March 2010

Monthly Archive

Tue 30 Mar 2010

The Census, Again!

Posted @ 7:02 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Rants
I am just dumbfounded.  Read the following excerpt:
 

April 1 confusion

[...]
 
Many Houstonians, meanwhile, say they haven’t returned their forms yet because of the first question:
 
“How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment or mobile home on April 1, 2010?”
 
In e-mails to the Houston Chronicle responding to a census story last week, about two dozen Houston area residents said this question had caused them to wait before mailing back their forms.
Some said they weren’t certain of the answer, since an elderly family member might die or a woman was expecting a baby any day. Others simply felt uncomfortable answering a question posed in the past tense about a future date.
 
Judy Ruhlin of Houston said she was surprised the return rate so far wasn’t zero percent.
“I’m not expecting anyone in my household to die or move out by April 1, and I’m not expecting any births or new members, but I won’t really know until April 1,” Ruhlin wrote. “My form will be mailed out April 1.”
 
I don’t live in Houston.  I take the census seriously.  I feel uncomfortable answering a question posed in the past tense for a future date.  I will return my census after I do my count on April 1st.
 
It’s good not to be alone.
 

Sun 28 Mar 2010

Only 366 Days

Posted @ 4:20 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Genealogy
At best there are 366 days in one year.  What are the odds of someone else having the same birthdate as you?  Duh 1 in 365¼.  Funny thing is that in a high school graduating class of 9 I had one other of the same birthday and if you count my small circle of friends growing up you can add another.  What are the odds of that?
 
So who all shares the day of my birth?
1468 – Charles I, Duke of Savoy
1483 – Raphael, Urbino Italy, painter (School of Athens)
1836 – Frederick Pabst, American brewer (d. 1904)
1899 – August Anheuser Busch, Jr., brewing magnate and American baseball executive (d. 1989)
1905 – Marlin Perkins, Carthage Mo, TV host (Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom)
1955 – Reba McEntire, McAlester Ok, country singer (Can’t Even Get the Blues)
 
It all fits, royalty, artist, brewer, narrator and singer.  Many more yet to be famous people are just waiting in line to call this date the day of their birth.
 

Fri 26 Mar 2010

Gleanings from the Book of Job 34:1-35:16

Posted @ 6:00 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Studies
Elihu continues…
His second and third speeches
2nd speech –  Job, you are wrong to accuse God of injustice

Job 34
1 Elihu answered:
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men;
      hear me, you learned men.
3 For the ear assesses words
      as the mouth tastes food.
4 Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right;
      let us come to know among ourselves what is good.


“Listen up!”





“Let us evaluate” compare to v33:3-4

Job’s complaint restated:
“God is unfair”

5 For Job says, ‘I am innocent,
      but God turns away my right.
6 Concerning my right, should I lie?
      My wound is incurable,
      although I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
      who drinks derision like water!
8 He goes about in company with evildoers,
      he goes along with wicked men.
9 For he says, ‘It does not profit a man
      when he makes his delight with God.’




KJV – “God has taken away my justice”

v7-8 are difficult to understand, note Peterson’s interpretation in bold:
“We’ve all heard Job say, ‘I’m in the right, but God won’t give me a fair trial. When I defend myself, I’m called a liar to my face. I’ve done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.’ Have you ever heard anything to beat this? Does nothing faze this man Job? Do you think he’s spent too much time in bad company, hanging out with the wrong crowd, So that now he’s parroting their line: ‘It doesn’t pay to try to please God‘? Job 34:5-9 (MSG)

v7 – Does Job enjoy deriding God’s character?
 
God is absolutely just

10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
      Far be it from God to do wickedness,
      from the Almighty to do evil.
11 For he repays a person for his work,
      and according to the conduct of a person,
      he causes the consequences to find him.
12 Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly,
      and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 Who entrusted to him the earth?
      And who put him over the whole world?
14 If God were to set his heart on it,
      and gather in his spirit and his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together
      and human beings would return to dust.





<= Thesis – God cannot do wickedness






v14 – God can do as He pleases

Q: Do you think Elihu is saying, “Might is Right?”
16 “If you have understanding, listen to this,
      hear what I have to say.
17 Do you really think
      that one who hates justice can govern?
      And will you declare guilty
      the supremely righteous One,
18 who says to a king, ‘Worthless man’
      and to nobles, ‘Wicked men,’
19 who shows no partiality to princes,
      and does not take note of the rich more than the poor,
      because all of them are the work of his hands?
20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night,
      people are shaken and they pass away.
      The mighty are removed effortlessly.
21 For his eyes are on the ways of an individual,
      he observes all a person’s steps.
22 There is no darkness, and no deep darkness,
      where evildoers can hide themselves.
23 For he does not still consider a person,
      that he should come before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the great without inquiry,
      and sets up others in their place.
25 Therefore, he knows their deeds,
      he overthrows them in the night
      and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness,
      in a place where people can see,
27 because they have turned away from following him,
      and have not understood any of his ways,
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor
      to come before him,
      so that he hears the cry of the needy.
29 But if God is quiet, who can condemn him?
      If he hides his face, then who can see him?
      Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike,
30 so that the godless man should not rule,
      and not lay snares for the people.


v17 Q: What do you think Elihu means by this statement?  Are there bad rulers?  Doesn’t his argument fly in the face of what we’ve seen to be true?
(for context, refer back to v10)



























Q: Why make the effort to point out the individual in this speech?
Q: What is Elihu saying about the character of God in relation to justice?
 
You need to repent

31 “Has anyone said to God,
      ‘I have endured chastisement,
      but I will not act wrongly any more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see.
      If I have done evil, I will do so no more.’
33 Is it your opinion that God should recompense it,
      because you reject this?
      But you must choose, and not I,
      so tell us what you know.








“Job, because you reject God’s wisdom in putting you through this does that mean God was wrong and He should take it back?”

Rebellion is added to your sin

34 Men of understanding say to me —
      any wise man listening to me says —
35 that Job speaks without knowledge
      and his words are without understanding.
36 But Job will be tested to the end,
      because his answers are like those of wicked men.
37 For he adds transgression to his sin;
      in our midst he claps his hands,
      and multiplies his words against God.”







Tested – “Job, you will continue to be tested until you ‘get it’”

Q: Do you think Elihu is making a valid point here?

3rd speech – God is just, your viewpoint of justice is wrong
Job 35

Job’s complaint restated:
“God is just, so what does it matter what I do?”

1 Then Elihu answered:
2 “Do you think this to be just:
      when you say, ‘My right before God.’
3 But you say, ‘What will it profit you,’
      and, ‘What do I gain by not sinning?’



Q: This is an interesting statement.  Is it accurate to Job’s words?

On one hand Job relys on God’s justice to exonerate himself and on the other hand he states that how someone lives does not matter because God does not reward or punish in ways we understand.
4 I will reply to you,
      and to your friends with you.
5 Gaze at the heavens and see;
      consider the clouds, which are higher than you!
6 If you sin, how does it affect God?
      If your transgressions are many,
      what does it do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to God,
      or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects only a person like yourself,
      and your righteousness only other people.
Elihu: God does care
9 “People cry out
      because of the excess of oppression;
      they cry out for help
      because of the power of the mighty.
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Creator,
      who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the wild animals of the earth,
      and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12 Then they cry out — but he does not answer —
      because of the arrogance of the wicked.
13 Surely it is an empty cry — God does not hear it;
      the Almighty does not take notice of it.
14 How much less, then,
      when you say that you do not perceive him,
      that the case is before him
      and you are waiting for him!
15 And further, when you say
      that his anger does not punish,
      and that he does not know transgression!
16 So Job opens his mouth to no purpose;
      without knowledge he multiplies words.”
Elihu: God is just… He does not answer the cry of those who cry because they cry… he answers the cry of the pure in heart.

As much as these insincere prayers are not answered, the prayers of the arrogant will not be answered…

Elihu: “Job, if you’re not answered maybe there a reason…”

v10 – The cry if the pure of heart looks to God for who He is, not for what He can do.

What does NT tell us about answered prayer?
James 5:16 – prayer of the righteous
James 5:15 – prayer offered in faith
I Peter 3:7 – prayer can be hindered
John 14:12-14 – in Jesus name
All scripture quotations from the New English Translation (NET)
“Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org All rights reserved.”

 
Use the following chart to assist in analysis of Elihu’s arguments: Elihu-Friend Or Foe?
 

Thu 25 Mar 2010

Told You!

Posted @ 11:23 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Rants
Yesterday I poked fun at myself for my inability to deviate from directions.  Well, to be honest I poked fun at you all who say what difference does it make anyway – but that was really my pointing a finger at you because of MY own “Monk” moment.
 
Today it’s your turn.  I posted a summarized sentence or two on my FaceBook account and received the most comments I’ve every received on a FB post.  Guess what.  More than half responded on whatever topic they felt was relevant without actually getting my point.  Or maybe they did but chose to ignore what I had to say and post their thoughts on my FB anyway.
 
Regardless of cause – looks like I got a better percentage of return than the Census Bureau got early returns.
 
I’ll laugh when on April 2nd & 3rd & 4th a rash of “rule followers’” surveys are received.  Vindicated at last.  And then there’s the 20% that threw the thing away.

 

Wed 24 Mar 2010

Stuck! What Should I Do?

Posted @ 11:09 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Rants
I recently received my decennial census survey.  Me, being the patriotic, constitutional honoring citizen that I am, immediately proceed to complete the survey.  I’m not too sure whether the information gathered goes beyond the intent of the founding fathers in requiring a simple count, but that’s for another day.
 
OK, so I begin to fill out the form and it asks me for a count of people living in my home on April 1, 2010.  Believe it or not I have a pretty good guess of who will be living in my home on that date.  I understand the intent of the question as it pertains to NOT double-counting someone who may move out on March 31st and be counted and move into a new residence on April 1s and be counted.  It all makes sense.
 
BUT I am unable to comply with completing the form.  Why?  For one I cannot foretell the future.  Sure am 99.99999% sure I know.  But will the house even be standing on April 1st?  Things completely unforeseen may occur before that date.  My brain is unable to move forward until April 1st arrives.  A little “Monk?” definitely!  But not without valid reasoning as I explained.
 
My guess is the form was created by a committee of right-brained people who said, “hmmm… how do we make sure someone is not counted twice?”  In their tunnel vision they put me in a quandary.
 
Last week I decided to put the form aside to be completed on April 1st.  That is, after all, what any compliant citizen would do, right?  Now today I find out that 16% of the surveys have already been returned.  16%!!!  Didn’t they read the directions?  What does this make me look like?  I say mail those surveys right back with a big red stamp that says, “We’re sorry but it is not April 1st, therefore you could not have possibly read the directions.  Please fill out for BB-1984 to request a pardon and request a new survey on form CENSUS-2010(2nd try)”
 
Should I immediately go home and complete the form?  Now what do I do?
 
Wouldn’t life have been easier if the surveys arrived in my home on April 1st (or shorter THEREAFTER) and asked me to specify the count on April 1st?  Wouldn’t everyone be happy and no one forced to become a fortune teller?  Would the count be as accurate?  Wouldn’t we reinforce the concept of following directions?
 

Tue 23 Mar 2010

Not Mine… If the Shoe Fits

Posted @ 10:57 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
This thought came to me via “TrueFaced Resouces” on my FaceBook account.  Good food for thought.
 
<blockquote>The more influence we have, the more we are tempted to hide our true self for fear we will lose that influence.</blockquote>
 

Fri 19 Mar 2010

Gleanings from the Book of Job 32:1-33:33 (addended)

Posted @ 6:00 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Studies
Elihu is a character in Job that almost all commentators have a difficult time understanding.  Was he sent by satan himself after the friends failed?  Was he sent by God to show Job the error of his ways?  Or was he just an impetuous youth who couldn’t keep quiet any longer?
 
Many see Elihu as a pivotal character in this account.  Who was he?  Some think there was indication of a gathering crowd and Elihu was an early “bystander.”  Others think Elihu was another, much younger, of Job’s friends.
 
Elihu’s words can be seen as brash & impulsive or self-effacing in deference to his older colleagues.  Both positions are held with equal fervor.
 
We can accept Elihu as either right, wrong or in the middle.
1) If we accept his speeches as if they are equally as flawed as Job’s other friends then we are left with the unsettling feeling that Job was indeed blameless and God was somehow arbitrary in his dealing with Job.  This does not have to be the only interpretation of this, but it is one outcome that needs to be addressed.
 
2) If we accept his speeches as correct in that Job did not hear what God was saying then it’s as if Elihu is preparing Job’s heart for what God has to say.
 
3) Elihu was not rebuked by God.  But then again neither was Job’s wife.
 
4) Regardless of the view of Elihu, one must address the apparent harshness of God’s response to Job in chapter 38.  God held Job as blameless; I believe Job emerges in the end as steadfast as God knew he was.  Satan was defeated in his baseless accusation.  Yet, God chastises Job – for what?  May Elihu have been right?  But then chapter 42 clearly states that Job did not sin in what he said.
 
5) Elihu clearly challenges Job to refute his words.  What does Job’s silence mean?  Is Job admitting Elihu is correct?  Is Job simply finished arguing with these men?
 
Some scholars throw out Elihu’s 6 chapters because they believe they were added long after Job was written.  Job’s non-response plus textual differences lead these modern scholars to ignore Elihu.  No ancient manuscripts have been found to support this theory.
 
In John Calvin’s teaching on the book of Job, Calvin preached through the book himself in great pain and in the midst of personal warfare. Calvin was a walking encyclopedia of pain.  For Calvin, the essential message of Job is understood through the eyes of Elihu. Elihu understands pain is educative. It’s not punishment for some particular sin, but rather the pain brings out the potential sin that was resting dormant. [Calvin’s Teaching on Job; Christian Focus; 2004; pg 227] Calvin once expressed that Elihu was a man in scripture he highly respected.
 
The flow of Job:
  • God calls satan’s attention to Job and removes the protective hedge around him (chapter 1-2)
  • Job and his 3 friends wrestle with what it all means (chapter 3-30)
  • Job concludes his speaking with an Oath of Innocence (chapter 31)
  • Elihu says, “Hey Job you’ve missed the point it’s not your sin that brought the misery, God is teaching you something” (chapter 32-37)
  • God apparently chastises Job (chapter 38-41)
  • God says Job has spoken right of Him (chapter 42)
Is it possible that our picture of God between chapter 2 and chapter 38 could be skewed without Elihu acting as a bridge to bring understanding?  Or if he is indeed acting on behalf of satan, what is the angle?  What is it in his speeches that is designed to bring Job to “curse God to His face?”
 
Is Elihu a thorn in Job’s side or a bridge to prepare Job for God’s audience?  Is Elihu satan’s last attempt, God’s messenger, or a face in the crowd?
 
You read and you decide.

Elihu adds color
Introduction and his first speech
Who was Elihu?

Job 32
1 So these three men refused to answer Job further, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.
3 With Job’s three friends he was also angry, because they could not find an answer, and so declared Job guilty.
4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the others were older than he was.
5 But when Elihu saw that the three men had no further reply, he became very angry.


LXX has “because he was righteous in their eyes.”
Q: What do you think is this translation?  Does it make sense?  Why/why not?

Q: Where did Elihu come from?  Why is he here?
(The text gives us very few clues)  Genesis 22:20-21 informs us that Uz and Buz where nephews of Abraham.  Could the “land of Uz” and the “land of Buz” be named for these men?

Elihu’s anger: Q: Do you think he had basis for anger against Job(v2) or his friends(v3)?
 
What did he have to offer?
 
6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up:
      “I am young, but you are elderly;
      that is why I was fearful,
      and afraid to explain to you what I know.
7 I said to myself, ‘Age should speak,
      and length of years should make wisdom known.’
8 But it is a spirit in people,
      the breath of the Almighty,
      that makes them understand.
9 It is not the aged who are wise,
      nor old men who understand what is right.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me.
      I, even I, will explain what I know.’
11 Look, I waited for you to speak;
      I listened closely to your wise thoughts, while you were searching for words.
12 Now I was paying you close attention,
      yet there was no one proving Job wrong,
      not one of you was answering his statements!
13 So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom!
      God will refute him, not man!’
14 Job has not directed his words to me,
      and so I will not reply to him with your arguments.
15 “They are dismayed and cannot answer any more;
      they have nothing left to say.
16 And I have waited. But because they do not speak,
      because they stand there and answer no more,
17 I too will answer my part,
      I too will explain what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
      and the spirit within me constrains me.
19 Inside I am like wine which has no outlet,
      like new wineskins ready to burst!
20 I will speak, so that I may find relief;
      I will open my lips, so that I may answer.
21 I will not show partiality to anyone,
      nor will I confer a title on any man.
22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles,
      if I did, my Creator would quickly do away with me.

Q: Was Elihu brash, arrogant & wordy OR because of his youth (and maybe even a bystander in the drama) was he simply justifying his speaking as respectfully as he could?  Remember, he was violating the cultural norm.



v8 – Wisdom normally comes with years, but can it also come directly from God?






v11 – could this indicate time elapsing between speeches – hours or maybe days?



v13 – they never said “God will refute him”  Could v13b be Elihu’s response to their words?








v18 – Elihu speaks more than any of the combined speeches of the three.




v21 – “I am not taking sides” (i.e. both sides missed the point cf Job32:2-3)

1st speech –  God IS telling you something!

I dare you to refute my wisdom!

Job 33
1 “But now, O Job, listen to my words,
      and hear everything I have to say!
2 See now, I have opened my mouth;
      my tongue in my mouth has spoken.
3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart,
      and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
      and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Reply to me, if you can;
      set your arguments in order before me
      and take your stand!
6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
      I too have been molded from clay.
7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
      nor should my pressure be heavy on you.













Elihu sounds like a new attorney on his first case!

“We’re equals, that gives me the right to speak”
 
Job’s complaint restated:
“I am denied justice”

8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing
      (I heard the sound of the words!):
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
      I am clean and have no iniquity.
10 Yet God finds occasions with me;
      he regards me as his enemy!
11 He puts my feet in shackles;
      he watches closely all my paths.’



Q: What was Job referring to when he said God regards him as an enemy/puts feet in shackles?

“Do not criticize God”

12 Now in this, you are not right — I answer you,
      for God is greater than a human being.

The response to Job’s complaint is simple: Just because you “feel” God is pressing you in does not give you the right to criticize God.

Implication: Maybe God is telling you something!

God does speak, but you’re missing it
 
13 Why do you contend against him,
      that he does not answer all a person’s words?
14 “For God speaks, the first time in one way,
      the second time in another,
      though a person does not perceive it.
15 In a dream, a night vision,
      when deep sleep falls on people
      as they sleep in their beds.
16 Then he gives a revelation to people,
      and terrifies them with warnings,
17 to turn a person from his sin,
      and to cover a person’s pride.
18 He spares a person’s life from corruption,
      his very life from crossing over the river.
19 Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed,
      and with the continual strife of his bones,
20 so that his life loathes food,
      and his soul rejects appetizing fare.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
      and his bones, which were not seen,
      are easily visible.
22 He draws near to the place of corruption,
      and his life to the messengers of death.



God typically speaks through: The Word, Prayer, People & Circumstances but IS NOT limited to these.  He certainly spoke through Balaam’s donkey (Num 22:28) and later to Job through a whirlwind/storm (Job 38:1) plus numerous other recorded ways.

“Circumstances” can include: pain, joy, spilled coffee, a check in the mailbox, a page in a book – you name it.

Remember to test all things against Scripture – especially circumstances can be VERY misleading.  Fortunately God often confirms His word to us in multiple ways.  Like a good father He doesn’t leave room for doubt as you “learn His voice and follow it”.

Q: Could God be speaking to Job in what he’s going through?  If so, why might Job not hear?

Q: If God is speaking, what might be His purposes? (v33:17, 28, 30)

Elihu: “God can correct after the fact or preemptively as a warming or reveal the sin that lies dormant in him”
23 If there is an angel beside him,
      one mediator out of a thousand,
      to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;
24 and if God is gracious to him and says,
      ‘Spare him from going down
      to the place of corruption,
      I have found a ransom for him,’
25 then his flesh is restored like a youth’s;
      he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.
26 He entreats God, and God delights in him,
      he sees God’s face with rejoicing,
      and God restores to him his righteousness.
27 That person sings to others, saying:
      ‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
      but I was not punished according to what I deserved.
28 He redeemed my life
      from going down to the place of corruption,
      and my life sees the light!’
29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
      twice, three times, in his dealings with a person,
30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
      that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
A man is restored when he:
1) listens to the messenger
2) repents before men

Cf. James 5:13-16
 
Listen and learn
 
31 Pay attention, Job — listen to me;
      be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, reply to me;
      speak, for I want to justify you.
33 If not, you listen to me;
      be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

All scripture quotations from the New English Translation (NET)
“Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org All rights reserved.”
 
The other three claimed that Job was suffering because of sin.  Elihu said that Job was sinning in His suffering.
Q: What sin could Elihu be accusing Job of?
 
Q: What do you think about the ramifications of crying out to God and accusing Him unjustly?
 
Q: What do you think Job’s silence means?
 
Q: Do you agree or disagree with Elihu?
Use the following chart to assist in analysis of Elihu’s arguments: Elihu-Friend Or Foe?
 

Thu 18 Mar 2010

Watch Out for the Obvious

Posted @ 9:05 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: myTooSense
 
I guess this post is more of a rant than I want to admit.
 
What do you think about all those warnings we find in our inboxes warning us of this virus and that scam?  I will not argue that it is not important to provide information but don’t you think that at times it borders on alarmism?
 
I mean does someone need to remind me over and over again that a drunk driver could be driving down the road and even though I am within a crosswalk and the “pedestrian walk” hand is a come-forward shade of green that the same drunk driver could run me over and end my life?  There is some basic knowledge I have learned over the years about crossing the street and it didn’t take me until adulthood to figure it out.  So why do I need to be reminded to look both ways, listen up and be so very careful lest I get broken by a speeding automobile?
 
There are “babes on the Internet” they don’t have the common sense.  This is always the case in anything and everywhere in life.  The newbies need to be taught how to cross the street.  Does this require inundating the majority with this warning and that alert?  At point should I expect not to be overloaded by even more information in this information age.  Information is a powerful tool, but misused it can cause high anxiety.
 
Maybe the solution for those who should know better is to let them stumble a bit.  To paraphrase the old saying, maybe I need to a little hunger to motivate me to fish.
 
Not all things are “common sense” to all but exercising some judgment and discerning the babes from the “gray hairs” could go a long way.
 

Wed 17 Mar 2010

Watching and Doing Nothing

Posted @ 3:45 pm      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Two Living as One
I had been in the sadly unfortunate position to be present when a good friend died and been absolutely helpless to do anything about it.  Not easy.
 
It never is when we’re close to someone and watching them harm themselves.  It doesn’t matter if it’s with words or actions, it’s all the same it wounds those nearby.
 
Oh that life were easier.  Oh that people would invite you in to lend and trusting hand.
 

Fri 12 Mar 2010

Gleanings from the Book of Job 29:1-31:40

Posted @ 6:00 am      {Click to post comment} 
Category: Studies
Job’s final words are like an attorney summarizing his arguments before a jury.  He discussed his:
1) pre-affliction glory
2) present state
3) oath of innocence
 
Job concludes his dialogue
The good ‘ole days
I had God and I had family…

Job 29
1 Then Job continued his speech:
2 “O that I could be as I was
      in the months now gone,
      in the days when God watched over me,
3 when he caused his lamp
      to shine upon my head,
      and by his light
      I walked through darkness;
4 just as I was in my most productive time,
      when God’s intimate friendship was experienced in my tent,
5 when the Almighty was still with me
      and my children were around me;
6 when my steps were bathed with butter
      and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil!



“Months now gone”, “in the days”
Some commentators believe this may indicate how long this ordeal has been going on for Job.  Due to the poetic form AND the fact that it seems unlikely the friends would have taken any more time than required to get the word and meet with Job – months seems kind on long even on foot.  Remember they were friends of Job and there must have been some proximity.  I would rather think that months and days would more likely indicate how long the agony seemed to be compared to the joy of life.

<=Thesis (v4) – God and I were “intimate friends”
Q: Explain what you think Job was referring to when he speaks of God’s intimate friendship.
– what are qualities of a true friend?
– what is intimacy?
– who is God?

v5 – “almighty” is word Shaddai = “God of the mountain” this is the way Abraham knew God; as “Almighty one standing on a mountain and who corrects and chastens”

I had the respect of men…

7 When I went out to the city gate
      and secured my seat in the public square,
8 the young men would see me and step aside,
      and the old men would get up and remain standing;
9 the chief men refrained from talking
      and covered their mouths with their hands;
10 the voices of the nobles fell silent,
      and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11 “As soon as the ear heard these things, it blessed me,
      and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,



Job was honored!


“old men would get up” = very uncommon in Job’s day for the elder to show such respect to the younger
12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,
      and the orphan who had no one to assist him;
13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me,
      and I made the widow’s heart rejoice;
14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me,
      my just dealing was like a robe and a turban;
15 I was eyes for the blind
      and feet for the lame;
16 I was a father to the needy,
      and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;
17 I broke the fangs of the wicked,
      and made him drop his prey from his teeth.
Job was active!
18 “Then I thought, ‘I will die in my own home,
      my days as numerous as the grains of sand.
19 My roots reach the water,
      and the dew lies on my branches all night long.
20 My glory will always be fresh in me,
      and my bow ever new in my hand.’
21 “People listened to me and waited silently;
      they kept silent for my advice.
22 After I had spoken, they did not respond;
      my words fell on them drop by drop.
23 They waited for me as people wait for the rain,
      and they opened their mouths
      as for the spring rains.
24 If I smiled at them, they hardly believed it;
      and they did not cause the light of my face to darken.
25 I chose the way for them
      and sat as their chief;
      I lived like a king among his troops;
      I was like one who comforts mourners.
Job was sought out!



“my glory” = lit. my liver = innermost feeling.  A fresh liver meant emotional well-being, contentment.
Job expresses aspects of what it meant to be respected and for what he was respected for.  These were all removed from him.

*note that Job’s “blessings” not only included material prosperity and social honor but also the privilege of doing good to those in need!

This is what my life has been reduced to

I am put to shame by low life

Job 30
1 “But now they mock me, those who are younger than I,
      whose fathers I disdained too much
      to put with my sheep dogs.
2 Moreover, the strength of their hands —
      what use was it to me?
      Men whose strength had perished;
3 gaunt with want and hunger,
      they would gnaw the parched land,
      in former time desolate and waste.
4 By the brush they would gather herbs from the salt marshes,
      and the root of the broom tree was their food.
5 They were banished from the community —
      people shouted at them
      like they would shout at thieves —
6 so that they had to live
      in the dry stream beds,
      in the holes of the ground, and among the rocks.
7 They brayed like animals among the bushes
      and were huddled together under the nettles.
8 Sons of senseless and nameless people,
      they were driven out of the land with whips.
9 “And now I have become their taunt song;
      I have become a byword among them.
10 They detest me and maintain their distance;
      they do not hesitate to spit in my face.
11 Because God has untied my tent cord and afflicted me,
      people throw off all restraint in my presence.
12 On my right the young rabble rise up;
      they drive me from place to place,
      and build up siege ramps against me.
13 They destroy my path;
      they succeed in destroying me
      without anyone assisting them.
14 They come in as through a wide breach;
      amid the crash they come rolling in.
15 Terrors are turned loose on me;
      they drive away my honor like the wind,
      and like a cloud my deliverance has passed away.































Note the parallels in v29:20 & v30:11.  (NIV translates both as “bow”)  God has given, God has taken away.

Having enjoyed the respect of the most respectable, he now suffered the contempt of the most contemptible [Francis I. Anderson, Job: An Introduction and Commentary, pg 235]

My life is empty, painful and wanting

16 “And now my soul pours itself out within me;
      days of suffering take hold of me.
17 Night pierces my bones;
      my gnawing pains never cease.
18 With great power God grasps my clothing;
      he binds me like the collar of my tunic.
19 He has flung me into the mud,
      and I have come to resemble dust and ashes.
20 I cry out to you, but you do not answer me;
      I stand up, and you only look at me.
21 You have become cruel to me;
      with the strength of your hand you attack me.
22 You pick me up on the wind and make me ride on it;
      you toss me about in the storm.
23 I know that you are bringing me to death,
      to the meeting place for all the living.
24 “Surely one does not stretch out his hand
      against a broken man
      when he cries for help in his distress.
25 Have I not wept for the unfortunate?
      Was not my soul grieved for the poor?
26 But when I hoped for good, trouble came;
      when I expected light, then darkness came.
27 My heart is in turmoil unceasingly;
      the days of my affliction confront me.
28 I go about blackened, but not by the sun;
      in the assembly I stand up and cry for help.
29 I have become a brother to jackals
      and a companion of ostriches.
30 My skin has turned dark on me;
      my body is hot with fever.
31 My harp is used for mourning
      and my flute for the sound of weeping.




















Compare Job 3:1-11 to 30:16-23
Q: What “heart” similarities do you hear from Job?

Q: Do you hear a subtle shift in his thinking?  (although Job is still despondent, I hear less of an edge and possibly more acceptance of circumstances – the “over the top despair does not seem to be present)

Q: What practical advise can you take away when coming alongside a friend in deep, deep pain?

I have walked blamelessly
Job 31
1 “I made a covenant with my eyes;
      how then could I entertain thoughts against a virgin?
2 What then would be one’s lot from God above,
      one’s heritage from the Almighty on high?
3 Is it not misfortune for the unjust,
      and disaster for those who work iniquity?
4 Does he not see my ways
      and count all my steps?

Job uses an expression of specific sin he has steered clear of to make a much bigger point.  The point is: “This is the standard of conduct I have set for every area of my life – to be above reproach”

God sees it all
5 If I have walked in falsehood,
      and if my foot has hastened to deceit —
6 let him weigh me with honest scales;
      then God will discover my integrity.
7 If my footsteps have strayed from the way,
      if my heart has gone after my eyes,
      or if anything has defiled my hands,
8 then let me sow and let another eat,
      and let my crops be uprooted.
9 If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
      and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door,
10 then let my wife turn the millstone for another man,
      and may other men have sexual relations with her.
11 For I would have committed a shameful act,
      an iniquity to be judged.
12 For it is a fire that devours even to Destruction,
      and it would uproot all my harvest.
13 “If I have disregarded the right of my male servants
      or my female servants
      when they disputed with me,
14 then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment;
      when he intervenes,
      how will I respond to him?
15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make them?
      Did not the same one form us in the womb?
16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired,
      or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself,
      and did not share any of it with orphans —
18 but from my youth I raised the orphan like a father,
      and from my mother’s womb
      I guided the widow!
19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing,
      or a poor man without a coat,
20 whose heart did not bless me
      as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand to vote against the orphan,
      when I saw my support in the court,
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
      let my arm be broken off at the socket.
23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me,
      and by reason of his majesty I was powerless.
24 “If I have put my confidence in gold
      or said to pure gold,
      ‘You are my security!’
25 if I have rejoiced because of the extent of my wealth,
      or because of the great wealth my hand had gained,
26 if I looked at the sun when it was shining,
      and the moon advancing as a precious thing,
27 so that my heart was secretly enticed,
      and my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth,
28 then this also would be iniquity to be judged,
      for I would have been false to God above.
29 If I have rejoiced over the misfortune of my enemy
      or exulted because calamity found him —
30 I have not even permitted my mouth to sin
      by asking for his life through a curse —
31 if the members of my household have never said,
      ‘If only there were someone
      who has not been satisfied from Job’s meat!’ —
32 But no stranger had to spend the night outside,
      for I opened my doors to the traveler —
33 if I have covered my transgressions as men do,
      by hiding iniquity in my heart,
34 because I was terrified of the great multitude,
      and the contempt of families terrified me,
      so that I remained silent
      and would not go outdoors —
In this section note that Job says “IF I HAVE…” more than 15 times!
He is asking that if ANY of these things are true of him bring on the consequences of such sin.  It appears Job is attempting to compile as complete a list as possible in order to show his life for what it is and has been.

He says, “If I have:”

- Lied or been deceitful
- allowed my eyes lead me into temptation
- committed adultery in his heart or life
- dealt unfairly with those in his charge
- not cared for widows
- not cared for orphans
- not cared for the poor
- not helped the cause of the orphan
- trusted in wealth
- worshipped the creation rather than the creator
- wished harm upon his enemies
- let those in his household go in want
- in pride, hidden his sin to appear something he’s not
- not tended the land properly (goes back to God’s charge to take dominion in a stewardship capacity)
- stolen what is not his

THEN let God deal with me justly!

(Parenthetical thought)
35 “If only I had someone to hear me!
      Here is my signature —
      let the Almighty answer me!
      If only I had an indictment
      that my accuser had written.
36 Surely I would wear it proudly on my shoulder,
      I would bind it on me like a crown;
37 I would give him an accounting of my steps;
      like a prince I would approach him.
Legal: Job signs his oath of innocence
38 “If my land cried out against me
      and all its furrows wept together,
39 if I have eaten its produce without paying,
      or caused the death of its owners,
40 then let thorns sprout up in place of wheat,
      and in place of barley, weeds!”


Job clearing his innocence in such a way may have been a legal means of declaring before God.  Any inaction by God would be a tacit verdict of Job’s innocence.
The words of Job are ended.
Remember where Job began; how in utter despair he was; how he simply wished he had never been born.

What happened here? (Job was talked out)

Q: Have you ever exercised enough patience to allow another person to talk it out?

Q: What did Job need most from his friends?
All scripture quotations from the New English Translation (NET)
“Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.bible.org All rights reserved.”

Q: What are you opinions on this statement: “Without a firm grounding in the Word I will wither away at the first adversity, without using it as the living sword in my life I have stripped it of its power.”
 

Next Page »

Dave's Cabin

Dave's Jeep

    Jeepometer
    - $6500
    - $6000
    - $5500
    - $5000
    - $4500
    - $4000
    - $3500
    - $3000
    - $2500
    - $2000
    - $1500
    - $1000
    - $500
    - $0
    40%
    Began: Sep 11 '09
    Last $: Apr 27 '10
    Goal: Jul 4 '11

Daily Detour

    Today's History

    Born This Day

    Article of Day

    Today's Quote

    Word of the Day

Dave's Dream

Archives