(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(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.”
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.”
(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:
Zophar asks an excellent question! Who can discover the depths and limits of the Almighty? While Job points out that strength, sound wisdom, advice and understanding belong to God. Our life is but a breath, and God determines how long we will breathe here on earth. And as Job says in verses 15-17, we determine where we want to go after we pass away. When God calls and we answer, He forgives our sins and chooses to remember them no more. We are forever saved!
Always, "God longs for the work of His hands"... We are the work of His hands and He wants all people to be saved, and He wants all believers to use their spiritual gifts in His wisdom and strength. We might not know or understand exactly why we are struggling through something, but we can be confident and KNOW the Lord and His will by reading and studying His word...
(Psalm 67:2) That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations.
(1 John 5:13) These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
(Colossians 3:23-24) Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
(2 Peter 3:18) ...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
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