Copr. 1997, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D.
INTRODUCTION: THANK EDWIN FOR TEACHING FOR ME LAST WEEK. THIS WEEK
WE COVER A LOT OF GROUND. WE LOOK AT CHPTS 21 THROUGH 25 OF JOB.
FIRST WE START OUT WITH JOB'S RESPONSE TO ZOPHAR'S SPEECH OF LAST
WEEK. THEN ELIPHAZ GIVES JOB AND US HIS THOUGHTS. THIS IS FOLLOWED
BY JOB'S REPLY AND LAST WE READ BILDAD'S SHORT SPEECH. LETS GET
INTO IT
I. JOB'S REPLY TO ZOPHAR.
A. READ JOB 21:1-3&5. WE HAVE OFTEN DISCUSSED WHAT IT IS THAT
WE CAN DO TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE HURTING. WHAT DOES JOB SUGGEST
IS THE BEST THING HERE?
1. WHAT DOES HE MEAN WHEN HE SAYS THEY SHOULD CLPA THEIR
HANDS OVER THEIR MOUTHS? (TO JUST LISTEN: HE SAYS, "LET
THIS BE THE CONSOLATION THAT YOU GIVE ME. PART OF HIS
ADVICE ON HOW THEY SHOULD BE GOOD COMFORTERS IS TO : a)
LOOK APPALLED (ASTONISHED) AND b) CLAP THEIR HANDS OVER
THEIR MOUTHS AND LISTEN.)
B. IN v.3 JOB SAYS, "AFTER I HAVE SPOKEN, MOCK ON." WHY WOULD
JOB BE COMFORTED BY THEM LISTENING TO HIM IF AFTERWARDS THEY WOULD
MOCK HIM? (IT SEEMS THAT HE SAYS THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO AGREE
WITH HIM, HE JUST WANTS TO BE GIVEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SAY HIS
PIECE AND BE HEARD BY THEM. AND THEN IF THEY STILL DISAGREE THEY
CAN MOCK HIM.)
C. READ v. 4. IS JOB'S COMPLAINT DIRECTED TOWARDS MAN? (NO
HIS COMPLAINT IS AGAINST GOD.)
1. SINCE JOB SAYS THAT HIS COMPLAINT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS
GOD AND NOT MAN, HE SUGGESTS IT IS "OK" TO BE IMPATIENT.
DO YOU AGREE? (I THINK THAT GOD DESERVES A BREAK
EVERYTIME. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AND HE
DESERVES THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT (i.e. THE BENEFIT OF
OUR IGNORANCE!)
2. WHY WOULD MAN BE LESS PATIENT TOWARDS GOD? (PERHAPS
JOB IS SIMPLY SAYING THAT THE NORMAL CONSIDERATIONS THAT
APPY WHEN DEALING WITH MAN SIMPLY DO NOT APPLY WHEN
DEALING WITH GOD. FOR EXAMPLE, LIMITED TIME, LIMITED
RESOURCES, LIMITED INTEREST IN US? I THINK THAT HE IS
SAYING THAT GOD DOES NOT EXPECT A BREAK FROM HIS CREATED
BEINGS.)
D. READ VERSES 7-14. JOB HAS OFTEN SEEMED TO AGREE THAT YOU
REAP WHAT YOU SOW, AND HIS DEFENSE HAS BEEN THAT SOME BIG
MISTAKE HAS BEEN MADE - HE DOES NOT DESERVE WHAT HE HAS GOTTEN
- AND THEREFOR HE WANTS TO SUE GOD.
1. IS THAT WHAT JOB SAYS HERE? (NO. HE SAYS THAT THE
WICKED DO JUST FINE, THANK YOU.)
2. LETS MAKE SOME SPECIFIC COMPARISIONS. LOOK AT WHAT
ZOPHAR ARGUED IN 20:11. WHAT DOES ZOPHAR MEAN WHEN HE
SAYS THAT "THE YOUTHFUL VIGOR WILL LIE IN THE DUST?" (IF
YOU LOOK AT THE VERSES THAT PRECEDE THIS (v.5-10) THEY
SUGGEST THAT THE WICKED COME TO AN EARLY DEATH. THEN v.
11 SUGGESTS THAT THE BONES THAT LIE IN THE DUST HAD
YOUTHFUL VIGOR.)
3. IN COMPARISION IN 21:7 JOB SAYS THAT THE WICKED GROW
OLD AND DO NOT DIE IN THEIR YOUTH.
4. IN CHPT 18 BILDAD HAS A DISCOURSE ON THE WICKED (v.5)
WHICH SAYS, IN PART, (v. 19) THAT THEY DIE CHILDLESS.
(THIS OF COURSE SEEMS TO BE THE FATE OF JOB NOW.)
5. WHAT DOES JOB SAY ABOUT THIS IN 21:7-8? (THAT THEY
WILL GROW OLD AND WILL SE THEIR OFFSPRING.)
E. WHO DO YOU THINK IS RIGHT? JOB OR HIS FRIENDS? DO THE
WICKED PROSPER AND LIVE TO BE OLD?
F. READ 21:29. JOB SUGGEST THAT IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH HIM
YOU ARE A MOPE WHO KNOWS VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT GOES ON. HE
SAYS, "HAVE YOU NEVER SPOKEN TO THOSE WHO TRAVEL? TO THOSE WHO
GET AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR LITTLE CIRCLE?"
G. IF YOU ARE A TRAVELLER AND YOU VOTED THAT THE WICKED CAN DO
"OK, "LETS PEEK BACK AT 20:5. DOESN'T ZOPHAR ADMIT THAT THE
WICKED CAN DO "OK?"
1. BUT WHAT IS HIS RESPONSE? (THAT THEY DO "OK" FOR JUST
A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME.)
2. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT MODIFICATION OF THE RULE?
H. ONE COMMENTATOR SUGGESTS THAT A FURTHER RESPONSE OF ZOPHAR,
IN 20:10, IS THAT EVEN IF THE WICKED DO "OK" IN THIS LIFE, THEIR
CHILDREN WILL PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE FATHER. WHILE I HAVE SOME
TROUBLE WITH THIS INTERPRETATION OF ZOPHAR, JOB THINKS SOMEBODY
SAID THIS. LETS LOOK AT JOB'S ARGUMENT ABOUT THIS IN 21:19-21. YOU
CAN SEE THAT JOB IS QUOTING THIS ARGUMENT FROM SOMEWHERE.
1. WHAT DOES JOB SAY ABOUT THIS? (THAT THE MAN HIMSELF
SHOULD PAY FOR HIS SINS AND NOT HIS SONS.)
I. DO YOU AGREE THAT SOMETIMES THE WICKED LIVE ALL RIGHT AND
THAT IT IS THE SONS OR DAUGHTERS THAT PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE
FATHER (OR MOTHER)?
J. LETS READ 21:23-26. JOB SAYS THAT THEY BOTH DIE, DIFFERENT
LIVES, BUT A COMMON FATE: THE WORMS GET THEM. YOU STILL AGREE
WITH JOB? (THE FACT THAT JOB GETS MORE STRIDENT CASTS DOUBT ON
ALL OF HIS ARGUMENT.)
K. REALITY CHECK: LETS ASSUME THAT YOU KNEW NOTHING ABOUT LIFE
EXCEPT WHAT YOU READ IN JOB. WOULD JOB BE RIGHT, THAT THE
WICKED DO AS WELL AS ANYONE? THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY
DIFFERENCE? (NO. SATAN SAID JOB WAS DOING WELL BECAUSE GOD
BLESSED HIM. JOB THEN GOT WACKED BECAUSE HE WAS GOOD, NOT
BECAUSE IT DOES NOT MATTER, OR BECAUSE BAD THINGS ARE RANDOM.)
II. ELIPHAZ RESPONDS: LETS MOVE AHEAD AND LOOK AT WHAT ELIPHAZ HAS
TO ADD TO THIS.
A. READ 22:1-3. FIRST, DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS? (HE SAYS THAT
GOD DOES NOT CARE AND DOES NOT GAIN IF WE OBEY.)
B. SECOND, WHO IS SAYING THIS? IS THIS ELIPHAZ SAYING HIS OWN
WORDS? OR IS HE QUOTING JOB? JOB HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT NOT
ONLY IS HE INNOCENT, BUT HE IS A GOOD GUY.
1. BASED ON YOUR INSIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITUATION,
DO YOU THINK THIS STATEMENT IS CORRECT? (MANIFESTLY NOT.
IT DOES NOT MAKE GOD ANY TALLER IF WE OBEY, BUT LOOK AT
HOW THIS WHOLE THING STARTED. IN JOB 1:6-8, GOD USED JOB
TO REBUKE SATAN'S CLAIM THAT HE WAS THE MASTER OF THE
EARTH. AND THIS OCCURRED BEFORE THE SONS OF GOD. I
THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GOD WHETHER WE OBEY. AND I
THINK IT WAS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR JOB. READ :
1 Cor 4:9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on
display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in
the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to
angels as well as to men.)
C. READ 22:4-5. ELIPHAZ SAYS ITS PRETTY OBVIOUS JOB THAT YOU
DID NOT GET INTO THIS SITUATION BECAUSE YOU ARE SO GOOD. YOU
HAVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF YOUR SIN!
1. IS THIS RIGHT? (WE KNOW THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG
BECAUSE THE CURTAINS WERE PULLED BACK FOR US IN THE FIRST
CHPTS OF JOB. IT IS BECAUSE JOB IS SO FAITHFUL THAT HE
IS IN MISERY.)
D. ELIPHAZ THEN SAYS THAT JOB'S SINS ARE ENDLESS AND HE LISTS
THEM, LETS READ THEM IN v. 6-9.
1. DO THESE STRIKE YOU AS SERIOUS SINS?
2. IS ELIPHAZ JUST AS WRONG ABOUT THE NATURE OF THESE
ACTIONS BEING SIN AS HE IS ABOUT HIS ALLEGATION THAT JOB
IS GUILTY OF THESE SINS?
3. DO THESE SEEM TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION IN
A FORMAL SENSE? (ELIPHAZ SAYS THAT YOU CAN TELL A MANS
GOODNESS BY THE WAY HE TREATS HIS FELLOW MAN. THESE SINS
HE LISTS SEEM TO BE HURTING OR FAILING TO HELP THE POOR.
THE OT DOES COMMAND THAT THE PEOPLE HELP THE WIDOWS AND
THE ORPHANS AND ALIENS. JOB, IN 31:16-22 DENIES THAT HE
HAS HURT THE WIDOW OR THE FATHERLESS OR FAILED TO HELP.
THE CURRENTLY "POLITICALLY CORRECT" PEOPLE TO HELP DO NOT
SEEM TO BE ON THE LIST OF THOSE THE OT SAYS SHOULD BE
HELPED. ie. "HOMELESS" ADULT MALES WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED
IN REGULAR JOBS. BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT
ELIPHAZ HAS AN EXCELLENT POINT THAT TRUE RELIGION IS NOT
JUST BELIEF, BUT PUTTING THOSE BELIEFS INTO ACTION.)
4. ISN'T THIS (LACK OF PEOPLE CONCERN) A LOT LIKE JOB'S
COMPLAINT ABOUT ELIPHAZ? THAT HE IS TREATING JOB POORLY?
III. JOB'S RESPONSE.
A. IN CHPT 23 JOB SAYS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAS SAID
BEFORE. HE SAYS THAT HE WANTS A HEARING WITH GOD. THAT HE
WANTS TO BE HEARD BY GOD. BUT THAT HE CAN'T HAVE THAT HEARING
BECAUSE HE CANNOT FIND GOD. LETS CONTINUE FROM THERE.
B. READ 23:10-16. WHAT DOES JOB SUGGEST THAT GOD IS DOING?
1. IS THIS A NEW THEORY ABOUT WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO
GOOD PEOPLE? (JOB SAYS GOD IS TESTING HIM.) (IN THE PAST
JOB HAS SUGGESTED THAT EVIL IS RANDOM, THAT GOD HELPS TO
OPPRESS THE GOOD OR THAT THE BAD ARE REWARDED WITH EVIL,
BUT HIS IS A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.)
C. IS GOD TESTING HIM? (SORT OF. REALLY THE DEVIL IS
CONDUCTING THE TEST.)
D. ON WHAT BASIS DOES JOB EXPECT TO STAND BEFORE GOD? (HIS
OBEDIENCE AND THE FACT THAT HE TREASURES AND STUDIES GOD'S
WORDS.)
E. DOES JOB THINK THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO GET BETTER OR
WORSE? (HE SAYS IN v. 14-15 THAT HE THINKS THAT THINGS ARE
GOING TO GET WORSE FOR HIM AND HE IS TERRIFIED.)
F. WHAT IS THE REALITY OF THIS? WILL THINGS GET WORSE FOR JOB?
(NO. THEY WILL GET BETTER.)
G. WHAT POSITIVE LESSON CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS? (THAT GOD HAS
ONLY OUR BEST INTERESTS IN MIND. THAT WE MAY BE DISCOURAGED
AND THINK THAT THINGS WILL ONLY GET WORSE, BUT OUR LOVING GOD
HAS IN MIND THINGS BECOMING BETTER FOR US.)
H. LETS READ 24:1. JOB ASKS A QUESTION HERE? WHAT IS HIS
QUESTION AND WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE RIGHT ANSWER? (HE SAYS
WHEN IS GOD GOING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT? THIS IS PART OF HIS
SEARCHING FOR GOD TO SUE GOD OR AT LEAST GET A HEARING BEFORE
GOD.)
I. WHEN WILL GOD SET A TIME FOR JUDGMENT? (AT THE SECOND
COMING.)
J. THE REST OF THE CHPT JOB DEVOTES TO A COMPLAINT ABOUT HOW
THE WICKED ARE TERRORIZING THE WEAK. HE SAYS THAT NOTHING IS DONE
TO THESE MARAUDERS. IN COMPARISION THE RIGHTEOUS MAY DO WELL, BUT
ONLY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. HE THEN SAYS THAT THEY BOTH DIE WITH THE
IMPLICATION THAT THEY HAVE A COMMON FATE.
IV. BILDAD
A. READ 25:1-3. DOES THIS TEND TO CONTRADICT JOB'S LAST
STATEMENTS? (YES. JOB SAYS EVERYTHING IS OUT OF WACK AND BILDAD
SAYS EVERYTHING IS IN PERFECT ORDER.)
B. IS THAT CHARACTERISTIC THAT WE VIEW LIFE DIFFERENTLY BASED
ON WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR LIFE? (YES. SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP IN
MIND WHEN WE ARE HELPING SOMEONE WHO IS HURTING.)
C. READ 4-6. WHAT IS BILDAD'S POINT IN RESPONSE TO WHAT JOB
HAS SAID? (JOB SAYS THAT HE IS A GOOD GUY. BILDAD SAYS NO ONE IS A
GOOD GUY.)
V. NEXT WEEK: JOB 26-31.