(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 29:1-25) Job again took up his discourse and said,
2 “Oh that I were as in months gone by,
As in the days when God watched over me;
3 When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my youth,
When the protection of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was still with me,
And my children were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed in cream,
And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!
7 When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat in the public square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
9 The leaders stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voices of the prominent people were hushed,
And their tongues stuck to their palates.
11 For when an ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me,
12 Because I saved the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one who was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a headband.
15 I was eyes to those who were blind,
And feet to those who could not walk.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked
And rescued the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I thought, ‘I will die with my family,
And I will multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters,
And dew lies on my branch all night.
20 My glory is ever new with me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “To me they listened and waited,
And they kept silent for my advice.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouths as for the late rain.
24 I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously.
25 I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And lived as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners.
As in the days when God watched over me;
3 When His lamp shone over my head,
And by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my youth,
When the protection of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was still with me,
And my children were around me;
6 When my steps were bathed in cream,
And the rock poured out streams of oil for me!
7 When I went out to the gate of the city,
When I took my seat in the public square,
8 The young men saw me and hid themselves,
And the old men arose and stood.
9 The leaders stopped talking
And put their hands on their mouths;
10 The voices of the prominent people were hushed,
And their tongues stuck to their palates.
11 For when an ear heard, it called me blessed,
And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me,
12 Because I saved the poor who cried for help,
And the orphan who had no helper.
13 The blessing of the one who was about to perish came upon me,
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
My justice was like a robe and a headband.
15 I was eyes to those who were blind,
And feet to those who could not walk.
16 I was a father to the poor,
And I investigated the case which I did not know.
17 I broke the jaws of the wicked
And rescued the prey from his teeth.
18 Then I thought, ‘I will die with my family,
And I will multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters,
And dew lies on my branch all night.
20 My glory is ever new with me,
And my bow is renewed in my hand.’
21 “To me they listened and waited,
And they kept silent for my advice.
22 After my words they did not speak again,
And my speech dropped on them.
23 They waited for me as for the rain,
And opened their mouths as for the late rain.
24 I smiled at them when they did not believe,
And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously.
25 I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
And lived as a king among the troops,
As one who comforted the mourners.
(Job 30:1-31)
1 “But now those who are younger than I mock me,
Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock.
2 Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.
3 From poverty and famine they are gaunt,
They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,
4 Who pluck saltweed by the bushes,
And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.
5 They are driven from the community;
They shout against them as against a thief,
6 So that they live on the slopes of ravines,
In holes in the ground and among the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they cry out;
Under the weeds they are gathered together.
8 Worthless fellows, even those without a name,
They were cast out from the land.
9 “And now I have become their taunt,
And I have become a byword to them.
10 They loathe me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting in my face.
11 Because He has undone my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.
12 On the right hand their mob arises;
They push aside my feet and pile up their ways of destruction against me.
13 They break up my path,
They promote my destruction;
No one restrains them.
14 As through a wide gap they come,
Amid the storm they roll on.
15 Sudden terrors are turned upon me;
They chase away my dignity like the wind,
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.
16 “And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of misery have seized me.
17 At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains do not rest.
18 By a great force my garment is distorted;
It ties me up like the collar of my coat.
19 He has thrown me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
21 You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You persecute me.
22 You lift me up to the wind and make me ride it;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
23 For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house of meeting for all living.
24 “Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand,
Or in his disaster does he not cry out for help?
25 Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard?
Was my soul not grieved for the needy?
26 When I expected good, evil came;
When I waited for light, darkness came.
27 I am seething within and cannot rest;
Days of misery confront me.
28 I go about mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
29 I have become a brother to jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin turns black on me,
And my bones burn with fever.
31 Therefore my harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.
Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock.
2 Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me?
Vigor had perished from them.
3 From poverty and famine they are gaunt,
They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation,
4 Who pluck saltweed by the bushes,
And whose food is the root of the broom shrub.
5 They are driven from the community;
They shout against them as against a thief,
6 So that they live on the slopes of ravines,
In holes in the ground and among the rocks.
7 Among the bushes they cry out;
Under the weeds they are gathered together.
8 Worthless fellows, even those without a name,
They were cast out from the land.
9 “And now I have become their taunt,
And I have become a byword to them.
10 They loathe me and stand aloof from me,
And they do not refrain from spitting in my face.
11 Because He has undone my bowstring and afflicted me,
They have cast off the bridle before me.
12 On the right hand their mob arises;
They push aside my feet and pile up their ways of destruction against me.
13 They break up my path,
They promote my destruction;
No one restrains them.
14 As through a wide gap they come,
Amid the storm they roll on.
15 Sudden terrors are turned upon me;
They chase away my dignity like the wind,
And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.
16 “And now my soul is poured out within me;
Days of misery have seized me.
17 At night it pierces my bones within me,
And my gnawing pains do not rest.
18 By a great force my garment is distorted;
It ties me up like the collar of my coat.
19 He has thrown me into the mire,
And I have become like dust and ashes.
20 I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me;
I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me.
21 You have become cruel to me;
With the strength of Your hand You persecute me.
22 You lift me up to the wind and make me ride it;
And You dissolve me in a storm.
23 For I know that You will bring me to death,
And to the house of meeting for all living.
24 “Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand,
Or in his disaster does he not cry out for help?
25 Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard?
Was my soul not grieved for the needy?
26 When I expected good, evil came;
When I waited for light, darkness came.
27 I am seething within and cannot rest;
Days of misery confront me.
28 I go about mourning without comfort;
I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help.
29 I have become a brother to jackals,
And a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin turns black on me,
And my bones burn with fever.
31 Therefore my harp is turned to mourning,
And my flute to the sound of those who weep.
(Job 31:1-40)
1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes;
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 And what is the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife grind grain for another,
And let others kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 Did He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
23 For disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have looked at the sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been a guilty deed calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
29 “Have I rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.
33 Have I covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince, I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the thorn-bush grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
How then could I look at a virgin?
2 And what is the portion of God from above,
Or the inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
3 Is it not disaster to the criminal,
And misfortune to those who practice injustice?
4 Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
5 “If I have walked with deception,
And my foot has hurried after deceit,
6 Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
10 May my wife grind grain for another,
And let others kneel down over her.
11 For that would be a lustful crime;
Moreover, it would be wrongdoing punishable by judges.
12 For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon,
And would uproot all my increase.
13 “If I have rejected the claim of my male or female slaves
When they filed a complaint against me,
14 What then could I do when God arises?
And when He calls me to account, how am I to answer Him?
15 Did He who made me in the womb not make him,
And the same one create us in the womb?
16 “If I have kept the poor from their desire,
Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 Or have eaten my morsel alone,
And the orphan has not shared it
18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
And from my infancy I guided her),
19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering,
20 If his waist has not thanked me,
And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep,
21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan,
Because I saw I had support in the gate,
22 May my shoulder fall from its socket,
And my arm be broken off at the elbow.
23 For disaster from God is a terror to me,
And because of His majesty I can do nothing.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold,
And called fine gold my trust,
25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great,
And because my hand had obtained so much;
26 If I have looked at the sun when it shone,
Or the moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth,
28 That too would have been a guilty deed calling for judgment,
For I would have denied God above.
29 “Have I rejoiced at the misfortune of my enemy,
Or become excited when evil found him?
30 No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin
By asking for his life in a curse.
31 Have the people of my tent not said,
‘Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’?
32 The stranger has not spent the night outside,
For I have opened my doors to the traveler.
33 Have I covered my wrongdoings like a man,
By hiding my guilt in my shirt pocket,
34 Because I feared the great multitude
And the contempt of families terrified me,
And I kept silent and did not go out of doors?
35 Oh that I had one to hear me!
Here is my signature;
Let the Almighty answer me!
And the indictment which my adversary has written,
36 I would certainly carry it on my shoulder,
I would tie it to myself like a garland.
37 I would declare to Him the number of my steps;
Like a prince, I would approach Him.
38 “If my land cries out against me,
And its furrows weep together;
39 If I have eaten its fruit without money,
Or have caused its owners to lose their lives,
40 May the thorn-bush grow instead of wheat,
And stinkweed instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
We should realize that while we might be going through a test, the test for ourselves might also be a test for someone else. Job had once appreciated the respect of people, but now that he was the one suffering, he no longer had that. While Job had to experience that public humiliation, the people who didn't respect him had to contend with that sin. But as one cannot control what others do, one has to figure out how to react and respond and move forward.
Following Jesus requires just that - moving forward. So fondly thinking back to the "good" old days is one thing, but longing for the "good" old days is wrong. As Job wallowed in his loss of the good old days, he used the excuse that he had called out to God but God did not answer; and so, Job continued to "mourn without comfort".
To move forward and have God's inner peace and joy, we must be continually worshiping God and praising Him. We certainly cannot judge God with our own scorecards, considering the fact that wee cannot even judge ourselves by those standards. God's standards are beyond ours. Our personal righteousness would fail every time. This is why we need the salvation of Jesus. And as Job mentioned in 29:14 - always we are to cloth ourselves with the righteousness - of Jesus. This is what and Who will help us in every circumstance!
No comments:
Post a Comment