For Christian Sisters

War of words

22 November 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Twenty-seventh in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 26:1-4 NIV In Chapter 26, Job suspects there is more involved than that which already is beyond his comprehension. He begins by castigating Bildad. Is this right? Please think about this. Job suggests Bildad speaks for Satan.

Job 26:5 NIV Satan’s minions have been known to interfere in the lives of men. Evil angels preyed upon mankind so that “every imagination of the thoughts of his [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5), which led God to send a flood, drowning all creatures outside the ark, and to begin again.

Many classical commentaries explain that the waters and all that live in them refers to the victims of Noah’s flood, and the dead in deep anguish are those who have died and joined them. Under the waters is the place where God consigns the wicked. A good explication of the root words of the original text is here.

Job 26:6 NIV Sheol was understood to be a place of temporary abode previous to the resurrection, and Abaddon the abode of destruction. (ibid previous link) Though invisible to man, they are in full view to God. Job here focuses his speech on God’s greatness rather than Satan’s power, moving next to praise his divine creation of the heavenly places.

Job 26:7-9 NIV These wonders are uplifting to ponder, unlike the condemnations and dark words of his friends that helped him not a bit! (Job 26:2-3)

Job 26:10 NIV Job had heard the revelation of how God had divided light from darkness. (Gen 1:4)

Job 26:11-13 NIV These verses are variously interpreted.

Some Bible scholars view the pillars of heaven as the mountains, upon which heaven seems to rest. His rebuke is thunder as he cries out above the earth. Pillars could also be viewed figuratively as the structural strength of heaven.

Churning the sea (stated as Stilling the sea in many Bible versions) could mean the divine parting of the Red Sea associated with the destruction of Egypt, called Rahab (proud one) in Isaiah 51. (Isa 51:9) In this view, Job is seen as a contemporary of those living many centuries after the patriarchs. Or, it could refer to God’s power over nature, and Rahab could be a reference to Satan, who rules over the underworld.

His breath, his wind, blows away the clouds so that we clearly see the starry night. The “fleeing serpent” is the constellation of the dragon which astronomers have delineated. Or, God alone made every creature, even the Evil One, and will clear the heavens of his presence. (Rev 12:7-9)

Job 26:14 NIV A beautiful summary of Job 26 is provided by Joseph Sutcliffe, an 18th century circuit-riding minister and colleague of John Wesley.

Job, like the palmtree, rises the more after depression. He opens his reply to Bildad with all the superiority of majestic satire. Thou art deficient in describing the grandeur of God. He reigns not in heaven alone, but also in hell. There he binds the rebel giants in chains of darkness. He has formed all the shining spheres, which revolve, and illuminate the vast expanse, and holds them in the hollow of his hand. He balances the earth on her pole to give day and night, and to change the seasons of the year. He walks through the viâ lacte, treading the trackless paths of light. Lo, these are but a small part of his ways.—Lord, what then is man, that thou art mindful of him; or the son of man that thou shouldest visit him! (ref)

Sutcliffe is very gracious with Job, yet Job has continued a contest of one-upmanship that needs to end. It is irritating. This back-and-forth exchange with his friends, despite the wonderful descriptions of God’s work and ways, nevertheless sustains vilification and argument. What would be wrong with Job conceding that if he is evil, he will humbly wait for God to enlighten him of his sins?

The conversations are engendering confusion, and God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. (1 Cor 14:33) When does a war of words become a war on the Word?

Job’s wish is God’s command

04 October 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Twentieth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 19:1-6 NIV His friends have reproached him in five speeches, but it feels like ten. All are agreed that the debacle is God's doing, but why is the topic of contention.

Job 19:7-8 NIV Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice. Job's cries for help and answers have been —ignored?

Nearly every trial brings a time of waiting. We need to continue to live and to hope based only on faith and not sight. Some cannot do this and take many wrong turns, even suicide.

The truth is that God is at work performing wonders in our lives and hearts even when it seems as though nothing at all is being done. He is quietly rearranging our perceptions and expectations during the long, silent moments and days of our tribulations so that we begin to see things from his perspective.

The truth is that Satan will do his worst to impede our progress and delay our deliverance.

Job 19:9 NIV Is this verse to be understood figuratively or literally? Was Job simply a great man or was ‘the greatest man of the East’ (Job 1:3) a king?

Job 19:10-11 NIV It is very hard to pull up a tree, even a dead one. Why, God?

Job 19:12-17 NIV We may not realize what a strength our family and others are to us until they are removed. Even to lose one good friend is traumatic, or if a brother or sister turns their back, ones grief is overwhelming. Job has lost the love and support not only of friends and servants but also of his family members not to mention the complete loss of this ten children. What man ever experienced a greater trial?

Job 19:18-19 NIV Job grieves over the lack of respect accorded him by youth and the outright disgust felt by his former friends.

Job 19:20 NIV The reduction Job endured was thorough.

Job 19:21-24 NIV Some scholars believe that the mention of the iron tool on lead indicates that Job lived in the days of the Judges because iron did not come into common use in the ancient near East until the 12 century BC. Yet in Genesis 4 we read that Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. (Gen 4:22) So evidently, iron was in use from the earliest times.

Job will get his wish that his words be written, engraved in the rock forever. The Bible is the rock-solid Word of God that will stand forever, even after iron tools and rocks have been removed.

Job 19:25-27 NIV Every Christian treasures this vision and assurance of resurrection life in Christ.

Job 19:28-29 NIV Again, in the midst of despair and rumination over his ugly mistreatment by God and man, Job is given an empowering prophecy that overshadows his need for pity. He is emboldened once again to push back against his tormentors.

Contending with God

30 August 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Fifteenth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 14:1-2 NIV Job, in Chapter 14, strives with God. He will not address his friends at all.

Job reminds God, the Creator, what sort of creature man is. He is mortal, born of a woman, not sprung from the head of God. He is flesh, of few days, days full of difficulties. He starts life in the grandeur of youth only to fade and wither in old age. He dies.

Job 14:3-6 NIV Would God really interact with such a creature? Wouldn't he consider it a waste of his time? Why apply high expectations to a lowly, laughable bag of bones?

Why unleash trial and judgment on a creature who is at God's mercy? Man, by definition, is imperfect. He is wanting. He is a mixture– impure. And no matter how harshly you deal with him, you can never distill from this polluted creation a purified man. It's impossible. Not even you can do it, God!

Job feels that God has been overzealous with his faithful servant and needs to recognize the error of his ways. Stop bearing down on this broken man!

Job 14:7-12 NIV It is possible for a dead tree to revive, but a dead man, no. Not until a different time, a new day when the heavens have disappeared: Then man will be roused from sleep of death. A day of resurrection will come! Commentators agree that the resurrection is in view here; Job envisions it in his extreme misery.

Job 14:13 NIV Yes, this is actually what God will do. As surely as spring follows winter, so will the Lord remember his children, and at a set time.

The resurrection is a good hope, but better still is the wonder of interaction with God and the experience of his lovingkindness in this life. This is greatly to be desired.

Job 14:14-17 NIV Job is looking toward a day of restoration when things will be back to normal, and he will not be under God's magnifying glass.

Job 14:18-22 NIV Job was a mountain of a man, but God’s torrents wore him down. God does not even care whether a man and his sons remain in contact, Job reflects. He reduces a man to inner pain and aloneness. God, you have destroyed my hope! Shame on you! says Job, in effect.

Before we backslide to doubt and fury against God, we must run to him for strength. “We hide from God in God.” Trust in the Lord no matter what appearances are. The one who feels far from God must chose to advance deeper in to Him.

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