Day 9

III The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

A. Job ~ cont.

2. Job and his three friends ~ cont.

c. Second round of speeches ~ cont. - Job 20:1-29; 21:1-34

d. Third round of speeches - Job 22:1-30; 23:1-17; 24:1-25

I was pondering upon how wholly inadequate a verse here and there is to an overall understanding of any book of the Bible. To have a comprehensive picture one would need to study the book in context, not just pull a verse here and there. Inductively studying verse by verse, chapter upon chapter would give a much better overview and comprehension of the book. 'Camping out' is not a possibility for me at this juncture. Though what a glorious thought, to study each book of the Bible in-depth, researching each word, tracing it through its usage in other verses. **sigh** So many delights in our Father's Word, so little time!

There were several verses which caught my attention while reading through this day's passage, but spent a wee bit of time on this one...exploring.  :-D

That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment? (Job 20:5)

There are numerous verses which echo this statement. While it 'appears' that the wicked prosper, in light of eternity they do not. My perception of Zophar's statement? An accusation against Job. While Poole and Gill did not explicitly state it, Henry in his commentary overview of Job 20:1-5 affirmed the accusation as being leveled at Job.

That verse reminded me of several in the Psalms ~ the word wicked is H7563 ~ used 263x in 249 verses. I found a few which I thought helped my understanding:

Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. (Psalm 11:6)

The ungodly are not so: but like the chaff which the wind driveth away. (Psalm 1:4)

Chaff is mentioned in Job 21:18 - They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff (H4671) that the storm carries away. ~ Spoken by Job about the wicked.

The word chaff is used 12 times in 12 verses in the OT.

H4671 - מוץ מץ - môts môts - motes, motes -From H4160; chaff (as pressed out, that is, winnowed or (rather) threshed loose).  This is the word used in Psalm 1:4 and Job 21:18.

Used only 8 times in 8 verses in the OT. Chaff is spoken of twice in the NT: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. (Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17)

The other incidences of chaff are (H2842) which means dry grass. I especially thought this verse in Daniel appropriate, a future foretelling of events which will take place:

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff {H5784 chaff (as the naked husk)} of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:35)

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about. (Job 32:10)

Mercy - H2617 - חסד - chêsêd - kheh'-sed - From H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opprobrium) reproof, or (subjectively) beauty.

Used 127 times in 127 verses in the Psalms alone ~ 247 times in 241 verses in the OT.

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. (Psalm 13:5)

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. (Psalm 23:6)

Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)

What a consolation to our war weary souls as we battle for the truth of Father's word on this side of glory.

Day 6

III The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C. ~ cont.

A. Job ~ cont.

2. Job and his three friends ~ cont.

b. First round of speeches - Job 4:1-21; 5:1-27; 6:1-30; 7:1-21; 8:1-22

A few verses that caught my attention, with Gill's commentary:

Eliphaz - "Shall mortal man be more than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?"  (Job 4:17)

Shall mortal man be more just than God?.... Poor, weak, frail, dying man, and so sinful, as his mortality shows, which is the effect of sin; how should such a man be more righteous than God? who is so originally and essentially of himself, completely, perfectly, yea, infinitely righteous in his nature, and in his works, both of providence and grace; in chastising his people, punishing the wicked, and bestowing favours upon his friends, even in their election, redemption, justification, pardon, and eternal happiness: yea, not only profane wicked sinners can make no pretensions to anything of this kind, but even the best of men, none being without sin, no, not man in his best estate; for the righteousness he had then was of God, and therefore he could not be more just than he that made him upright. This comparative sense, which our version leads to, is more generally received; but it seems not to be the sense of the passage, since this is a truth clear from reason, and needed no vision or revelation to discover it; nor can it be thought that God would send an angelic spirit in such an awful and pompous manner, to declare that which every one knew, and no man would contradict; even the most self-righteous and self-sufficient man would never be so daring and insolent as to say he was more righteous than God; but the words should be rather rendered, "shall mortal man be justified by God, or be just from God?" or "with" him, or "before" him (t), in his sight, by any righteousness in him, or done by him? shall he enter into his presence, stand at his bar, and be examined there, and go away from thence, in the sight and account of God, as a righteous person of himself? no, he cannot; now this is a doctrine opposed to carnal reasoning and the common sentiments of men, a doctrine of divine revelation, a precious truth: this is the string of pearls Eliphaz received, see Job_4:12; that mortal man is of himself an unrighteous creature; that he cannot be justified by his own righteousness in the sight of God; and that he must look and seek out for a better righteousness than his own, to justify him before God; and this agrees with Eliphaz's interpretation of the vision, Job_15:14; with the sentiments of his friend Bildad, who seems to have some respect to it, Job_25:4; and also of Job himself, Job_9:2; and in like manner are we to understand the following clause:

shall a man be more pure than his Maker? even the greatest and best of men, since what purity was in Adam, in a state of innocence, was from God; and what good men have, in a state of grace, is from the grace of God and blood of Christ, without which no man is pure at all, and therefore cannot be purer than him from whom they have it: or rather "be pure from", or "with", or "before his Maker" (u), or be so accounted by him; every man is impure by his first birth, and in his nature state, and therefore cannot stand before a pure and holy God, who of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; or go away his presence, and be reckoned by him a pure and holy creature of himself; nor can any thing that he can do, in a moral or ceremonial manner, cleanse him from his impurity; and therefore it is necessary he should apply to the grace of God, and blood of Christ, for his purification.

Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?  (Job 5:1)

This one caught my attention because of the word saint...every born again believer is a saint.  A holy one.  So what saith the Hebrew for this word?

saints - H6918  - קדשׁ    קדושׁ - qâdôsh  qâdôsh - kaw-doshe', kaw-doshe' -From H6942; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary.

• H6942 - קדשׁ - qâdash - kaw-dash' - A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally).

Henry's commentary:

To which of the saints wilt thou turn? Turn to which thou wilt, and thou wilt find they are all of my mind. I have the communis sensus fidelium - the unanimous vote of the faithful on my side; they will all subscribe to what I am going to say.” Observe, (1.) Good people are called saints even in the Old Testament; and therefore I know not why we should, in common speaking (unless because we must loqui cum vulgo - speak as our neighbours), appropriate the title to those of the New Testament, and not say St. Abraham, St. Moses, and St. Isaiah, as well as St. Matthew and St. Mark; and St. David the psalmist, as well as St. David the British bishop. Aaron is expressly called the saint of the Lord. (2.) All that are themselves saints will turn to those that are so, will choose them for their friends and converse with them, will choose them for their judges and consult them. See Psa_119:79. The saints shall judge the world, 1Co_6:1, 1Co_6:2. Walk in the way of good men (Pro_2:20), the old way, the footsteps of the flock. Every one chooses some sort of people or other to whom he studies to recommend himself, and whose sentiments are to him the test of honour and dishonour. Now all true saints endeavour to recommend themselves to those that are such, and to stand right in their opinion. (3.) There are some truths so plain, and so universally known and believed, that one may venture to appeal to any of the saints concerning them. However there are some things about which they unhappily differ, there are many more, and more considerable, in which they are agreed; as the evil of sin, the vanity of the world, the worth of the soul, the necessity of a holy life, and the like. Though they do not all live up, as they should, to their belief of these truths, yet they are all ready to bear their testimony to them.

Pondering upon that - about who we keep company with...found this verse:

1Co 15:33  Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  KJV translation.

deceived - G4105 - πλανάω - planaō - plan-ah'-o - From G4106; to (properly cause to) roam (from safety, truth, or virtue).

evil  - G2556 - κακός - kakos - kak-os' - Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), that is, (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious.

communications - G3657 - ὁμιλία - homilia - hom-il-ee'-ah - From G3658; companionship (“homily”), that is, (by implication) intercourse.

corrupt - G5351 - φθείρω - phtheirō - fthi'-ro - Probably strengthened from φθίω phthiō (to pine or waste): properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or (genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave.

good - G5543 - χρηστός - chrēstos - khrase-tos'- From G5530; employed, that is, (by implication) useful (in manner or morals).

manners - G2239 - ἦθος - ēthos - ay'-thos - A strengthened form of G1485; usage, that is, (plural) moral habits.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” ESV translation.

Lord, let us with diligence guard our lips when giving counsel, and be cognizant of those with whom we associate.

Day 5

III The Age of The Patriarchs - 1967-1606 B.C.
A. Job
1. Trials of Job
a. Satan and the Lord discuss Job - Job 1:6-12
b. God's permission to scourge - Job 1:13-22; 2:1-10
2. Job and his three friends
a. Job complains - Job 2:11-13; 3:1-26

I can not even imagine being worthy enough for God and Satan to discuss me.  That is a intense thought.  Father says this about Job:

"Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8)

considered - H7760 - שׂים    שׂוּם - śûm  śı̂ym - soom, seem - A primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literally, figuratively, inferentially and elliptically). ~ Used 580x in 546 verses (I am taking a pass on reviewing each verse :-)  Used in Genesis 2:8 when God put the man in the garden of Eden.  Nehemiah 8:8 read the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand.

none - H369 - אין - 'ayin - ay'-yin - As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.

perfect - H8535 - תּם - tâm - tawm - From H8552; complete; usually (morally) pious; specifically gentle, dear.  Used 13x in 13 verses.  First usage in Genesis 25:27 of Jacob as a plain man, dwelling in tents.  Second usage in Job 1:1, then 1:8 and 2:3 said by God.  In Proverbs 29:10 the bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul.  Also translated as undefiled in the Song of Soloman.

upright - H3477 - ישׁר - yâshâr - yaw-shawr' - From H3474; straight (literally or figuratively).

• H3474 - ישׁר - yâshar - yaw-shar' - A primitive root; to be straight or even; figuratively to be (causatively to make) right, pleasant, prosperous.

119x in 119 verses...Exodus 15:26 used as right; used in Josh 10:13 and 2 Samuel 1:18 as Jasher; used of the Lord in Psalm 92:15, HE is upright.

feareth - H3373 - ירא - yârê' - yaw-ray' - From H3372; fearing; morally reverent.

• H3372 - ירא - yârê' - yaw-ray' - A primitive root; to fear; morally to revere; causatively to frighten.

43x in 43 verses...Father said if of Abraham about fearing HIM by not withholding his son, Issac (Genesis 22:12); ahhh, even our Proverbs 31 woman - feareth the Lord (31:30); and this one:

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book  of remembrance was written before him for them that feared (H3372) the Lord, and that thought upon his name (Malachi 3:16).

escheweth - H5493 - שׂוּר    סוּר - sûr  śûr - soor, soor - A primitive root; to turn off (literally or figuratively).  Used 301x in 282 verses...I always wonder when there are less verses and more hits, where is that word duplicated.  E-sword will do a search for H5493H5493, but it still comes up with the same results.  :-(

Interestingly this word is used in Genesis 8:13 when Noah removed the covering of the ark.  In Malachi 2:8 it used as departed; in Jeremiah 6:28 it is translated as grievous and 5:23 as revolted.

What he lost:  oxen plowing (yoked 500), asses (500) beside them, servants (#?); sheep destroyed (7,000), servants (#?); camels (3000), servants (#?); sons and daughters, servants (#?).  {How did she come up with those #'s?  :-) - well....in Job 42, verses 12 and 13 it delineates what Father blesses Job with, and in verse 10 it states Job was given twice as much as he had before.}

What he kept: servant, servant, servant, servant, wife.

1st test - Loss of  livestock, servants, children - yet Job does not sin nor charge God foolishly (Job 1:20-23).

2nd test - Health tested, boils from the sole of his feet unto the crown of his head.  Rebukes wife for receiving good, but not evil with same attitude (Job 1:9-10).

3rd test - Eliphaz (god of gold or the endeavor of god), Bildad (old friendship), Zophar (departing or rising early, crown) come to visit - silent for 7 days (can you imagine? no words spoken for 7 days!).

The tests are not numbered in Scripture, that is solely my way of keeping track - the names for the three friends are taken either from Strong's or the Hitchcock Bible Names Dictionary.

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day.  (Job 3:1)

Been there, done that...Okay God, I am done...can't take anymore of whatever You are allowing and/or dishing out to me...just take me home.  Don't want to be here no more!  {said with a southern twang}  How sad is that:?!  In comparison to Job, my trials and tribulations are nothing.  I wonder if he had any idea that his story would be used to comfort people.  Have you ever stopped to consider that whatever you are going through is designed to:

1. remove dross from your life;
2. glorify God; and
3. help someone else through their tough times?

Our level of compassion rises tremendously when someone is going through something similar.  We are (or should be able) to offer prayer, comfort, and consolation.  Obviously that is a very brief objective, but diligence to see a larger picture of what Father is doing helps to keep current situation(s) in perspective.

Lord, we all have trials, tribulations and tests (3T) in our lives.  Some we sail through, others we slog.  Father, You are always gracious and merciful to Your servants, never allowing more in our lives but what we can stand and/or endure.  Lord, help each of us to learn from the 3T's in our lives the first time around, rather than running around the mountain again, and again, and... :-D  Lord, help us to not sin with our lips, to keep our eyes focused upon You.  Lord, raise up people to pray for us and for us to pray with and for during the times we are challenged and discouraged.  Father, help us to keep our eyes focused solely upon You.  Create in us a growing desire to give a proper estimate of You in and through all of life's hills, valleys, mountains, gorges, etc.

A book which I have enjoyed reading, recommended by our Bible study teacher (1st Peter - NT book to the OT book of Job) is:

When All Hell Breaks Loose: You May Be Doing Something Right: Surprising Insights in the Book of Job, Steven Lawson