OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 31

Job 31:1-40

31:1-4 Job insisted on his righteousness. He had made a covenant with God and had remained faithful to it. He felt that his life had unfolded unjustly and contrary to what he knew to be true about God. From Job's limited perspective, it had. But Job's perspective, like our own, is indeed limited and therefore we cannot always accurately interpret the reason or meaning for certain situations in our lives.

31:5-8 Job was unafraid of discipline; he was willing to take responsibility for his actions. But he felt that he was blameless and therefore resisted and resented the plight of his life. 

31:9-12 Job began series of proclamations of innocence: he had been faithful, neighborly, and fair. 

31:13-15 He stated that he had been kind not just to the people around him and his family but also to the people who worked under him.

31:16-23 He had been generous and charitable, honest and helpful. He knew right from wrong and good from evil. He agreed with what was good and right; he denied what was wrong and evil. He obeyed God but also lived in full agreement with God's laws and commandments. In other words, he would not have resisted punishment had he broken those commandments. 

31:24-28 Job knew that he had not made wealth his god or desire in life. He was not greedy, or self-centered. He loved and obeyed God exclusively; he did not participate in or believe in idol worship. 

31:29-34 He was not vicious or vengeful. He did not hate or curse people. He did not lie or withhold truth or anything else from anyone in need around him. 

31:35-37 Job wanted desperately to make his case before God... but it was a wasted effort because God knew and saw everything. Job did not have to defend himself, God already knew the truth. Job is a prime example of how we can worry and defend ourselves to the point of exhaustion for truly no purpose at all! God sees and knows and plans accordingly in all of our circumstances. We have to learn to trust Him and to rely on the promises He has made. 

31:38-40 Against everyone and everything Job felt he had been fair, even to his land. He was grateful for people and what God had provided him and he felt that he lived with a spirit of gratitude. But because he could not figure out the reason behind the change in his life he assumed God was punishing him. Never assume that God is against you; God is always for your betterment. But you can only get to that better place through faith.

Finished.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 30

Job 30:1-31

30:1-8 To Job's great displeasure, he realized that he was now regarded lower than men who he had regarded as the lowest.

30:9-15 He became a joke to people who had been lower than him in status. Underneath the heat of the scorn, it was nearly impossible for Job to believe that there was purpose in the derision, in the ironic turn of his life.

30:16-19 Job suffered greatly the pain of his plight. It affected every aspect of his life. God wants us to build resilient, comprehensive faith because sometimes the circumstances of life can put immense pressure on our faith.

30:20-23 Though he remained faithful to God, Job continued to misinterpret his situation. Job thought that God was separate from him but God was closer than ever. God is present in hardship; God is purposeful through hardship. We must remember and trust those two facts in order to persevere.

30:24-31 Job was not the first or the last person to think that God was disregarding his needs and sorrows. Job sunk so low that he felt God would answer anyone, anything else's prayers before his. He felt alone and desperate. He felt unheard and unseen. But Job was none of those things and neither are you, despite how life can sometimes make you feel.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 29

Job 29:1-25

29:1-6 Job lamented for the simpler more joy-filled days of his life. It's easy, though not productive or helpful, to reminisce about easier times. But it is in the difficult ones that we truly grow and begin to utilize all of the benefits and tools of a relationship with God.

Even though it's difficult, it's more productive and healing to the soul to endure with faith through difficult seasons. It is wasteful to linger in wistfulness when we could be making spiritual progress. We should always have our eyes fixed forward because we have a progressive God. We have a savior; He does not return us to old situations, He carries us through to new, better ones. 

29:7-17 Job missed how he was beloved and respected; understandably, he did not cherish his newfound position as the source of the town's negative gossip. Each of us yearn for times or opportunities where people will respect us and love us or at the very least, appreciate or acknowledge us. It does not always happen; people are frequently disrespectful and ungrateful. It is so important then to rely on God's opinion of you. It's so important to have a healthy level of appreciation for your own self and the quality of your own work. 

Job had a strong and consistent relationship with God, one so great it was chosen to be an example, but Job still had areas of personal growth to develop. We all do. Our relationship with God does not make us perfect but if we utilize it well, it can make us better. We will learn to strengthen not only our faith but also our character. 

29:18-20 Job had felt safe and secure in that space where he had only peace and abundance. The true depth and quality of a relationship with God is to learn to feel safe and secure in spaces when we feel the opposite of peace and abundance. 

29:21-25 Job relished the wisdom others lauded him for, yet he did not fully appreciate that his present situation was fueling him with more wisdom, deeper wisdom: how to apply faith to the parts of life truly desperate for it. So often we ask for things from God like growth and wisdom but resist the methods He uses to fill those requests. From Job we learn that our relationship with God is very much a personal journey and one filled with directions we will not always understand at first. We do not always appreciate the path that leads to the clearing we had been praying for.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 28

Job 28:1-28

28:1-11 Job contemplated the opportunity for discovery on earth. There are precious things to be found, things humans and societies deem valuable. Humans discover and search the earth thoroughly for these things and perhaps not always in vain.

28:12-19 But Job was more interested in what could not be found: wisdom. Job knew that no matter how long or thoroughly a person looks, they will never find wisdom anywhere but in the Kingdom of God. The earth is beautiful and has much to offer but none of it as precious or important as what heaven has. It cannot be purchased.

28:20-27 Wisdom is God's language, and no one, nothing, speaks as fluently as He does. Wisdom is in God's possession. In a poetic discourse, Job proclaimed that humanity could only access wisdom when they access God. Creation can only be understood, interpreted, weighed by the Creator.

28:28 This chapter of Job leaves us with a sound and profound proclamation:

‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, 

And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

Job was able to give us that advice from a place of stress and pain. Even then, He knew that his strength lay in the strength of his faith in the Almighty One.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 27

Job 27:1-23

27:1-6 Even though Job did not understand or agree with the circumstances of his life, he reaffirmed his commitment to righteousness and thus to God. He chose not to abandon the principles God had instilled in him throughout his life. Though Job felt at times that evil and injustice reigned over him, he maintained the truth that only God's authority mattered in his life. Job did not have fair-weather faith; he trusted God in the good seasons of his life as well as the bad. It was difficult but it made his faith sturdier and healthier than it ever had been.

27:7-10 Job saw no purpose to corrupt behavior. He did not feel that a switch to wickedness, a separation from God would benefit him in any way. That is precisely what made Job so unique among humanity to God! Even though he felt failed, he kept trusting in God's promised victory. He kept the understanding that the evil, the hypocrite, is cut off from God, the true power. And Job did not want to be cut off from God, even when his spiritual relationship was under distress. duress 

27:11-12 It baffled Job that his friends refused to listen, to perceive his situation for what it was. They had a superficial belief about God, that he merely punished or rewarded. Job insisted that God was mightier than that, that His ways were more complex, more purposeful. Job basically plead with his friends to become more familiar with God as He truly is. 

27:13-17 Job knew that ultimately, inevitably, everything garnered by the evil would be distributed to the poor. It is a mandate, a promise made by God. The men around Job insisted that he was guilty but Job knew that despite what his present circumstances suggested, he was not counted amount the wicked. He knew that although it seemed impossible, God would restore him and reveal a purpose for his hardship.

Job's admission of this truth showed a growth in his spiritual character. His trust in God deepened as he wrestled with the questions that kept him up at night. He did not have it all figured out, his relationship with God still needed to be strengthened, but he made sure and steady steps in that process. 

27:18-23 Job knew the result of an unrighteous life. It is an ending. A finality. Job knew that such an ending was not determined for him. He was not arrogant or wrong; he simply trusted in God's promise that the ending of the righteous is much different. And Job had made a wholehearted, steadfast commitment to righteousness. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 26

Job 26:1-14

26:1-4 Job did not want an answer from the false men around him. Job only respected the word and will of God. He compared human ineptitude to God's majesty. He was not impressed by humans, their speech or action, he felt that compared to God, it added up to nothing. 

26:5-14 Yet God established the earth and universe! Job spoke of God's precise and marvelous creation. He spoke of how God made the impossible, possible: He created the horizon and atmosphere, the seas and their movements and storms; He created the clouds and their rains that defy gravity; He created, from nothing, everything. It was with God alone that Job wanted to have a conversation.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 25

Job 25:1-6

25:1-6 Bildad made a final, redundant statement. No one had questioned the brilliance or righteousness of God yet he brought it up argumentatively anyway. It's true that God is above and beyond our wisdom, purity and righteousness. His sense of justice is objective; His love is true; His purpose is straightforward. 

Yet He has extended Himself to we who are wholly imperfect. His grace is sufficient for our lack and foible. We have a lot of questions and He answers those who commit to patience and trust. He heals and aligns us even though we are so broken and bent compared to Him. The majesty of God should not cause us to flee but to humble ourselves.

Without God we are nothing, but because of His love we are so much. We are invited to access so much of Him as we journey through our lives. Pursue a deep and intimate relationship with God; a relationship like Job had. Job was not afraid to speak honesty or to ask bold, complex questions. Job's friends were obedient to God because God is powerful. Job was obedient to God because he loved God and trusted Him, trusted the use and purpose of His undeniable power. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 24

Job 24:1-25

24:1 In the midst of his existential crisis, Job began to question the fundamentals of his faith. He felt "in the dark" and left out of the purpose of his own life. He trusted in God's authority and plan but struggled with not knowing the reason behind it. In that, Job shares similarity with perhaps every person to have ever lived and believed in God.

God always reveals truth but does so in tidbits. He always has plan for our lives but it unfolds in segments. Job wanted to know the whole picture form within the picture, and so often so do we, but that is not God's way.

24:2-8 Job continued to feel as though the wicked had too much power, prowess and progress. As he observed the world, he became distressed at the magnitude of their negative impact. Job felt there was no justice in his own life and when he looked outward, he realized that injustice pervaded the whole world.

24:9-12 Job noted that the wicked were not thwarted as quickly or efficiently as the innocent needed. This is the lament of the whole world. A lot of people turn away from faith because of the very notion that evil should not be able to exist at all. Yet evil is the consequence of freedom. God created this world and these temporary vessels for each individual to express themselves freely. To make their own choices, to pursue their own motivations, to identify themselves.

24:13-17 Job saw persecution. Dark against light, and from his fractured position of faith, he felt like dark was winning. He forgot that Light has already won. 

24:18-21 What Job wanted was for the evil to be extracted from the world. But he forget that evil had already been sentenced to death. God's children have already been promised life. The unjust conditions of this world are temporary but justice reigns eternal.

24:22-24 Like Asaph in Psalm 73, Job found comfort in remembering that even the wicked are subject to finality. No matter how bold or grand or powerful, their kingdoms crumble, their legacies are forgotten or denounced. Though they seem indestructible, they do inevitable destruct. 

24:25 Job hoped that his "friends" would finally listen and agree with him. He felt that though they had denied him, they could not deny his observation of the world. His friends continued to press that Job was wicked and it was the reason for his distress; Job pointed out that even the actually wicked were not punished as severely as he seemed to be. 

Job knew that something deeper was happening with his life but he did not understand precisely what it was. Evil was challenging his faith and it was a tremendous effort to resist. At the same time, it was easy for Job not to abandon his faith altogether because his relationship with God was so personal, so strong. Evil challenged him but did not win. Faith continued to have the victory in his heart.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 23

Job 23:1-17

23:1-7 Job wanted so acutely to have a conversation with God. Despite his deep distress, he knew that God would listen to Him and would explain. He knew that God would care. He knew that God would be fair. It is so important to know that we each can have an intimate conversation with God. We can rely on Him to listen, care, explain, and be just.

Our conversations with God are spiritual in nature, and so are His responses; because of that, we have divine benefits that regular conversation does not provide. God knows every detail. He understands every emotion, motion, reason and motivation. Therefore His answers are precise and wise and specific.

23:8-9 Job felt disconnected. But just because he (or we) feel disconnected does not mean God's presence is away from us. He is constantly engaged in our life. Our faith and familiarity with Him helps us to perceive His steady, omnipresence.

23:10-12 Job knew that because he remained faithful to God and righteous in spirit and life, he could continue to hope in the promises of God. He treasured the words of God more than food for his body; such commitment to God made Job the candidate for his very situation! It seemed contradictory on the surface but within his circumstance, Job was exemplifying that a soul's wholehearted connection to God could not be severed by the plans of the wicked. None of God's promises to God could be taken away. 

23:13-17 Ultimately, Job continued to trust in God's will. He once felt blessed by God's will... after Satan's intervention, he felt tested by it. But God was not testing Job, Satan was. God was trusting Job. Trusting him to remain faithful and righteous to demonstrate that such quality of love for God existed.

Job wrongly interpreted the reason behind his suffering. Children of God need to learn to trust in the fact that God loves them. He always has a plan and a promise to fulfill, even when it seems otherwise.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 22

Job 22:1-30

22:1-3 Eliphaz misinterpreted Job's speech as arrogance. No matter how many times he tried, Job could not convey the message on his heart to his friends. They thought that he unjustly defended himself but actually Job spoke the truth, he was innocent. It was his innocence that made him the candidate for his situation in the beginning of this book.

God is the only One who can accurately interpret our message and emotions.

22:4-11 Eliphaz accused Job of some serious offenses (none of which Job was actually guilty of).  He assumed Job was resisting consequences of wickedness or the discipline of God. Such was not the case.

22:12-18 Eliphaz thought it was absurd that Job would question God, who is so marvelously capable of extraordinary things. It was bold of Job to question God but it was honest. Job needed answers for his soul to find peace, not to challenge God.

22:19-20 Eliphaz tried to break down the fundamental order of God's authority. He tried to convince Job that if he were a righteous man, he would be glad. But it was not that simple for Job... he lived his entire life glad of God. He lived his life righteously. But he was not glad because it seemed to him that the divine order he had come to trust in was disordered.

22:21-30 Eliphaz instructed Job to repair his relationship with God, but Job was closer to God than any of these men. The circumstance of his life was not consequentially connected to a fault in his relationship with God. Deeper moves were at work; spiritual fundamentals were being modeled by Job's life.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 21

Job 21:1-34

21:1-3 Even though his friends continued to ignore him, Job implored his friends to listen. Still, he knew that even if they listened, their hearts were set against supporting him or accepting his truth.

21:4 Job really wanted it to bee understood that his dilemma was spiritual. The events of his life seemed to contradict everything he believed about God and so he was trying to find order and reason for his distress. 

21:5 Job knew that if his friends would take a moment to honestly look at his situation, they would easily see the same seeming spiritual-disorder that Job saw. He had lived a righteous life and was faithful to God, so even though it felt like he was being punished, he knew it could not be the case. 

We cannot always interpret the reason for certain situations or seasons in our life but our dependence on God will remind us that there is reason and purpose. Our relationship with God reminds us that He performs justice over and within our lives, even when the circumstance seems desperate or unfair. 

21:6-16 It astonished Job that the wicked seemed to prosper better than he did. So many over generations have questioned the order of the world and the prosperity of the corrupt. Answers to those questions can only come through a steadfast relationship with God. Job understood that and it was a large part of the reason why he was so steadfast in faith. 

21:17-21 In his distress, Job felt that no punishment of the wicked would ever be enough. But at the core of Job's depression were the circumstances of his own life that had nothing to do with the wicked or anyone else. To have order in our minds and peace in our heart, we need to be spiritually aligned with God. Our spiritual journey is an internal one that cannot be built, strengthened or healed by our focus on the external.

21:22-26 Even though the nature of the world did not make sense to him, Job knew that he did not know better than God. We must be careful not to lean too heavily on our own logic, especially that separate from God. We do not have the whole perspective and therefore cannot properly analyze or judge anything or anyone. 

Job was honest with God: he did not understand. But Job knew that God understand all things and that was ultimately enough for him. Sometimes we also must admit to God that we do not understand something... but we find peace when we know and believe that at least God does. 

21:27-34 Job brought to God his deep, existential questions. His friends were out of their league. They did not possess the spiritual wisdom to answer him with any truth.  Job questioned the system of the world, the system of justice within the world and after it. His own situation caused him to wonder if there was any satisfying justice. 

Remember, however, that Job questioned God's justice because he thought he found a flaw. But what Job perceived to be a flaw was not actually one. Job had been chosen by God for a purpose. His life was more blessed with nothing than it was when he had everything. So we cannot allow our faith to destruct simply because we think we find flaws. God does not make errors. There are no gaps in His justice system. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 20

Job 20:1-29

20:1-3 Zophar felt provoked to answer Job, more than he actually felt like he had helpful advice. He wanted to argue and to condemn. He did not listen and therefore his argument was off-base and unproductive. It did not pertain to the situation at hand.

20:4-11 The people around Job continued to rant and their rants had a few nuggets of truth (the wicked do perish) but none that pertained to Job's situation (because he was not a wicked man). It would be beneficial for a corrupt person to hear this but not for a righteous person to hear it.

20:12-19 Zophar outlined the fruitless and dissatisfying life of an evil person. They never find peace or contentment. They lose what they acquire. They are defeated and depressed. Many of the people around Job thought that those truths had manifested in Job's life. They thought that Job was a wicked man; but they had no evidence to support that. Job had lived a righteous life and if anything, they took self-righteous enjoyment out of supposing that they were better men than he was.

We have the full, Godly perspective of Job's life and know that Job was an astronomically more righteous man. Job was an example of the power and longevity of faith combined with righteousness.

20:20-29 These men thought they were so uniquely clever but each man's speech was redundant and irrelevant. Their relationship with God was weak. They did not seek His counsel before they responded to Job.

A productive child of God learns to consult God on all life matters, minor and major, before any speech or decision. It is crucial that we seek God's counsel before we intervene in another person's life. Job's friends were leading him astray! They did not understand his situation but pretended they did and therefore harmed the situation.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 19

Job 19:1-29

19:1-6 Job's "friends" used his tribulation as an opportunity to exalt themselves. Their statements were made from self-righteous standpoints and it grated on Job. It was almost as if they delighted to see their formerly-close-to-perfect friend descend so low. God commanded us to love our neighbor, not love to see our neighbor fail. He did not call us to compare ourselves to our neighbor or judge our neighbor but that is exactly what these men did to Job. 

We all fall short of the glory of God but Job was a good man and his friends behaved otherwise. They condemned him as if he were a cruel or corrupt person. 

19:7-12 Job so misunderstood his circumstance that he believed himself to be an enemy of God. Many people, when in the midst of difficultly, feel the same. But God had purpose and great love for Job; He had a recuse plan for Job and He has one for each of us as well.

19:13-20 Job had nobody. His only tether to life was his relationship with God, and even though even that was not in a great place (on Job's end) he clung to it. God was his lifeline. 

19:21-22 The thing Job most wanted from the people around him was a little empathy. He needed for the people around him to stop inaccurately analyzing his problems and just comfort him. He wanted support not condemnation. 

19:23-29 Ultimately, even though it was a difficult outcome to believe in, Job knew that he would persevere by God's hand. Job knew that even in death, He would see God and also His precise judgement over the wicked. As children of God, it is such a valuable truth to hold onto: that we will see God in and after our lives on earth. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 18

Job 18:1-21

18:1-4 Bildad, one of Job's supposed friends continued to ignore the point of Job's diatribe. They thought that Job was refusing to admit guilt or sin but he truly was innocent. They were annoyed and even disgusted with Job's misery while for Job, everything he knew about faith was under question. They did not help him to persevere in faith because they focused solely on condemning him.

18:5-21 Bildad spoke many verses explaining to Job that the wicked are halted and removed by God, but Job already knew. Reading through verses five through twenty one we reach a lot of truth... but none of it was applicable to Job. Indeed corruption, sin and perpetrators of it are inevitably caused to fail by God.

Job's friends spoke oftentimes true statements but the statements were irrelevant to the situation. They tried to force their friend to admit disgrace. They did not try to support him or to find a godly-purpose for his woes. We must be careful not to charge ahead on an irrelevant path; it is unproductive and even regressive to the word of God within our lives and others'.

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 17

Job 17:1-16

17:1-2 Job was fixated on his tribulation and sadness. Although it was a natural response and an understandable one too, it did not help his situation. From Job we learn that our focus should be on God, on prayer, on seeking the kingdom. So much in the world competes for our attention, especially emotional distress. If we train ourselves to refocus our attention on God and His promises, the fear and sadness has less power, less prevalence, less permanence. 

17:3-8 Job felt alone. His friends did not support him and he felt a disconnect in his relationship with God. Yet he chose to remain faithful and active in his relationship with God. Even though everyone around him denounced him because of his difficult circumstances, Job relied on God to stick with him.

17:9 Despite his misery, Job held onto the spark that the righteous were promised by God to have the victory. Job knew that he had not sinned against God in any major, outright or irreparable way.

17:10-16 Job believed that he had no more days, no more purpose, no more light or hope. Yet his life was a statement to the force of evil that the righteous would prevail! From Job we learn that desperation is not permanent. We cannot give up our lives because of seasons that seem to indicate that we no longer have purpose or hope. In those precious moments God creates new life and new purpose. 

Sometimes, like Job, we convince ourselves that we have reached a dead end. But even if all evidence supports that conclusions, God's promises do not. And God's promises have more power over our lives than anything else. God bursts through dead-ends and His love creates new passageways and opportunities. New hope and purpose. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 16

Job 16:1-22

16:1-5 It disheartened Job that his friends failed to even try to support him. His family, health and home were gone but they did not try to strengthen their friend. Their words were empty; they were not supportive or instructive. The simply condemned Job for sin they pretended he was guilty of committing. 

16:6-14 Job lamented. He did not understand the reason behind his situation but felt unfairly dealt with. The irony is that often children and prophets of God suffer adversity just as Jesus did. Our response to varied circumstances in our life is a proclamation of the strength and quality of our faith. 

16:15-17 Job was depressed and quite ready to quit. But he did not quit, and more importantly, he did not cease making honest prayers to God. Job remained connected with God and for that reason, he was delivered. 

16:18-22 Essentially Job voiced the cry of humanity to God. In moments of desolation, depression and injustice, we cry out to God. But has listened to us; He sent to us a savior. Jesus brought the philosophy of God to humanity. He taught us how to overcome and persevere, how to inherit the provision and protection of God's kingdom. 

OT: The Book of Job, Chapter 15

Job 15:1-35

15:1-6 Although Job made honest pleas to God and spoke frankly to his friends, they refused to see reason in his statements. They insisted that Job was a sinful man who deserved punishment. They were entirely wrong: Job was a righteous man and he was not being punished. From people like Eliphaz in scripture, we learn that we cannot heal or correct people by emphasizing or insisting on their faults or failures. Productive criticism leads a person to seek God's judgement and counsel rather than one's own.

15:7-13 Job's friends were annoyed that he considered them to be wrong. They wanted their speeches to be well received, even though their talk was empty and unhelpful. They felt they were righteous enough to condemn Job to sins he had not committed. 

15:14-16 Job professed innocence and his friends rejected it. They pretended to understand the work and decisions of God. They attempted to explain a situation they knew nothing about and were not involved in. No person can accurately or totally interpret the reason behind another's (or even their own) hardship. Trials in life serve as many different things for many different people.

15:17-26 Eliphaz was a self-proclaimed wise man, but was not actually so. He felt that all tribulation was sent as punishment from God. Yet from earlier books in the Bible especially, we learned that God disciplines and sometimes allows people to choose their own destructive path but punishment is not His method. Love is God's method. Release is God's method: those who were evil were broken from their covenant with God and instead of punished, were released to live their own tumultuous life.

Tribulation was not an absolute indication that Job was guilty of sin.

15:27-35 Rather tragically, Eliphaz used fear against Job. He spoke to Job of death and darkness. He never listened to Job. And it is clear that Eliphaz never listened to God either. He did not love his friend Job, he only admonished him. He had no empathy, no understanding, no constructive support, encouragement or advice. He just liked to condemn.