11/26/2011 9:23:13 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Job looks ahead for God’s justice
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Job 31
Message of the verses: There are five sub-points under this last main point in this chapter of Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on Job. This will be the last time we will see Job talk until he will answer to God in chapters 38-42 of Job, and even then it will only be brief what he says. The first verse in chapter 31 of Job is rather a famous verse, especially to those who have had read any books on handling problems with the opposite sex.
Dr. Wiersbe reports that there are sixteen “if I have” statements in this chapter of Job, for Job is making his last defense before God of his innocence and it is like a sworn statement before God which he would actually sign and then if it is not true then Job would accept the curses that God would send into his life, including his death.
“Job the man” (Job 31:1-12): “1 ¶ "I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? 2 "And what is the portion of God from above Or the heritage of the Almighty from on high? 3 "Is it not calamity to the unjust And disaster to those who work iniquity? 4 "Does He not see my ways And number all my steps? 5 "If I have walked with falsehood, And my foot has hastened after deceit, 6 Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity. 7 "If my step has turned from the way, Or my heart followed my eyes, Or if any spot has stuck to my hands, 8 Let me sow and another eat, And let my crops be uprooted.
“9 ¶ "If my heart has been enticed by a woman, Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway, 10 May my wife grind for another, And let others kneel down over her. 11 "For that would be a lustful crime; Moreover, it would be an iniquity punishable by judges. 12 "For it would be fire that consumes to Abaddon, And would uproot all my increase.’”
Dr. Wiersbe uses the AV or KJV and so all references to things that he reads in the Scripture are in that version. I mostly use the NASB version of the Bible because that is the version that I have used since I became a believer in Jan. of 1974. The newest version of the NASB has removed all of the “these” and “thous” in it which makes it easier for me to read and from what I have read and heard people speak on this subject is that the NASB is the most accurate of all translations, although the ESB (English Standard Bible) which is rather new is a good translation too. There are times, especially in the book of Job that I will look at other versions of the Bible to help me understand what is being said, versions like the (NLT) New Living Translation or some other one. For those who have read these SD in Russia I have actually down loaded a Russian Bible and have put that on the SD’s as well.
In this first sub-section we will look at three sins that Job mentions, lust (1-4); deceit (5-8); and adultery (9-12).
Lust: We must look at Matthew 5:27-28 to see what Jesus says about the sin of lust. “27 ¶ "You have heard that it was said, ’YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Lust is the first step toward sin and sin is the first step toward death according to James 1:13-16. We must understand that it is okay to look at a beautiful person, but if we are sleeping with that beautiful person in our minds then we are committing the sin of lust, and so Job has made a covenant with his eyes not to lust after women. The sin that is committed in the heart is not as destructive as the on committed with the body, it is the first step towards the act of sinning with the body.
Deceit: This sin is spoken of in verses 5-8. Job did not use deception in any of his business dealings so that he would make more money. He did not even walk with those who did such sinful things.
Adultery: Job denies this sin in verses 9-12. We have already mentioned that this sin begins in the heart and then leads to doing it in the body with what you have been acting out in your mind. Job denies every doing this and actually adds curses that God can do to him if he is lying.
“Job the employer” (Job 31:13-15). 13 "If I have despised the claim of my male or female slaves When they filed a complaint against me, 14 What then could I do when God arises? And when He calls me to account, what will I answer Him? 15 "Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?’”
During the time when Job lived there were many people who treated their slaves as if they were not even people, but Job even goes as far in his words to God saying that these were people who were formed in the womb just as Job was and therefore worthy of good treatment, and that is what Job did for them.
“Job the neighbor” (Job 31:16-23, 29-32). “16 ¶ ‘If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, And the orphan has not shared it 18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, And from infancy I guided her), 19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or that the needy had no covering, 20 If his loins have not thanked me, And if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, Because I saw I had support in the gate, 22 Let my shoulder fall from the socket, And my arm be broken off at the elbow. 23 "For calamity from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty I can do nothing.’”
“29 ‘Have I rejoiced at the extinction of my enemy, Or exulted when evil befell him? 30 "No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for his life in a curse. 31 "Have the men of my tent not said, ’Who can find one who has not been satisfied with his meat’? 32 "The alien has not lodged outside, For I have opened my doors to the traveler.’”
Job has already spoken about his treatment of widows and orphans in response to Eliphaz’s speech (Job 22:6-9) and Job 29:12-17 was Job’s response, but Job is making an oath to God and so he mentions it again in this section. Job was not boasting about how he treated these people, but simply telling the truth about it.
We see in this section that Job cared for the widows, orphans, and also the poor, and even went so far as to deferent them in court. He says that he treated them like his own family was treated, and we must believe that it was because God had given him such great wealth that he wanted to use it to help other who needed help.
We see in verses 29-31 that Job was a good neighbor even to his enemies, for he did not rejoice when something bad happened to one of his enemies who wanted to or had wronged him. “17 ¶ Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; 18 Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him.” This is from Proverbs 24:17-18 and it is something that I have thought about for sometime as I have had people who have wronged me and therefore I must be content to allow the Lord to do to them what will bring glory to Him, and I must not rejoice when they are punished.
We also see that Job was good to strangers as his house was always open for them.
“Job the worshiper” (Job 31:24-28). “24 ¶ ‘If I have put my confidence in gold, And called fine gold my trust, 25 If I have gloated because my wealth was great, And because my hand had secured so much; 26 If I have looked at the sun when it shone Or the moon going in splendor, 27 And my heart became secretly enticed, And my hand threw a kiss from my mouth, 28 That too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, For I would have denied God above.’”
“24 ¶ ‘Did I set my heart on making big money or worship at the bank? 25 Did I boast about my wealth, show off because I was well-off? 26 Was I ever so awed by the sun’s brilliance and moved by the moon’s beauty 27 That I let myself become seduced by them and worshiped them on the sly? 28 If so, I would deserve the worst of punishments, for I would be betraying God himself.’” (Message)
Job is denying that he worshiped his material things that God had blessed him with, which is what Eliphaz had said about him in Job 22:24-25.
There are times when I have committed that sin, but then something happened to me a while ago that taught me that I am to worship the Giver of gifts and not the gifts that the Giver has given me. That is a hard lesson for me to learn, but I am learning it, and am thankful for the trouble that came into my life that caused me to learn this lesson.
I had mentioned that Job asked God, his adversary=Judge for three things at the beginning of this SD. We can see that he had asked these things in verses 33-37 and so I will add these verses here: “33 ¶ ‘Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom, 34 Because I feared the great multitude, And the contempt of families terrified me, And kept silent and did not go out of doors? 35 "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, 36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder, I would bind it to myself like a crown. 37 "I would declare to Him the number of my steps; Like a prince I would approach Him.’”
I wish to make a comment on verse thirty-three about Job not covering his sin like Adam did, something that I may have mentioned in an earlier SD, but because it is right here in the text of verse thirty-three I wish to add something. God did not answer Adam when he sinned because Adam blamed God because God had given Eve to him. Adam had seen all of God’s wonderful creation and he knew that God was good, for the creation that God had made was for Adam and those who came after him, and of course God’s creation gave glory to Him.
God does not answer Job, as we will see as we progress through the book of Job. The reason is because God is sovereign and He does not have to answer to anyone. God can do no wrong only good as goodness is one of His attributes. This is where faith has to come in, trusting God to do the right things always because He is good. I will again point you to Deuteronomy 29:29 to help understand what I am writing: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” God does not have to tell us everything, and states here that He doesn’t tell us everything. We must remember to be thankful for what He has revealed to us and that is a lot, for it is all in the Bible, and all we have to do is study it to obey the things that He has given to us.
Job seems to be at the end of his official demand with the Lord and that is why he tells us the things in these verses, but then he must have remembered something else and we find that in verse 38-40.
“Job the steward: (Job 31:38-40. “38 ‘If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together; 39 If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or have caused its owners to lose their lives, 40 Let briars grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.’”
“38 "If the very ground that I farm accuses me, if even the furrows fill with tears from my abuse, 39 If I’ve ever raped the earth for my own profit or dispossessed its rightful owners, 40 Then curse it with thistles instead of wheat, curse it with weeds instead of barley." The words of Job to his three friends were finished.’” (Message)
Job is telling God that he has treated the land that he has like a person; he was a good steward of the land. We can see in these verses also that Job seems to be saying that treated those who cared for his land good also.
We see at the end of verse forty that the word of Job and also his three friend were ended and I suppose after this last speech that Job made they may have all been wondering if God was going to talk to Job or punish Job for sinning. Well we will have to wait on what is going to happen, but first we must look next at what Elihu has to say to Job and his three friends.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I would suppose that all human beings think that they have rights that they really don’t have. Because of Adam’s sin the entire creation has been cursed, and all people born in Adam’s race are born with a sinful nature, but we still think that we have rights. As I have been studying the book of Job and also the book of Genesis, the creation part of Genesis along with the fall of man I have come to realize that I don’t have all of the rights that I thought that I had.
Another thing that I can see from studying the book of Job is that just as God said to Satan about Job that he was upright and blameless and he feared God. I know that some of the things we read that Job said were because of the pain that he was going through, but as I read these last chapters that Job is speaking I understand more of why God said what He said about Job and have a great deal of respect for Job, wanting to live my life like he lived his.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Remember the truth of Deu. 29:29.
2. Luke 22:40b, 46b.
3. Philippians 4:11b.
4. Romans 12:1-2.
5. Eph. 6:10-18.
6. Proverbs 3:5-6.
11/26/2011 11:17:22 AM
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