The laughter of ten children seated around the supper table. The joy of seeing their grade school artwork hanging on the fridge. The satisfaction of being able to provide so abundantly for all of his employees and their families.
Wonderful memories. Job wistfully reminisces about those pre-misfortune days.
29:1 And 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…”
Notice the little word “when.” Seven times in the first seven verses! Job longed for the good old days “when…” He ached for those days when he could sense the presence of God. The word “watched” in verse two implies special and compassionate care.
From Job’s perspective, God had departed from his life for no apparent reason. Hartley writes, “The real cause of Job’s pain was a shattered relationship with God.” (By the way, God was still watching over him.)
29:3 “When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; 4 As I was in the prime of my days, When the friendship of God was over my tent; 5 When the Almighty was yet with me, And my children were around me; 6 When my steps were bathed in butter, And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!”
As I have mentioned before, the word “darkness” and its various forms appear frequently in Job. Job remembers the time when God’s light pierced the darkness. But now the reverse is true – the black hole of chapters 1-2 has swallowed up any hint of hope and light. He seemed to be on the darker side of death.
“As I was in the prime of my days…” The word “prime” literally means “autumn” or “harvest”. During those pre-disaster days Job wasn’t sadly declining into the dead season of winter. He hadn’t become some miserly and crabby old Scrooge – hating life and being hated. His life symbolized a bountiful fall harvest – Job was a cornucopia of blessing to his family and community.
Note the wonderful imagery of the “when’s”:
“When His lamp shone over my head…”
“When the friendship of God was over my tent…” (one version has “when my tent was covered by the hand of God.”)
“When my steps were bathed in butter...”
This is how The Message sums up Job’s pre-catastrophe years in verse 6: “When everything was going my way, and nothing seemed too difficult.”
29:7 "When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the square, 8 The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood. 9 "The princes stopped talking And put their hands on their mouths; 10 The voice of the nobles was hushed, And their tongue stuck to their palate. 11 "For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me…”
Senator Alan Simpson said, “If you have integrity, nothing else matters; if you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.”
Job had integrity. Francis I Anderson wrote, “Wealthy men are not often loved; they are more often feared, envied or loathed.” (And we have a sneaking suspicion that they didn't get their wealth through hard work or honest means.) But Job was loved and respected. Hartley says, “When Job, the noblest elder, entered the city square, he was accorded the greatest deference (The gate of the city can be likened to our city square or community center.)
Note the people groups that are mentioned (or implied): youth/young men, aged/old men/ancients, princes, nobles/chiefs, highest officials (civil, military or religious officials).
Remember the old EF Hutton commercials on TV? Crowds would just be jabbering away when someone suddenly says, “My financial advisor is EF Hutton and EF Hutton says….” Immediately everyone stopped talking and strained to listen to what EF Hutton had to say. That was Job: when Job spoke everyone listened.
29:12 “Because I delivered the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. 13 "The blessing of the one ready 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 turban. 15 "I was eyes to the blind And feet to the lame. 16 "I was a father to the needy, And I investigated the case which I did not know. 17 "I broke the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.”
Francis I Anderson calls this section “Job’s parade of virtues.” He continues, “Job's pride in his achievement should not be misunderstood. It was legitimate, not self-righteous; this is simply an outgrowth of 28:28.”
Note the listing of “unfortunates” in this section:
The poor – the depressed, those unable to take any legal action (an appeal to God was their only recourse).
The orphans – the fatherless or bereaved (from a root meaning lonely).
The widows – those desolate or abandoned.
The needy – a general reference to the lowest class of society.
Job was Uz’s government assistance program! Hartley says, "The mark of righteous person was that he heard the cries of these miserable creatures and acted to rescue them.” One writer says, “He reached out to meet the deepest needs of those who were forlorn and thereby restored their sense of self-worth.”
Note how The Message puts verse 14, “All my dealings with people were good. I was known for being fair to everyone I met.” Unlike politicians (and unfortunately some pastors) who seek out the biggest donors, Job sought out the less fortunate. He was the Mother Theresa of his day.
Justice and fairness enveloped him (vs. 14). It was part of his being. Concerning verse 15 Hartley states, “He did things for the handicapped that they could not do for themselves.” He was Uz's “Americans with Disabilities Act.”
He stuck up for strangers (vs. 16) – those particularly vulnerable in a foreign city. Sort of like in the old Westerns, if something went wrong in town, the citizens usually blamed the stranger.
He not only helped the weak, he also sought to break the power of the powerful (vs. 17). The language indicates a determined resolve (Hartley). Even though the wicked acted like fierce animals, Job the crime fighter punched their lights out! He was the Caped Crusader of Uz – Spidey & Batman & Under Dog all rolled into one. (I wonder what his costume looked like?).
29:18 "Then I thought, ’I shall die in my nest, And I shall multiply my days as the sand. 19 ’My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies all night on my branch. 20 ’My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’”
Note verse 18 from these two versions:
(The Message) “I thought, ‘I’ll die peacefully in my own bed, grateful for a long and full life’”
(The New Living Translation) “I thought, ’Surely I will die surrounded by my family after a long, good life.’”
Job believed he could weather any adversity. But now his “nest” is not quite what he had envisioned.
29:21 "To me they listened and waited, And kept silent for my counsel. 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 mouth as for the spring rain. 24 "I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down. 25 "I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.”
Job seems to be reiterating verses 7-10. Why? Probably to portray the strongest contrast to what follows in chapter 30.
Note the word “dropped” in verse 22. This word is sometimes translated “prophecy.” Job’s words brought edification, exhortation and comfort (I Corinthians 14:3). The word “comforted” in verse 25 is the same as that in the very beginning of the book in 2:11. That’s interesting.
Hartley writes concerning verse 23, “Through wise, gentle counsel he inspired the community to carry out the right course of action.”
And notice how the chapter closes: “I chose a way (selected a proper course) for them and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king among the troops…” Every generation has its inspirational leaders. Job was just that for his generation (and I might add – for countless generations following). It is probably not too dramatic to say that Job was the Winston Churchill/Martin Luther King/Ronald Reagan of his day. He was the Leader-in-Chief, Inspirer-in-Chief, Commander-in-Chief and Comforter-in-Chief.
Such was the former greatness of Job.
That was then.
But this (life on the ash heap) is now.
In 1974, while my wife and I were at Fort Gordon, Georgia going through Military Police school, we went to see the movie “The Way We Were.” It starred Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand. I can still recall the beautiful yet haunting theme song “Memories” sung by Barbara Streisand. (On the left below the calendar I have attached a YouTube link if you would like to hear it)
Here is a portion of the lyrics:
Mem'ries,
Light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were…
Mem'ries, may be beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember...
The way we were...
The way we were
How painful it must have been for Job to think back to earlier days…
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Of Things Beyond Me (Job 28:1-28)
Nothing is settled, everyone is angry, God is still silent and Job is not healed (a paraphrase of FI Anderson). We are at the end of the three rounds of dialogue between Job and his three Comforter Friends (3-27), and we are on our way to three rounds of monologue between Job, long-winded Elihu and God (29-41).
So let’s talk about mining.
Say what?
Nestled between the dialogue section and the monologue chapters is this amazing chapter on the ingenuity and industrious of men in regards to mining and how that relates to man’s inability to discover wisdom. Hartley writes, “This passage is the only treatment of the subject of mining in the Old Testament.”
28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where they refine gold. 2 Iron is taken from the dust, and copper is smelted from rock. 3 Man puts an end to darkness, and to the farthest limit he searches out the rock in gloom and deep shadow. 4 He sinks a shaft far from habitation, Forgotten by the foot; they hang and swing to and fro far from men. 5 The earth, from it comes food, and underneath it is turned up as fire. 6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, and its dust contains gold. 7 The path no bird of prey knows, nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it. 8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it. 9 He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base. 10 He hews out channels through the rocks, and his eye sees anything precious. 11 He dams up the streams from flowing, and what is hidden he brings out to the light.
Each day in Duluth, MN I drive by one of the main ore docks where taconite (a low grade iron ore) from the Iron Range is brought down by rail and then loaded onto ships. Remarkable effort, great ingenuity, and huge machinery all play a role in digging the ore from the earth and transporting it to points farther east on the Great Lakes.
Far from the disgusting summary given by Bildad to mankind (“man is a maggot” in 25:6), Job gives tribute to the amazing ingenuity and industriousness of men in seeking riches from the earth. In this chapter we find all of these precious metals and minerals mentioned: gold (7 times), silver (twice), iron, copper, sapphire, onyx, glass (perhaps emeralds), crystal and topaz. Verse 18 also mentions coral and pearls.
As you read through these 11 verses, you find a multitude of terms and phrases that refer to the mining industry. Verse 4 is interesting, “He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.” (The Bible in Basic English).
In verses 7-8 Job states that even with the falcon’s fantastic vision and the lion’s great prowess, those animals are unable to match man’s ability to find the path to these precious gems and metals. “The miner ventures where not even the fierce lion dares to go in pursuit of his prey.” (JFB Commentary)
Men and women have assaulted the earth (vs. 9 “overturns mountains”) and gone to great lengths and depths to find hidden treasure. Hartley writes, “Man has amazing creative ability to discover gems hidden deep in the earth.”
When Job talks about the refining process in verse 1, we start to wonder, “Is Job beginning to gain an understanding into the reason for his suffering? Is there some sort of refining process going on in his life?”
28:12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14 The deep says, ’It is not in me’; And the sea says, ’It is not with me.’”
The almost verbatim repetition of verse 12 in verse 20 indicates that this is the focal point of the chapter. From his commentary on Job, Chuck Swindoll gives us a definition of wisdom and understanding, “Wisdom is looking at life from God's point of view…understanding is responding to life's struggles and challenges as God would have us respond.” (Swindoll also notes that Job doesn’t ask, “Where can we get a peace of advice?”)
Verse 13 plainly states, “Man does not know its value (NIV has “man cannot comprehend its worth).” There are gold mines, silver mines and copper mines…but are there any “wisdom mines?”
Have you seen any episodes of that television series “Gold Rush Alaska?” This top rated series shows the intense struggles of a group of people as they try to strike it rich in Alaska. And the emotions that are seen when the tiniest bits of gold are found…wow! For the most part these families have risked everything to find this precious metal.
Gold rush fever can be quite infectious. But what we so desperately need is not another gold rush, but a “God Rush.”
28:15 “Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx, or sapphire. 17 Gold or glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. 18 Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; and the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold."
Notice these phrases: “give in exchange,” “weighed as its price,” “cannot equal it,” “acquisition is above,” “cannot equal,” “cannot be valued in.” The gold of Ophir refers to the finest of gold.
Job seems to be saying this: Wisdom can't be obtained merely by human endeavor (vs. 1-11) and wisdom can't be purchased by human wealth (vs. 15-19).
28:20 “Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? 21 Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the sky. 22 Abaddon and Death say, ’With our ears we have heard a report of it.’”
Wisdom and understanding is not the mere gathering of data. What’s remarkable is that a Harvard grad may be devoid of wisdom and yet a hungry-for-God high school dropout with his well-worn Bible may possess it! (I am not anti “getting an education”; it’s just that sometimes we can educate ourselves out of the anointing).
Remember this phrase from verse 11, “And what is hidden he brings out to the light.” Mankind can bring hidden gems and ore to light, but is unable to dig deep enough to find a vein of wisdom. Notice verse 21, "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living.” But, as per the following, God is able to dig it out for us:
28:23 “God understands its way, and He knows its place. 24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When He imparted weight to the wind and meted out the waters by measure, 26 When He set a limit for the rain and a course for the thunderbolt, 27 Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. 28 And to man He said, ’Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’"
Verse 23 – God understands where understanding comes from.
Verse 24 – God sees everything. He knows (and cares about) your persistent and perplexing problems.
Verse 25a – How much does the wind weigh? And where do those missing socks go....the hozone?
Verse 25b – “…meted out the waters by measure.” Every morning I measure out exactly two cups of water to make my bowl of cream of wheat, but God takes His measuring cup and measures out the oceans!
One commentary states, “While understanding is a gift of God, it does not come automatically. The possession of it requires a persistent diligence. It is more than IQ; it connotes character. One is at fault if he doesn’t have it and in fact, not to pursue it will incur God’s punishment.”
The chapter is summarized in verse 28, “Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom…” I have never heard of a Bible College offering a class called, “The Fear of the Lord 101.” The phrase “…to depart from evil” in verse 28 is remarkably similar to the opening of this book, “…Job eschewed evil.” In fact the wording is identical.
I glean two main thoughts from this chapter. First, even though greatly disappointed by the counsel offered by his three friends, you get the feeling that Job is still clinging tenaciously to the thought, “If only I could view my circumstances from God’s point of view…I need wisdom more than anything!” Many times we also need to see things from God’s point of view. As James states, God dispenses wisdom freely and liberally (James 1: 5).
The second thought I glean is that the intense labor demonstrated by mankind in searching for riches in the earth should be the same industriousness that we demonstrate in searching for riches in God’s Word. One commentator interprets a portion of verse 4 this way, “The people of the lamp (miners in the darkness) break open passages…” But we should be “the people of the lamp!” We need to blow the dust off of our Bibles and dig in! (Hopefully we don’t have to dig through too many layers of dirt.) There is a vein of greater riches in the Word than in all of the mines on the planet combined. You or I could strike it rich in some distant gold mine in Alaska, but it wouldn’t even compare to the wonderful nuggets of spiritual truth that await those willing to take the time to search God’s Word.
(The title of this devotional is borrowed from N. Habel’s book/article, “Of Things Beyond Me: Wisdom in the Book of Job.”)
So let’s talk about mining.
Say what?
Nestled between the dialogue section and the monologue chapters is this amazing chapter on the ingenuity and industrious of men in regards to mining and how that relates to man’s inability to discover wisdom. Hartley writes, “This passage is the only treatment of the subject of mining in the Old Testament.”
28:1 “Surely there is a mine for silver and a place where they refine gold. 2 Iron is taken from the dust, and copper is smelted from rock. 3 Man puts an end to darkness, and to the farthest limit he searches out the rock in gloom and deep shadow. 4 He sinks a shaft far from habitation, Forgotten by the foot; they hang and swing to and fro far from men. 5 The earth, from it comes food, and underneath it is turned up as fire. 6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires, and its dust contains gold. 7 The path no bird of prey knows, nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it. 8 The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it. 9 He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base. 10 He hews out channels through the rocks, and his eye sees anything precious. 11 He dams up the streams from flowing, and what is hidden he brings out to the light.
Each day in Duluth, MN I drive by one of the main ore docks where taconite (a low grade iron ore) from the Iron Range is brought down by rail and then loaded onto ships. Remarkable effort, great ingenuity, and huge machinery all play a role in digging the ore from the earth and transporting it to points farther east on the Great Lakes.
Far from the disgusting summary given by Bildad to mankind (“man is a maggot” in 25:6), Job gives tribute to the amazing ingenuity and industriousness of men in seeking riches from the earth. In this chapter we find all of these precious metals and minerals mentioned: gold (7 times), silver (twice), iron, copper, sapphire, onyx, glass (perhaps emeralds), crystal and topaz. Verse 18 also mentions coral and pearls.
As you read through these 11 verses, you find a multitude of terms and phrases that refer to the mining industry. Verse 4 is interesting, “He makes a deep mine far away from those living in the light of day; when they go about on the earth, they have no knowledge of those who are under them, who are hanging far from men, twisting from side to side on a cord.” (The Bible in Basic English).
In verses 7-8 Job states that even with the falcon’s fantastic vision and the lion’s great prowess, those animals are unable to match man’s ability to find the path to these precious gems and metals. “The miner ventures where not even the fierce lion dares to go in pursuit of his prey.” (JFB Commentary)
Men and women have assaulted the earth (vs. 9 “overturns mountains”) and gone to great lengths and depths to find hidden treasure. Hartley writes, “Man has amazing creative ability to discover gems hidden deep in the earth.”
When Job talks about the refining process in verse 1, we start to wonder, “Is Job beginning to gain an understanding into the reason for his suffering? Is there some sort of refining process going on in his life?”
28:12 “But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? 13 Man does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. 14 The deep says, ’It is not in me’; And the sea says, ’It is not with me.’”
The almost verbatim repetition of verse 12 in verse 20 indicates that this is the focal point of the chapter. From his commentary on Job, Chuck Swindoll gives us a definition of wisdom and understanding, “Wisdom is looking at life from God's point of view…understanding is responding to life's struggles and challenges as God would have us respond.” (Swindoll also notes that Job doesn’t ask, “Where can we get a peace of advice?”)
Verse 13 plainly states, “Man does not know its value (NIV has “man cannot comprehend its worth).” There are gold mines, silver mines and copper mines…but are there any “wisdom mines?”
Have you seen any episodes of that television series “Gold Rush Alaska?” This top rated series shows the intense struggles of a group of people as they try to strike it rich in Alaska. And the emotions that are seen when the tiniest bits of gold are found…wow! For the most part these families have risked everything to find this precious metal.
Gold rush fever can be quite infectious. But what we so desperately need is not another gold rush, but a “God Rush.”
28:15 “Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, nor can silver be weighed as its price. 16 It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, in precious onyx, or sapphire. 17 Gold or glass cannot equal it, nor can it be exchanged for articles of fine gold. 18 Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; and the acquisition of wisdom is above that of pearls. 19 The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, nor can it be valued in pure gold."
Notice these phrases: “give in exchange,” “weighed as its price,” “cannot equal it,” “acquisition is above,” “cannot equal,” “cannot be valued in.” The gold of Ophir refers to the finest of gold.
Job seems to be saying this: Wisdom can't be obtained merely by human endeavor (vs. 1-11) and wisdom can't be purchased by human wealth (vs. 15-19).
28:20 “Where then does wisdom come from? And where is the place of understanding? 21 Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living and concealed from the birds of the sky. 22 Abaddon and Death say, ’With our ears we have heard a report of it.’”
Wisdom and understanding is not the mere gathering of data. What’s remarkable is that a Harvard grad may be devoid of wisdom and yet a hungry-for-God high school dropout with his well-worn Bible may possess it! (I am not anti “getting an education”; it’s just that sometimes we can educate ourselves out of the anointing).
Remember this phrase from verse 11, “And what is hidden he brings out to the light.” Mankind can bring hidden gems and ore to light, but is unable to dig deep enough to find a vein of wisdom. Notice verse 21, "Thus it is hidden from the eyes of all living.” But, as per the following, God is able to dig it out for us:
28:23 “God understands its way, and He knows its place. 24 For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. 25 When He imparted weight to the wind and meted out the waters by measure, 26 When He set a limit for the rain and a course for the thunderbolt, 27 Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. 28 And to man He said, ’Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.’"
Verse 23 – God understands where understanding comes from.
Verse 24 – God sees everything. He knows (and cares about) your persistent and perplexing problems.
Verse 25a – How much does the wind weigh? And where do those missing socks go....the hozone?
Verse 25b – “…meted out the waters by measure.” Every morning I measure out exactly two cups of water to make my bowl of cream of wheat, but God takes His measuring cup and measures out the oceans!
One commentary states, “While understanding is a gift of God, it does not come automatically. The possession of it requires a persistent diligence. It is more than IQ; it connotes character. One is at fault if he doesn’t have it and in fact, not to pursue it will incur God’s punishment.”
The chapter is summarized in verse 28, “Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom…” I have never heard of a Bible College offering a class called, “The Fear of the Lord 101.” The phrase “…to depart from evil” in verse 28 is remarkably similar to the opening of this book, “…Job eschewed evil.” In fact the wording is identical.
I glean two main thoughts from this chapter. First, even though greatly disappointed by the counsel offered by his three friends, you get the feeling that Job is still clinging tenaciously to the thought, “If only I could view my circumstances from God’s point of view…I need wisdom more than anything!” Many times we also need to see things from God’s point of view. As James states, God dispenses wisdom freely and liberally (James 1: 5).
The second thought I glean is that the intense labor demonstrated by mankind in searching for riches in the earth should be the same industriousness that we demonstrate in searching for riches in God’s Word. One commentator interprets a portion of verse 4 this way, “The people of the lamp (miners in the darkness) break open passages…” But we should be “the people of the lamp!” We need to blow the dust off of our Bibles and dig in! (Hopefully we don’t have to dig through too many layers of dirt.) There is a vein of greater riches in the Word than in all of the mines on the planet combined. You or I could strike it rich in some distant gold mine in Alaska, but it wouldn’t even compare to the wonderful nuggets of spiritual truth that await those willing to take the time to search God’s Word.
(The title of this devotional is borrowed from N. Habel’s book/article, “Of Things Beyond Me: Wisdom in the Book of Job.”)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)