Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
July 9, 2003
Introduction
Job is being tested. He has lived a
wonderful, righteous life. Satan
challenged God by saying that Job only loved God because of God’s protection
and goodness toward Job. So God is
allowing Satan to bring difficulty to Job in order to prove to Satan and the
audience in heaven that Job is better than that.
As Job’s friends show up to comfort him, they end up feeling like they have
to fix Job. After all, it seems obvious
to them that Job’s problems are a result of some sort of sin in his life, and
these troubles are just the result of his sin.
Three friends each take a turn at hurling their accusations at Job, and
one by one, Job responds to his friends.
The three have finished speaking, and we will listen as Job finishes up
his defense before his “friends”.
Job 29 Remembering the past
29:1-6 Remembering better days
:2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
preserved – shamar – to
keep, guard, observe, give heed
Satan had made his challenge to God because God had placed a “hedge” about
Job, a barrier to protect him:
(Job 1:9-11 KJV) Then Satan
answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? {10} Hast not thou
made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is
increased in the land. {11} But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he
hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
:3 When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked
through darkness;
candle – niyr – lamp
light – ‘owr – light
:4 As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my
tabernacle;
secret – cowd – council,
counsel, assembly; secret counsel; familiar converse, intimacy (with God)
tabernacle – ‘ohel – tent;
nomad’s tent, and thus symbolic of wilderness life, transience; dwelling, home,
habitation; the sacred tent of Jehovah (the tabernacle)
(Job 29:4 NLT) In my early
years, the friendship of God was felt in my home.
:5 When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
Remember, Job has lost all ten of his children. What pain he must have felt that not a single
child was still alive.
:6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of
oil;
This is a picture of abundance, having an abundance of butter and oil. This is similar to the idea of the Promised
Land being a land of “milk and honey”.
Lesson
When God seems far away
Sometimes I’ve wandered away
Get back to your first love
(Rev 2:4-5 KJV)
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy
first love. {5} Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and
do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Sometimes I just need to trust
Job hasn’t sinned.
There are going to be times when we feel like God has left us and we’re in
the dark.
This is “walking by faith”, walking in the dark.
You may feel like God isn’t there, but He is.
28:7-10 Respect from the greatest
:7 When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in
the street!
Job had been one of the city’s leaders, an “elder” who would sit as a judge
at the city gates.
:10 The nobles held their peace
Lesson
The world loves a “winner”
But somehow, when you fall on hard times, people don’t come knocking on
your door.
Yet it’s interesting to think of how many of what we might call “the world’s
greatest people” have died penniless, perhaps thought of by their generation as
“failures”.
Ulysses S. Grant died penniless.
Beethoven, Mozart, Van Gogh, and many others. When I searched the internet for the phrase
“died penniless”, there were over 39,000 hits.
Look at Jesus.
He died at the age of 33, after only three years of ministry. He didn’t have a penny to His name. He died a tragic death. Some might think He was a failure.
My point is that your current situation is not necessarily a measure of who
you are.
28:11-17 I’ve done good things
:13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me
(Job 29:13 The Message) The
dying blessed me, and the bereaved were cheered by my visits.
:17 And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his
teeth.
This is all in contrast with the things that some of the friends had
accused Job of.
Zophar had accused Job:
(Job 20:19
KJV) Because he hath oppressed and hath
forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he
builded not;
Eliphaz accused Job:
(Job 22:5-9 KJV) Is not thy
wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? {6} For thou hast taken a
pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
{7} Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden
bread from the hungry. {8} But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the
honourable man dwelt in it. {9} Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms
of the fatherless have been broken.
They were wrong in their accusations.
29:18-25 My counsel was sought
:18 Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as
the sand.
nest – qen – nest; nest
(of bird); cells (like nests in Noah’s ark)
(Job 29:18 NLT) “I thought, ‘Surely I will die surrounded by my
family after a long, good life.
:24 If I laughed on them, they believed it not
(Job 29:24 NLT) When they were discouraged, I smiled at them. My
look of approval was precious to them.
:25 I chose out their way, and sat chief…
Lesson
Be careful – it’s true
Sometimes we get a little put off by people who try to justify themselves.
Yet in Job’s case, everything he’s said is true. God has already declared in heaven:
(Job 1:8 NLT) Then the LORD
asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all
the earth--a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to
do with evil."
Job 30 Job’s anguish
30:1-14 Mocked by the lowest
:1 whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my
flock.
People not fit to hang out with Job’s sheep dogs.
:11 Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me
(Job 30:11 NLT) For God has cut the cords of my tent. He has
humbled me, so they have thrown off all restraint.
:14 in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.
What a long way Job has come. He
used to be honored by the greatest of people.
Now he’s scorned and ridiculed by the lowest of people.
Lesson
What people think
I think it’s one of the hardest things in life to separate yourself from
what others think of you.
It seems that we each have people in our lives that we long to have approve
of us.
It’s not that we ought to feel this way, but truthfully we often do.
What Job is expressing is very, very real for most of us. We long to have “important” people fawn over
us. About the lowest humiliation we can
think of is to have people we consider to be stupid ridiculing us.
God’s hope is that we become more concerned about what He thinks of us than
what people do.
(Mat 10:22-28 KJV) And ye shall be hated of all men for my
name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Nobody likes to be “hated”. Some of us will do anything to keep people
from “hating” us.
{23} But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into
another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel,
till the Son of man be come. {24} The disciple is not above his master, nor the
servant above his lord. {25} It is enough for the disciple that he be as his
master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the
house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? {26} Fear
them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed;
and hid, that shall not be known. {27} What I tell you in darkness, that speak
ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
{28} And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:
but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
If we would learn to have the proper “fear” of the Lord,
then we would be less concerned about what other people are thinking about us. Perhaps we would be more likely to do the
things that God is wanting us to do because we are more concerned with pleasing
God than pleasing people.
30:15-19 I’m miserable
:17 My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no
rest.
Some suggest this is descriptive of some of his disease’ symptoms.
:18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed
(Job 30:18 NLT) With a
strong hand, God grabs my garment. He grips me by the collar of my tunic.
30:20-31 God is against me
:24 Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry
in his destruction.
(Job 30:24 NLT) “Surely no one would turn against the needy when
they cry for help.
:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me…
(Job 30:26 The Message) But where did it get me? I expected good
but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell.
:27 My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.
He might be talking about his heart, his emotions being in turmoil.
He might be talking about stomach ailments.
:29 I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.
dragons – tanniyn –
dragon, serpent, sea monster; venomous snake; some translations have “jackals”
here.
owls – ya‘anah – an
unclean bird; owl, ostrich, literally translated as “daughters of the owl”
:31 My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them
that weep.
(Job 30:31 The Message) My fiddle plays nothing but the blues; my
mouth harp wails laments.
Job 31
31:1-8 Innocent of Greed
:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
covenant – b@riyth –
covenant, alliance, pledge
think – biyn – to discern,
understand, consider
maid – b@thuwlah – virgin
(Job 31:1 The Message) “I made a solemn pact with myself never to
undress a girl with my eyes.
:3 Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the
workers of iniquity?
Job knows that God will punish sin.
31:9-12 Innocent of immorality
:10 Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.
grind – tachan – (Qal) to
grind, crush; perhaps the idea of his wife grinding grain for another man.
bow down – kara‘– to bend,
kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one’s knees, kneel down to rest (of
animals), kneel in reverence
Job is saying that if he has been unfaithful to his wife and committed
adultery, then let another man commit adultery with his wife and she be given
to another man.
:12 For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all
mine increase.
(Job 31:12 The Message) Adultery is a fire that burns the house
down; I wouldn’t expect anything I count dear to survive it.
Lesson
Don’t play with fire
Lust is a fire. Don’t feed that
fire.
(Prov 6:23-35 KJV) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is
light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: {24} To keep thee from
the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. {25} Lust
not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her
eyelids. {26} For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of
bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. {27} Can a man take
fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? {28} Can one go upon hot
coals, and his feet not be burned? {29} So he that goeth in to his neighbour's
wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. {30} Men do not despise a
thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; {31} But if he be
found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his
house. {32} But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding:
he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. {33} A wound and dishonour shall he
get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. {34} For jealousy is the rage of
a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. {35} He will not
regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
What kinds of things feed the fires of lust? For men lust often seems connected with the
things we put in front of our eyes.
And Job has said that he’s made a covenant with his eyes to be careful
about what he looks at.
Be careful where you take your eyes.
(Prov 7:6-27 KJV) For at the window of my house I looked
through my casement, {7} And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among
the youths, a young man void of understanding, {8} Passing through the street
near her corner; and he went the way to her house, {9} In the twilight, in the
evening, in the black and dark night: {10} And, behold, there met him a woman
with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. {11} (She is loud and
stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: {12} Now is she without, now in the
streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) {13} So she caught him, and kissed
him, and with an impudent face said unto him, {14} I have peace offerings with
me; this day have I payed my vows. {15} Therefore came I forth to meet thee,
diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. {16} I have decked my bed
with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
{17} I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. {18} Come, let us
take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
{19} For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: {20} He hath
taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. {21}
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her
lips she forced him. {22} He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the
slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; {23} Till a dart
strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that
it is for his life. {24} Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and
attend to the words of my mouth. {25} Let not thine heart decline to her ways,
go not astray in her paths. {26} For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many
strong men have been slain by her. {27} Her house is the way to hell, going
down to the chambers of death.
31:13-15 Fair to servants
:15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion
us in the womb?
Job says that the same God that made him made his servants, his employees.
Lesson
Kindness at work
Kindness and goodness should go both ways at work – to and from the
employers and employees.
(Eph 6:5-9 KJV) Servants, be
obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; {6} Not with
eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of
God from the heart; {7} With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not
to men: {8} Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he
receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. {9} And, ye masters, do the
same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is
in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
Paul says it’s because we’re all created by the same God – the same
principle Job used.
31:16-23 Kind to the poor
:23 For destruction from God was a terror to me …
Lesson
Helping the poor
Job made a point of helping the poor. So should we.
(Psa 41:1-3 KJV) To the
chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the
LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. {2} The LORD will preserve him, and
keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not
deliver him unto the will of his enemies. {3} The LORD will strengthen him upon
the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
(Mat 25:31-40 KJV) When the
Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: {32} And before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: {33} And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand, but the goats on the left. {34} Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world: {35} For I was an hungered,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and
ye took me in: {36} Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me. {37} Then shall the righteous answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave
thee drink? {38} When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee? {39} Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
{40} And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have
done it unto me.
31:24-28 Innocent of greed, idolatry
:25 If I rejoiced because my wealth was great
Job was innocent of being a greedy, materialistic man.
(1 Tim 6:10 NASB)
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with
many a pang.
:28 for I should have denied the God that is above.
This is a description of idolatry, falling in love with God’s creation
rather than God.
Paul says that all men are aware of God because of the witness of creation
around them. It’s when men reject the
truth about God that they turn to foolish things like worshipping the creation
rather than the Creator.
(Rom 1:25
KJV) Who changed the truth of God into a
lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is
blessed for ever. Amen.
31:29-32 Loved enemies
:29 If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me
Job loved his enemies – just like Jesus said we ought to do.
31:33-40 Somebody help me
:33 If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my
bosom:
Adam – ‘Adam – first man;
could also refer to men in general.
Lesson
Hypocrisy
Adam and Eve sinned. Then they hid.
(Gen 3:6-10 KJV) And when the woman saw that the tree was good
for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to
make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto
her husband with her; and he did eat. {7} And the eyes of them both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together,
and made themselves aprons. {8} And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid
themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
{9} And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? {10}
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was
naked; and I hid myself.
Hypocrisy – covering up your sins instead of confessing and forsaking them.
:40 Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The
words of Job are ended.
(Job 31:38-40 The Message) “If the very ground that I farm accuses
me, if even the furrows fill with tears from my abuse, {39} If I’ve ever raped
the earth for my own profit or dispossessed its rightful owners, {40} Then
curse it with thistles instead of wheat, curse it with weeds instead of
barley.” The words of Job to his three friends were finished.
Lesson
Don’t beat yourself up too much
Job is expressing what we’ve expressed many times when we don’t understand
our circumstances.
We wonder, “What have I done to deserve this?”
If you don’t know, don’t go looking.
Some people follow this idea that there are some kinds of curses that are
handed down from one generation to the next.
Yet the Bible says that each person will be judged for their own sins.
(Jer 31:29-30 KJV) In those days they shall say no more, The
fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. {30}
But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour
grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
(Ezek 18:1-4 KJV)
The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, {2} What mean ye, that
ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have
eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? {3} As I live,
saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
{4} Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of
the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
What God has forgiven, God has forgotten.
If the Holy Spirit hasn’t convicted you of sin, I’m not sure you ought to
be hunting for things in your life.
Job wasn’t experiencing God’s punishment.
Job was being tested to show Satan that Job wouldn’t turn from God if
things got hard.