Two friends from school came to visit the paralyzed teenage girl in the hospital ICU. Upon seeing their friend for the first time, they stood for a few seconds in awkward silence by her bedside and then ran out of the room. In the hallway one of the girls vomited and the other sobbed. A few days later another friend named Jackie stopped in to visit. The young patient insisted that her friend bring her a mirror. For the first time since the accident she saw what she looked like. “The person in the mirror had eyes that were bloodshot and sunken into dark cavities far back into her skull. Her skin color had faded to a dull yellow, and teeth were black from medication. Her head was still shaved, with metal clamps on either side. And her weight had shrunk from 125 to 80 pounds.” She pleaded with her friend, “Help me die. Bring some pills, or a razor blade even. I can’t live inside a grotesque body like this. Help me die, Jackie.”
Such is Philip Yancey’s description of Joni Eareckson Tada’s anguish (following her swimming accident) in his book “Where Is God When It Hurts.” (Pages 131-132)
The second half of Job chapter 30 (verses 16-31) is Job’s final “Bring me a mirror!” accounting of his horrible illness.
30:16 “And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of affliction have seized me. 17 at night it pierces my bones within me, and my gnawing pains take no rest.”
This is the bottom for Job. Francis I Anderson writes, “In a final burst of grief, Job wrestles with the sheer pain of his disease as if it were objectively a terrifying monster, chewing at his flesh day and night.” The New Living Translation puts verse 16 this way, “And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.” His life is ebbing away. The gloom of Elie Wiesel’s “Night” hangs over Job’s ash heap (“Night” is an account of the horrors of a German concentration camp during WWII.). And his eyelids can’t even find a moment’s rest: “At night my bone hath been pierced in me, and mine eyelids do not lie down!” (Young’s Literal Translation).
30:18 “By a great force my garment is distorted; it binds me about as the collar of my coat. 19 He has cast me into the mire, and I have become like dust and ashes.”
Verse 18 could be interpreted a few different ways: 1) Job’s illness has so disfigured his body that his garment has become distorted, or 2) because of his running, open sores his clothing has become cemented and glued to his ulcerated body, or 3) he is in so much pain it feels as if God has grabbed his collar and pulled his clothing so tight that every cell seems to cry out in agony.
And in a chameleon-like way, Job is beginning to resemble his environment: sitting on dust and ashes he has “become like dust and ashes.”
30:20 “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 might of Your hand You persecute me.”
“I cry but You do not answer…” The word “answer” appears more often in Job than in any other Old Testament book (twice as often in fact).
“You have become cruel to me…” The word “cruel” (Hebrew “akzar”) connotes insensitivity and lack of compassion. I think in the midst of our struggles and pain and testing (our “Night”), when we say things we shouldn’t, that God understands and totally forgives. Why do I say that? Because in chapter 42 when God is reprimanding Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, He says, “You have not spoken of Me what is right, as my servant Job has.” That’s pretty cool.
And the word “persecute” is "satam" – an obvious play on the word “Satan” from chapters one and two. Job is saying to Jehovah, “You are cherishing animosity against me!” (Hartley)
30:22 “You lift me up to the wind and cause me to ride; 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.”
In a sarcastic tone Job continues, “In times past You made me to ride upon the heights of blessing and intimacy with You, but now? You raise me up only to dissolve my hopes and dreams!”
Verse 23 implies that Job did not anticipate deliverance this side of death. “My home is gone, and I am heading to the gloomy home of Sheol.”
30:24 “Yet does not one in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand, or in his disaster therefore cry out for help? 25 Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was not my soul grieved for the needy?”
Undoubtedly Mr. and Mrs. Job would often, around the breakfast table, think about those in town that they could be a blessing to that day. Job thought often about those whose lot in life was difficult (those “who were having a bad day” is a loose literal rendering). He felt for the common man (in the next chapter there is an incredible statement about his attitude toward his employees).
So Job reasons, “If I felt compassion for those in a heap of ruins, shouldn’t someone (God?) stretch out Their hand for me?”
30:26 “When I expected good, then evil came; when I waited for light, then darkness came. 27 I am seething within and cannot relax; Days of affliction confront me.”
Good and evil; light and darkness. The “before” and “after” for the Job family. Verse 27 is literally, “My bowels are boiling…” Inside and out Job was in misery.
30:28 “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.”
I like to think that Mrs. Job has not abandoned her husband. Even though forsaken by the rest of the family, by his friends and the community, Mrs. Job came each day to try to give a moment’s comfort to her husband’s fevered and blistered body.
30:30 “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.”
His skin blackens, flakes and peels off. Fever torments him constantly. “ABANDONED!” is written over this Castaway on the ash heap. He is discarded, forsaken, and deserted.
Francis I Anderson sums up this portion of Job by stating, “Job ends his lamentation on the physical agonies of his illness, unrelieved by a kind word or friendly touch. His friends sat with him (2:13) but they did not weep with him.”
I would like to close this section of Job with a few words from Philip Yancey’s book “Where Is God When It Hurts” –
“No one can package or bottle “the appropriate response to suffering.” And words intended for everyone will almost always prove worthless for one individual person. If you go to the sufferers themselves and ask for helpful words, you may find discord. Some recall a friend who cheerily helped distract them from the illness, while others think such an approach insulting. Some want honest, straightforward confrontation; others find such discussion unbearably depressing. In short, there is no magic cure for a person in pain. Mainly, such a person needs love, for love instinctively detects what is needed…In fact, the answer to the question, “How do I help those who hurt?” is exactly the same as the answer to the question, “How do I love?” If you asked me for a Bible passage to teach you how to help suffering people, I would point to I Corinthians 13 and its eloquent depiction of love. That is what a suffering person needs: love, and not knowledge and wisdom. As is so often His pattern, God uses very ordinary people to bring about healing.” (Page 173)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Of Troglodytes and Marshmallows (The Reversal of Fortunes) (Job 30:1-15)
Chapter 29 was “the then.”
Chapter 30 is “the now.”
Chapter 29 was “The Lord gave…”
Chapter 30 is “The Lord took away…”
Job was the godly and wealthy sheik, the family man of incomparable character, the one that was admired, respected, and honored. But now Mr. Class Act has become riffraff – the stuff that is swept off the kitchen floor and thrown into the garbage can.
The contrast between these chapters could not be greater. FI Anderson crystallizes the disparity when he states, “Job has exchanged the respect of the most respectful for the contempt of the most contemptible.”
The first half of chapter 30 deals with the depths of Job’s social shame, the second half looks at Job’s spiritual and physical suffering.
30:1 “But now those younger than I mock me, whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.”
“But now…” The word “now” appears three times in this chapter; it’s as if a sudden and piercing stab of pain pulls Job back from his thoughts of better days. The word “mock” is the same as “smile” just a few verses earlier (29:24). Job smiled on people to encourage them, but this classless group of people smiles derisively and mockingly. One commentator writes, “The most deplorable youths mock Job, who had been the most respected person in the community.”
We need to put the second half of verse one in context (“whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock”). Job had enormous compassion for the down-and-outers. He ascribed great worth to his servants. He was not despising this group of people because of their station in life. These are not just people down on their luck – these are those that hate society and everything good about it.
(Just a side note: as a lover of dogs I have to raise one objection. You’ve heard the saying, “The politicians are spending money like drunken sailors.” But then drunken sailors object, “Hey, don’t associate us with politicians." Even though dogs in the Jewish society were considered as lower than low (even worse than cats), and even though (as Poole writes), “Dogs are every where mentioned with contempt, as filthy, unprofitable, and accursed creatures,” I am going to stand up for dogs everywhere who object to being associated with this uncivilized band of society haters.)
The following verses describe these desert dwellers:
30:2 “Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. 3 From want and famine they are gaunt who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, 4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes, and whose food is the root of the broom shrub.”
“They pluck mallow…” (or saltwort as some versions have it). One ancient writer says that this plant was cooked as a vegetable and the leaves were sour and furnished very little nourishment. It was apparently like eating a bark salad with ranch dressing.
And another side note…have you ever meditated on the word “marshmallow?" Its “mallow from the marshes.” Wikipedia says that marsh mallow was originally used for medicinal purposes (like curing sore throats) and dates back to Egyptian times (I think they found a bag of them in King Tut’s tomb next to some petrified s’mores). When you received your giant bottle of marshmallow pills from Pharaoh’s Pharmacy, the instructions on the bottle read: Take one marshmallow three times a day.” And did you know that modern marshmallows no longer contain marshmallow? What? Is the government looking into this? And one last thing on this meaningless interlude: someday I am going to write a history of marshmallows:
Volume One: Marshmallows That Contain Marshmallow
Volume Two: The Legend of Peeps
(I apologize for this little intermission; but every now and then I just have to get away from all this suffering stuff.)
Back to reality.
30:5 “They are driven from the community; they shout against them as against a thief, 6 So that they dwell in dreadful valleys, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.”
These men were troglodytes – cave dwellers, people of degraded, primitive or brutal character. The word “troglodyte” literally means, “one who creeps into holes.” There was a contempt felt for the Trogs by civilized society (the word “driven” carries the idea of forcefulness). One writer states, “They had to take shelter in the most dangerous and out of the way and unfrequented of places.”
I think that Job probably offered at least some of these guys an opportunity for employment – but they chose thievery and panhandling to the rigors of an 8-5 job.
30:7 “Among the bushes they cry out; under the nettles they are gathered together.”
They ate roots and lived in holes or caves or dry stream beds or ravines or gullies.
30:8 “Fools, even those without a name, they were scourged from the land.”
This group of people is called “Ben-Nabaal” – “sons of no-name.” Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “He (or she) made a name for himself.” Implied in that is the fact that they have become honorable or influential. So to be called “Ben Nabaal” is in effect saying that a person is without honor and without influence. They are nobodies.
They are persons not fit for civil society. “So inhuman are they that aged men, whose sufferings ought to excite pity, are allowed to perish near them without a helping hand!” (From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
30:9 “And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them.”
Adam Clarke writes in his commentary, “Job is no longer affluent so they are no longer respectful.”
30:10 “They abhor me and stand aloof from me, and they do not refrain from spitting at my face.”
The literal translation is, “They have abominated me…!” The detestable have now become the detestors. I can imagine moms warning their kids, “Get away from that icky man Job! Don’t go anywhere near him!”
Job had probably admonished some of these young men to turn their lives around, but now they are spitting in his face. Clark writes, “What a state must civil society be in when such indignities were permitted to be offered to the aged and afflicted!”
It needs to be emphasized again that this entire passage is not a commentary on Job's attitude toward these unfortunates; it rather accents the depths of shame to which he has fallen in the community. As we have seen in past chapters and will see in chapter 31, Job had sort of a “Mother Theresa spirit” when it came to helping those beaten down by life.
30:11 “Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, they have cast off the bridle before me.”
The Trogs think to themselves, “Well, if God has cast him off, we might as well also!”
Have you noticed what is not recorded anywhere in these verses (or even in these ending chapters)? There is absolutely no hint that Eliphaz, Bildad or Zophar tried to stop any of this degrading treatment of Job. The Trogs may have acted despicably by spitting at Job, but the Comforters are inexcusable for their lack of action on Job’s behalf.
30:12 “On the right hand their brood arises; they thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction.”
The NIV puts verse 12 this way, “On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me.” The rabble have attacked Job with such force that it appears as though they are besieging a fortified city.
13 “They break up my path, they profit from my destruction; No one restrains them. 14 As through a wide breach they come, amid the tempest they roll on.”
The Message translates verses 13-14 this way, “They throw every kind of obstacle in my path, determined to ruin me—and no one lifts a finger to help me! 14 They violate my broken body, trample through the rubble of my ruined life.”
The imagery of an attacking army continues: the army assails a fortress, laying siege for a long time and finally breaking through and sacking and ransacking the person of Job.
30:15 “Terrors are turned against me; they pursue my honor as the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.”
The Message puts the first part of verse 15 this way, “Terrors assault me—my dignity in shreds…”
In his commentary Barnes writes, “Everything (they can come up with) to produce terror has been turned against him.” Trapp brings the first half of this chapter to a close by paraphrasing Job’s words, “I am utterly deprived of all means of avoiding this misery.”
Conclusion: When I pastored the small church in Hawthorne, Wisconsin, a young man visited one Sunday and sat in one of the pews toward the back of the sanctuary. Not until I went back to shake his hand during the greeting time did I find out that he had brought his dog with him. His dog “Diesel” sat perfectly still the entire service and didn’t make a sound. The next day I sent Diesel an official “Thanks for visiting!” letter and expressed my gratitude to him for visiting the church (and for bringing his master with him). I like dogs.
Looking back on my time of pastoring, there has only been one person that I regretted asking to stand behind the pulpit and preach a sermon. I was a rookie preacher at the time and, if I remember correctly, a relative of one of the people in the church I was pastoring asked if Preacher Bob (I can’t even remember his name) could preach a Sunday night sermon. I said that would be fine. But somewhere close to the end of his sermon he made a statement that I will never forget (and that convinced me to NEVER invite him back). He said simply this, “There are some people so far from God, I would never allow them to live in my dog house.” As I sat on the front pew, anxiously waiting for him to leave town, my only thought was, “You may not allow them to live in your dog house, but Jesus had supper with some of them. And then He died on Calvary for them.”
Jesus loves people.
Chapter 30 is “the now.”
Chapter 29 was “The Lord gave…”
Chapter 30 is “The Lord took away…”
Job was the godly and wealthy sheik, the family man of incomparable character, the one that was admired, respected, and honored. But now Mr. Class Act has become riffraff – the stuff that is swept off the kitchen floor and thrown into the garbage can.
The contrast between these chapters could not be greater. FI Anderson crystallizes the disparity when he states, “Job has exchanged the respect of the most respectful for the contempt of the most contemptible.”
The first half of chapter 30 deals with the depths of Job’s social shame, the second half looks at Job’s spiritual and physical suffering.
30:1 “But now those younger than I mock me, whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock.”
“But now…” The word “now” appears three times in this chapter; it’s as if a sudden and piercing stab of pain pulls Job back from his thoughts of better days. The word “mock” is the same as “smile” just a few verses earlier (29:24). Job smiled on people to encourage them, but this classless group of people smiles derisively and mockingly. One commentator writes, “The most deplorable youths mock Job, who had been the most respected person in the community.”
We need to put the second half of verse one in context (“whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock”). Job had enormous compassion for the down-and-outers. He ascribed great worth to his servants. He was not despising this group of people because of their station in life. These are not just people down on their luck – these are those that hate society and everything good about it.
(Just a side note: as a lover of dogs I have to raise one objection. You’ve heard the saying, “The politicians are spending money like drunken sailors.” But then drunken sailors object, “Hey, don’t associate us with politicians." Even though dogs in the Jewish society were considered as lower than low (even worse than cats), and even though (as Poole writes), “Dogs are every where mentioned with contempt, as filthy, unprofitable, and accursed creatures,” I am going to stand up for dogs everywhere who object to being associated with this uncivilized band of society haters.)
The following verses describe these desert dwellers:
30:2 “Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. 3 From want and famine they are gaunt who gnaw the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, 4 Who pluck mallow by the bushes, and whose food is the root of the broom shrub.”
“They pluck mallow…” (or saltwort as some versions have it). One ancient writer says that this plant was cooked as a vegetable and the leaves were sour and furnished very little nourishment. It was apparently like eating a bark salad with ranch dressing.
And another side note…have you ever meditated on the word “marshmallow?" Its “mallow from the marshes.” Wikipedia says that marsh mallow was originally used for medicinal purposes (like curing sore throats) and dates back to Egyptian times (I think they found a bag of them in King Tut’s tomb next to some petrified s’mores). When you received your giant bottle of marshmallow pills from Pharaoh’s Pharmacy, the instructions on the bottle read: Take one marshmallow three times a day.” And did you know that modern marshmallows no longer contain marshmallow? What? Is the government looking into this? And one last thing on this meaningless interlude: someday I am going to write a history of marshmallows:
Volume One: Marshmallows That Contain Marshmallow
Volume Two: The Legend of Peeps
(I apologize for this little intermission; but every now and then I just have to get away from all this suffering stuff.)
Back to reality.
30:5 “They are driven from the community; they shout against them as against a thief, 6 So that they dwell in dreadful valleys, in holes of the earth and of the rocks.”
These men were troglodytes – cave dwellers, people of degraded, primitive or brutal character. The word “troglodyte” literally means, “one who creeps into holes.” There was a contempt felt for the Trogs by civilized society (the word “driven” carries the idea of forcefulness). One writer states, “They had to take shelter in the most dangerous and out of the way and unfrequented of places.”
I think that Job probably offered at least some of these guys an opportunity for employment – but they chose thievery and panhandling to the rigors of an 8-5 job.
30:7 “Among the bushes they cry out; under the nettles they are gathered together.”
They ate roots and lived in holes or caves or dry stream beds or ravines or gullies.
30:8 “Fools, even those without a name, they were scourged from the land.”
This group of people is called “Ben-Nabaal” – “sons of no-name.” Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “He (or she) made a name for himself.” Implied in that is the fact that they have become honorable or influential. So to be called “Ben Nabaal” is in effect saying that a person is without honor and without influence. They are nobodies.
They are persons not fit for civil society. “So inhuman are they that aged men, whose sufferings ought to excite pity, are allowed to perish near them without a helping hand!” (From the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)
30:9 “And now I have become their taunt, I have even become a byword to them.”
Adam Clarke writes in his commentary, “Job is no longer affluent so they are no longer respectful.”
30:10 “They abhor me and stand aloof from me, and they do not refrain from spitting at my face.”
The literal translation is, “They have abominated me…!” The detestable have now become the detestors. I can imagine moms warning their kids, “Get away from that icky man Job! Don’t go anywhere near him!”
Job had probably admonished some of these young men to turn their lives around, but now they are spitting in his face. Clark writes, “What a state must civil society be in when such indignities were permitted to be offered to the aged and afflicted!”
It needs to be emphasized again that this entire passage is not a commentary on Job's attitude toward these unfortunates; it rather accents the depths of shame to which he has fallen in the community. As we have seen in past chapters and will see in chapter 31, Job had sort of a “Mother Theresa spirit” when it came to helping those beaten down by life.
30:11 “Because He has loosed His bowstring and afflicted me, they have cast off the bridle before me.”
The Trogs think to themselves, “Well, if God has cast him off, we might as well also!”
Have you noticed what is not recorded anywhere in these verses (or even in these ending chapters)? There is absolutely no hint that Eliphaz, Bildad or Zophar tried to stop any of this degrading treatment of Job. The Trogs may have acted despicably by spitting at Job, but the Comforters are inexcusable for their lack of action on Job’s behalf.
30:12 “On the right hand their brood arises; they thrust aside my feet and build up against me their ways of destruction.”
The NIV puts verse 12 this way, “On my right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege ramps against me.” The rabble have attacked Job with such force that it appears as though they are besieging a fortified city.
13 “They break up my path, they profit from my destruction; No one restrains them. 14 As through a wide breach they come, amid the tempest they roll on.”
The Message translates verses 13-14 this way, “They throw every kind of obstacle in my path, determined to ruin me—and no one lifts a finger to help me! 14 They violate my broken body, trample through the rubble of my ruined life.”
The imagery of an attacking army continues: the army assails a fortress, laying siege for a long time and finally breaking through and sacking and ransacking the person of Job.
30:15 “Terrors are turned against me; they pursue my honor as the wind, and my prosperity has passed away like a cloud.”
The Message puts the first part of verse 15 this way, “Terrors assault me—my dignity in shreds…”
In his commentary Barnes writes, “Everything (they can come up with) to produce terror has been turned against him.” Trapp brings the first half of this chapter to a close by paraphrasing Job’s words, “I am utterly deprived of all means of avoiding this misery.”
Conclusion: When I pastored the small church in Hawthorne, Wisconsin, a young man visited one Sunday and sat in one of the pews toward the back of the sanctuary. Not until I went back to shake his hand during the greeting time did I find out that he had brought his dog with him. His dog “Diesel” sat perfectly still the entire service and didn’t make a sound. The next day I sent Diesel an official “Thanks for visiting!” letter and expressed my gratitude to him for visiting the church (and for bringing his master with him). I like dogs.
Looking back on my time of pastoring, there has only been one person that I regretted asking to stand behind the pulpit and preach a sermon. I was a rookie preacher at the time and, if I remember correctly, a relative of one of the people in the church I was pastoring asked if Preacher Bob (I can’t even remember his name) could preach a Sunday night sermon. I said that would be fine. But somewhere close to the end of his sermon he made a statement that I will never forget (and that convinced me to NEVER invite him back). He said simply this, “There are some people so far from God, I would never allow them to live in my dog house.” As I sat on the front pew, anxiously waiting for him to leave town, my only thought was, “You may not allow them to live in your dog house, but Jesus had supper with some of them. And then He died on Calvary for them.”
Jesus loves people.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Memories...The Way We Were (Job 29:1-25)
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…
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 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.”)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
“Dear God, Why Have You Ruined My Life?” (Job 27:1-23)
Perhaps you’ve seen that email titled “Letters to God from Kids.” The email contains about a dozen short and humorous letters penned by children to God. Here are just a handful of them:
“Dear God, I bet it’s hard for you to love everyone in the world. I have four people in my family and I can’t do it.”
“Dear God, thank you for a baby brother but I asked for a puppy.”
“Dear God, if you watch me in church on Sunday I’ll show you my new shoes.”
“Dear God, if we come back as something else, please don’t let me be Jennifer cuz I hate her.”
Job begins chapter 27 with his own letter to God. And it simply goes like this, “Dear God, why have You ruined my life?”
27:1 “Then Job continued his discourse and said, 2 ‘As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,’”
As we have learned in our study of this book, for a long time now Job has desired to take God to court. And in a paradoxical way Job has appealed to “God the Redeemer-Prosecutor” to bring his case before “God the Defendant/the Ruiner.” When Job states, “As God lives, Who has taken away my right…,” he is complaining that the Almighty won’t allow his court case to proceed. From Job’s perspective, God has thrown out his case.
Job continues, “Who has embittered my soul.” The word “bitter” (marah) means essentially to make miserable or to make exceedingly difficult to bear. This word and its variations are used more in Job than in any other Old Testament Book. It’s used in the book of Ruth in reference to Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law. Naomi had lost her husband and both of her sons in the land of Moab. When she returned to Israel after many years, she said to the people who knew her, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty…” (Ruth 1:20-21).
Did you catch what else Job said? “The Almighty, Who has embittered my soul.” The Almighty – El Shaddai – the God with Whom nothing is impossible, seems incapable of healing me and relieving me of my misery! There’s an entire sermon contained in those few words.
From our point of view, Job is a complainer (who wouldn’t complain in his situation?); but from God's point of view, Job is an endurer! A commentator by the name of Trapp has something very interesting to say about this – I have left his remarks for the conclusion.
27:3 “For as long as life is in me, and the breath of God is in my nostrils, 4 my lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit. 5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.”
Chuck Swindoll points out that there are a couple of lessons we can learn from these first few verses. First, while on his ash heap Job is thinking about God (in the first 13 verses of this chapter, the words “God” or “Almighty” are referred to 11 times!). In the midst of difficulty, Job had the proper vertical perspective.
Secondly, in the midst of his misery, he steadfastly maintained his integrity. In no uncertain terms he told Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, “My afflictions are NOT the consequences of my sins!” Note his tenacious words, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me!” Trapp paraphrases Job’s resolute words, “I hang onto my integrity with tooth and nail, even if it means the loss of my teeth!”
27:7 "May my enemy be as the wicked and my opponent as the unjust. 8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God requires his life? 9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? 10 Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?”
Note the sobering words found in the second part of verse 8, “…When God requires his life?” Life can change in an instant. It’s only been about 5 weeks since that gunman tried to take the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. During that rampage he killed six others including a nine year old girl and a federal judge (who just happened to stop by to visit the congresswoman, but lost his life in a courageous attempt to shield another person from the assassin’s bullets). We don’t have tomorrow. Make sure you that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
27:11 “I will instruct you in the power of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 Behold, all of you have seen it; why then do you act foolishly? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty. 14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. 15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague, and their widows will not be able to weep.”
What’s remarkable about these verses and the rest of the chapter is that Job is essentially saying the same thing that the Comforters had been saying about the fate of the wicked. And even more remarkable is that what is said sure sounds a lot like what has happened to Job!
27:16 "Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay, 17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver. 18 He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.”
Note these phrases: “He piles up…he prepares…he has built…” To me this sounds like someone who has ignored God his entire life.
“Piles up silver like dust…” That’s an interesting verse. Perhaps in this day when many are fleeing into the precious metals market (like gold) to insure their future, they should remember the words found in Ezekiel 7:19, “…their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD…”
(Just a sidelight – the word “built” in verse 18 is used in Genesis of building a city, building an altar, building a house, building a tower [Babel], building a family, and building a woman [Eve]!)
27:19 “He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.
The Message puts verse 19 this way, “They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor.” Life flies by at warp speed and Cadillacs rust. Put your trust in Jesus.
27:20 “Terrors pour in on them like flash floods—a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night, 21 A cyclone sweeps them up—gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint. 22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide— 23 Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.” (The Message)
Remember the tsunami that hit Thailand on December 26th, 2004? Tourists at the ocean resorts were oblivious of the catastrophe rolling toward them at 500 mph. It struck suddenly and thousands of people lost their lives. People tried to outrun the massive wave and could not. Nor can people outrun the judgment of God.
In conclusion, Trapp writes this about the impressive character of Job: Job was at present under a sore temptation, and being pressed out of measure above strength, he spake unadvisedly with his lips…The best faith, if long tried, may flag and hang the wing. Moses at Meribah, David at Gath, Elijah under the juniper, sufficiently show that every new man is two men…and that the best may have their outbursts; yet so as that the seed of grace still abideth in them, and some way shows itself; Job here, for instance. He complaineth of God’s severity, but stormeth not against him. He blustereth, but he blasphemeth not...”
As one of my Bible School teachers loved to say, “God will pull you through, if you can stand the pull.” God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all of our most audacious dreams. Hang in there.
“Dear God, I bet it’s hard for you to love everyone in the world. I have four people in my family and I can’t do it.”
“Dear God, thank you for a baby brother but I asked for a puppy.”
“Dear God, if you watch me in church on Sunday I’ll show you my new shoes.”
“Dear God, if we come back as something else, please don’t let me be Jennifer cuz I hate her.”
Job begins chapter 27 with his own letter to God. And it simply goes like this, “Dear God, why have You ruined my life?”
27:1 “Then Job continued his discourse and said, 2 ‘As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,’”
As we have learned in our study of this book, for a long time now Job has desired to take God to court. And in a paradoxical way Job has appealed to “God the Redeemer-Prosecutor” to bring his case before “God the Defendant/the Ruiner.” When Job states, “As God lives, Who has taken away my right…,” he is complaining that the Almighty won’t allow his court case to proceed. From Job’s perspective, God has thrown out his case.
Job continues, “Who has embittered my soul.” The word “bitter” (marah) means essentially to make miserable or to make exceedingly difficult to bear. This word and its variations are used more in Job than in any other Old Testament Book. It’s used in the book of Ruth in reference to Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law. Naomi had lost her husband and both of her sons in the land of Moab. When she returned to Israel after many years, she said to the people who knew her, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty…” (Ruth 1:20-21).
Did you catch what else Job said? “The Almighty, Who has embittered my soul.” The Almighty – El Shaddai – the God with Whom nothing is impossible, seems incapable of healing me and relieving me of my misery! There’s an entire sermon contained in those few words.
From our point of view, Job is a complainer (who wouldn’t complain in his situation?); but from God's point of view, Job is an endurer! A commentator by the name of Trapp has something very interesting to say about this – I have left his remarks for the conclusion.
27:3 “For as long as life is in me, and the breath of God is in my nostrils, 4 my lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit. 5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. 6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.”
Chuck Swindoll points out that there are a couple of lessons we can learn from these first few verses. First, while on his ash heap Job is thinking about God (in the first 13 verses of this chapter, the words “God” or “Almighty” are referred to 11 times!). In the midst of difficulty, Job had the proper vertical perspective.
Secondly, in the midst of his misery, he steadfastly maintained his integrity. In no uncertain terms he told Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, “My afflictions are NOT the consequences of my sins!” Note his tenacious words, “Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me!” Trapp paraphrases Job’s resolute words, “I hang onto my integrity with tooth and nail, even if it means the loss of my teeth!”
27:7 "May my enemy be as the wicked and my opponent as the unjust. 8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off, when God requires his life? 9 Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him? 10 Will he take delight in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times?”
Note the sobering words found in the second part of verse 8, “…When God requires his life?” Life can change in an instant. It’s only been about 5 weeks since that gunman tried to take the life of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. During that rampage he killed six others including a nine year old girl and a federal judge (who just happened to stop by to visit the congresswoman, but lost his life in a courageous attempt to shield another person from the assassin’s bullets). We don’t have tomorrow. Make sure you that you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
27:11 “I will instruct you in the power of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal. 12 Behold, all of you have seen it; why then do you act foolishly? 13 This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty. 14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; and his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. 15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague, and their widows will not be able to weep.”
What’s remarkable about these verses and the rest of the chapter is that Job is essentially saying the same thing that the Comforters had been saying about the fate of the wicked. And even more remarkable is that what is said sure sounds a lot like what has happened to Job!
27:16 "Though he piles up silver like dust And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay, 17 He may prepare it, but the just will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver. 18 He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or as a hut which the watchman has made.”
Note these phrases: “He piles up…he prepares…he has built…” To me this sounds like someone who has ignored God his entire life.
“Piles up silver like dust…” That’s an interesting verse. Perhaps in this day when many are fleeing into the precious metals market (like gold) to insure their future, they should remember the words found in Ezekiel 7:19, “…their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD…”
(Just a sidelight – the word “built” in verse 18 is used in Genesis of building a city, building an altar, building a house, building a tower [Babel], building a family, and building a woman [Eve]!)
27:19 “He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.
The Message puts verse 19 this way, “They go to bed wealthy and wake up poor.” Life flies by at warp speed and Cadillacs rust. Put your trust in Jesus.
27:20 “Terrors pour in on them like flash floods—a tornado snatches them away in the middle of the night, 21 A cyclone sweeps them up—gone! Not a trace of them left, not even a footprint. 22 Catastrophes relentlessly pursue them; they run this way and that, but there’s no place to hide— 23 Pummeled by the weather, blown to kingdom come by the storm.” (The Message)
Remember the tsunami that hit Thailand on December 26th, 2004? Tourists at the ocean resorts were oblivious of the catastrophe rolling toward them at 500 mph. It struck suddenly and thousands of people lost their lives. People tried to outrun the massive wave and could not. Nor can people outrun the judgment of God.
In conclusion, Trapp writes this about the impressive character of Job: Job was at present under a sore temptation, and being pressed out of measure above strength, he spake unadvisedly with his lips…The best faith, if long tried, may flag and hang the wing. Moses at Meribah, David at Gath, Elijah under the juniper, sufficiently show that every new man is two men…and that the best may have their outbursts; yet so as that the seed of grace still abideth in them, and some way shows itself; Job here, for instance. He complaineth of God’s severity, but stormeth not against him. He blustereth, but he blasphemeth not...”
As one of my Bible School teachers loved to say, “God will pull you through, if you can stand the pull.” God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all of our most audacious dreams. Hang in there.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Unscrewing the Inscrutable (Job 26:1-14)
Sarcasm can be defined as “a form of irony in which apparent praise conceals another, scornful meaning. For example, a sarcastic remark directed at a person who consistently arrives fifteen minutes late for appointments might be, “Oh, you’ve arrived exactly on time!” (From dictionary.com).
Sarcasm is derision and ridicule gift wrapped as a compliment. The word literally means “to strip off the flesh.”
26:1 “Then Job responded, 2 ‘What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength! 3 What counsel you have given to one without wisdom! What helpful insight you have abundantly provided! 4 To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you?’”
Following Bildad’s appalling sermon in chapter 25, Job came to the conclusion that words needed to be said in an unvarnished way. Tossing tact aside, Job replied to Bildad with sarcasm – he “stripped the flesh off” Bildad’s arguments (and indirectly those of Eliphaz and Zophar). He spoke directly to Bildad (the “you” is singular) – he held nothing back. Job’s sores and pain have focused his thinking. The Message puts verses 2-4 this way, “Well, you’ve certainly been a great help to a helpless man! You came to the rescue just in the nick of time! What wonderful advice you’ve given to a mixed-up man! What amazing insights you’ve provided! Where in the world did you learn all this? How did you become so inspired?”
The second half of verse three from the King James Version read like this, “…you have declared the thing as it is.” Translation: "You Bildad (and you alone) have pulled back the veil separating the seen from the unseen and revealed what is truly taking place in God’s heavenly courtroom." Francis I Anderson states that “Bildad is abysmally ignorant of God and His ways….”
What follows in verses 5-14 is, as Francis I Anderson puts it, “One of the most fascinating cosmological passages in the entire Bible.” In this series of 10 verses, Job takes his audience from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven.
26:5 “The departed spirits tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. 6 Naked is Sheol before Him, and Abaddon has no covering.”
Sheol (the Netherworld, Hell, the place of no return) and Abaddon (Destruction) are the most secret and obscure of places. But not only can Jehovah see through the dark clouds (22:13), Hell/Sheol/Abaddon lie naked before His gaze.
26:7 “He stretches out the north over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.”
There are two phrases in this chapter that I find so remarkable. The first is found here in verse 7, “…he hangs the earth upon nothing.”
Here is Job, in such physical, emotional and spiritual misery, lifting us heavenward to the enormity of God and His creation. The God that he serves, the God who seems to be so utterly absent, is the God Who “hangs the earth upon nothing.” Charles Swindoll states, “How profoundly simple the first verse of Genesis is…’In the beginning God created…’”
Design argues for a Designer (whether that "design" be on our planet or in reference to where this little blue orb is situated in the galaxy). Volumes could be written about this part of verse 7. But here are just a couple of thoughts taken from www.evidenceofdesign.com/privileged-planet/, “The book (The Privileged Planet) focuses on twenty factors about earth that make it uniquely able to sustain complex life as it does. For example, in our solar system, earth alone is in a position for complex life to exist…. The chance of each of these factors being true they guessed at 1 out of 10, a very conservative estimate. However, for all twenty to be true in one planet is 1/10 times 1/10, etc. for twenty times, or one in a trillion trillionth chance. That isn’t very great!!”
26:8 “He wraps up the waters in His clouds, and the cloud does not burst under them.”
As one stores wine in a wineskin, so God stores up enormous volumes of water in the “cloudskins.” Our planet is overflowing with a myriad of meteorological wonders.
26:9 “He obscures the face of the full moon and spreads His cloud over it.”
The sun is 400 times farther away than the moon, but it just “happens” to be 400 times the size of the moon. It is this size-to-distance ratio that makes viewing a total solar eclipse on earth possible. According to astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez (one of the authors of “Privileged Planet), in 65 other heavenly bodies that he studied, observing such an eclipse is not possible.
26:10 “He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness.”
Have you ever viewed that website/slideshow that shows the transition from day to night across our planet (I think from the point of view of the space shuttle)? It’s quite remarkable to behold. (You can check it out at http://toadhaven.com/Earth%20At%20Night.html
26:11 “The pillars of heaven tremble and are amazed at His rebuke. 12 He quieted the sea with His power, and by His understanding He shattered Rahab. 13 By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.”
The King James translates the first part of verse 13 this way, “By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens…” As a chef in a fine restaurant would garnish one of the courses of the meal, so God decorates the heavens. One commentator puts it this way, “As a palace is adorned with stately paintings, so God has ‘garnished the heavens.’”
26:14 “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; and how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”
“The fringes of His ways…” What a remarkable statement! Some of the other versions translate this verse this way:
Amplified: “Yet these are but (a small part of His doings) the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force…”
AV: “Lo, these are parts of his ways…”
Darby: “Lo, these are the borders of his ways…”
ESV: “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways…”
NLT: “These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power…”’
“An atmosphere of wonder (is what Job creates by his speech),” says Francis I. Anderson. And what lies beyond the “fringes”? As per this same commentary, “…the remainder of God's unexplored infinity.” I like that – “God’s unexplored infinity!” What we behold in the splendor of the heavens is just the faintest whisper of His power and simply the outline of all that He can do! How can we put into words that which we cannot comprehend? One writer states, “At best a human being catches only a glimpse of God's marvelous ways.”
Romans 11:33 states, “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” In his commentary on Job, Charles Swindoll wrote that Dr. Walvoord, then president of The Dallas Theological Seminary, referred to this verse during his commencement address to Swindoll’s graduating class. Walvoord then stated, “There will be times when you will try to unscrew the inscrutable.” Swindoll continues in his commentary, “We prefer things fathomable, or, if you will, scrutable; we can't fathom the unfathomable so let’s not try to unscrew the inscrutable.” ("Inscrutable" is defined as something not easily understood, something impenetrable, something mysterious or incapable of being investigated.)
Think about this: Job, in his pitiable condition, speaks about the enormity and majesty of God. There could not be a greater divergence between the last words of Bildad (“How much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!”) in 25:6 and these words of Job in 26:14. Each Sunday pastors have a choice: to leave their congregations feeling as deflated as though Bildad himself had just preached Job 25; or lifted heavenward as though Job had just preached to them from chapter 26.
Trying to comprehend the incomprehensible…to fathom the unfathomable…to unscrew the inscrutable. “These are just the fringes (outline) of His ways…” Grasping even a whisper of the vastness, the majesty, and the wisdom of the God of the Bible only serves to magnify God’s love for mankind demonstrated through Calvary.
“These are just the fringes of His ways!” Would that we would, in the midst of difficulties and our own ash-heap situations, be not big complainers, but big God-ders!
Sarcasm is derision and ridicule gift wrapped as a compliment. The word literally means “to strip off the flesh.”
26:1 “Then Job responded, 2 ‘What a help you are to the weak! How you have saved the arm without strength! 3 What counsel you have given to one without wisdom! What helpful insight you have abundantly provided! 4 To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you?’”
Following Bildad’s appalling sermon in chapter 25, Job came to the conclusion that words needed to be said in an unvarnished way. Tossing tact aside, Job replied to Bildad with sarcasm – he “stripped the flesh off” Bildad’s arguments (and indirectly those of Eliphaz and Zophar). He spoke directly to Bildad (the “you” is singular) – he held nothing back. Job’s sores and pain have focused his thinking. The Message puts verses 2-4 this way, “Well, you’ve certainly been a great help to a helpless man! You came to the rescue just in the nick of time! What wonderful advice you’ve given to a mixed-up man! What amazing insights you’ve provided! Where in the world did you learn all this? How did you become so inspired?”
The second half of verse three from the King James Version read like this, “…you have declared the thing as it is.” Translation: "You Bildad (and you alone) have pulled back the veil separating the seen from the unseen and revealed what is truly taking place in God’s heavenly courtroom." Francis I Anderson states that “Bildad is abysmally ignorant of God and His ways….”
What follows in verses 5-14 is, as Francis I Anderson puts it, “One of the most fascinating cosmological passages in the entire Bible.” In this series of 10 verses, Job takes his audience from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven.
26:5 “The departed spirits tremble under the waters and their inhabitants. 6 Naked is Sheol before Him, and Abaddon has no covering.”
Sheol (the Netherworld, Hell, the place of no return) and Abaddon (Destruction) are the most secret and obscure of places. But not only can Jehovah see through the dark clouds (22:13), Hell/Sheol/Abaddon lie naked before His gaze.
26:7 “He stretches out the north over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing.”
There are two phrases in this chapter that I find so remarkable. The first is found here in verse 7, “…he hangs the earth upon nothing.”
Here is Job, in such physical, emotional and spiritual misery, lifting us heavenward to the enormity of God and His creation. The God that he serves, the God who seems to be so utterly absent, is the God Who “hangs the earth upon nothing.” Charles Swindoll states, “How profoundly simple the first verse of Genesis is…’In the beginning God created…’”
Design argues for a Designer (whether that "design" be on our planet or in reference to where this little blue orb is situated in the galaxy). Volumes could be written about this part of verse 7. But here are just a couple of thoughts taken from www.evidenceofdesign.com/privileged-planet/, “The book (The Privileged Planet) focuses on twenty factors about earth that make it uniquely able to sustain complex life as it does. For example, in our solar system, earth alone is in a position for complex life to exist…. The chance of each of these factors being true they guessed at 1 out of 10, a very conservative estimate. However, for all twenty to be true in one planet is 1/10 times 1/10, etc. for twenty times, or one in a trillion trillionth chance. That isn’t very great!!”
26:8 “He wraps up the waters in His clouds, and the cloud does not burst under them.”
As one stores wine in a wineskin, so God stores up enormous volumes of water in the “cloudskins.” Our planet is overflowing with a myriad of meteorological wonders.
26:9 “He obscures the face of the full moon and spreads His cloud over it.”
The sun is 400 times farther away than the moon, but it just “happens” to be 400 times the size of the moon. It is this size-to-distance ratio that makes viewing a total solar eclipse on earth possible. According to astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez (one of the authors of “Privileged Planet), in 65 other heavenly bodies that he studied, observing such an eclipse is not possible.
26:10 “He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters at the boundary of light and darkness.”
Have you ever viewed that website/slideshow that shows the transition from day to night across our planet (I think from the point of view of the space shuttle)? It’s quite remarkable to behold. (You can check it out at http://toadhaven.com/Earth%20At%20Night.html
26:11 “The pillars of heaven tremble and are amazed at His rebuke. 12 He quieted the sea with His power, and by His understanding He shattered Rahab. 13 By His breath the heavens are cleared; His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.”
The King James translates the first part of verse 13 this way, “By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens…” As a chef in a fine restaurant would garnish one of the courses of the meal, so God decorates the heavens. One commentator puts it this way, “As a palace is adorned with stately paintings, so God has ‘garnished the heavens.’”
26:14 “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; and how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”
“The fringes of His ways…” What a remarkable statement! Some of the other versions translate this verse this way:
Amplified: “Yet these are but (a small part of His doings) the outskirts of His ways or the mere fringes of His force…”
AV: “Lo, these are parts of his ways…”
Darby: “Lo, these are the borders of his ways…”
ESV: “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways…”
NLT: “These are just the beginning of all that he does, merely a whisper of his power…”’
“An atmosphere of wonder (is what Job creates by his speech),” says Francis I. Anderson. And what lies beyond the “fringes”? As per this same commentary, “…the remainder of God's unexplored infinity.” I like that – “God’s unexplored infinity!” What we behold in the splendor of the heavens is just the faintest whisper of His power and simply the outline of all that He can do! How can we put into words that which we cannot comprehend? One writer states, “At best a human being catches only a glimpse of God's marvelous ways.”
Romans 11:33 states, “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” In his commentary on Job, Charles Swindoll wrote that Dr. Walvoord, then president of The Dallas Theological Seminary, referred to this verse during his commencement address to Swindoll’s graduating class. Walvoord then stated, “There will be times when you will try to unscrew the inscrutable.” Swindoll continues in his commentary, “We prefer things fathomable, or, if you will, scrutable; we can't fathom the unfathomable so let’s not try to unscrew the inscrutable.” ("Inscrutable" is defined as something not easily understood, something impenetrable, something mysterious or incapable of being investigated.)
Think about this: Job, in his pitiable condition, speaks about the enormity and majesty of God. There could not be a greater divergence between the last words of Bildad (“How much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!”) in 25:6 and these words of Job in 26:14. Each Sunday pastors have a choice: to leave their congregations feeling as deflated as though Bildad himself had just preached Job 25; or lifted heavenward as though Job had just preached to them from chapter 26.
Trying to comprehend the incomprehensible…to fathom the unfathomable…to unscrew the inscrutable. “These are just the fringes (outline) of His ways…” Grasping even a whisper of the vastness, the majesty, and the wisdom of the God of the Bible only serves to magnify God’s love for mankind demonstrated through Calvary.
“These are just the fringes of His ways!” Would that we would, in the midst of difficulties and our own ash-heap situations, be not big complainers, but big God-ders!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
"Despicable He" Job 25:1-6
It is said that if a lawyer’s case is strong, the lawyer should hammer on the facts. But if the case is weak, he (or she) should hammer on the table.
In chapter 25 Bildad hammers on the table. The shortest man in the Bible (Bildad the Shoe-Height) gives us the shortest chapter in Job. Adam Clarke writes, “This is the last attack on Job…” Concerning this brief address from Bildad:
Job is undoubtedly relieved it is such a short sermon – chapter 25 is only 6 verses long.
This is the last we hear from the three comforters.
Verse 6 is appalling in its implication.
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 2 “Dominion and awe belong to Him Who establishes peace in His heights. 3 "Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise?"
Francis I Anderson states, “The discussion is nearly exhausted, the comforters have run out of fuel.” Bildad’s philosophy seems to be, “When you don’t have anything to say, say something!” Job’s argument in the preceding chapter was (in a nutshell), “Why do many of those who either hate God or totally disregard His laws seem to suffer no consequences when they oppress the poor, the widows and the orphans?” Job’s line of reasoning is totally ignored by Bildad – he seems to just cover his ears at the undeniable point Job had made and responded with a bluster, “Well, God is sovereign….and you’re ____________________” (We will wait till verse six to fill in this blank).
“Dominion and awe belong to Him…” Translation: So why are you, Job, even bothering to query God? You are far too powerless and puny to question God’s sovereignty. Even in God’s heavenly court no one would dare challenge the rule of God. So it is not wise of you to stir up Heaven and make such a commotion.”
The Comforters came to Uz in chapter two simply to be with their friend during such a tragic hour. They were to be commended for their desire to comfort their friend. But frustrated that Job wouldn’t yield to their “Job you must have sinned so you need to repent” solution, they left their original mission of mercy and their dialogue became increasingly sharp and cruel. It culminates with these disgusting verses of Bildad.
Throughout the dialogue from chapter 4 through chapter 25, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar refused to concede that their theology might be deficient in the mercy department and that their belief system needed a “There Are Some Things We Can’t Figure Out” chapter.
Barnes writes, “At this stage of the controversy, since they had nothing to reply to what Job had alleged, it would have been honorable in them to have acknowledged that they were in error, and to have yielded the palm of victory to him. But it requires extraordinary candor and humility to do that; and rather than do it, most people would prefer to say something—though it has nothing to do with the case in hand.”
25: 4 "How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?"
How do you get from verse 3 to verse 4? How do you get from “God’s angel armies are without number” to “How can a man have a proper relationship with God?” Adam Clarke writes, “This speech of Bildad is both confused and inconclusive. His reasoning is absurd, and he draws false conclusions from his premises.”
Trapp paraphrases Bildad’s thought in verse 4, “How can frivolous man, sorry man, morbis mortique obnoxius, man subject to diseases and death; how can such a man, so mortal and miserable, a mass of mortalities, a map of miseries, a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin, be justified with God?”
Bildad seems to be saying, “Job, you mass of mortalities, you map of miseries, you mixture and compound of dirt and sin…can never win a court battle with God. You can never be ‘justified’ in the heavenly courtroom.” Throughout the dialogue Job has never claimed an inherent sinlessness as his basis for approaching God. It was simply his dogged persistence to have his relationship restored with Him that has led him to pursue this course of tenacious and daring faith in God.
25:5 “If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 how much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!"
Perhaps at this point Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are arguing with Job at night under the crystal clear Arabian sky. It would be a breathtaking sight – four men at the city dump, waging theological warfare under the canopy of an innumerable number of stars. (I guess actually there would be five men…Elihu hasn’t been introduced to us yet).
Job is sick, a hospice-deathbed kind of sick. He is emaciated; his blackened and scab encrusted skin is flaking off. Insect larvae make their homes in many of his unbandaged sores. And he is too weak even to stand.
Bildad sees the sickly shell of this man named Job and comes to the ultimate conclusion that it would be as disgusting to have God meet Job out at the ash heap as it would be to present El-Shaddai with a platter of maggots. It is astonishing how different Bildad’s view of Job’s character is from God’s -- he has never looked into his heart. I Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’’
There are two words in verse 6 that are degradingly expressive – maggot and worm. The first word (maggot) alludes to man’s corruption. Calling someone “a maggot” (either directly or indirectly [as Bildad is here]) is slang for a low and wretched person. The second word (worm) refers to a crawling worm and implies that man is weak and groveling.
To paraphrase: Job, you are a walking dunghill, a disgusting mass of maggots.
It seems inconceivable, but these are Bildad’s last words of “encouragement” to Job, “How much less man that maggot and the son of man that worm.”
Bildad truly is “Despicable He.”
Adam Clarke writes in summary chapter 25, “Thus ends Bildad the Shuhite, who endeavored to speak on a subject which he did not understand; and, having got on bad ground, was soon confounded in his own mind, spoke incoherently, argued inconclusively, and came abruptly and suddenly to an end. Thus, his three friends being confounded, Job was left to pursue his own way; they trouble him no more; and he proceeds in triumph to the end of the thirty-first chapter.”
The three Comforters obstinately hold fast to their theology of “retribution” and have failed to bring even a moment of respite to Job’s misery. Against such a backdrop of abandonment discouragement, Job’s story of faith shines even brighter.
Until we get a little further toward the end, these chapters of Job can get a little depressing. But it’s good to frequently remind ourselves of the endgame and the outcome of God’s dealings with us.
Maybe you are struggling through a dark period in your life. And maybe it seems that lately the people that have tried to encourage you have the middle name of “Bildad.” Below is James 5:11 from 6 different versions of the Bible. Perhaps they will bring some faith and encouragement to your situation. I particularly like how Eugene Price in The Message translates this verse.
Hang in there…and never give up!
The Bible in Basic English: We say that those men who have gone through pain are happy: you have the story of Job and the troubles through which he went and have seen that the Lord was full of pity and mercy in the end.
The Amplified Version: You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the Lord’s end, inasmuch as the Lord is full of pity and compassion and tenderness and mercy.
The English Standard Version: Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
The Message: What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
The New Living Translation: We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
Philips Version: Remember that it is those who have patiently endured to whom we accord the word "blessed". You have heard of Job’s patient endurance and how the Lord dealt with him in the end, and therefore you have seen that the Lord is merciful and full of understanding pity.
In chapter 25 Bildad hammers on the table. The shortest man in the Bible (Bildad the Shoe-Height) gives us the shortest chapter in Job. Adam Clarke writes, “This is the last attack on Job…” Concerning this brief address from Bildad:
Job is undoubtedly relieved it is such a short sermon – chapter 25 is only 6 verses long.
This is the last we hear from the three comforters.
Verse 6 is appalling in its implication.
25:1 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 2 “Dominion and awe belong to Him Who establishes peace in His heights. 3 "Is there any number to His troops? And upon whom does His light not rise?"
Francis I Anderson states, “The discussion is nearly exhausted, the comforters have run out of fuel.” Bildad’s philosophy seems to be, “When you don’t have anything to say, say something!” Job’s argument in the preceding chapter was (in a nutshell), “Why do many of those who either hate God or totally disregard His laws seem to suffer no consequences when they oppress the poor, the widows and the orphans?” Job’s line of reasoning is totally ignored by Bildad – he seems to just cover his ears at the undeniable point Job had made and responded with a bluster, “Well, God is sovereign….and you’re ____________________” (We will wait till verse six to fill in this blank).
“Dominion and awe belong to Him…” Translation: So why are you, Job, even bothering to query God? You are far too powerless and puny to question God’s sovereignty. Even in God’s heavenly court no one would dare challenge the rule of God. So it is not wise of you to stir up Heaven and make such a commotion.”
The Comforters came to Uz in chapter two simply to be with their friend during such a tragic hour. They were to be commended for their desire to comfort their friend. But frustrated that Job wouldn’t yield to their “Job you must have sinned so you need to repent” solution, they left their original mission of mercy and their dialogue became increasingly sharp and cruel. It culminates with these disgusting verses of Bildad.
Throughout the dialogue from chapter 4 through chapter 25, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar refused to concede that their theology might be deficient in the mercy department and that their belief system needed a “There Are Some Things We Can’t Figure Out” chapter.
Barnes writes, “At this stage of the controversy, since they had nothing to reply to what Job had alleged, it would have been honorable in them to have acknowledged that they were in error, and to have yielded the palm of victory to him. But it requires extraordinary candor and humility to do that; and rather than do it, most people would prefer to say something—though it has nothing to do with the case in hand.”
25: 4 "How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?"
How do you get from verse 3 to verse 4? How do you get from “God’s angel armies are without number” to “How can a man have a proper relationship with God?” Adam Clarke writes, “This speech of Bildad is both confused and inconclusive. His reasoning is absurd, and he draws false conclusions from his premises.”
Trapp paraphrases Bildad’s thought in verse 4, “How can frivolous man, sorry man, morbis mortique obnoxius, man subject to diseases and death; how can such a man, so mortal and miserable, a mass of mortalities, a map of miseries, a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin, be justified with God?”
Bildad seems to be saying, “Job, you mass of mortalities, you map of miseries, you mixture and compound of dirt and sin…can never win a court battle with God. You can never be ‘justified’ in the heavenly courtroom.” Throughout the dialogue Job has never claimed an inherent sinlessness as his basis for approaching God. It was simply his dogged persistence to have his relationship restored with Him that has led him to pursue this course of tenacious and daring faith in God.
25:5 “If even the moon has no brightness and the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 how much less man, that maggot, and the son of man, that worm!"
Perhaps at this point Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar are arguing with Job at night under the crystal clear Arabian sky. It would be a breathtaking sight – four men at the city dump, waging theological warfare under the canopy of an innumerable number of stars. (I guess actually there would be five men…Elihu hasn’t been introduced to us yet).
Job is sick, a hospice-deathbed kind of sick. He is emaciated; his blackened and scab encrusted skin is flaking off. Insect larvae make their homes in many of his unbandaged sores. And he is too weak even to stand.
Bildad sees the sickly shell of this man named Job and comes to the ultimate conclusion that it would be as disgusting to have God meet Job out at the ash heap as it would be to present El-Shaddai with a platter of maggots. It is astonishing how different Bildad’s view of Job’s character is from God’s -- he has never looked into his heart. I Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’’
There are two words in verse 6 that are degradingly expressive – maggot and worm. The first word (maggot) alludes to man’s corruption. Calling someone “a maggot” (either directly or indirectly [as Bildad is here]) is slang for a low and wretched person. The second word (worm) refers to a crawling worm and implies that man is weak and groveling.
To paraphrase: Job, you are a walking dunghill, a disgusting mass of maggots.
It seems inconceivable, but these are Bildad’s last words of “encouragement” to Job, “How much less man that maggot and the son of man that worm.”
Bildad truly is “Despicable He.”
Adam Clarke writes in summary chapter 25, “Thus ends Bildad the Shuhite, who endeavored to speak on a subject which he did not understand; and, having got on bad ground, was soon confounded in his own mind, spoke incoherently, argued inconclusively, and came abruptly and suddenly to an end. Thus, his three friends being confounded, Job was left to pursue his own way; they trouble him no more; and he proceeds in triumph to the end of the thirty-first chapter.”
The three Comforters obstinately hold fast to their theology of “retribution” and have failed to bring even a moment of respite to Job’s misery. Against such a backdrop of abandonment discouragement, Job’s story of faith shines even brighter.
Until we get a little further toward the end, these chapters of Job can get a little depressing. But it’s good to frequently remind ourselves of the endgame and the outcome of God’s dealings with us.
Maybe you are struggling through a dark period in your life. And maybe it seems that lately the people that have tried to encourage you have the middle name of “Bildad.” Below is James 5:11 from 6 different versions of the Bible. Perhaps they will bring some faith and encouragement to your situation. I particularly like how Eugene Price in The Message translates this verse.
Hang in there…and never give up!
The Bible in Basic English: We say that those men who have gone through pain are happy: you have the story of Job and the troubles through which he went and have seen that the Lord was full of pity and mercy in the end.
The Amplified Version: You know how we call those blessed (happy) who were steadfast
The English Standard Version: Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
The Message: What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
The New Living Translation: We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
Philips Version: Remember that it is those who have patiently endured to whom we accord the word "blessed". You have heard of Job’s patient endurance and how the Lord dealt with him in the end, and therefore you have seen that the Lord is merciful and full of understanding pity.
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