Readings can be accessed in full by clicking on the links below:
Jan 7: Job 14-16
Jan 8: Job 17-20
Jan 9: Job 21-23
Jan 10: Job 24-28
Jan 11: Job 29-31
Jan 12: Job 32-34
Jan 13: Job 35-37
To view the schedule: http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/niv1984/c.htm
I love Elihu in Job 32-34. There are a couple of reasons for this:
ReplyDelete1. In his youth he is slow to speak and defers to his elders. Even before he speaks he shows his wisdom, expecting those older than he to remedy the situation.
2. He speaks but its only because those he looked to speak with wisdom, did not proclaim wise words.
3. His wisdom is built out of a passion for God's truth, wisdom, glory, etc. So much so that he can't contain himself. When those who should have known better and spoke into the situation didn't, he will not withhold what must be said - "For I am full of words...my belly is like wine that has no vent...I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer."
How quick can we be to speak? And when we do, is it out of a passion for representing God or our own agenda, reputation, etc? I need to pray that I would be slower to speak, quicker to listen, and that my words would flow out of a desire to proclaim God's glory.
Boy, have I learned that I am so often too quick to speak. Listening is far better. And thank you, Penny, for the reminder that both our speaking and listening are for God's glory, not our own. Yes...that needs to be a prayer.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated Elihu's deference to his elders also. But may I admit that I though he was rather arrogant in his words. I took 36:4 to mean he thought of HIMSELF as the one who is "perfect in knowledge." Maybe there's more to the original language that I don't understand, but I was kind of embarrassed for Elihu. Well, as they say, "it takes one to know one," so maybe I'm speaking out of my own youthful pride and should hold my tongue! (Or maybe my desire not to embarrass myself with my tongue is another indication of personal pride...busted!)
Anyway, here are some other thoughts I had about these last chapters in Job.
I think reading Job is hard. I just wanted to throw that out there. First of all, the long section of his friends' advice is so repetitive and confusing. While some of what they say about God rings true, they are rebuked in 42:7 for not speaking of God what is right. It was part of Job's suffering to have to listen to them.
Also, I have a hard time getting my head around the context. We are reading chronologically and this comes in the during the Patriarchal period, but it contains so much that sounds like the Psalms. I understand that it was written later for an audience that knew the Mosaic law and worshiped with the Psalms. It could be just a story created to teach God's people about suffering, but references to Job in other places in the Bible make him seem like a real person (Ezekiel and James - I got that from the ESV Study Bible intro).
Anyway, it makes me wonder how people in the patriarchal period, before Moses climbed Sinai, knew God's moral standards. In chapter 31, Job pretty much takes a trip through the 10 Commandments, claiming he hasn't broken them. Since the Law would have been future to him, he must have known these standards some other way. Does this reveal that God has made his standards known through creation, in our consciences? Further, what does this mean in terms of our understanding and teaching God's moral standards?
Backing up a bit. In Job 22:21 Eliphaz tells Job to "Agree with God; and be at peace; thereby good will come to you." How many times, when suffering comes, do we try to quickly find what it is God is trying to teach us, so we can get the lesson learned and get back to peaceful living? I'm guilty.
Job didn't understand his suffering, but through it he learned more about God. I noticed that the word "repent" in 42:6 can also mean to be comforted. I'm not sure if the word means either repent OR comforted, or can we understand both? Does it reveal that in repentance there is comfort in a restored relationship with and renewed or deepened understanding of God?
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI totally resonate with your comments about the difficulty of reading Job. It definitely isn't an easy book to read and understand easily.
One thought on knowing the law prior to Moses - your question made me think of Romans 2 and Romans 5. In Romans 2 Paul says "For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts..." And then in Romans 5 "just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned - for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who sinning was not like the transgression of Adam..." Paul seems to be saying that sin and death are reflective of the law being broken and since sin and death were in fact part of man's existence between Gen 3 and Ex. 20 that while the law of Ex. 20 had not been given, there was still law written on the hearts of men that they broke.
Great thoughts, Jennifer and Penny...just now catching up on reading your blogs and am sorry I missed thinking this with you when we were reading it all. I liked how you said this Jennifer: It was part of Job's suffering to have to listen to them." (his friends) How true...often, I've been one of those kind of friends and hope I'm not going forward!
ReplyDelete