10/29/2011 10:24:29 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Job’s Response
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Job 6-7
Message of the verses: I will try and finish this section in Today’s SD. We will be looking at the seventh chapter of Job.
Job’s appeal to the Lord (Job 7): “1 ¶ "Is not man forced to labor on earth, And are not his days like the days of a hired man? 2 "As a slave who pants for the shade, And as a hired man who eagerly waits for his wages, 3 So am I allotted months of vanity, And nights of trouble are appointed me. 4 "When I lie down I say, ’When shall I arise?’ But the night continues, And I am continually tossing until dawn. 5 "My flesh is clothed with worms and a crust of dirt, My skin hardens and runs. 6 "My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, And come to an end without hope.
“7 ¶ "Remember that my life is but breath; My eye will not again see good. 8 "The eye of him who sees me will behold me no longer; Your eyes will be on me, but I will not be. 9 "When a cloud vanishes, it is gone, So he who goes down to Sheol does not come up. 10 "He will not return again to his house, Nor will his place know him anymore. 11 "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 "Am I the sea, or the sea monster, That You set a guard over me? 13 "If I say, ’My bed will comfort me, My couch will ease my complaint,’ 14 Then You frighten me with dreams And terrify me by visions; 15 So that my soul would choose suffocation, Death rather than my pains. 16 "I waste away; I will not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.
“17 ¶ "What is man that You magnify him, And that You are concerned about him, 18 That You examine him every morning And try him every moment? 19 "Will You never turn Your gaze away from me, Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle? 20 "Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself? 21 "Why then do You not pardon my transgression And take away my iniquity? For now I will lie down in the dust; And You will seek me, but I will not be.’”
Job first speaks to the Lord about the futility of life in this first part of chapter seven. He uses some word pictures to describe how futile life is, like being forced to work on the earth and working all day to receive his wages. At least these people had some hope, but Job does not seem to have any hope at all.
Next he speaks of how short life really is, for he says his life is like a weaver’s shuttle which moves very swiftly. He speaks of never seeing good again, for he is at this point in his life very bitter, and one can understand his bitterness, for Job reports that God was treating him like a dangerous monster that had to be watched every minute (Job 7:11-12).
There was no way that Job could escape God (V-20). Also in this verse Job asks
God has set him as His target. Job felt that it was the Lord who was responsible for all of the awful things that happened to Job. Job could not sleep because God was scaring him in his dreams.
Job will end this chapter with a request for forgiveness as seen in verses 20-21. This was not a confession of sin to the Lord that Job was making, for Job was still maintaining his integrity. Job was asking God to deal with parts of his life that he knew nothing about (Psalm 19:12-14). “12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.”
Job was silent after this and next we will look at Bildad the Shuhite who will give a brief theological lecture on the justice of God.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I suppose it is good from time to time to talk to the Lord like Job has in this section, for the Lord can handle it without a problem. There are times in one’s life that they need to get something off of their chest, and that seems to be what Job was doing. Job was going through some very terrible times, and he did not realize why he was going through them. Those who read the book realize why Job was going through this, but Job and his friends did not. When I go through tough times I am not always privileged to understand why either and that is why I can get upset about it, but in my heart I know that God is working things out for my good and for His glory, and that surely does comfort me.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to learn contentment from the things that are going on in my life at this time.
10/29/2011 10:54:50 AM
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