Job 19 Job replies to Bildad with a plea for his friends to stop tormenting him (v. 2), saying they should be ashamed of themselves (v. 3), and arguing that even if he has sinned somehow, he hasn’t hurt any of them. (v. 4) He then warns them that if they are magnifying themselves against …
Monthly Archives: February 2022
February 18 / Job 18
Job 18 Bildad rejoins the conversation. He does not pursue any new line of argument here but just digs in, so, like Job, I wonder why he bothers saying anything, what provokes you that you answer? (Job 16:3) I am left thinking that Bildad is just defending his own position as a “wise” leader who …
February 17 / Job 17
Job 17 Job continues his complaint. In the previous verse (Job 16:22), Job “optimistically” gave himself a few years to live, but he immediately corrects himself here and says his days are extinct. (v. 1) Even though Job continues to see God as his Tormentor, he also appears to appeal to Him as a Judge …
February 16 / Job 16
Job 16 Job responds to Eliphaz, recognizing the worthlessness of Eliphaz’s argument and noting that if Job’s “friends” are trying to comfort him, they aren’t doing a very good job! (Job 16:2) Further, he asks what motivates (or provokes) his friends to even engage in the argument. (Job 16:3) And he notes that, were the …
February 15 / Job 15
Job 15 Today Eliphaz returns to the conversation and is quick to reject everything Job has said. He does not bother weighing Job’s words, parsing out what might be right and what might be wrong. Eliphaz tosses out Job’s words entirely, because he considers Job to be abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice …
February 14 / Job 14
Job 14 Job continues his response to Zophar, turning his attention to the brevity of this life. Other passages of Scripture echo the notion that life is short. (For example, Ps. 78:39; 103:15; 144:4; Isa. 40:6-8; 51:12; James 1:10-11; 4:14.) Here Job bemoans that any chance of enjoying this brief life has been taken away, …
February 13 / Job 13
Job 13 Job continues his reply to Zophar. Let’s look at the first several verses. I’ll leave it there except for one more verse further down, Job 13:23: How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. At the core of Job’s frustration is that he is unaware …
February 12 / Job 12
Job 12 Job replies to Zophar with a nice bit of sarcasm right out of the gate: No doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you. (v. 2) That is, “Wow! You guys really are smart! When you die, what will the world do without you? Wisdom will be lost for all …
February 11 / Job 11
Job 11 Today we meet another of Job’s friends, Zophar the Naamathite. Like Eliphaz and Bildad before him, Zophar tries to defend God, but does so under faulty assumptions and premises. The problem for us is that so much of what Zophar says sounds legit, especially after hearing how Job has characterized God. My natural …
February 10 / Job 10
Job 10 Job continues his complaint today, giving it free utterance. (v. 1) For any who have been holding themselves back a bit, standing a little aloof, it’s time to admit how we can identify with Job. No, we probably cannot claim anything close to his righteousness, nor are any of us likely to have …