Category: 诗歌智慧书

Overview

God finally spoke to Job (v1). God was speaking to Job in the midst of a storm (v1). However instead of answering Job’s request to vindicate him, God asked Job a series of questions. Between chapter 38 – 41, God has asked 77 questions to Job.

God told Job to instruct Him (v3) and tell Him (v4, v18) if Job knew the answers to these questions.

The questions in chapter 38 and 39 are in two major categories. First is the nature, second is the animals, both are amazingly designed and created by God.

Nature: earth (v4), sea (v8), sun (v12), gates of death (v17), light (v19), snow (v22), wind (v24), rain (v26), land (v27), seeds (v27), dew (v28), stars (v31-33), clouds (v34), lightning (v35),

Animal: lion (v39), raven (v41), goats and deers (39:1-4), donkeys (39:5-8), ox (39:9-12), ostriches (13-18), horse (19-25), hawk (26-30)

The purpose of God asking these questions is so that Job would come to the revelation that God is infinitely more powerful than Job.

It is worth noting that God’s is referenced as Yahweh (H3068) between chapter 38-42. This name of God has not been used after chapter 2, except 12:9. God has been referred as Elowah (H433) or Almighty between chapter 3 to 37. Yahweh means “I am”. I think God wanted Job to know that God is the creator, He is above all. God has total sovereignty of all His creations. He does not owe anyone any answers.

Life’s Lesson

When you experienced hardship in life, do you often ask the Lord the why questions, or do you submit to the Lordship of Christ in our life, and ask the what questions. “Dear Lord, what do You want me to learn this time, teach me O Lord.”

Overview

This is the conclusion of Elihu’s speech. As Elihu was concluding his speech, a storm was forming in the horizon, wind was howling towards them, rain started to drip from the skies, lightning and thunder started to strike out of the cloud (v2-5). Elihu said storms were under the commands of God. God causes storms to punish men, or to water His earth and show His love(v13).

And then Elihu asked Job to listen, stand and consider the wonders of God (v14). He asked whether Job knew how God controls the clouds and makes lighting flash, whether Job knew about the wonders of one perfect in knowledge (v16), and can Job spread out the skies together with God?

Life’s Lesson

God frequently puts people in needs around us. Are you ready to guide them towards Christ? Elihu did not try to answer Job’s questions himself, and he did not try to draw Job to himself.

I don’t think Elihu knew God was preparing to speak to Job in the storm, but God used Elihu to prepare Job’s heart for God.

We do not need to know the answers to help people, our parts is to direct them to Christ, and Christ will do His part.

Overview

In this chapter, Elihu praised God’s power (v5, 24-30). Although God is all powerful, He does not despise men (v5). God is righteous, He punished the wicked (v6) and gives justice to the afflicted (v6). God has special purpose for people in affliction (v10, 11, 15). That purpose is for them to hear God.

Life’s Lesson

Do you hear God when you are in affliction? When Jesus was on the cross, He spoke to God the father. Our Lord Jesus went through the cross, and set the best example for us to fellow. He knows about affliction, for the sins of the whole world of all times was upon Him. Instead of complaining to God, or being self-pity, why don’t we concentrate in hearing God.

Overview

In this chapter, Elihu tried to give explanations to Job’s questions on the characters of God.

v1-8: Job had two questions about God. First, Job thought his righteousness is more than God’s (v2), because God punished an upright man like him. Second, he thought whether man is a good or bad man does not matter to God, because being fearful to God has no benefits compare to the ones who sinned (v3). Job is comparing himself and his righteousness against God and God’s righteousness.

Elihu explained to Job that God is higher than cloud, higher than heavens, of course higher than men (v5). Men are not even in the same level as God,  men righteousness and men wickedness affected men, not God. (v6-8)

v9-16: Job has been crying out to God but God did not answer him. Elihu explained that God does not answer empty cry (v13), but God did not forget him. Job’s case is before God, he told Job to wait for God (v14). Elihu comforted Job by saying God gives songs in the night(v10), and God teaches men more than any animal on earth (v11).

Life’s Lesson

Our understanding and experience of God’s characters is challenged when we go through hardship in life.

Nothing we do can add any righteousness to God, and nothing we do can subtract holiness from God. God characters are unchanging from eternity to eternity.

On the other hand, everything we do affect the heart of God. Because God desires to see us to be like Christ. If we are unlike Christ, we hurt God. We are more Christ like, we please God.

Overview

In Chapter 33, Elihu spoke to Job. In this chapter, Elihu spoke to Job’s friends. The main purpose of Elihu’s speech in chapter 34 is to vindicates God’s justice before Job and his friends(v1). Job defensed himself as one without transgression (v6), and thus accused God of being unjust for punishing him. Elihu set out to defense for God in this chapter.

The following are Elihu’s main points to show that God is righteous:

1. God pays a man according to his work (v11)
2. God alone has authority over this world (v13)
3. God judge men regardless of their positions (v19)
4. God see and know about everything about men (v21-23), thus God does not need to inquire men like human judges do (v24)

To defense God’s justice, Elihu criticized Job with the following sins:

1. drinks up derision like water (v7). In another word, laugh at others frequently
2. walks with wicked men (v8)
3. speaks without knowledge and wisdom(v35)
4. answers like wicked men (v36)
5. rebellion (v37)
6. multiplies his words against God (v37).

Life’s Lesson

There are times we need to be like Elihu to defense for God. Are you equipped with His words to defense for God? When the enemy attacks us, our weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the words of God.

If we do not know the Lord, we cannot defense for Him. To know Him is to spend time with Him, in His words, in prayers.

Overview

Elihu is speaking to Job (v1). He comforted Job that his words are from the uprightness of his heart,  his lips speak knowledge sincerely (v3),  he desired to justify Job (v32), and to teach Job wisdom (v33).

Elihu referenced to the breath of the Almighty gives him life (v4) and he was formed out of clay (v6) suggests that the story of God’s creation in Gen 1 may have been know to people at that time.

In verse 8 to 11, Elihu quoted Job’s complaints (v13) to God. Job compliant to God why He did not give an account of all His doings (v13)?

Elihu then said God did speak, but no one notices it (v14). God speaks in dream, vision of the night, when men were as sleep (v15).

Then in v18 to v33, Elihu mentioned five times that God has a purpose in Job’s suffering, that is to deliver his soul from going down to the pit (v18, v22, v24, v28, v30).

Elihu said there is an angel as mediator, and reminds men God is gracious to men, God has a plan to deliver men from going down to the pit, and the plan involves a ransom. (v23-24).

What Elihu knew was a shadow of the things to come, 1 Tim 2:5-6 tells us the truth of God’s redemption plan: [For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.]

Life’s Lesson

No matter what kind of pit we could get ourselves in life, God’s has already paid the ransom to deliver us from these pits. All we need to do to receive the redemption is to trust His words by faith in Christ.

Overview

Job had the last word in his debate with his friends, so it seem that Job had won the debate. Elihu, a younger man has been listening to Job and his three friends’ debates. He didn’t interrupt until they are finished because he thought older men should have more wisdom (v7), which he found out it was not the case after listening to all their speeches (v9).

Then Elihu spoke something remarkable: [But it is a spirit in man. And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.] (v8). The breath of Almighty is the Holy Spirit, only Him can give us understanding of spiritual matters.

Elihu was in anger when he spoke, because Job justified himself before God (v2), and because Job’s three friends found no answer, but had condemned Job (v3).

Elihu said that he has a lot to say, because the Holy Spirit urges him to do so (v18).

He said he would not show partiality to anyone, and would not flatter any men, because that would displease God, and he would be taken away by God. (V21)

Life’s Lesson

The age of a believer does not always reflect how much he knows Christ. It is how much our spirit is yielding to the Holy Spirit in the years we follow Christ that dictate how much we know our Lord. May we all have the desire to grow in our knowledge and relationship with Him as we advance in age.

Overview

This is the final defense for Job. He recounted all areas in his life, and stand on his position that he has lived a righteous life as much as a man could live.

He said he was

1. faithful to his wife (v1-12);
2. treated his servants with respect (v13-15),
3. helped the poor, widowed and orphans (v16-23)
4. didn’t put his trust in gold (v24)
5. treated his enemies, men under his care, and aliens all with dignity (v29-32).
6. didn’t cover his sins (v33)

Job was willing to accept additional curses from God is any one of his claims was not true.

His purpose is so that God will hear his appeal. He has written this down and signed the document. Now he wanted God’s signature on the document to prove his friends indictment on him was wrong (v35). This is his only hope for the future.

[Oh that I had one to hear me! Behold, here is my signature; Let the Almighty answer me! And the indictment which my adversary has written] (v35)

Life’s Lesson

A man’s dignity is more important than his life. Job was able to wait for the Lord and praise his name when he lost his treasures, when he lost his children, when he lost the support from his wife, and even when he lost his health. But Job couldn’t keep silent when his dignity was intruded by his friends. At the end of this debate, all Job wanted was vindication from God, and proved his friends were wrong about him. He wanted his name to be cleaned.

How much do you watch for your own dignity? Are you willing to keep silent and wait for the Lord when people misunderstood you?

When you are being misunderstood, being “crucified” by others, meditate on how the Lord responded to people who mocked him: [“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”] (Luke 23:34)

Overview

After Job described his previous prosperous live, he now described his present live. He used parallelism to compare his present with his previous live.

1. He was well respected previously (29:8), presently he is being laughed at (v1), abhorred (v10) , and spitted at (v10).
2. He was enjoying blessings in life previously (29:6), presently days of affliction have taken hold of him (30:16)
3. He helped the needy previously (29:12-17), presently he cries for help and no one response to his plead (v24)
4. He had hope for the future previously (29:18-20), presently he had no hope (v26)
5. He brought encouragement to people with his words previously (29:21-25), presently he no longer has any words of encouragement, instead his music has turned from major to minor key (v31)

Life’s Lesson

If we are blessed with material prosperity today, we thank the Lord for His grace. However there is no guarantee God will continue to bless us in the future. So do not be too comfortable with what we have today. We need to learn to give thanks for the things the Lord has blessed us so far (1 The 5:16-18), be content with what we have today (Phi 4:11), and be prepared for any trials that may come into future. What is important is to live in the present of God. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matt 6:33).

Overview

Job gave a closing statements of his debate in chapter 29 – 31. Chapter 29 focused on Job’s prosperity in the past, Chapter 30 focused on Job’s crisis in the present, and Chapter 31 focused on Job’s hope for God’s vindication in the future.

1. v2-6: How God has blessed him:
   1. God watched over him (v2)
   2. God’s lamp shone upon his head (v3)
   3. God’s light guided him in darkness (v3)
   4. God’s intimate friendship bless his house (v4)
   5. God’s was with him (v5)
2. v7-11: How he was well respected in the city
   1. respected by young men (v8)
   2. respected by old men (v8)
   3. respected by chief men (v9)
   4. respected by nobles (v10)
   5. respected by everyone (v11)
3. v12-17: How he was the help of the needy
4. v18-20: How he had great hope for the future
5. v21-25: How he spoke words of encouragement to men

Life’s Lesson

It is good to count God’s blessing in our life, however we should be careful not to focus to much on the glories past that we ignore the opportunities in the present, we may end up unprepared for the future. The past must be a rudder to guide us and not an anchor to hold us back.