Bible in one year 8/2/2022 Job Chapter 27-31 Job’s last reply to his friends
By Rev. Katherine
Liu Bruce
Christian Arts
Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry &
Counseling
Chapter 27 Job’s last
reply to his friends- A protestation of innocence
Job declares he will maintain his innocence
until death. Some think this is Zophar’s third speech (though he is not
introduced by name), and others that Job is sarcastically arguing Zophar’s case
for him (chapt.20). This may in fact be Job’s less pressured acknowledgment
that the wicked do not always or ultimately prosper, though they may for a
time. They will be condemned (v.8), they have no present help from God(vv.9-10),
they cannot be assured of passing on their prosperity to their children
(vv.14-18). The widows of verse 15 are the widows of the sons killed by the
plague, and they enjoy no lasting prosperity (vv.28-23). Like a hut made by a
watchman(v.18). A flimsy shelter of boughs, made by a watchmen in the vineyard.
Destruction comes on the wicked man suddenly(v.19) claps its hands(v.23) A sign
of indignation (Num.24:10). He said,
“ As surely as God
lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste
bitterness of soul, as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my
nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no
deceit. I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my
integrity. I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my
conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.”(vv.2-6).
“May my enemies be like
the wicked, my adversaries like the unjust! For what hope has the
godless when he is cut off, when God takes away his life? Does God listen to his cry when distress comes upon him? Will he
find delight in the Almighty? Will he call upon God at all times? I will teach
you about the power of God; the ways of the Almighty I will not conceal. You
have all seen this yourselves. Why then this meaningless talk?” (vv.7-12).
“Here is the fate God
allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty;
However many his children, their fate is the sword; his offspring will never
have enough to eat. The plague will bury those who survive him, and their
widows will not weep for them. Though he heaps up
silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, what he lays up the righteous
will wear, and the innocent will divide his silver. The house he builds is like
a moth’s cocoon, like a hut made by a watchman. He lies down wealthy, but will
do so no more; when he opens his eyes, all is gone. Terrors overtake him like a
flood; a tempest snatches him away in the night. The east wind carries him off,
and he is gone; it sweeps him out of his place. It hurls itself against him
without mercy as he flees headlong form its power. It claps its hands in
derision and hisses him out of his place.”(vv.13-23).
Chapter 28 Job’s final
reply to his friends- A pronouncement concerning wisdom
Job expressed man with his
ingenuity has unearthed the treasures of the earth, but he cannot find wisdom.
God controls all the elements of nature, of which the wind and waters are
example. Job
questioned, Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?
And he discovered that true wisdom is
fearing (showing holy respect and reverence for) God and shunning evil.
Job said, “ There is a mine for silver and a place where
gold is refined. Iron is taken from the
earth, and copper is smelted from ore. Man puts an end to the darkness; he
searches the farthest recesses for ore in the blackest darkness. Far from
where people dwell he cuts a shaft, in places forgotten by the foot of man; far
from men he dangles and sways. The earth, from which food comes, is transformed
below as by fire; sapphires come from its rocks, and its dust contains nuggets
of gold. No bird of prey knows that hidden path, no falcon’s eye has seen it.
Proud beasts do not set foot on it, and no lion prowls there. Man’s hand assaults
the flinty rock and lays bare the roots of the mountains. He tunnels through
the rock; his eyes see all its treasures. He searches the sources of the rivers
and brings hidden things to light.(vv.1-11).
But where can wisdom be
found? Where does understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it
cannot be found in the land of the living, the deep says, ‘ It is
not in me’; the sea says, ‘ It is not with me.’ It cannot be bought with the
finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in silver. It cannot be bought with
the gold of Ophir, with precious onyx or sapphires. Neither gold nor crystal
can compare with it, nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are
not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies. The topaz of Cush cannot
compare with it; it cannot be bought with pure gold. (vv.12-19).
Chapter 29 Job’s final
reply to his friends- a panorama of his life
In this chapter, Job, recalling the happiness of those days,
recognizes that it centered in his fellowship with God(v.4). Job had reached
the autumn of his life before his tribulation. God’s intimate friendship; The
counsel of God (guided his home). The abundance that Job enjoyed (v.6). And Job
denies the charge that he oppressed the poor(v.12). People looked to Job with
such great deference that they could not believe he would smile on them(v.24).
He continued his discourse:
“ How I long for the
months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, when His lamp shone upon
my head and by His light I walked
through darkness. On, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship
blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were
around me, when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me
streams of olive oil.”(vv.2-6).
When I went to the gate
of the city and took my seat in the public square, the young men saw me and
stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; the chief men refrained from
speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; the voices of the nobles
were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. Whoever heard
me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the
fatherless who had none to assist him. The man who was dying blessed me, I made
the widow’s heart sing. I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my
robe and my turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a
father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of
the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth. (vv.7-17).
I thought, I will die in
my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. My roots will reach to
the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. My glory will remain
fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.(vv.18-20).
Men listened to me
expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. After I had spoken, they spoke
no more; my words fell gently on their ears. They waited for me as for showers
and drank in my words as the spring rain. When I smiled at them, they scarcely
believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. I chose the way for
them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one
who comforts mourners. (vv.21-25).
Chapter 30 Job compared
and contrasted of his life, lowest people now insult him
Job compared and contrasted of his life in the past and now. The
lowest people whom he had befriended (29:11-17) now insult him.(vv.1-15). Some
understand verse 18 described that Job’s clothes hung loosely over his
emaciated body; others, that because of Job’s writhing in pain, his clothes
became twisted about him. Clearly, his physical torment was great. The
churning(v.27). Not a reference to his disease, but to the turmoil of his inner
feelings. Job’s wails were akin to those of the jackals and owls. H continued
his expression,
“ But now they mock me, men younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs. Of what use was
the strength of their hands to me, since their vigor had gone from them?
Haggard from want and hunger, they roamed the parched land in desolate
wastelands at night. In the brush they gathered salt herbs, and their food was
the root of the broom tree. They were banished from their fellow me, shouted at
as if they were thieves. They were forced to live in the dry stream beds, among
the rocks and in holes in the ground. They brayed among the bushes and huddled
in the undergrowth. A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the
land. (vv.1-8).
And now their sons mock me
in song; I have become a byword among them. They detest me and keep their distance; they do not hesitate to spit
in my face. Now that God has
unstrung my bow and afflicted me, they throw off restraint in my presence. On my
right the tribe attacks; they lay snares for my feet, they build their siege
ramps against me. They break up my road; they succeed in destroying me-without
anyone’s helping them. They advance as through a gaping breach; amid the ruins
they come rolling in. Terrors overwhelm me; my
dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.
(vv.9-15).
And now my life ebbs away;
days of suffering grip me. Night pierces my bones; my gnawing pains never rest.
In his great power God becomes like clothing to me; he binds me like the neck
of my garment. He throws me into the mud, and I am reduced to dust and ashes.
(vv.16-19).
I cry out to you, O God,
but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of
your hand you attack me. You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you
toss me about in the storm. I know you will bring me down to death, to the place
appointed for all the living. Surely no one lays a hand
on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress. Have I not wept for
those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor? Yet when I hope for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came
darkness. The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me. I
go about blackened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for
help. I have become a brother of jackals, a companion of owls. My skin grows
black and peels; my body burns with fever. My harp is turned to mourning, and my
flute to the sound of wailing. (vv.20-31).
Chapter 31 Job continued
his final reply
Job once again declares
his innocence: in his personal life (vv.1-12), toward his neighbors (vv.13-23),
and toward God (vv.24-34). In
verses 1-12 he disclaims lust (v.1), deceit (v.5) and covetousness (v.7). Though Job knew he could
use his influence to pervert justice (the gate of the city was the place where
disputes were adjudicated), he never did so. (v.21). Job disclaimed ever having
become entangled in the pagan worship of heavenly bodies. Verse 27 refers to
throwing a kiss of adoration. Verse 33 in my heart. Lit., in my hiding place.
The verb form of the Hebrew word is found in Gen. 3:8, 10, in relation to
Adam’s hiding from God. Job had no secret sin to hide. Some understand men as referring to Adam rather
than to mankind in general.
He said, “ I
made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. For what is man’s
lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty of high? Is it not ruin for
the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? Does he not see my ways and count
my every step? If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after
deceit—let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless.
If my steps have turned from the path, If my heart has been led by my eyes, or
if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my
crops be uprooted. If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked
at my neighbor’s door, then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may
other men sleep with her. For that would have been shameful, a sin to be judged.
It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest.”(vv.1-12).
If I have denied justice
to my menservants and maidservants when they had a grievance against me, what
will I do when God confronts me? What will I do when God confronts me? What will
I answer when called to account? Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers? If I have denied the
desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have kept my
bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless, but from my youth I reared
him as would a father, and from my birth I guided the widow. If I have seen
anyone perishing for lacking of clothing, or a needy man without a garment, and
his heart did not bless me for warming him with the fleece from my sheep, if I
have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in
court, then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the
joint. For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could
not do such things. (vv.13-23).
If I have put my trust in
gold or said to pure gold, ‘ you are my security’, if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the
fortune my hands had gained, if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the
moon moving in splendor, so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand
offered them a kiss of homage, then these also would be sins to be judged, for
I would have been unfaithful to God on high. If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the
trouble that came to him. I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a
curse against his life. If the men of my
household have never said, ‘ Who has not had his fill of Job’s meat?’ but no
stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to
the traveler. If I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my
heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent and would not go outside. (vv.24-34).
(Oh, that I had someone
to hear me! I sign now my defense let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser
put his indictment in writing. Surely I would wear it on my shoulder, I would
put it on like a crown. I would give him an account of my every step; like a
prince I would approach him.). If my land cries out against me and all its
furrows are wet with tears, if I have devoured its yield without payment or
broken the spirit of its tenants, then let briers come up instead of wheat and
weeds instead of barley. The words of
Job are ended. (vv.29-40).
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986
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