PM June 24th Job 40

June 24^th           Job 40

1: Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 2: Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. 3: Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 4: Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 5: Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. 6: Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 7: Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 8: Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? 9: Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? 10: Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. 11: Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. 12: Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. 13: Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. 14: Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. 15: Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 16: Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 17: He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 18: His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. 19: He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. 20: Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. 21: He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. 22: The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 23: Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 24: He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

 

Job 41

1: Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? 2: Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 3: Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? 4: Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 5: Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 6: Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? 7: Canst thou fill his skin with barbed iron? or his head with fish spears? 8: Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 9: Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 10: None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? 11: Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 12: I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. 13: Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? 14: Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 15: His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. 16: One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. 17: They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 18: By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19: Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. 20: Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. 21: His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 22: In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. 23: The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. 24: His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. 25: When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. 26: The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. 27: He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 28: The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 29: Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 30: Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. 31: He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 32: He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. 33: Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. 34: He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

 

Job 42              C. Epilogue (Prose)       Job’s humility

1: Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 2: I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3: Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4: Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5: I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6: Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 7: And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8: Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 9: So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.

Job is restored in prosperity

10: And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 11: Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 12: So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13: He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14: And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch. 15: And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16: After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 17: So Job died, being old and full of days.

The Lord today continues to speak to Job. The Lord is not interested in addressing Jobs friends; rather it is Job that needs to be challenged by the message of the Lord. Then in chapter 42 we have the Epilogue where Job is humbled and restored in prosperity. But first we read of the Lord challenging Job to answer whether he is able to instruct the Lord. The Lord says you who think that you can reprove God, let’s hear you speak? So Job does speak, but he does not answer proudly, he humbles himself before the Lord. He says, I am vile - how can l answer the Lord? I will put my hand on my mouth. The Lord spoke to him out of the tornado. Will you call my judgment into question? Will you condemn me - so that you will be known to be righteous? Are you omnipotent like God? Can you thunder like God can? Can you array yourself in majesty and excellency an in beauty and glory? Can you rage against proud men and humble them in your might? Can you see every proud man and can you bring them low and put all the wicked under your feet? If you can then to be honest you would be able to save yourself. Think of the great Dinosaurs which l have made. They eat grass like an ox and they are very powerful in their hips. His tail is like a cedar tree and his bones are like strong brass or bars of iron. They are the chief of all creation. He that made him can bring judgment on you. The mountains bring him food. He lies under shady trees, in the shallow waters among the reeds. He drinks huge amounts of water. Can you Job fish for one of the huge sea monsters and catch him with a hook? Will you be able to talk to him and make an understanding with him? If no man can stand up to this fierce sea monster then who can stand up and fight with me? Then a dragon is described who breaths fire. Is there any reason to think that The Lord who made this creature is describing a mythical animal? This dragon is described by the Lord as having a heart of stone and limbs that are very strong. The presence of this creature brings terrible terror to men and he is called by the Lord the king of beasts. Job answered and said, I know that you can do everything and that there is no thought that is beyond you. He says, l have heard your voice and l turn away from my thoughts and sit in dust and ashes. The whole book is drawn to a climax in these words. When everything had been said and done Job repented and sat on the dung hill. God has brought Job to the right place and he is now in his right mind. Then the Lord rebuked Eliphaz and his two friends, because they have spoken things about God that are not right, just like Job. (What a serious indictment that should cause every preacher to tremble) So these three men were sent by the Lord to Job who would sacrifice seven bullocks and seven rams as burnt offerings. And they would remain silent while Job prayed from them. The Lord accepted Jobs sacrifice and prayer and saved the lives of his friends. Then the Lord restored Jobs health, wealth, property and family. The Lord gave him double what he had before. Job held a feast for all his extended family and they came to mourn with him. He also had seven sons and three daughters, Jemima, Kezia and Keren-happuch. They were the most beautiful women in all the kingdom. Job gave them equal inheritance among their brothers. Job lived another 140 years and saw his great grandchildren. He died a very old man.