seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Job 27:1 And Job continued his discourse:
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
6 I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it;
my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,
my adversary like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:
14 However many his children, their fate is the sword;
his offspring will never have enough to eat.
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust
and clothes like piles of clay,
17 what he lays up the righteous will wear,
and the innocent will divide his silver.
18 The house he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,
like a hut made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
a tempest snatches him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him off, and he is gone;
it sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy
as he flees headlong from its power.
23 It claps its hands in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”
This morning.... I am bored with Job. I get why his friends are getting tired of him too. I have the benefit of knowing he had followed all the commandments, and rules and regulations. I am still getting bored with his righteousness. Job isn't righteous.... he covers himself with sacrifice..... so he's covered. God loves kids who stay in line.
This is from the easy English site. No... there weren't any clear but short commentaries this morning .
Job had suffered terrible troubles. And Job supposed that God caused these troubles. But Job still trusted God.
Chapters 27-31 are like the words of a man in a court. In chapter 27, Job promised to speak the truth. In chapter 29, he described his good behaviour before the troubles began. In chapter 31, he explained that he refused to do evil deeds.
In Job 23:1-7, Job explained that he wanted God to be his judge. So in chapters 27-31 Job was speaking as if God was already his judge. And Job was speaking as if he was already in God’s court.
Job was sure that he was innocent. He said that he would continue to argue this for the rest of his life.
In chapter 21, Job argued that God does not seem to punish wicked people. In Job 24:1, Job thought that he was waiting in vain for God to act as judge. But in chapter 27, Job was speaking as if he was already in God’s court. Job knew that God is a fair judge. So Job knew that God would punish wicked people.
Job really loved God. Unlike wicked people, Job received pleasure from God (Job 23:12). Unlike wicked people, Job prayed often (Job 1:5).
Job argued with his friends. But the friends were right about many things. For example, God will punish wicked people And, everyone should confess their evil deeds to God.
The friends were also wrong about many things. For example, they supposed that Job was suffering because of his evil deeds.
Perhaps Job thought that these children would be as evil as their father. Or perhaps Job thought that the children would suffer because of their father’s evil deeds. The Bible teaches that God will punish each person for that person’s own evil deeds. If the child of an evil person serves God, then God will not punish that child. See Ezekiel chapter 18.
When the wicked man dies, other people will receive his possessions. It is as if God is storing these possessions to give to other people.
In Job 3:16-19, Job thought that death is like sleep. But in Job 26:5, Job had a different idea. He described how people tremble painfully in hell. So perhaps in verses 19-23, Job was also describing hell. When the wicked man wakes in hell, God has taken away that man’s wealth. The home in verse 21 is like that man’s body (see verse 18). But the man’s spirit has left his body. The man’s body might seem calm (Job 21:32-33). But his spirit is afraid and unhappy.
I'm coming up on Jubilee Anniversaries of thing I did wrong. Fifty years ago I made some bad decisions based on what information I had and now I am forgiving myself. When these horrible things come to mind.... I don't shut them off anymore.... I think about them.... see both sides [hindsight is wonderful].... I ask God to forgive me.... and then I forgive myself. Job really loved God. I don't know if I love God as much as Job.... it's easier for me.... I'm a New Testament kid.... Job had to sling oxen up on an alter.... all I have to do is get on my knees.
It is ok to shake your fist at God.... God understands anger and disappointment. God created those emotions and humans allowed [caused] God to experience those feelings.
I've learned.... It is ok to hold court in prayer..... When I'm looking over one of those Jubilee issues..... I can site my case in prayer.... I can talk it out.... figure out where I made my mistake.... and ask His forgiveness. Maybe this is where Job is....
Back in Job's day.... people didn't pray. It was Jesus who taught us to pray. Jesus hadn't been here yet.... so Job doesn't have prayer..... Job's only got humans to bounce these ideas off of...... and these particular humans..... they don't have a clue.... they don't seem to love God as Job does. They seem to have a "good sayings" type of love for God.
