Job 1-3
If you've never read Job (the "o" is long), this will be fun and work rolled into one. In Job, we gain insight into some behind the scenes spiritual reality, and some deep teaching about God.
Here are some things about Job that might help as we read.
First, Job seems to have been written after the flood and before the time of Abraham. One of the ways to get this is Job's age at death. Job lives 140 years after all of this happens. Looking at his life at the beginning of the book, it seems that to acquire this much wealth and stature as a wise man, Job might have been in his 60s-80s. From the flood to Abraham, the ages of people continually declined, so if Job was 210-250 when he died this would put him around the time of Serug. Also, it describes the Chaldeans as a nomadic attacking band. By Abraham's time the Chaldeans were building cities and settling down to become the Babylonians.
Second, we are given a glimpse into the problem that Job doesn't see. We get to see God's interaction with an angelic order that patrols the earth and are responsible to report to Him. Remember the prophet Micaiah in 1 Kings 22:19? Satan appears among these, possibly as the leader given the responsibility to serve or oversee the dominion of man. That God speaks to him, suggests his leadership. In the NT we know this for sure.
Third, who wrote Job? Who knows, but it seems that the writer was pretty close to the events. A good guess would be Job himself in those 140 years he lived after this. Another good guess is Moses as he sat in the wilderness for 38 years watching people die. In the final analysis, God wrote it.
Finally, to understand Job, you need to understand at the beginning that Job was right, and his friends are wrong. At the end of the book God says, Job 42:7 "After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends; for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."
These guys will say stuff that sounds good, but it is wrong because of their insistence that Job was being punished for sin. Job had not sinned. He never curses God, but he does step out of bounds later in his misunderstanding of God. God corrects Job, but is mad at the other guys.
Job 1
Vs. 1-5 Job was very rich, righteous and blessed. His adult kids even liked each other.
Vs. 6-12 Think about this stuff.
V. 6 "Sons of God" refers to angels. If you want some stretching, look at the references in Gen. 6:2-4 and (I think) Deut. 32:8. I think this is referring to the bad angels too.
V. 8 Just for trivia, there are four times God says "my servant Job."
Also, for future reference, look at what God says about Job, that there is no one like him on the earth. This will help us understand a couple of verses in Ezekiel.
So, what would you say Satan is saying to God? It looks like, "Job worships You because You bless him." The test would be to see if Job still worships God when everything is taken away. How many people do you know who stop going to church and stop reading their Bibles when things go bad? I know of pastors who have done this.
Notice that God had to give Satan permission.
Notice that God is allowing this to happen to show something to Satan. Ephesians 3:10 that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.
By the way, those principalities and powers in Ephesians are also the bad guys.
So, God has given us a view behind the scenes of what is to become a tragic earthly drama. As we enter into this, it is good to remember that God has more than one or two things going on in His created order. On the angelic side of things, there is a drama being played out. God challenged Satan and Satan made an accusation. God had no hesitation bringing this disaster on Job because it worked for good. In the end, we'll see that this was also for Job's good. The point is to trust in God. Job will ask a great question in a few verses, "Why doesn't He kill me?" Whether it's suicide, "mercy killings," or any other question about life, the answer is the same: Trust that God is good and wait on His will. God works all things for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. God has the right and the freedom to use us for many things in His purpose, even to be a "spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake."
Not all can wrap their heads around this, but disciples must be able to do that. Our love for Christ and our following of Him in the harvest can't be dependent on His earthly blessing to us. We love because He loved us and He opened our eyes as sons and daughters to see the spiritual reality around us. Paul said, "I consider that the suffering of this present time is not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us." Our treasure is in heaven. This is where we work. But God remains the same loving Father.
Vs. 13-19 The worst day ever. Notice the alternating causes. What effect do you think this had on Job emotionally? What did it show? Notice all the people who had to die for this drama to be played out.
Vs. 20-22 Notice that Job passed the test, he worshiped.
Notice that Job says the Lord took away. That's good theology, and we see how deep it is because we know what's happening behind the scenes.
V. 22 What an amazing verse.
Job 2
V. 3 is a long verse and very important. Among other things, God claims responsibility for Job's calamities.
Vs. 9-10 Isn't it funny that Satan's words would come out of his wife's mouth? The same thing will happen with Job's friends. We surely need to be careful.
Note again that Job saw the "evil" as coming from God. Again, we understand something deeper.
Job passed again, but the worst was yet to come. A person can bear a lot of weight and stress and despair, and sometimes you can even throw more on top with little effect, but if the right people come and begin to "kick him in the shins (emotionally or otherwise)," he often can't bear that.
Now, from this point on, there is no further mention of Satan, except that we know he's at work behind the scenes. It appears that the point has been made to Satan, and now God will be correcting Job, his friends and us.
Vs. 11-13 Enter the friends. You won't see the impact of these guys until tomorrow and then it will make your jaw drop.
Eliphaz seems to be the oldest and the leader, not only because he is named first and makes the first answer in every round, but when God gets mad, He gets mad at Eliphaz.
Seven days of mourning mean that Job looked pretty bad.
Job 3
From now to the very end, this is all written as poetry.
Vs. 1-10 Notice the "lets." It seems that Job might be cursing the day of his birth and the night of his conception.
Vs. 11-26 Guess what word organizes Job's thoughts here. What questions is Job asking in this section? I think there is a progression.
1 Corinthians 14:1-17
So now Paul is finally getting to what he has been building toward in chapters 12 and 13. Chapter 14 is the only chapter in the NT that is expressly written about the purpose and organization of a "worship service." But notice in the entire chapter the word "worship" is only used one time and it will surprise you.
Vs. 1-5 It should be obvious that the gift of tongues was being misused and Paul is trying to correct not only this use, but their understanding of gifts and their public meetings. In Acts when the gift was used, there were Jews present who understood that God was being praised in a human language they understood but should have been impossible for the speakers to have known. Those who spoke in tongues in Acts, where the gift was being used for its intended purpose, were speaking to God, praising Him. Here, people were speaking in tongues and no one understood at all.
Notice the word "edify." That will be a key word in this chapter.
Vs. 6-12 Verse 12 is the point. This is an interesting way to think of the service and to define the word "edify:" building up the church.
Vs. 13-17 And read verses 18-19 to get Paul's conclusion of this portion and to get another view of the service and the range of meaning for "edify."
Psalm 37:12-29
Just for fun, underline the word "wicked" when you find it. Underline other words that repeat or stand out to you.
It is probably best to think of this as the ultimate victory of justice and God's ultimate vindication of the righteous. In Esther, we got to see the good guys win and Haman and the bad guys lose. God's victory and promises are not dependent on us seeing them fulfilled. God is Himself, His promise.
V. 29 I'll bet Jesus knew this verse and this psalm.
Proverbs 21:25-26
It's interesting that the sluggard craves, but while it doesn't say the righteous are rich and are working from the crack of dawn until midnight, they are content and able to give to those in need. Do you get the difference? It is more about the true desires of the heart and where a person finds completeness. Completeness in God makes a person whole and gives them what they need to share with others in the harvest.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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