Saturday, July 30, 2022

Bible in one year 7/30/2022 Job Chapter 18- 21 Job’s second debate to his friends’ speech By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible in one year 7/30/2022  Job Chapter 18- 21 Job’s second debate to his friends’ speech

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                                                          

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

Chapter 18 Bildad’s Second Speech

            Bildad paints the fate of “wicked” Job as being consumed by death’s firstborn (v.13;i.e., deadly disease), as going into oblivion (vv.16-19) and as being cursed by God (burning sulfur, v.15, was a symbol of this; Gen.19:24;Deut.29:23). He concludes in  surely such is the dwelling of an evil man, such is the place of one who knows not God.” He said,

            “ When will you end these speeches? Be sensible, and then we can talk. Why are we regarded as cattle and considered stupid in your sight? You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger, is the earth to be abandoned for your sake? Or must the rocks be moved from their place?”(vv.2-4).

“ The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out.(vv.5-6).

The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down. His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh. A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path. Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step. Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls.(vv.7-12).

It eats away parts of his skin; death’s firstborn devours his limbs. He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors. Fire resides in his tent buring sulfur is scattered over his dwelling. (vv.13-15)

His roots dry up below and his branches wither above. The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land.(vv.16-17).

He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived. Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror. Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man, such is the place of one who knows not God.”(vv.18-21).

 

Job’s second reply to Bildad

            Job, isolated from those dearest to him, longs for affection.(vv.13-22). Job, despairing of justice in his lifetime, wishes that his case could be written on a scroll. Then, realizing that ordinary writing is perishable, he desires that it be cut on a leaden tablet or on a rock.(vv.23-24). Job believed in a living God who would vindicate his case even after his death. In the end. In the future. Upon the earth. Lit., upon dust, referring to the dust on the earth or to the dust of Job’s grave. In my flesh. Although the Hebrew preposition, min, sometimes means “without” (in which case Job expected vindication in a disembodied state), when it is used with the verb “ to see” it may indicate the vantage point from which a person sees (in which case Job expected to be in a body when he was received in the resurrection). The last phrase of verse 27 is an exclamation something like, “ I’m overwhelmed at the thought.” This great expression of hope marks the turning point in Job’s attitude. He has seen his suffering in the perspective of certain future vindication of his case. He replied,

            “How long will you torment me and crush me with words? Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me. If it is true that I have gone astray, my error remains my concern alone. If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me, then know that God has wronged me and drawn his net around me. (vv.1-6).

            Though I cry, ‘ I’ve been wronged! I get no response; though I call for help, there is no justice. He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; he has shrouded my paths in darkness. He has stripped me of my honor and removed the crown from my head. He tears me down on every side till I am gone; he uproots my hope like a tree. His anger burns against me; he counts me among his enemies. His troops advance in force; they build a siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent. (vv.7-12).

            He has alienated my brothers from me; my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. My kinsmen have gone away; my friends have forgotten me. My guests and my maidservants count me a stranger; they look upon me as an alien. I summon my servant, but he does not answer, though I beg him with my own mouth. My breath is offensive to my wife; I am loathsome to my own brothers. Even the little boys scorn me; when I appear, they ridicule me. All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing but skin and bones; I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.(vv.13-20).

             Have pity on me, my friends, have pity, for the hand of God has struck me. Why do you pursue me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet, in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes-I and not another. How my heart yearns within me!(vv.21-27)

            If you say, “ How we will hound him, since the root of the trouble lies in him, you should fear the sword yourselves; for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, and then you will know that there is judgment. (vv.28-29).

 

Chapter 20 Third friend Zophar’s Second Speech

            Zophar, see thing with anger because of Job’s warnings (19:28-29), tells Job that a wicked man’s prosperity is brief (v.5). He attempts to make suffering Job appear to be sinning Job. In verse 19 apparently Job’s friends could not produce any proof of Job’s guilt, so the best Zophar can do is accuse him of land-grabbing and oppressing the poor. There is no evidence that Job did these thing.(v.19). He said,

            “ My trouble thoughts prompt me to answer because I am greatly disturbed. I hear a rebuke that dishonors me, and my understanding inspires me to reply.”(vv.2-3). Surely you know how it has been from of old, even since man was placed on the earth, that the mirth of the wicked is brief, the joy of the godless lasts but a moment. (vv.4-5).Though his pride reaches to the heavens and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ Like a dream he flies away, no more to be found, banished like a vision of the night. The eye that saw him will not see him again; his place will look on him no more. His children must make amends to the poor; his own hands must give back his wealth.(vv.6-10).

            The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust. Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth, yet his food will turn sour in his stomach; it will become the venom of serpents within him. He will spit out the riches he swallowed; God will make his stomach vomit them up. He will such the poison of serpents; the fangs of an adder will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. What he toiled for he must give back uneaten; he will not enjoy the profit from his trading. For he has oppressed the poor and left them destitute; he has seized houses he did not build.(vv.11-19).

            Surely he will have no respite from his craving; he cannot save himself by his treasure. Nothing is left for him to devour; his prosperity will not endure. In the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him. When he has filled his belly, God will vent his burning anger against him and rain down his blows upon him. Though he flees from an iron weapon, a bronze tipped arrow pierces him. He pulls it out of his back, the gleaming point out of his liver. Terrors will come over him; total darkness lies in wait for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent.  The heaven will expose his guilt; the earth will rise up against him. A flood will carry off his house, rushing waters on the day of God’s wrath. such is the fate God allots the wicked, the heritage appointed for them by God. (vv.20-29).

Chapter 21 Job’s second reply to Zophar

Job takes the initiative, demands the attention of his accusers. Contrary to Zophar’s thesis, the wicked often prosper. Verse 13means, prosperous to the end, the wicked sometimes die without a struggle. In verse 16 Job acknowledges that even the prosperity of the wicked comes from the Lord who governs all men. Verse 17 is a skeptical question. How often, Job asks, does this really happen? The punishment of a man’s iniquity is often borne by his children. Verses 32-33 Even the repulsiveness of death is softened for the prosperous wicked man. He replied,

“ Listen carefully to my words; let this be the consolation your give me. Bear with me while I speak, and after I have spoken, mock on. Is my complaint directed to man? Why should I not be impatient? Look at me and be astonished; clap your hand over your mouth. When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body. (vv.1-6).

Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes. Their homes are safe and free from fear; the rod of God is not upon them. Their bulls never fail to breed; their cows calve and do not miscarry. They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance about. They sing to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of the flute. They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace. Yet they say to God, ‘ Leave us alone!’ we have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him? But their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stand aloof from the counsel of the wicked. (vv.7-16).

   Yet how often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out? How often does calamity come upon them, the fate God allots in his anger? (v.17). How often are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a gale? It is said, ‘God stores up a man’s punishment for his sons.’ Let him repay the man himself, so that he will know it! Let his own eyes see his destruction; let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. For what does he care about the family he leaves behind when his allotted months come to an end? (vv.17-21).

Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judge even the highest? One man dies in full vigor, completely secure and at ease, his bones rich with marrow. Another man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good. Side by side they lie in the dust, and worms cover them both. (vv.22-26).

I know full well what you are thinking, the schemes by which you would wrong me. You say, ‘ Where now is the great man’s house, the tents where wicked men lived? Have you never questioned those who travel? Have you paid no regard to their accounts- that the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, that he is delivered from the day of wrath? Who denounces his conduct to his face? Who repays him for what he has done? He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over this tomb. The soil in the valley is sweet to him; all men follow after him, and a countless throng goes before him. So how can you console me with you nonsense? Nothing is lift of your answers but falsehood!(vv.27-34).

 

 

Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986 

 

 

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