11/24/2011 9:55:23 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Job looks back at life’s joys
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Job 29
Message of the verses: We begin a new chapter in the book of Job and also in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary, “Be Patient” and he entitles this chapter “I Rest My Case” which will cover Job 29-31. I have mentioned before that Wiersbe usually gives a kind of a preview at the beginning of his chapters to let his readers know what will be covered in the chapter and he does so in this chapter to which I wish to quote part of it so that we can understand where he is going with it.
He begins by saying that it looks like Job had given Zophar another chance to speak and must have waited for him to do so, but he declined so Job began his discourse again after some kind of a pause.
“In these three chapters, Job recalled the blessings of the past (Job 29), lamented the sufferings of the present (Job 30), and challenged God to vindicate him in the future (job 31). He climaxed his speech with sixteen ‘if I have…’ statements and put himself under oath, challenging God either to condemn him or vindicate him. It was as though Job were saying, ‘We’ve talked long enough! I really don’t care what you three men think, because God is my Judge; and I rest my case with Him. Now, let Him settle the matter one way or another, once and for all.’”
Job looks back at life’s joys (Job 29): “1 ¶ Job continued his discourse: 2 "How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, 3 when his lamp shone upon my head and by his light I walked through darkness! 4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, 5 when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, 6 when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil.
“7 ¶ "When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square, 8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet; 9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands; 10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. 11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me, 12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. 13 The man who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing. 14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban. 15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger. 17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.
“18 ¶ "I thought, ‘I shall die in my own house, my days as numerous as the grains of sand. 19 My roots will reach to the water, and the dew will lie all night on my branches. 20 My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.’ 21 "Men listened to me expectantly, waiting in silence for my counsel. 22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more; my words fell gently on their ears. 23 They waited for me as for showers and drank in my words as the spring rain. 24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them. 25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief; I dwelt as a king among his troops; I was like one who comforts mourners.’” (NIV)
“1 ¶ І Йов далі вів мову свою та й сказав: 2 О, коли б я був той, як за місяців давніх, як за днів тих, коли боронив мене Бог, 3 коли над головою моєю світився світильник Його, і при світлі його я ходив в темноті, 4 як був я за днів тих своєї погожої осени, коли Божа милість була над наметом моїм, 5 коли Всемогутній зо мною ще був, а навколо мене мої діти, 6 коли мої кроки купалися в маслі, а скеля оливні струмки біля мене лила!…
7 ¶ Коли я виходив до брами при місті, і ставив на площі сидіння своє, 8 як тільки вбачали мене юнаки то ховались, а старші вставали й стояли, 9 зверхники стримували свою мову та клали долоню на уста свої, 10 ховався тоді голос володарів, а їхній язик приліпав їм був до піднебіння… 11 Бо яке ухо чуло про мене, то звало блаженним мене, і яке око бачило, то свідкувало за мене, 12 бо я рятував бідаря, що про поміч кричав, і сироту та безпомічного. 13 Благословення гинучого на мене приходило, а серце вдовиці чинив я співаючим! 14 Зодягавсь я у праведність, і вона зодягала мене, немов плащ та завій було право моє. 15 Очима я був для сліпого, а кривому ногами я був. 16 Бідарям я був батьком, суперечку ж, якої не знав, я досліджував. 17 Й я торощив злочинцеві щелепи, і виривав із зубів його схоплене.
18 ¶ І я говорив: Умру я в своєму гнізді, і свої дні я помножу, немов той пісок: 19 для води був відкритий мій корень, а роса зоставалась на вітці моїй… 20 Моя слава була при мені все нова, і в руці моїй лук мій відновлював силу. 21 Мене слухалися й дожидали, і мовчали на раду мою. 22 По слові моїм уже не говорили, і падала мова моя на них краплями. 23 І чекали мене, як дощу, і уста свої відкривали, немов на весінній той дощик… 24 Коли я, бувало, сміявся до них, то не вірили, та світла обличчя мого не гасили. 25 Вибирав я дорогу для них і сидів на чолі, і пробував, немов цар той у війську, коли тішить засмучених він! (Ukraine) I hope that someone who has been reading my blog will understand this translation.
We remember that when Job began his first speech that he said that he wished that he had not been born, and not near the end of his speeches he recalls the good times that he had. As believers we all go through good times and times that are not good and so it is good to remember that life is usually a series of ups and downs, but the Lord is in control and with us every step of the way even though at times it seems that he is a long way from us. The Psalmist wrote the following in Psalm 72:10-11 “10 Then I said, "It is my grief, That the right hand of the Most High has changed." 11 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.”
We see that Job mentions that the happiest moments of his life were “the presence of the Lord,” which is found in verses 2-6. This shows that Job’s heart was surely right with the Lord as he has been saying all along.
Dr. Wiersbe points out that Job did wish that he were back in the prime of his life and then goes onto write the following: “If we focus so must on the glories of the past that we ignore the opportunities of the present, we may end up unprepared to meet the future. That future will come whether we like it or not. Few people eagerly anticipate old age and the special problems that it brings, but we can’t avoid it. It’s a proven fact that those who have the most birthdays live the longest, and those who live the longest become the oldest; and the old people eventually die.”
Henry Amiel wrote “To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.” I can say that this is statement is becoming more true to me each and every day.
In verses 7-11 Job mentioned the respect that he received when he would walk through the city. His third source of job came as he ministered to others and this is seen in verses 12-17. We must remember that Eliphaz had accused Job of not helping those who were in need of help, and now Job is talking of all the help that he gave to those in need.
Job speaks about his confidence in the future in verses 18-20 as the Lord was blessing him before the calamites came upon him. Job thought that this would last forever, but it did not and as written about above we all go through the ups and downs of life.
We will speak briefly on Job’s final source of joy that is seen in verses 21-25 and that is his privilege of speaking words of encouragement and help to others. There is a NT character that fits this description and his name is Barnabas who is called the “son of encouragement” in Acts 4:36.
We conclude by saying that Job enjoyed a rich and rewarding life, but at present this was all gone from him.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I suppose that all believers have gone through times which I will call “Job moments” and perhaps they have not been as severe as what Job went through at the time they were very difficult times.
In my life I have gone through some difficult times and I have learned that God is faithful, His Word is faithful and even though at times He sees distant to me He has promised never to leave me nor forsake me.
I believe that God has a plan for our lives and the end result of that plan is seen in Romans 8:29 where Paul writes “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (KJV)
“Бо кого Він передбачив, тих і призначив, щоб були подібні до образу Сина Його, щоб Він був перворідним поміж багатьма братами.” (UKRAINE)
As we look at the book of Job we will see that God never did give an explanation to Job as far as why all of this happened to him, for God is sovereign and does not have to give reasons for why He does things, but God is also good and love so we can trust Him in those difficult times of our lives. Paul went through some difficult times too as he writes about in 2Cor. 11 and 12. He makes a statement in chapter twelve that has always been a comfort to me: “"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Be thankful to the Lord for all of His wonderful blessings for today is “Thanksgiving.”
2. Continue to learn contentment from all of the ups and downs of life.
11/24/2011 11:31:56 AM
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