Haman, the prime minister of Persia, has turned a personal grudge against one Jewish slave into a murderous plot to destroy all the Jews in the empire. A young girl named Esther may possibly hold in her hands an opportunity to save her people.
1) What is the meaning of the word “providence”?
2) Can you share a personal experience that illustrates the providence of God?
Insight: Haman is determined to destroy the Jews. So he asks the king’s permission to get rid of some trouble-makers in the Persian Empire, without telling him who they are. The king agrees to do as Haman asks. The day of their intended doom is set by “lot” (Pur, 3:7–like a modern-day throw of the dice). The date determined for the slaughter of the Jews is some months away. This was likely necessary because they were scattered across the Persian Empire, and official word had to be sent out everywhere (3:13-14).
3) In Esther 3:10, Haman is called “the enemy of the Jews.” Why does this put him in a dangerous position (Gen. 12:3; Deut. 7:6)?
4) What is the response of the Jews to this terrible plot (4:3)?
Insight: Mordecai was among those who put on sackcloth and ashes in his grief (4:1). Queen Esther heard about what he was doing, and asked for an explanation. In response, Mordecai sent a copy of the king’s decree for Esther to see, in hopes that she could go before the king and plead for her people (4:8).
5) What response does Esther send out to Mordecai (4:10-11)?
6) Mordecai’s famous reply is found in 4:13-14. What does he say?
7) Is there a basic principle here we need to be aware of (compare Acts 13:36)?
Insight: Mordecai’s words, in Esther 4:14 show us: 1) That God is sovereign. His purposes will be fulfilled. 2) That God’s providence places us where we may have a part in His unfolding purpose. 3) That we have been given a choice as to whether to be a part of the fulfillment of God’s design or not. 4) If we refuse, God’s plan will be accomplished all the same, but we will suffer the consequences of our choice.
Insight: Wicked Haman plotted to annihilate all of the Jews in the empire. Mordecai appealed to Esther to speak to the king on behalf of her people. But because of the custom of the time, this was a very dangerous thing to attempt.
8) What did Persian law do to those attempting to go to the king without being officially summoned (4:11)?
9) What two things did Queen Esther do in hopes of getting an audience with her husband the king (4:16; 5:1)?
10) With what result (5:2)?
11) What amazing offer does the king make to his queen (5:3)?
Insight: It is a mark of the impulsive character of this strange man that he has not bothered to have any contact with the queen for 30 days (4:11), and now he is ready to give her half his kingdom!
12) Instead of pleading for the Jews, what request does Esther make (5:4)?
Insight: The king and his prime minister attend the dinner in the queen’s quarters (5:5). Then, the king renews his request (5:6). Esther simply asks them to come to dinner again, on the following day, saying that she will finally make her request then (5:7-8). Haman swells with pride over having a private dinner with the king and queen two days in a row.
13) In your opinion, what is Esther doing here? (That is, why these delays in stating her business to the king?)
14) What does Haman do after the dinner (5:11-12)?
Insight: It does rankle Haman that Mordecai still will not bow to him, but he holds his anger in, knowing what is coming for all the Jews (5:9-10).
15) When Haman’s wife realizes how much Mordecai is annoying her husband, what does she suggest (5:14)? (Note: 50 cubits = 75 feet or 22.9 metres.)
16) What happens during the night? And what does the king do about it (6:1)?
17) What fact comes to light in the records (6:2)?
18) How does the king respond to this information–likely in the morning (6:3)?
19) Based on this event, how is the providence of God at work in Esther’s delay, whatever her personal reasons were (Compare Question 13)?
20) How can doing things in too big a hurry sometimes rob us of a better outcome? (And might the use or abuse of credit cards to make purchases illustrate this?)
Insight: The king wanted to reward Mordecai who had saved his life. (A good thing to do. That’s the kind of loyalty he would want to promote!) So he asked who was outside in the court who could take some kind of reward to Mordecai. And at that very moment, Haman was coming in (6:4).
21) Why is Haman coming to see the king (6:4)?
22) When the king speaks to Haman of a reward, whom does he plan to give it to?
23) And of whom does Haman think he is speaking (6:6)?
24) Haman quickly conceives of what would fulfil his wildest dreams of glory. What does he say should be done (6:7-9)?
25) The king agrees! And what happens next (6:10-11)?
26) The Bible’s account of Haman’s reaction is brief (6:12). Describe how you think it felt to publicly honour the man he hates most in all the world.
The story of Esther is one of the most exciting and inspiring in all the Word of God. “Esther” (a Persian word meaning Star) is the more familiar name of a Jewish girl named Hadassah (which is Hebrew for Myrtle). The events of the book of Esther occurred between 483 and 473 BC. They actually fit historically between Chapters 6 and 7 of the book of Ezra. By that time Babylon had been taken over by the Persians. The Jews had been given permission to return to their homeland to rebuild, and thousands did so, led by a man named Zerubbabel.
However, during the 70 years of captivity many others had settled down in Babylon and preferred to stay there. The book of Esther concerns those Jews who remained in Babylon (or Persia). One of these was young Esther, an orphan whose cousin, Mordecai [MOR-da-kai], raised her as his own daughter. The king of Persia at the time was a man named Xerxes [ZERK-seez], called Ahasuerus in the King James Version.
There is a most unusual fact about the book of Esther–one which might not be noticed with a casual reading of it. God is not mentioned once in the entire book. No one is ever specifically said to be praising Him, or praying to Him. On the surface it seems like a totally secular story. This is not because the writer did not believe in God. (Quite the contrary!) He has done it by design, as a kind of literary device, suggesting a God who was hidden but at work.
When the Jews went into captivity, it was because they had turned their backs on God, and had departed from His ways. They were out of fellowship with Him. God was absent from their lives. But although this was so, the Lord had not ceased to love His people. In Esther, we see the Lord working behind the scenes to rescue them. Though His presence is not obvious, the Lord acts in a wonderful way to deliver the nation from harm.
1) What does the king of Persia do, as the story opens (1:5)?
2) On the final day of feasting, what does the drunken king command (1:10-11)?
3) What response does this receive from the queen (1:12)?
Insight: The ancient Jewish Targum asserts that the king’s command implied Vashti should appear unveiled before the other men, which would have been a disgrace in that culture. Her modesty, in the circumstances, was both commendable and daring.
4) How does the king feel about what Vashti has done?
5) What big problem do the Persian princes foresee with the queen’s behaviour (1:16-17)?
6) What solution is suggested by the king’s counsellors (1:19, and 2:2-4)?
Insight: Now, the scene shifts to a man named Mordecai and his young ward Hadassah (or Esther). They were Jewish slaves living right in the huge palace complex of the Persian king. Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin in Israel, and belonged to the family of Kish (2:5-7).
7) Who is a famous ancestor of Mordecai (I Sam. 9:1-2)?
Insight: In the “beauty contest” to choose a new queen, Esther is taken as a possible candidate with the others (2:8). As far as we know, she had no choice in this. She was a slave.
8) Take a moment to list a few things in life over which, humanly speaking, we have little or no control.
9) Is there a helpful way, and a harmful way, to deal with the things you have listed above? Discuss.
10) What fact have Mordecai and Esther decided not to reveal (2:10)?
Insight: We do not know whose idea it was for Esther to enter the contest. But Mordecai is deeply concerned about what is going to happen to her (2:11).
11) What is the result of the contest (2:17)?
Insight: Please take a few minutes to read the article on A Great Bible Doctrine, at the end of this study. It is important to our understanding of the book of Esther.
12) What does Mordecai overhear at this particular time (2:21)?
13) What does Mordecai do about what he has heard (2:22)?
Insight: A person with less faith and confidence than Esther had, (and less humility), might have taken personal credit for uncovering the plot, but she does not do this. She gives her uncle the credit in reporting to the king. (And God is at work!)
14) After the matter is investigated, what two things happen (2:23)?
Insight: Chapter 3 opens with the king appointing a man named Haman [HAY-man] to the position of prime minister (3:1).
15) What is everyone expected to do when they see Haman coming (3:2)?
16) Who takes exception to this, and refuses to do it?
Insight: We are not told why Mordecai behaved as he did. However, the secret may lie in the ancestry of the two men. Haman was an “Agagite” (3:1), which likely means he was of Amalekite descent, and related to Agag the Amalekite king. The Amalekites had attacked Israel when they first departed from Egypt (Exod. 17:8-16). That account ends with these ominous words, “The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (vs. 16).
Centuries later, King Saul, the ancestor of Mordecai, was commanded by God to annihilate the Amalekites, including Agag. But Saul disobeyed, and spared their king (I Sam. 15:1-3, 9). (Samuel finally executed Agag himself, vs. 33.) It may have been because of this ancient heritage that Haman hated the Jews, and Mordecai refused to honour Haman. When Haman learns that the man who refuses to pay homage to him is a Jew, he is filled with rage (3:5).
17) Instead of merely seeking revenge against Mordecai, what does Haman determine to do (3:6)?
Insight: Like Adolf Hitler, many centuries later, Haman became a tool in the hands of Satan in his attempt to bring about the destruction of God’s people Israel.
18) How does Haman set about to carry out his evil scheme (3:8)?
19) What important fact does Haman not tell the king in 3:8?
20) And how does he convince the king to do this (3:9)?
Insight: This was an enormous treasure–about 375 tons of silver! According to one ancient historian, it equalled almost 70% of the king’s annual revenue. Haman was expecting to gather this huge amount by plundering God’s chosen people (3:13).
21) What do the king’s actions in this tell us about him (3:10)?
22) What two key motivations are illustrated in this meeting of Haman and the king, motivations that can be destructive in our own lives.
A Great Bible Doctrine Illustrated by the Book of Esther
The great doctrine graphically illustrated by the events in Esther is that of the providence of God. The English word “providence” comes from two Latin words pro + video, meaning before seeing. It refers to someone having the foresight to provide for a future need ahead of time. Acts of Divine providence fill the Bible from end to end.
Because God is God, He sees the end from the beginning. Unlike man’s limited view, His “before seeing” is perfect. He knows what our needs will be a day from now, a week from now, and even many years from now. And in wisdom and love the Lord is at work now to provide for those needs we will have in the future. That is His providence.
An acquaintance of mine had his car break down on a busy road. He was soon besieged by honking impatient drivers. But he barely had time to say, “Lord, how are you going to meet this need?” when a pickup truck stopped behind him. Two men came to see what the problem was. They had the knowledge, and the tools in their truck, to make the necessary repair. Meanwhile, the conversation revealed that the two men were Christians, and that they knew something of the providence of God. One said to the other, “Now we know why the tractor broke down today, and we had to come to town for parts.”
Some might call the arrival of just the right people at the right time a “miracle.” But it is not miraculous in the sense that God had to step in and contravene some law of nature. The men did not supernaturally appear out of nowhere. They were going about their business as usual. Their arrival was providential. If we had the ability, we could trace such events back through many interconnected circumstances in which God has been at work.
It is on the basis of God’s providence that “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). There is a hidden Hand at work in all our affairs. In relation to the events of Esther, it was God who (providentially) gave Esther her great beauty. And through that the Lord has worked to place a clever and courageous Jewish woman on the throne of Persia. She would soon fulfil a vital role in delivering her nation from certain death. The people did not know that, but God did!
The Lord’s Prayer is recited word for word, week after week, in many churches. However, that was not the Lord’s intent in teaching it. We read of no one in the New Testament ever offering this prayer. Also, Luke records a slightly different version of it–which would be a problem if we were always to use these exact words. Rather than words to recite over and over, it seems to be a suggested pattern showing the kind of things that ought to be included. To simply repeat these words over and over could become an example of the kind of “vain repetition [mindless babble]” the Lord condemns (Matt. 6:7-8).
For Jesus’ listeners, there was nothing particularly new in the prayer . All of the basic truths in it can be found in the Old Testament. However the teachings of the rabbis had encrusted the subject of prayer (and many other topics) with unbiblical traditions and practices (cf. Matt. 6:5). No wonder one of the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1). His answer gets us back to the essence of what prayer is all about.
About The Musical Version
Flickering images danced across the screen in the darkened projection room as the musician watched. During his time at the Disney Studios, it was Al Malotte’s job to compose background music for the antics of characters in the “Silly Symphonies” and other animated features. But he had a more serious side. Albert Hay Malotte (1895-1964) was also a virtuoso on the organ. And though he remained in Hollywood, occasionally writing music for films, he soon focused on his first love, playing and teaching the organ. A Presbyterian layman, Mr. Malotte also wrote sacred music.
One day in 1934, the composer sat listening to the radio–the weekly broadcast of hymn selections by an extraordinary singer named John Charles Thomas. The son of a pastor, Mr. Thomas went on to star on Broadway, and at the Metropolitan Opera, giving concert performances across America and in other countries as well. A music critic once stated he had one of the three greatest voices he ever heard. He was also the vocal coach for a young, up-and-coming gospel soloist named George Beverly Shea.
As Malotte listened to the radio, deeply impressed by the singer’s God-given gift, he made a decision. He would write a piece of sacred music especially for John Charles Thomas to sing. The text he chose was from Matthew’s Gospel. And the result is a piece many of us have heard from time to time at weddings and other special events. It is Albert Hay Malotte’s beautiful setting of “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The Lord’s Prayer Bible Study
Though the Bible passage is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer, it has been pointed out it could more precisely be labelled the Disciples’ Prayer. It is intended for His followers, not for Christ Himself. (Jesus had no need to ask for forgiveness of sins.) In fact, this prayer seems especially suited to God’s people gathering together to pray. Each of the personal pronouns is plural (our, us). We would be less likely to pray that way in our personal devotions (cf. Matt. 6:6).
And we should also note the time and the audience of the prayer. It was given to the believing Jews, before the cross. This does not make it inappropriate for Christians to use. However, there are many things the prayer does not contain which have become relevant now. There is nothing here about the death and resurrection of Christ, nothing about the birth of the church at Pentecost. Nor is the prayer offered “in Jesus’ name,” as we now are to pray (cf. Jn. 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24). The latter only became appropriate after Christ’s ascension to take up His work as our great High Priest. Nonetheless, there is a great deal here which can be instructive for us.
1) Looking an outline of the prayer (below), what do you notice about the order of things?
Introductory Address(I). Prayer for God’s Glory(A). The Reverence of His Name(B). The Coming of His Earthly Kingdom(C). The Accomplishment of His Will(II). Prayer for Human Needs(A). Daily Sustenance(B). Forgiveness of Sins(C). Protection from the Evil One Concluding Doxology
Insight: The pattern is similar to that of the “Ten Commandments” which introduce the Law of Moses (Exod. 20:1-17). It begins with a focus on the honour and glory of God, and then moves on to the practical concerns of human beings.
2) What lesson is there in this for our own prayers?
3) To whom should prayer be addressed, according to vs. 9?
Insight: This is in keeping with God’s instructions to the church as well. “For through Him [Christ], we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). Since both the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ are fully God, it is not necessarily wrong to pray to them. But that is not the pattern God has given us. We should address our prayers to our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name [His authority], depending on the aid of the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:26-27). God is spoken of as our “Father” in every New Testament book but one (the little book of III John).
4) Who are the ones who can rightly call God “our Father”?
Insight: We are able to draw near to God because of the “new and living way” opened up for us “by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19-22). This does not mean God may not graciously respond to the prayer of an unsaved person, but that is the exception. If we have not trusted in the finished work of Christ, we are not on praying ground, because we are not part of the family of God (Jn. 1:12; Gal. 3:26).
Insight: The word “hallowed” is a form of a word also translated sanctified, holy, and saint. It means: separated or set apart, set apart from evil and unto what is good and righteous. The “name” of God represents His Person.
5) With the above facts in mind, what does it mean to pray that God’s name be hallowed?
Insight: This is certainly done in heaven. But as with the next two petitions the desire here is to see the same thing taking place on earth.
6) What kind of behaviour represents the opposite of hallowing God’s name?
7) There is also a kind of phoney version of hallowing God’s name. What is it (Matt. 15:8)?
Insight: The next petition requires an understanding of what is meant by the “kingdom.” God is absolutely sovereign over the entire universe. Nothing that exists is outside His control. In that sense the earth is already part of His universal kingdom, so that is not what is in view. In another sense, when we are born again we become a part of a spiritual kingdom (Jn. 3:3; Col. 1:12-13). Then Christ rules in our hearts. But more than that is intended here.
The reference is to what theologians call the mediatorial kingdom, God’s rule administered on earth through a human representative or mediator. In the beginning, Adam was commissioned with that task (Gen. 1:26, 28), but he failed through sin. It will be Christ, at His second coming, who succeeds where Adam did not. Thus, what is spoken of here is especially the coming earthly kingdom when Christ will reign over the earth.
8) Did the Jews want this to happen (see Jn. 6:15)?
9) What are two things many Jews did not understand about God’s program (see Lk. 24:26 and Ps. 2:6)?
10) When the earthly kingdom is ushered in, what will happen on earth that is now consistently taking place in heaven (Matt. 6:10)?
Insight: Now much of the allegiance of men is mere lip service. As Jesus put it, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46).
11) What would a society be like if the Lord were to be obeyed consistently by everyone (and what would be missing from it then)?
Insight: “Contrary to much emphasis in the evangelical church today, true prayer, like true worship, centres on God’s glory, not on man’s needs” (John MacArthur). Even so, we are also encouraged to bring our requests to the Lord (Phil. 4:6).
Insight: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Likely this petition is intended to represent all our temporal needs–for food, clothing, shelter, health, companionship, etc. We can certainly appreciate how someone in poverty in a third world country would need to pray for bread. But perhaps we feel it is unnecessary here.
12) Why is it important for us in North America to pray this kind of prayer?
13) Why is the focus put on our daily bread?
Insight: “Forgive us our debts [that which is owed, that which is legally due].” This is a reference to our sins, to how we have wronged and offended God. (“Sins” is the word used in the parallel passage, Lk. 11:4.) It is a reminder that we are not doing God a favour by obeying Him. We owe Him our obedience.
14) If we expect God to forgive us, how are we to treat others (vs. 12; and see vs. 14-15)?
Insight: What is in view here is not God’s judicial forgiveness from the eternal penalty of sin. For the Christian that was taken care of once and for all at the cross. What the prayer is speaking of is God’s parental forgiveness of His child within the family. Forgiveness that is necessary if our fellowship with Him is to be unhindered here and now. How can we expect to have free fellowship with the Lord if we are holding a grudge against someone else?
15) What is the next petition of the prayer (vs. 13)?
16) Why is this petition a little puzzling (compare Jas. 1:13)?
Insight: The nature of temptation is that it suggests the acceptability–or even the advantage–of behaviour that is not righteous. Being Himself fully righteous, God cannot tempt us to evil. But behind this prayer is a humble recognition of human weakness–weakness that is fully known to God. It is a plea that the Lord will protect us from those dangerous situations where Satan can take advantage of us and cause us to stumble.
17) The companion request to this is what (vs. 13)?
Insight: The Greek word here can simply by translated “evil,” or “wicked.” But a number of times it is used of the devil himself (cf. Matt. 13:19) and that certainly fits. We need God’s protection against the wicked one. Note that the teaching on the Christian’s armour protecting us against the devil ends with this appeal, “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:10-18).
Insight: The prayer concludes, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Many modern versions omit this closing doxology on the basis that some ancient manuscripts do not have it. However, it is certainly biblical. Similar sentiments are expressed in a prayer of David’s (cf. I Chron. 29:11). Furthermore, out of about 500 manuscripts containing the prayer, only 8 leave this part out. It is also found in many other ancient version of the Bible. All things considered, it belongs there!
18) What does the ending show about the basic reason behind all our praying (“For [because, since]…” vs. 13)?
19) How might this study of the Lord’s Prayer affect your own praying in the future?
The Bible book Daniel begins with a look at his teen years. This study of Daniel Chapter 1 provides vital life principles concerning how to stand for God in a corrupt society. It should be of special value to young people, but its lessons are for us all. For more about Daniel, see either of these two fine books: Robust in Faith, and All the Men of the Bible. In the first, by J. Oswald Sanders, notes that Daniel was “Prime Minister Under Five Kings.” In the second, Herbert Lockyer calls Daniel “The Man Who Kept His Window Open,” referring to an incident in Chapter 6.
Daniel is one of the most outstanding saints of Bible times. A man of godly wisdom, and a man of prayer, he lived in Babylon through the entire seventy years of the Jews’ captivity there. Thought to be of royal descent (likely related in some way to King Hezekiah, II Kgs. 20-17-18; Dan 1:3), Daniel was captured during Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem in 605 BC. He was approximately 15 years old at the time, and he lived to the age of about 90 (in 530 BC).
The book he wrote provides important keys to Bible prophecy, especially as it concerns a period Jesus called “the Times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24), extending from the beginning of Babylon’s domination of Israel (in 605 BC) until Armageddon and the defeat of the Antichrist, up ahead (Dan. 2:34-35, 44). The great overarching theme of Daniel is the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of men.
The book of Daniel can be divided into two equal parts. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, with some important prophecies included. Chapters 7-12 are mainly prophetic visions, with a bit of narrative along the way. In the first half of the book, Daniel’s story is told in the third person (he, him). In the last half of the book, Daniel presents his prophecies in the first person (“I saw…” “I watched…” etc.). This study will concentrate on Chapter 1.
1) What significant event launches the book of Daniel (vs. 1)?
Insight: Of the thousands of slaves taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, he asked his chief eunuch to separate out certain ones.
(Please read Daniel 1:3-5)
2) Which slaves were singled out? And what job were they to be prepared for?
3) What kind of preparation was planned for this select group?
Insight: In vs. 6-7 we learn that among these favoured young men were Daniel and three of his friends. To begin the preparation process, each was given a new name. In ancient times, the power to name something (or someone) showed your authority over it (cf. Gen. 1:28; 2:20). Also, the Babylonians did not want to have their slaves named in honour of “gods” whose people they had conquered. They gave them names honouring their own gods. “Daniel” means God is my Judge. “Belteshazzar [Bel-ta-SHAZ-ar]” means Bel protect the king. (Bel was one of the idols of the Babylonians.) The aim was to completely divorce the slaves from their former life. They were taught “the language and literature of the Chaldeans [Babylonians]” (vs. 4) and given Babylonian food (vs. 5).
(Please read Daniel 1:8-13)
4) What matter of conscience did this raise for Daniel (vs. 8)?
Insight: It is likely some things in the diet were off limits for the Jews on the basis of their Law (such as pork, Lev. 11:1, 7). Also, the food would have been prayed over in the name of an idol, and dedicated to an idol. In accepting it, one could be seen as honouring the benevolence of an idol god.
5) If Daniel had been less committed, how might he have tried to talk himself into making a compromise in this situation? (That is, what excuses might he have thought of?)
6) Sometimes compromise with the unbelieving world seems the easiest way. Why? And why is it not the best way?
Insight: We are told Daniel “purposed in his heart” (vs. 8)? (The NIV’s “made up his mind” seems weaker. It suggests Daniel simply decided something. But the original means he established a purpose deep in his innermost being?)
7) What prior influences or experiences do you think led up to such a commitment?
8) The Babylonians had changed many things in Daniel’s life. What were they not able to take away from him?
9) Is there a lesson here for young people attending secular schools today? (And for their parents?)
Insight: Though Daniel had personal convictions, he recognized he was under the authority of the Babylonians. He did not react in arrogant pride.
10) What approach did Daniel try (vs. 8)?
Insight: God has been at work in the heart of Daniel’s superior (vs. 9). But, in part, the Lord worked through Daniel to bring this about.
11) What kind of things might Daniel have been doing by which the Lord was able to encourage the good will of the one over him?
12) Of what was the eunuch afraid (vs. 10)?
12b) What suggestion does Daniel make (vs. 12-13)?
Insight: There are some important lessons here with regard to making an appeal to those in authority over us. 1) Daniel seems to have built a good relationship by a gracious attitude, hard work, and reliability. 2) He went through the proper line of authority. 3) He showed courtesy and a desire to cooperate rather than prideful resistance. 4) He discerned that the desired goal was not wrong. (The Babylonians simply wanted the young men to be in the best physical condition.) 5) He suggested a way to reach the desired goal which did not violate his own conscience. (This is sometimes called a creative alternative.)
13) How is this plan an expression of Daniel’s faith in God?
14) What if Dad says to his young daughter, “If Mr. Smith phones, tell him I’m not at home”–when it would be a lie? Suggest some steps the girl could take to apply Daniel’s method described above and avoid doing wrong.
15) Daniel says, “as you see fit, so deal with your servants” (vs. 13). But suppose the test doesn’t work in his favour. Do you think he means he will then accept the king’s food?
(Please read Daniel 1:14-21)
16) How did the test actually turn out (vs. 15)?
Insight: This may have involved the miraculous intervention of God. But it could also be that the king’s food was rich, and not particularly healthy! When he saw how well Daniel and his friends thrived on a diet of vegetables and water, the eunuch was willing to go along (vs. 16).
17) Vs. 17 describes some special gifts the Lord gave to Daniel. What are they?
18) Is there a connection between what happens in vs. 8 and in vs. 17?
19) What important principle does this illustrate (cf. Matt. 24:45-47; Rev. 2:10)?
Insight: Then, at the end of their three years of training (vs. 5), the young men were interviewed by Nebuchadnezzar, a brilliant and able man in his own right.
20) What did the king discover (vs. 18-19)?
Insight: In His high priestly prayer (in John 17), the Lord Jesus speaks of His followers being “in the world” but not “of the world” (vs. 11, 14). We are in the world in the sense that we live out our mortal lives on planet earth. But those who put their faith in Christ become citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), and we are therefore to live our lives on the basis of spiritual and eternal values (Col. 3:1-2).
21) What are the problems with earthly values, according to the following passages (Matt. 6:19-21; 31-33; and I Jn. 2:15-17)?
Insight: There is an old gospel song that begins, “Dare to be a Daniel, / Dare to stand alone; / Dare to have a purpose firm, / And dare to make it known…” Situations will arise in all our lives when there is a need to do that very thing. What will our response be?
22) If a Christian today makes the kind of commitment Daniel did, what results can he expect in the short-term? And in the long-term (Matt. 5:11-12; I Pet. 4:12-13, 19)?
22b) What kind of help from the Lord can the believer expect in such circumstances (I Cor. 10:13; Phil. 4:12-13)?
Samson, the Bible strong man, is surely one of the most enigmatic and tragic figures in the Scriptures. Such were the dramatic contrasts in his personality and behaviour that he almost provides a parallel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s fictional Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde. A man of great strength and crippling weakness. A man called to be a leader who became instead an independent loner. A man of faith who was defeated by sinful compromise. A man whose name means “Sunny” who ended his days in darkness. His story is the stuff of legends. But the story of Samson is not a myth. It is all too sadly true. For further study of Samson’s life, here are two fine books: Robust in Faith and All the Men of the Bible. The first, by J. Oswald Sanders, calls Samson “The Champion Who Became a Clown.” The second, by Herbert Lockyer, calls him “The Man of Contrasts.”
Samson’s 20-year judgeship comes near the end of the period of the judges in Israel. He came from the tribe of Dan, whose territory lay along the Mediterranean cost, just north of the land occupied by the Philistines. Samson confronted the Philistines in the west, while Samuel was judging the people further east. Their judgeships overlapped. The record of Samson’s life is found in Judges 13–16.
1) What was happening in Israel as the story opens (Jud. 13:1)?
1b) According to Judges 2:11-12, what kind of “evil” were the Israelites involved in, during the time of the judges?
Insight: The Philistines were an idol-worshipping Gentile people. Tall and white-skinned, they did not have the Semitic ancestry of the Jews. (They are sometimes referred to in the Bible as the “uncircumcised”–Jud. 14:3, etc.) Philistia was a great seafaring nation, with advanced knowledge in metallurgy that gave them superior weapons of war for that time. The people settled along the Mediterranean coast of Canaan, around the time of Abraham. “Philistia” was eventually used as a name for the whole area. The Greek form of the word is Palaistine (or Palestine). This pagan nation caused trouble for the Israelites until the time of King David. During the period of the Judges, the Lord allowed the Philistines to oppress His people as a means of disciplining their disobedience and unbelief.
2) What problem and later blessing did Manoah’s wife have (Jud. 13:2-3)?
Insight: “The Angel of the Lord” is treated as Deity in the Old Testament (cf. Jud. 13:22). From all the evidence, He seems to have been the pre-incarnate Christ.
3) What special restrictions were to be placed upon the boy (Jud. 13:5, 7)?
Insight: The word “Nazirite” (or Nazarite) means one who is separated (or holy). Becoming a Nazirite involved a special vow of separation to the Lord (Num. 6:2). Such a vow was usually taken–either by a man or a woman–for a set period of time. But occasionally there were individuals who were Nazirites for life. Samson is one, and likely John the Baptist is another.
4) According to the Law, what were three key elements of a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:3-4; 6:5; 6:6-7)?
Insight: Each of these things provided a reminder or a picture of spiritual truth. 1) That the believer is to find his joy primarily in the Lord, not in earthly pleasures (cf. Ps. 104:15); 2) That he needs to be willing to bear reproach, for the Lord’s sake (cf. I Cor. 11:14; Heb. 13:13); 3) That he is committed to live a holy life, separated from sin and corruption–represented by the physical death which came upon creation as a result of Adam’s sin (Gen. 2:17).
Insight: The birth of Samson is described (Jud. 13:24), but the account then skips forward to his adult years.
5) What are we told about Samson, as the record of his life and deeds is introduced (Jud. 13:24-25)?
Insight: Physical abilities, as well as spiritual endowments, are a gift of God. The Spirit of God came upon Samson, giving him supernatural strength so he could help deliver Israel from Philistine oppression (Jud. 13:5).Often, in Bible story books, Samson is pictured as a large man, with rippling muscles. But that was not necessarily the case. It could well be that he was a man of ordinary stature, without any outward evidence of special strength. His powers were miraculous, and not based on his physique.
6) What was the result of Samson’s early contact with the Philistines (Jud. 14:1-2)?
6b) In spite of his godly parents’ objections, Samson insists. Why (Jud. 14:3b)?
Insight: This early comment of Samson’s is a key to his contradictory character. Though he had faith in God, he was all too often ruled by fleshly passions.
Insight: The statement of Judges 14:4 that his desire to marry a Philistine woman was “of the Lord” does not mean that God approved of it. Rather, it simply means that a sovereign God was going to use his foolish action to ignite an intense conflict between Samson and the Philistines.
7) What was the first instance when Samson made use of his supernatural strength (Jud. 14:5-6)?
Insight: The wording of vs. 5 seems to suggest that his father and mother were with him. But vs. 6 indicates they were not. The second sentence in vs. 5 seems to describe a separate incident.
8) On a later visit to Timnah, when he went to claim his bride, what did Samson observe (Jud. 14:8)?
8b) And what did he do on that occasion (Jud. 14:9)?
Insight: Significantly, by touching the carcass, Samson thoughtlessly violated one part of his Nazirite separation.
Insight: At Timnah, Samson’s wedding feast was attended by thirty young Philistine men. As was the custom, the feasting continued for a week. (If wine was served during the celebration–and it is almost certain it was–it is possible Samson violated another provision of his vow at this time.) But he seems unconcerned about it. For their entertainment, Samson posed a riddle.
9) What was the riddle (Jud. 14:14)?
10) What did Samson offer as a prize for solving the riddle (Jud. 14:12)?
11) By what means did the young men discover the answer (Jud. 14:15)?
Insight: When they were successful and told Samson the answer, he had to admit they were right. But he was enraged by their devious method of getting the solution (Jud. 14:16-18).
12) How did Samson provide the prize for the thirty men (Jud. 14:19)?
Insight: Without his knowledge, the woman he had married was given to his best man, instead (vs. 20). When Samson brought her a gift, expecting to be received by his wife, her father turned him away (Jud. 15:1-2).
13) What did Samson do to get revenge (Jud. 15:3-5)?
13b) With what response from the Philistines (Jud. 15:6)?
Insight: Yet again, Samson retaliated, killing many of the Philistines (Jud. 15:7-8). This caused the Philistine army to go searching for him in Judah, in order to arrest him (Jud. 15:9-10). The people of Judah did not appreciate having the Philistines in a hostile mood toward them.
14) What did the army of Judah do to keep the peace (Jud. 15:11-13)?
14b) What was the outcome of this (Jud. 15:14-16)?
15) What did Samson do at Gaza (Jud. 16:1)?
Insight: City gates in that day were large and heavy. But they often had a smaller door within the larger gate, allowing for the passage of an individual in or out without the need to open the gate. The men of Gaza surrounded the place where Samson was, intending to kill him. But he escaped in the night. Coming to the city wall, he simply ripped its small door off its hinges and walked off carrying it with him! (Jud. 16:2-3).
Insight: There is a puzzle here. Samson has just committed an immoral act with the enemy of God’s people. Now God gives him supernatural strength to escape! How can this be? Perhaps the church at Corinth can be seen as a parallel. Paul says of them, “You are enriched in everything by Him…so that you come short in no gift” (I Cor. 1:4-7). But he also says, “You are still carnal…and behaving like mere [unsaved] men.” And regarding their attitude toward immoral conduct in the church, “You are puffed up and have not rather mourned” (I Cor. 3:1-3; 5:1-2).
16) What conclusions can we draw from this?
16b) What conclusions should we not draw from it?
Insight: Once again Samson becomes immorally involved with a Philistine woman. The lords of the Philistines promised Delilah money if she could discover the secret of Samson’s great strength (Jud. 16:4-5). Three times, Samson teased her, with false information (Jud. 16:7, 11, 13).
17) What do you notice about this last suggestion of Samson’s that shows he is dangerously playing with fire (Jud. 16:13)?
17b) Can you think of an example of a person doing this sort of thing today (trying to get as close to the fires of sin as possible without getting burned)?
17c) What is wrong with this practice?
17d) What should a Christian seek to do instead?
Insight: Each time, Samson was able to cast aside restraint and he was once more able to defend himself. But the end of the game was near. Day after day, Delilah pestered him to tell his secret, saying, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me?” (Jud. 16:15-16).
18) What is wrong with this argument, and with the whole situation?
19) What did Delilah do when Samson at last revealed his secret (Jud. 16:18-19)?
Insight: In this way, Samson violated the third element of his Nazirite vow. It is clear that Samson’s ability was sovereignly given by the Lord, and not fully conditioned on his good behaviour. However, there are limits to the “day of grace.” God, who had been gracious to Samson over and over again, finally withdrew His empowering presence.
20) How did Samson respond when he was awakened (Jud. 16:20)?
Insight: This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. It speaks of a man who has played with temptation so long he has become careless of the danger, and insensitive to its affects on him.
21) What happened to Samson then (Jud. 16:21)?
Insight: If this was a small hand grinder, the task was considered women’s work. If it was a larger one, it was the work usually done by an animal. In either case it was meant to humiliate the conquered champion of Israel.
22) What further indignity did Samson suffer (Jud. 16:23-25)?
Insight: The Philistines took no notice that Samson’s hair began to grow again (Jud. 16:22). But with it, there was an apparent return of his supernatural strength. Based on his later words (vs. 28), it would seem that Samson was truly repentant in prison, and he cast himself upon the grace of God.
23) What does Samson request of the slave boy who had led him into the temple of Dagon (Jud. 16:26)?
Insight: Dagon was an ugly stone idol with a fish’s body and a man’s head. It may have been a fertility god, and god of the harvest. (Having Samson grind grain would then be an attempt to show Dagon was superior to Jehovah.) The temple of the idol was full of Philistine men and women, plus another 3,000 “on the roof”–perhaps a roofed in area surrounding a central open courtyard where Samson was displayed (Jud. 16:27).
24) What two things did the blind man do then (Jud. 16:28, 29-30)?
25) So many of Samson’s feats of strength seem petty and self-centred. Why did God help him get revenge this last time? (Compare Jud. 16:23-24, and Isa. 42:8.)
Insight: After this slaughter of the Philistines–killing more people than Samson had killed in his lifetime (vs. 30)–the dead man’s family came and claimed his shattered body. They buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, where the Lord had first come upon him (Jud. 16:31; cf. 13:25).
26) What important fact is given about Samson in Hebrews 11:32-34?
26b) Based on this passage, do you think that Samson realized his great strength was a gift of God?
26c) What then was his basic problem? And what do you see as the basic lesson of Samson’s life?
26d) How can we avoid this in our own lives?
Insight: God gives to each of His children certain gifts and abilities we are responsible to use for His glory and the good of others. But there are two dangers to be avoided. 1) Taking our gifts for granted, and assuming the power to exercise them properly lies within us, rather than coming from the Lord. 2) Focusing on our areas of strength and failing to realize we each also have areas of particular weakness. (We may forget this, but Satan certainly does not!)
27) Is it possible for an area of strength to also be an area of potential weakness? (Explain.)
28) How can we protect ourselves from this danger (Matt. 26:41; I Cor. 10:12-15; Gal. 6:1)?
With Chapter 42, the story of Job comes to an end. Once more the critics of Job (many of them reputable Bible commentators) are ready to condemn him. It is sad that so many have missed the point of the book. In this last lesson, we shall briefly review what has come before, in order to put the conclusion of the book in proper perspective.
1) What two things does godly Job confess about the Lord, after hearing from Him (Job 42:2)?
2) What does Job say about his own limitations (vs. 3)?
3) What is it that has changed, now (vs. 5)?
Insight: It does not seem that the Lord appeared in the wind in some physical form. Job may simply mean (in vs. 5) that he “sees,” or understands, more about God than he ever did before, because of what the Lord has revealed to him.
Did Job “Repent” of His Sins?
Chapter 42, vs. 6, is an important one to our understanding of the book. We must deal with it carefully, taking it a phrase at a time. At first glance, it may seem to support the position of Job’s critics–like one commentator who says that here “Job repents of his pride and rebellion.” But what a sad distortion of Job’s actions this is!
To begin with, Job is not saying that he hates himself. In the NKJV, Job begins by stating, “I abhor myself.” But the italics used for “myself” indicate that it is an added word, not in the original. The addition is based on the translator’s own idea of what Job means. In this case, the word “myself” is better omitted or perhaps better rendered “it.” The word “abhor” can also mean refuse or reject. Some translate it “retract.” Job is saying, “I retract it!” He is rejecting or retracting his previous insistence that God must explain what has been happening to him. He is telling God he no longer needs to know the reason why.
The “dust and ashes” may refer to the ancient symbol of humble submission, putting dust and ashes on one’s head (cf. Gen. 18:12-28). Or Job may simply be speaking of the ash heap on which he sits.
Now, what of the word “repent”? The Hebrew word nacham is actually used a couple of times in Chapter 42. In vs. 6, Job is made to say (by the NKJV) “I…repent.” But the same word is translated quite differently in vs. 11. There we are told Job’s family and friends gathered round and “comforted [same word, nacham] him after all the adversity that the Lord had brought upon him.”
Nacham can mean either: a) To be sorry for; or, b) To be comforted by. (In the Bible, it is used 67 times to mean “comfort,” or related words, and fewer times (41) to mean “repent.”) Nacham is translated “comfort” in Ps. 23:4, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort [nacham] me.”
In the view of the present writer, the main reason nacham is translated “repent” in Job 42:6 is because of certain presuppositions of the translators. It may make better sense to say that Job was “comforted.” In order to see why, we need to review a few things.
4) What kind of a man was Job, according to the Lord Himself (1:8)?
5) And what was the quality of his early life (1:2-3; 29:2)?
6) What was the explanation of Job’s “friends” for the sudden change in his circumstances (4:7; 22:5)?
7) What is the true cause of Job’s sufferings (2:5-6)?
8) And, according to the Lord, is the devil’s cruelty justified by some sin in Job’s life (2:3, end of the verse)?
9) In 26:4, Job responds to the harsh condemnation of Bildad with, “Whose spirit came from you?” What seems to be the answer to this question?
Insight: Consider: Though Job was imperfect, as we all are, he was a man who had dealt with his sins in the way God had prescribed. At the time calamity struck, there was no sin on his conscience that could explain his sufferings as a judgment from the Lord. God not only confirms this, He twice calls Job the most outstanding spiritual giant of his day (1:8: 2:3). Job was not suffering because he is sinful, Job was suffering because he is righteous! God was not punishing Job; He put supreme confidence in His faithful servant. Satan in his craftiness had chosen the best man he could find to make his point in the strongest way possible. He hoped to show that all love and loyalty to God is a hypocritical sham. He failed, as God was sure he would.
The question remains: Did Job sin in some significant way during his trials–so that he needed to repent of sinful “pride and rebellion” afterward? To this we must respond with a resounding “No!” If Job has rebelled against God because of his trials, then Satan won! The devil would have proven that Job was only faithful to God for what he got out of it. But that is not so. Satan is silent in the end, and for good reason. He has been utterly defeated. Those who condemn Job for what he does during his trials make two basic errors.
They fail to understand that, in extreme pain and suffering, a person may say radical things. But these may be more a cry for help than a settled conviction. Job himself reminds his friends of this (6:26).
Job’s description of his former life in Chapter 29 is not based on sinful conceit. It is a part of his defense, and what he says is absolutely true. (It is never refuted by anyone.) The Apostle Paul “boasts” in a similar manner in defense of his apostleship (II Cor. 11–12).
10) Whom was the Lord angry with (vs. 7)? (And why?)
Insight: There is no explanation given for why Elihu is not included in this condemnation. Perhaps because, in his last-minute interruption, he says nothing really new about Job. Or maybe Elihu has simply withdrawn by this time.
11) What must the three friends do in order to experience God’s forgiveness (vs. 8-9)?
Insight: In these days before the Levitical priesthood of the Jewish Law was established, the heads of families acted as priests, offering sacrifices as needed (cf. Gen. 12:7).
12) In addition to providing cleansing from sin for Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, what is God doing here?
Insight: In his wonderful Job Suite, contemporary singer-song writer Michael Card has Job saying this about the counsel of his friends: “These friends of mine are no comfort to me, / So deafly they listen, so blindly they see; / Their words and their doctrine they all sound so true– / The problem is, Lord, they’re all wrong about You!” (Well said!)
13) What happened after Job prayed for his friends (vs. 10)?
Insight: God restores Job’s former prosperity, but not as a reward for admitting what a terrible sinner he was. Simply because the test is over. The Lord has condemned the friends and supported the position of Job. Satan’s challenge has been taken up and his twisted view of godly Job has proven to be completely false.
14) What else happened once Job was restored to his old prominence (vs. 11)? (Why did this occur?)
15) Everything Job had before is doubled. His new family (seven sons and three daughters, vs. 13) seem to be an exception to this (compare 1:2). But are they? (Explain.)
Insight: The Jewish commentators say that Job was 70 years old, in Chapter 1, and thus got twice as many years added to his life, as well (140 years, vs. 16), dying “old and full of days” at the age of 210. Job’s long life would then be another indication that he likely lived back at the time of the patriarchs. Abraham died at the age of 175, Isaac at 180 (Gen. 25:7; 35:28).
16) Job’s experience provides a lovely Old Testament picture of Christ.
¤ What is one parallel (2:3; cf. I Pet. 2:22)?
¤ What is another (42:8; cf. Lk. 23:34, also Heb. 7:25)?
¤ An yet another (42:10; cf. Phil. 2:8-9)?
Insight: We could also say that Job’s suffering (like Christ’s) has been of benefit to many, as it provides important lessons for us all.
17) What special gift did Job give his lovely daughters that may have been somewhat unusual for the custom of the times (vs. 15)?
18) Could God have waited till Job reached heaven to reward him? What might have happened if He had?
Insight: We now return to vs. 6, to emphasize the great lesson of the book. It may be significant that vs. 7 begins not with, “…after Job had spoken these words…” but instead with “…after the Lord had spoken these words.” It thus passes quickly over Job’s statement in vs. 6, another indication that Job’s restoration is not somehow a reward for repenting of some sin.
Given what we know of Job, and of all that happened to him, here is an appropriate paraphrase of Job 42:6, “Lord, I humbly withdraw my insistence that You explain the reason for my trials. I am satisfied that You know what You are doing. Even here, in the dust and ashes, I find comfort in You alone. I need nothing and no one but You.”
There is no record that the Lord ever explained Satan’s part in Job’s sufferings. And Job came to the point where he did not need to know. His “repentance” is in essence a surrendering of the need to know. However, the account in Chapters 1 and 2 of events in the court of heaven did come from somewhere. Did God wait until the writer of the book came along, some years later, to reveal it? Or did He explain this to Job before he died? We do not know. And it really does not matter. Job finds comfort without knowing.
That is the point of the book. God is enough. We do not need to know all the answers. In the end, Job gained far more than material wealth. His confidence in God was stronger than ever. Just as we can see the stars more clearly when we get away from the lights of town, so we can more fully appreciate the glory of heaven when the glow of earth’s passing treasures is removed. The removal of temporal distractions, even for a time, sharpened Job’s vision of eternal things.
Before angels and men, Job suffers in extremis (at the point of death). And he demonstrates that it is possible to love and worship God simply for who He is, in Himself. If Job had continued to be wealthy and successful, Satan’s question (“Does Job fear God for nothing?”) would have remained unanswered. Now we know. God Himself is enough.
And Job has proven a further point. That it is not necessary for us to understand why God acts as He does for God to be enough! There is a great cosmic purpose in Job. For all time, it provides a unique validation of creation. God made man “in His image” to love and enjoy blessed fellowship with Himself.
Man’s love was to be a reflection of His own–the kind of love shared within the Trinity. Not an “I’ll love you if…” kind of love that looks for something in return. A selfless love resting solely on what the other person is in himself. Job’s steadfastness shows us that God was right in how He made us. It is totally possible to love and serve God for who He is.
Romans 8:28-39 is an important passage in this regard. It says in part, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose….[And] in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” As the Bible puts it, in Second Corinthians 12:9. “He [the Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Kenneth Wuest’s Expanded Translation renders the promise this way: “He has said to me, and His declaration still stands, ‘My grace is enough for you, for power is, moment by moment, coming to its full energy and complete operation in the sphere of weakness.’”
Christian missionary doctor Helen Roseveare was caught in the Congo Rebellion, in Africa, in 1964. Amid much brutality, an estimated quarter of a million people, including 27 missionaries, were killed. Dr. Roseveare was cruelly beaten and raped, over and over. She says that in that terrible time the Lord spoke the following question to her heart: “Can you thank Me–not for the suffering–but for trusting you with this experience, even if I never tell you why?” And she says that by His grace she found that she could. So did Job.
Job and his three friends have spoken. Young Elihu has added his own opinions to the debate. Now, God Himself addresses Job. The exact circumstances of this meeting are not given to us. It is not described as a “vision” or a “dream.” Rather, it seems to have been a real life experience. Did all the men hear God speak? Or only Job? We do not know. (They do hear from God later, 42:7.) We are told that a tornado-like, violent wind arose. Did this drive the men to seek shelter? What about Job? He really had no place to go. Perhaps he covered himself as best he could, and remained, sitting alone, on the ash heap.
Eventually, over the roaring of the wind, Job here’s a voice. It is God. And the Lord gives Job a unique revelation of Himself. Job had been seeking to question God regarding his trials. But instead of coming to answer Job’s questions, the Lord begins to question Job relentlessly (1:3). He asks more than 70 questions. They are not difficult questions. Job does not even need to respond, because the answers are obvious.
1) What is God asking Job in 38:4-6?
A Brief Word About Hebrew Poetry
English poetry often makes use of rhyming words, words that sound alike. (Jesus paid it all, / All to Him I owe; / Sin had left a crimson stain, / He washed it white as snow.”) Hebrew poetry (in books like Job and Psalms) uses a different technique. Instead of matching sounds, it uses matching ideas. The wisdom of God can be seen in this. He knew the Bible would need to be translated into many different languages. Sound-alike words would often be lost in the process, but not matching ideas. Time does not permit a detailed discussion of Hebrew poetry. But here are four examples of the kind of matching ideas you can watch for.
¤ Sometimes two lines express a common idea (saying a similar thing in a different way). For example: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, / And cleanse me from my sin” (Ps. 51:2). Washing and cleansing are similar. Iniquity and sin are, as well. ¤ Sometimes two lines of poetry will express contrasting ideas. For example: “Weeping may endure for a night, / But joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 30:5). ¤ Sometimes two lines express a completing idea, with the second line adding more information. For example: “His delight is in the Law of the Lord, / And in His Law he meditates day and night” (Ps. 1:2). The second line gives us behaviour to demonstrate the attitude in the first line. ¤ Sometimes two lines give us a comparing idea, with one thing being compared to another. For example: “As a father pities his children, / So the Lord pities those who fear Him (Ps. 103:13).
2) Which of the four kinds is found in each of the following passages?
¤ Ps. 1:6
¤ Ps. 25:4
¤ Job 11:19
¤ Ps. 42:1
¤ Ps. 40:4
Determining which combination has been used is not an exact science. Sometimes Bible scholars disagree. The two lines in Job 38:7 are usually taken to express common ideas. Thus, “morning stars” in this case is thought to be a poetic description of “the sons of God” (angels). (Similarly, many take Isaiah 14:12 to be referring to Satan before his fall as “Lucifer”–the Day Star.)
3) What did the angels witness that caused them to rejoice (38:4, 7)?
4) What other special occasion was accompanied by an angelic celebration (Lk. 2:13-14)?
Insight: These two events are brought together in a familiar Christmas carol by James Montgomery: Angels from the realms of glory, / Wing your flight o’er all the earth; / Ye who sang creation’s story, / Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.” (Though Luke does not say specifically that the angel’s sang, “praising God and saying” (Lk. 2:13) could also be translated “singing praises and declaring.”)
5) If the angels sang before man even existed, what does that tell you about music?
6) What does Zephaniah 3:17 add to our understanding of where music comes from?
7) What question does the Lord ask Job in 38:12?
8) And what is the question in 38:16?
9) What area does the Lord question Job about in 38:31-33?
Insight: “Mazzaroth” (38:32) means divided, referring to the twelve constellations of the Zodiac that from our view divide the heavens into a circular path of groups of stars.
10) What does the Lord ask Job about in 38:34-35?
11) What area does God ask Job about in 38:36?
Insight: Job knew the answer to this question, as he showed us earlier (28:20, 23, 28). And Job really knows the answers to all of God’s questions, as we shall discuss in a moment.
12) And what does the Lord ask Job about in 38:41?
Insight: Consider the touching picture this poetic passage gives us (38:41). Tiny birds in a nest, lifting their voices to God in their need. Of course, the Lord is not saying they are conscious of His existence and “praying” intelligently. The point is that God hears the cry of each little bird as though it were a prayer. This is truly comforting to praying saints everywhere.
13) Why is it a comfort (compare Lk. 12:6-7)?
14) What is the basic answer to all of God’s questions about the realm of creation?
15) What is Job’s reaction to this amazing revelation of God (40:3-5)?
Insight: In the NKJV (and KJV) Job says, “I am vile” (40:3). This does not mean he is admitting he has sinned. The Hebrew word means light-weight, something that doesn’t amount to much. Job is saying he is insignificant compared to God. (The NIV has “unworthy,” and that is close to it.)
16) The Lord asks a very significant question in 40:8. What is it?
17) It is important that 40:8 is worded as a question, rather than a statement. Why?
Insight: Job believed that he was righteous before God–and the Lord agreed. What then could be the reason for his trials? Job is in danger of coming to a conclusion based on limited human knowledge–that the only other possibility must be that God is somehow in the wrong! God’s confrontation of Job is simply meant to demonstrate that the Lord is infinitely superior to Job in every way. Job gets the point, and responds with deep humility.
18) God’s words are not meant to teach Job that he is a sinner who needs to repent. Rather that he is a mortal man, needing what?
Insight: “Look now at behemoth [ba-HE-moth]” (40:15). This is a large animal whose exact identity is unknown. In some ways it seems similar to the hippopotamus or the elephant But perhaps it is now extinct. Some commentators suggest it is mythological and not real. However, God made it (vs. 15), and He commands Job to “look” at the animal, so it must have existed. There is a similar uncertainty in 41:1 where “Leviathan [La-VI-a-than]” is described. It sounds quite a bit like a crocodile. But it may possibly be one of the ancient dinosaurs, a survivor of the flood, preserved in the ark. The point is that these are both huge creatures that terrorize man. Only an omnipotent God is able to control them.
Insight: The Hebrew word dabaq is translated “joined to one another” (41:17). It is a description of the scales of Leviathan.
19) How firmly are the scales of Leviathan fastened together (vs. 15-17)?
20) The same Hebrew word (dabaq) is translated “joined” (“united,” NIV) in Gen. 2:24. What important truth does this suggest?
21) What important point does God’s question in 41:11 emphasize?
Insight: Suppose an intelligent creature were to visit our planet for the first time, and stand on a railroad track. He might examine the tracks with scientific tools and learn a great deal about them–about the steel, the wooden ties, the gravel used between the ties. However, as he looks off toward the horizon at a straight stretch of track, he might easily come to the conclusion that the two tracks eventually meet off in the distance. (They do seem to come closer and closer together toward the horizon.) Standing where he is, he will not know otherwise unless someone teaches him about the laws of perspective, or unless he is somehow able to gain a view of the tracks from above.
22) How does this illustration relate to Job’s situation (and our own) in trying to understand his trials?
23) In this long speech, does God give no answer at all to why Job is suffering? (Or if He does, what is it?)
In Chapters 1 and 2, we learned a bit about the background and the character of Job. And we are given a view of the courts of heaven where we see Satan challenging his integrity. With the permission of a sovereign God, the devil brings a series of calamities upon God’s servant that are staggering in their cruelty.
Not the least of his problems is the fact that three men who had been his friends begin to attack him and accuse him of some hidden sin. We are nearly at the end, but before God Himself confronts Job, there is one more voice to be heard. A young man (32:4) named Elihu has been listening to the debate recorded in Chapters 3-31. He has been keeping silent, expecting to hear sound answers from the older men. But when he does not, he is anxious to add his own opinion to the rest. We soon discover that although young Elihu has a few more insights into the ways of God than the other men do, he is equally mistaken about the life and character of Job.
1) Elihu respected the wisdom of age, but what has he found (32:9)?
2) On what does Elihu base his views about Job (32:10, 17)?
3) What is Elihu’s opinion of his own ideas (33:3; 36:4)?
4) According to himself, what roll can Elihu play in helping Job (33:6; compare 9:33)?
5) While he has been silently listening to the arguments of the four men, what has been going on inside Elihu (32:18-20)?
6) Elihu accurately summarizes Job’s claim. What does he say about this (33:8-11)?
7) What is Job doing that Elihu thinks he should not be doing (33:12-13)?
8) What does Elihu see as the basic reason for suffering (33:19-21)?
9) What danger does Elihu see for Job (33:22)?
Insight: The NIV renders vs. 23 as, “If there is an angel on his side…” But the Hebrew word, mala, can be more broadly be translated “messenger.” There is a Personage who appears many times in the Old Testament (though never in the New). He is called “the Angel of the Lord” (or, the Messenger of Jehovah). When all the references to this One are put together, it becomes evident that deity is being described. For example, after He appears to Hagar we are told “the Lord [Jehovah]…spoke to her” (Gen. 16:7-13). Most theologians have concluded that He is none other than God the Son, appearing on earth before His incarnation.
10) What hope is there for Job (33:23-26)?
Insight: The angel (Messenger) from God could provide a ransom to save Job. That is an amazing insight, because it describes exactly what Christ has done for sinners (Mk. 10:45). But while Elihu has expressed a profound truth, he is still not on target as far as Job himself.
11) What conclusion does Elihu reach as to Job’s claim of being righteous (34:5-8)?
12) Elihu accuses Job of saying what (34:9)?
Insight: It is significant that Elihu makes this sound as though it were a settled conclusion of Job’s, part of his creed. However, when Job approaches this conclusion, it is more as a question, an unresolved issue (9:29; 21:15). Job is asking questions, and seeking answers. He is not claiming these things are absolute truths (otherwise, he would indeed forsake God, as Satan says).
13) What is Elihu’s summary of how God works (34:11)?
Insight: Like the others, Elihu has a quite simplistic view of God’s justice. But this is a complex subject. While we know without doubt that the Lord is a just God, He exercises that sovereign right in many different ways. Following are a few examples to consider.
14) There is justice disguised. God’s justice can look like a blessing on the surface. How is this illustrated in Psalm 106:14-15)?
¤ There is justice delayed. Sometimes a right resolution of things will have to wait till eternity.
¤ There is justice meted out through others. Sometimes God uses wicked men as His instrument. (The Babylonians took the Jews into captivity. This was a chastening from God. But later on the Babylonians were also punished for their mistreatment of the Jews.)
¤ There is justice transferred, in which one suffers in place of another. (This happened at the cross.)
15) What does Elihu conclude about Job (34:34-37)?
Insight: “Job thinks he’s suffering now! But he deserves far more than this!” says Elihu. Not only is this utterly lacking in compassion. It misses the underlying intent of Job’s words. He is frustrated not because he is rebelling against God, but because he is struggling to find Him. Job’s suffering is part of a great cosmic demonstration proving the validity of man’s creation, and the possibility of a human being relating freely to his Creator.
16) The basic principle of Law is: If you do this God will bless you (DO >>> BE BLESSED). How does this describe the philosophy of the three friends (and Elihu)?
Insight: The basic principle of Grace is: God’s blessings are a free gift, and human works are totally irrelevant. Works are an appropriate response to grace, but they can never earn it (or it would not be grace). The Grace Principle can thus be described as: BE BLESSED >>> DO.
Insight: Think for a moment of how this might work in reverse, with Job in the place of God, and vice versa. When everything is stripped from him, it becomes evident that Job’s loyalty to God is based on grace. Job’s faith in God is not something God has earned by His “good works” toward Job. He loves God for what He is in Himself, apart from His gifts. In this way Job expresses, as closely as any sin-blighted mortal ever can, the kind of love for God his Creator desires to see in those made in His image.
17) What ideas does Elihu express about God in 35:6-7? (And is there an element of truth in this?)
Insight: “God…gives songs in the night” (35:10). Indeed He does! Paul and Silas in a Philippian jail knew all about that (Acts 16:25).
Insight: It is an awesome thing to claim to speak for God, as we do each time we share His Word. However, to claim the ability to make a perfect application of that Word in every situation is folly. We may think we understand what someone is going through when we do not.
18) Elihu believes he understands Job’s case “perfectly” (36:4). But he says nothing at all about what?
Insight: This author once heard a woman preacher say, on the radio, that Christians should always be healthy and prosperous. Her “proof” was Job 36:11. This is what is known as taking a verse out of context!
19) What theory is behind 36:11 (one shared by the three friends as well)?
20) What does Elihu claim about God (36:26; 37:5)?
21) What challenge does Elihu issue to Job (37:14-18)?
Insight: These questions anticipate the speech of God Himself, that begins in the next chapter. And it is true that a mere mortal cannot understand the ways of God. Job would certainly agree. But there is an issue Job still needs to deal with: that he does not need to understand God’s ways in connection with himself. He can put himself in the hands of infinite Love and be at rest.
22) What lesson are we to learn when a storm prevents us from doing what we’d like to do, and what we expected to do (37:6-7)?
23) The weather serves what three purposes of God (37:13)? (Explain.)
The Answer!
Elihu has more to say than any of Job’s friends. (His speech is longer than the combined speeches of any of the others.) But he has come to a similar conclusion. Job is sinful, and he is being punished for his sins. However, in one brief moment Elihu hits upon the real answer to Job’s suffering. It is a simple answer, even if we might not consider it intellectually satisfying. In Job 33:12 Elihu declares, “God is greater than man.” That’s it! That is the answer to the puzzle of the book. An answer developed more fully by the Lord Himself in Chapters 38-41. And an answer accepted in faith by Job as the book ends.
The speeches of the three friends are at an end. They have exhausted themselves (and Job!) trying to prove that Job’s suffering has come about as a punishment for some sin in his life. In Chapters 27-31, Job makes a prolonged defense of his innocence. He reviews his past, and contrasts that with his present state, as he continues to search for answers.
1) Before God, what pledge does Job make (27:3-4)?
2) What does Job refuse to do to satisfy his friends (27:5-6)?
3) What is Job’s opinion of his friends’ attempts to teach him the “truth” (27:12)?
4) Job fully understands the destiny of the wicked. What is it (27:13, 16-17, 20-21)?
Insight: Each of Job’s three friends claims to have wisdom. Eliphaz says he received his by a supernatural visitation. Bildad puts his confidence in the accumulated wisdom of past ages. And Zophar seems willing to rely upon his own opinions. But Job has something to teach them with regard to where true wisdom is found.
5) What has man succeeded in doing (28:1-4)?
Insight: Note the fearful picture of early mining (vs. 4). Men chipped away in the cold and dark, swinging to and fro on long ropes. Job is pointing out that we have gone to great lengths to obtain the material wealth of our planet. But there is something far more valuable than such things.
6) What question does Job raise (28:12)?
7) What is one way it can not be obtained (28:16)?
8) Who is the true source of wisdom (28:23, 27)?
Insight:The Bible Knowledge Commentary describes the wise person as “One who is both knowledgeable and experienced in following God’s way….Being wise means being skilled in godly living. Having God’s wisdom means having the ability to cope with life in a God-honouring way” (Vol. I, p. 902).
On the other hand, worldly wisdom is, to some extent, simply a matter of moderation, fairness, and exercising common sense. But for the believer, wisdom always has a spiritual dimension and it is related to his walk with God. Thus, for example, cheating others is to be avoided not only because it is unfair to them, but because it is “an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 20:23).
9) What does Job say is the very heart and core of true wisdom (28:28)?
Insight: A thousand years later, King Solomon said basically the same thing: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). True wisdom starts with coming into a right relationship with God. To “fear” Him is to hold Him in reverence, to give God His rightful place in our lives. From this will flow both faith and obedience toward Him, and an avoidance of those things that displease Him.
10) According to God Himself, who is it who fits this description better than anyone on earth at the time (1:8)?
Insight: In Chapter 29, Job reviews some details about his past life. Unfortunately, his critics do not understand what he is doing. Arno C. Gaebelein, who usually has helpful things to say, takes a wrong turn here. He says that Job “reverts to the old complaint in self-occupation, self-pity and self-vindication. …Some 20 times he says “I” in this chapter….Not once does Job utter a word of praise” (Gaebelein’s Concise Commentary of the Whole Bible, p. 439). This misses the point. Of course Job uses the personal pronoun often. He is reviewing his own history! And it is noteworthy that not once do the friends interrupt him to say he is being inaccurate. As to the last comment, is Gaebelein suggesting that Job is taking undue credit to himself, and not glorifying God? That is simply no so. Five times in the opening verses (vs. 1-6) Job credits God for the blessings of his earlier days. Like many others, Gaebelein is far too quick to jump to the side of Job’s three critical friends!
11) What had the Lord done for Job in the past (29:2-4)?
Insight: The city gate, in ancient times, was the place where official business was conducted (cf. Ruth 4:1, 9). It functioned as a court of law. That is where the elders of the city sat to make rulings.
12) What do the words “my seat” (29:7) suggest about the place of Job in the community?
13) What was Job’s position in relation to the other elders who served as judges and counselors (29:25)?
14) What was Job’s reputation as a “judge” in the community (29:8-10)?
15) Others recognized that Job was a man who feared God. How did they respond to the wisdom of Job (29:21)?
16) What quality of decisions did the community expect from Job (29:14)?
17) What kind of rulings did Job make with regard to the poor and disadvantaged in the city (29:12-13)?
18) And did he do this in a cold, unfeeling way (30:25)?
19) The rights of what other segment of society was Job also concerned for (29: 15)?
20) And Job had the courage to do what (29:17)?
Insight: Contrary to what Job’s critics seem to think, Chapter 29 is an essential part of the argument of the book. It enables Job to make a stark contrast with his present condition in Chapter 30. It is a way of saying: “Yesterday, I was righteous and God blessed me. Today, I am righteous and God oppresses me. I have not moved, but it seems as though God has!”
21) Contrast the way the young men in the community treated Job before (29:8) with the way they treat him now (30:1, 9-10)?
22) Who else experienced this dramatic turn-around, and what was said:
¤ In Mk. 11:9
¤ In Mk. 15:12-13
Insight: Job’s children used to be around him (29:5), but now they are gone. His prosperity has been taken from him (30:15). His health has been taken, also (30:16-17, 30). He has traded his home for an ash heap, and been forced to forage for his food like a wild animal (30:29). But most painful to Job is the fact that he seems to have lost contact with God (30:20). God has in effect become his cruel Enemy (30:21).
23) Job 30:24 is difficult to translate. In the NKJV it says: “Surely He would not stretch out His hand against a heap of ruins.” What does Job mean?
Insight: In one last, great proclamation of his innocence, Job uses the word “if” some nineteen times. He goes through a long catalogue of sins, saying if I have done any of these things, I deserve to be punished. Frequently, he calls down a curse upon himself, if he has offended in a particular way. The underlying point is that he is not guilty of any such things.
24) What is one kind of sin Job is innocent of (31:1, 9-10)?
25) What is another kind of sin of which Job is innocent (31:24-25)?
26) And another sin of which Job is innocent is (31:26-28)?
27) And yet another sin of which he is innocent is (31:13, 29-30)?
Insight: Note again that no one disputes any of this with Job–not even God. He has clearly demonstrated his innocence. Whatever the reason God is treating him as He is, it cannot be traced to some wickedness in Job’s life. Job is confident he is righteous, and the three friends are silenced (though not likely convinced!). The answer lies elsewhere. And once again, Job has an interesting insight.
Previously, he wished that his own words could be written down (19:23), and of course they were. Now Job says he desires that “my Prosecutor [God] had written a book! Surely I would carry it on my shoulder and bind it on me like a crown” (31:35-36). The shoulder symbolizes strength. Job means God’s Word would help him spiritually. The crown represents the mind. Job is saying God’s Word would direct his thoughts. Job has it right again. God did write a Book. And though the first Bible book was not written for another 500 years, that is exactly what God’s Word should do.
Further Thoughts on Chapter 29
In Chapter 29, Job reviews some details of his public life, in days gone by. Some commentators have mistakenly taken this as proof of Job’s proud, arrogant spirit. They seem ready to side with the three friends in seeing Job’s sufferings as the means God uses to “take him down a peg or two.” But this is so foreign to the message of the book, it is surprising reputable evangelical scholars fall for it.
Job is a godly man of prayer (1:5; 12:4). God Himself says of Job that he is His “servant,” and the most outstanding man of his time. According to the Lord, Job is “blameless and upright…one who fears God and shuns evil” (1:8). And we are told that Job’s suffering is “without cause” (2:3). There is nothing in Job that needs punishing. Surely that is plain enough!
The 29th Chapter is something else. It is a part of Job’s defense (like the testimony of “the accused” in court). And there can be no doubt it is factual. The three friends would have jumped on any wild claims without foundation as further proof of Job’s deceit and wickedness. And in fact, Job is not the only one in Scripture who is forced to make this kind of defense before his critics.
After he wrote a strong letter criticizing some things going on in the Corinthian church, Paul had to deal with a negative reaction coming from some. They questioned his apostolic authority. What right had he to rebuke them? “For his letters, they say, are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible” (II Cor. 10:10).
In answer, Paul wrote Second Corinthians, a defense of his apostleship. He talks of “boasting” about a dozen times in the letter. He means they have forced him to talk about himself, in order to convince them he has a right to speak with God’s authority. “Let no one think me a fool,” he says. “If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little” (11:16). Then he goes on to detail of some of the things he has suffered, and things he has accomplished (11:22–12:13).
This is quite similar to what Job does, and what others have done as well. Sometimes we must speak out in our own defense. Other times, it is right and proper to keep silent. These options are illustrated by a seemingly contradictory pair of proverbs. “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (Prov. 26:5-6).
The meaning of the double proverb is: when dealing with a fool, you can’t win! If you argue with him, you are descending to his level, and why would you want to become a fool? But, on the other hand, if you keep quiet, the fool will be convinced it is because he is right! In such situations, we need divine wisdom to know when it is “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecc. 3:7).
We will sometimes be called upon to explain our actions, or correct a misconception held by well-meaning people. However, as God’s children, we must not be diverted, from our service for Christ, into repeatedly defending our actions. If some are convinced otherwise, arguing with them will likely get us nowhere. We need to trust God to defend us. “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Ps. 37:5-6). In the end, that is exactly what the Lord did for Job.
In Chapters 22-26 we have the third cycle of speeches. Eliphaz speaks, and is answered by Job. Then Bildad speaks very briefly (only six verses), and Job responds. But Zophar, for his own reasons, remains silent. Clearly, the arguments are running down.
1) What question does Eliphaz raise in 22:2-3?
Insight: Eliphaz is saying, “It is only man’s wickedness that arouses God to action. When he is good, God is neither pleased nor benefited. He is too high above man to even care.”
2) What do you think of this idea (compare Ps. 147:11; Mal. 3:16)?
3) What does Eliphaz believe is the reason for Job’s suffering (22:4-5)?
Insight: Eliphaz seems desperate to prove that Job is guilty. Without offering a shred of proof, he now accuses Job of a whole catalogue of sins. It may be guesswork, or based on the kind of gossip that often surrounds great men. The problem is, of course, that Job’s consistently godly life is so well known in the community it is a simple matter to prove these things are not so.
4) What are five or six accusations Eliphaz makes in 22:6-9?
5) In 22:15-16 Eliphaz claims that Job has reached the same level of wickedness as what group?
Insight: This incident is in keeping with Eliphaz’s insistence that “the wicked are cut down before their time.” They die an early death. He seems unwilling to face the possibility of the wicked living long and prosperously, as Job claims they sometimes do (21:7).
6) Eliphaz tries to put words in Job’s mouth, in 22:13-14. What does he claim Job has said?
7) What was really Job’s view on this (12:22; 23:10)?
Insight: It could be Eliphaz is deliberately twisting Job’s words. Or it may be that his strong opinions cause him to hear what he wants to hear.
Insight: In counselling another person–whether in a formal setting, or just as a friend–there are three key qualities that must be in evidence. 1) We must have the correct theological base, a proper understanding of the Word of God. 2) We must get to know and understand the person, and be discerning of what is happening in his life. 3) We must use an appropriate method. A practical and workable method of dealing with the need. Without these, the counsel is bound to go astray.
8) How would you evaluate Eliphaz in terms of #1 (see 4:7)?
9) How would you evaluate Eliphaz in terms of #2 (see 22:5 and 1:1)?
10) And what about #3 (see 5:3-4; 15:2, 7: 16:2)?
Insight: In the latter part of Chapter 22, Eliphaz urges Job to repent. (“If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up,” vs. 23). Vs. 29-30 are difficult. The NIV is helpful. It reads: “When men are brought low and you say [to God], ‘Lift them up!’ then He will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.” Eliphaz is picturing Job as being effective in praying for others. (Is he perhaps hinting that Job was not able to pray for his children, because of sin in his own heart?) This lays a further burden on poor Job. In effect, it says that others around him continue to suffer because, as a wicked man, he is unable to pray for them.
11) According to 42:7-8, who really needs the special prayers of Job?
12) What is the anguished cry of Job in 23:3?
13) In spite of the fact that Job cannot sense the presence of God, of what three things is he absolutely confident (23:8-10)?
14) This also strongly implies his determination not to do what (cf. 2:5)?
15) What is Job’s personal testimony at this time (23:11-12)?
Insight: If we are correct in dating the life of Job around the time of Abraham and Isaac, then the writing of the first books of the Bible was still some centuries away. How did Job hear God’s “commands” and “the words of His mouth” (23:12)? It is always possible that the Lord spoke to him directly. Or, it may be that men like Abraham, whom the Bible calls “a prophet” (Gen. 20:7), passed on messages from God in some way.
16) God not only knows what is happening to Job, but what else (23:14)?
Insight: In Chapter 24, Job recognizes that there are many wicked people in the world who need to be punished. But God does not seem to act. In vs. 12 we see the compassion of Job. As a judge in the land of Uz, he is greatly concerned for injustice in his community. He says, “The dying groan in the city”–from the town come sounds of pain, the groans of the dying. Yet God seems to pay no attention. Job is puzzled that God is so slow to bring justice.
17) What does Bildad say about the greatness of God (25:2-3)?
18) As far as Bildad is concerned, what is Job like in relation to God (25:6)?
Insight: Bildad asks a question that is found a number of times in the book: “How then can man be righteous before God?” (25:4). He is implying that it is utterly impossible for a man to have a righteous standing before his Maker. But that is not exactly right. It is true that, in himself, man is not righteous. All have sinned (Rom. 3:20, 23).
19) How does the Bible describe man’s attempt to be righteous by his own efforts (Isaiah 64:6)?
Insight: God’s answer is not for man to try to be perfect in himself (Rom. 7:18). God’s answer is what is called “imputed righteousness” (Rom. 4:6) The righteousness of Another is credited to our account, by faith in a Substitute. The Substitute is innocent of sin, yet it (or He) dies, being punished as if being guilty. When the sinner puts his faith in the Substitute, his sins are put to that One’s account, and the righteousness of the Substitute is credited (imputed) to the sinner.
Christ is the final Substitute. “For He [God the Father] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21). But while the final answer awaited Christ’s coming, the Old Testament saints had a way to find cleansing and forgiveness, too. The sacrifices of former times served that purpose. The death of each lamb (an innocent substitute) was a picture of “the Lamb of God” to come. God accepted this, until the Saviour arrived. Job understood this (cf. 1:5), and by this means would have been cleansed of his own sin in the past, by faith.
20) What is Job’s challenge to Bildad (26:2)?
21) What good question does Job ask in 26:4?
21b) And what seems to be the answer (cf. Rev. 12:9-10)?
Insight: True to modern scientific understanding, Job declares that the Lord “hangs the earth upon nothing” (26:7).
22) What does Job believe about man’s knowledge of God (26:14)?
Insight: In physical training, it is when a muscle is exercised against resistance that strength increases. Here Job has exercised his trust in God against the resistance of terrible tragedy, excruciating pain, and harsh dogmatic critics. This experience has brought forth tremendous statements of faith.
23) These wonderful statements emphasize what key truths?
