
For a godless person cannot come before His presence.
17 Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
19 Who could contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.
20 “Only two things I ask that You do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 Remove Your hand from me,
And may the dread of You not terrify me.
22 Then call and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 How many are my guilty deeds and sins?
Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.
24 Why do You hide Your face
And consider me Your enemy?
25 Will You scare away a scattered leaf?
Or will You pursue the dry chaff?
26 For You write bitter things against me
And make me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth.
27 You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
(Job 14:1-22) My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 “But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
4 But you smear me with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
5 Oh that you would be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument,
And give your attention to the contentions of my lips.
7 Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it go well when He examines you?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 He will certainly punish you
If you secretly show partiality.
11 Will His majesty not terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come upon me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15 Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
16 This also will be my salvation,
For a godless person cannot come before His presence.
17 Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
19 Who could contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.
20 “Only two things I ask that You do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 Remove Your hand from me,
And may the dread of You not terrify me.
22 Then call and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 How many are my guilty deeds and sins?
Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.
24 Why do You hide Your face
And consider me Your enemy?
25 Will You scare away a scattered leaf?
Or will You pursue the dry chaff?
26 For You write bitter things against me
And make me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth.
27 You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
1 “Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2 Like a flower he comes out and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3 You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4 Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And You have set his limits so that he cannot pass.
6 Look away from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired worker.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground,
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And produce sprigs like a plant.
10 But a man dies and lies prostrate.
A person passes away, and where is he?
11 As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So a man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens no longer exist,
He will not awake nor be woken from his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my relief comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
16 For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.
17 My wrongdoing is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover over my guilt.
18 “But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You destroy a man’s hope.
20 You forever overpower him and he departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, and he does not perceive it.
22 However, his body pains him,
And his soul mourns for himself.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2 Like a flower he comes out and withers.
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3 You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4 Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And You have set his limits so that he cannot pass.
6 Look away from him so that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired worker.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not fail.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground,
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And produce sprigs like a plant.
10 But a man dies and lies prostrate.
A person passes away, and where is he?
11 As water evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So a man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens no longer exist,
He will not awake nor be woken from his sleep.
13 “Oh that You would hide me in Sheol,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my relief comes.
15 You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for the work of Your hands.
16 For now You number my steps,
You do not observe my sin.
17 My wrongdoing is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover over my guilt.
18 “But the falling mountain crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You destroy a man’s hope.
20 You forever overpower him and he departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 His sons achieve honor, but he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, and he does not perceive it.
22 However, his body pains him,
And his soul mourns for himself.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
As we suffer, we do "mourn" for ourselves. People will say that everyone mourns in different ways, and some say that mourning never ends. Well, it should end - if - we have put our faith in the Lord. And look, even the Lord Jesus cried at the death of Lazarus, even though He knew He was going to resurrect him. It is okay to cry, and be sad... for a time. And afterwards, there will be moments here and there as we remember people and how we miss them. But we can remember them with fondness, knowing that they would want us to continue on with joy.
It helps to put things into perspective. Not with our own wisdom, but with God's. This will help us when we are struggling through something, as well as those we might be trying to comfort.
If a believer has passed away, know that they are now in paradise (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). For us, it is only a temporary loss. We will see them again in heaven, for all eternity. If an unbeliever passes away, know that God has given each person a very fair chance to come to know Him. Also, we never know what happened in those very last few moments of that person's life. But after they are all gone, there is nothing we can do to bring them back. The amount of time we mourn does not indicate how much we actually loved them. We are to mourn, and then move on. We are to live for and serve the Lord and the living. We have a purpose, to share God's joy, hope, peace, comfort and good news!
As for when we or a loved one is still alive, but we are suffering through something and we are mourning ourselves, we still need to sort things out in our hearts in order to find ways to "move on", live and serve! Our bodies can fall apart. Things change! What we can know, without a doubt, is that everything is always changing - except for the Lord! God never changes! He is always faithful and wanting to help. Especially if our health-change seems to be permanent.
YES! By all means, ask God to heal (spiritually and then emotionally, mentally and physically). We do not have because we do not ask. Ask away! And in the meantime, we are to "move on" in God's strength. It might not be in the same way as before. I certainly do not have the health, strength or stamina that I once had, and so I've had to beg God to show me how else I might serve.
Comfort is our enemy (as verse 12:15 implies). When we are not struggling through things, this is when we can unknowingly start to struggle with pride and self-reliance. This is because when things are going well, we can start to take God for granted, or start to think that everything is going well because of what we are doing. Our pastor recently said, "Prayer is a demonstration of humility, which relies upon the Lord. Not praying is a demonstration of pride and arrogance, which relies upon ourselves."
Another quote that I recently heard, said something like this - the heart is deceitful. Not that it deceives others, but it deceives ourselves. (Verse 13:9 supports this thought.) If we think up something, or someone else says something, and it sounds so brilliant that we believe it, but it does not align with God's wisdom, then we are deceiving ourselves and others. When we do something against God's will, or someone else does something against God's will, and we justify it in any way, then we are deceiving ourselves and others. We are then not helping, but hindering! We are not building up, we are destroying!
One example of this is mercy killing. People convince themselves that it is a good thing to take one's life or help someone take their life because they are suffering. Now listen, if a person is a believer and commits suicide, they are still going to heaven, because we cannot lose our salvation! But this is not to say that we should. Verses 13:14-15 say that God determines when and how we will die. And in placing our hope in Him, even for this, this is our salvation.
Finally, verses 13:16-18 are very encouraging. It is a very wrong thing to accuse others and say, "You will have to stand before the Lord your God one day and answer for this!" ACTUALLY, if we are truly believers, God has forgiven all our sins and chooses not to remember them. Unbelievers will have to account for every sin, but rather than focus on and dwell on that, give them the good news of hope and salvation!
As for believers, we should know that when we are finally face to face with Jesus, He will judge and reward us for good deeds done with right motives. Therefore, let us encourage one another to continue striving in the Lord God's love, joy, hope, peace, comfort, strength and wisdom!
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