Looking for Job

[JLG]

101) Looking for Job


Job 10

Before I go away – and I will not return -

To the land of deepest darkness,

To the land of utter gloom,

A land of deep shadow and disorder,

where even the light is like the gloom.


- These words remind me of those of Jesus speaking about death as if it was sleep!


- deepest darkness, utter gloom, deep shadow and disorder, the light is like gloom!


- Quite a different vision from what people usually think it is!


- Maybe they should think about!

 

[JLG]

102) Looking for Job


Job 12

Then Job says in reply:

“Surely you are the people who know,

And wisdom will die out with you!


- If we didn’t know Job’s situation, would we think about someone so combative?


- Difficult to think so!


- So precise!


- Wisdom is a journey which never ends!


- And the beginning of this journey is humility: no humility, no journey, no wisdom!

 

[JLG]

4) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

(Job 1:1)

• Blameless!
• Upright!
• Fearing God!
• Shunning evil!

(Job 1:8)

• There is no one like him on earth!
• Blameless!
• Upright!
• Fearing God!
• Shunning evil!

• We find twice the same words about Job!
• Once in the text!
• Once when Yah.weh speaks to the devil!
• Thus for Yah.weh, Job’s faithfulness is clear like crystal!
• Job doesn’t need any refinement!
• He does everything Yah.weh expect him to do!
• And even more!
• He does everything according to what he knows!
• In the Bible, Israel does the reverse that is spiritual corruption and follows corruption!
• They know what to do and they do the reverse!
• Today it is the same with mankind, there is absolutely no difference!
• And many speak against Job!
• Thus they also speak against Yah.weh!
• Find the mistake!

 

[JLG]

103) Looking for Job


Job 12

But I too have understanding.

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know these things?


- Job is not a young boy!


- He has lived for quite some time!


- He has life experience!


- He has helped many people!


- He is someone you can count on!


- We know him through the Book of Job!


- We know them according to what they say!


- And they were supposed to help Job but they are liars, they do the reverse!


- They don’t come from God but from the devil!


- They are just another attempt from him to get rid of Job!

 

[JLG]

104) Looking for Job

Job 12

I have become a laughingstock to my

companions,

One calling to God for an answer.

A righteous and blameless man is a

laughingstock.


- Laughingstock!


- The book of Job tells us a lot about Job!


- He has done so many good things!


- And he is faithful to God!


- And he has become a laughingstock!


- Just concentrate on this word!


- Think about Job’s life and his actions!


- “A righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock”!


- What a shock for him!


- All that for that!


- What a nonsense for Job!


- He can’t situate anywhere!


- He is nowhere!


- Or better said he keeps by his faithfulness!


- It is his torch lighting him in the darkness!


- And he keeps fighting whatever happens!

 

[JLG]

5) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- Are the devil accusations against Job serious?
- In fact, they are completely ridiculous!
- Job is a faithful servant of Yah.weh!
- Because of his faithfulness, Yah.weh blesses him!
- it is a two-way relationship!
- It has always been so!
- In Matthew 4, the devil does it this way when he provokes Jesus!
- And the third attempt is the best: something in exchange for something else!
- He does the same with Eve!
- In the covenant between Yah.weh and Israel, it is the same way again!
- In fact, there is only one way!
- Yah.weh only gives!
- Israel gives nothing back!
- Thus the devil is less than nothing!
- That’s why Yah.weh says: there is nothing like him on earth!

 

[JLG]

105) Looking for Job


Job 12

The carefree person has contempt for calamity,

Thinking it is only for those whose feet are

unsteady.


- The carefree person doesn’t care!


- But Job cares about everything!


- And he cares about God!


- And he cares about people!


- But he also cares about himself!


- And knowing his personal situation he can only be upset!

 

[JLG]

6) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- We breathe CORRUPTION through pollution!
- We eat CORRUPTION through pollution!
- We drink CORRUPTION through pollution!
- We are contaminated through:
- MORAL CORRUPTION!
- RELIGIOUS CORRUPTION!
- MENTAL CORRUPTION!
- HEALTH CORRUPTION!
- HUMAN CORRUPTION!

- When we look at the book of Job, Yah.weh says about Job:
- There is no one like him on earth!
- We are so contaminated that it is so difficult for us to understand these words from Yah.weh!
- We are so contaminated that it is easy for us to condemn Job!
- But we have no roadmap!
- We don’t have constant actions to fight corruption!
- We live in a human society which is completely corrupted!
- Or better said, human society is corruption itself!
- And the devil is the father of human corruption!
- And he started with Eve!
- And he tried everything possible to corrupt Job!
- BUT HE FAILED!
AND IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE!

 

[JLG]

106) Looking for Job


Job 12

The tents of robbers are at peace,

And those who provoke God are secure,

Those who have their god in their hands.


- God is tortured!


- So he feels bad!

- And he sees what’s on in the world!


- What would he say if he could see what is happening today?

 

[JLG]

107) Looking for Job


Job 12

However, ask, please, the animals, and they will

instruct you;

Also the birds of the heavens, and they will

tell you;

Or give consideration to the earth, and it will

instruct you;

And the fish of the sea will declare it to you.

Who among all these does not knowledge

That the hand of God has done this?


- Yes, Job answers back!


- And he says that God’s creation tells us about God!


- God’s creation is an open Book of God’s wisdom!


- What a difference with man!


- He is only a copier and a bad one!


- Look at what he has done of the earth!


- And the more the time passes the worse it is!


- And he seems to be proud of it!


- And more people talk about a plan B!


- But there is no plan B!

 

[JLG]

108) Looking for Job


Job 12

In his hand is the life of every living thing

And the spirit of every human.


- Yes, God created us!


- And we are his creation!


- And we can live thanks to all his creation!


- And he knows us!


- We can’t trick him!


- And yet he listens to his servants and to those who are really looking for him!


- And he listens to Job!


- But he answers him at the appropriate time!


- And God’s time is not ours!


- It is easy to forget it!


- And think wrong!

 

[JLG]

109) Looking for Job


Job 12

Does not the ear test out words

As the tongue tastes food?


- We have five senses but because of modern life we are losing them more and more!


- And we have good sense: may we use it!


- Job tries to use it as much as he can!


- He keeps fighting!

 

[JLG]

110) Looking for Job


Job 12

Is not wisdom found among the aged,

And does not understanding come with a long life?

- Job tells about what he knows!


- May we listen to him and benefit from his words to build up our personality and be active for God!


- How we need such faithful examples especially in this confused and superficial period of time!

 

[JLG]

111) Looking for Job


Job 12

With him there are wisdom and mightiness;

he has counsel and understanding.


- Job keeps thinking well about God!


- He knows he is the source of wisdom and mightiness!


- And he invites us to listen to him!


- And both testaments are essential for that!

 

[JLG]

112) Looking for Job


Job 12

When he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt;

What he has shut, no man can open.

When he withholds the waters, everything

dries up;

When he sends them out, they overwhelm

the earth.


- He looks nature that is God’s creation which tells us about God and what he is able to do!


- May we do the same to find inspiration and motivation to action!


- Of course, there is no one like God!


- Every day we can see God’s power and wisdom in action!


- And every day we can see man’s weakness and stupidity!


- And nature enhances both and opposes them!


- And it should encourage us to humility!

 

[JLG]

113) Looking for Job


Job 12

With him there are strength and practical

wisdom;

To him belong the one going astray and the

one leading astray;


- He is the only one who can lead humanity!


- It is completely lost!

- And we know where it is going and it is dark!


- Emptiness!


- Only God can bring brightness!

 

[JLG]

114) Looking for Job


Job 12

He makes counselors go barefoot,

And he makes fools of judges.

He loosens the bonds imposed by kings,

and he binds a belt around their waist.

He makes priests walk barefoot,

And he overthrows those who are firmly

established in power;


- Man is inclined to pride!


- But Job invites us to humility!


- We are nothing compared to him!


- And it doesn’t matter if we are powerful or not!


- We are all going to die!


- And sometimes it arrives faster than we think!

- Humility may help us to be careful and work for our health!


- Job was old and apparently in good health when the devil acted against him!


- When everything came back to normal he could keep enjoying a peaceful life and a faithful one!


- Definitely a good example to follow and to think about and to remember at any time!

 

[JLG]

7) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

• Thus Yah.weh tolerates the devil’s attacks on Job!
• And his attacks are extremely violents!
• He takes all Job’s animals!
• He kills all Job’s servants!
• He kills all his children!
• He makes everything so Job can only imagine that Yah.weh did it!
• Because Yah.weh is Job’s only reference!
• Imagine you think that your best friend has just dont that to you!
• What would you think?
• How would you react?
• Let’s have a look at Job’s answer!
• Job 1:20:

Then Job
אִיּוֹב֙ (’î·yō·wḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 347: Job -- a patriarch

stood up,
וַיָּ֤קָם (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

tore
וַיִּקְרַ֣ע (way·yiq·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7167: To rend

his robe,
מְעִל֔וֹ (mə·‘i·lōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4598: A robe

and shaved
וַיָּ֖גָז (way·yā·ḡāz)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1494: To cut off, to shear a, flock, shave the hair, to destroy an enemy

his head.
רֹאשׁ֑וֹ (rō·šōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

He fell
וַיִּפֹּ֥ל (way·yip·pōl)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5307: To fall, lie

to the ground
אַ֖רְצָה (’ar·ṣāh)
Noun - feminine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and worshiped,
וַיִּשְׁתָּֽחוּ׃ (way·yiš·tā·ḥū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

• He tore his robe!
• He shaved his head!
• He fell to the ground and worshiped!
• What dignity!
• RESPECT!

 

[JLG]

8) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- Job 1:21:

saying:
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Naked
עָרֹ֨ם (‘ā·rōm)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6174: Nude, either partially, totally

I came
יָצָ֜אתִי (yā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

from my mother’s
אִמִּ֗י (’im·mî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

womb,
מִבֶּ֣טֶן (mib·be·ṭen)
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 990: The belly, the womb, the bosom, body of anything

and naked
וְעָרֹם֙ (wə·‘ā·rōm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6174: Nude, either partially, totally

I shall return.
אָשׁ֣וּב (’ā·šūḇ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

The LORD
יְהוָ֣ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

gave,
נָתַ֔ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

and the LORD
וַיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

has taken away.
לָקָ֑ח (lā·qāḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

Blessed
מְבֹרָֽךְ׃ (mə·ḇō·rāḵ)
Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

be
יְהִ֛י (yə·hî)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

the name
שֵׁ֥ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the LORD.”
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

- Job’s words are equal to Job’s attitude!
- What dignity!
- RESPECT!
- The devil did everything so Job would think Yah.weh acted against him!
- He knows that Yah.weh is Job’s only reference!
- Thus Job has absolutely no idea of what is going on!
- And he keeps his dignity!
- Blessed be the name of Yah.weh!
- Who does the same today?
- THE BIG MAJORITY IS NOT!
- DOUBLE RESPECT!
- AND SHAME ON THOSE WHO ACCUSE JOB!

 

[JLG]

9) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- Job 1:22:

In all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

this,
זֹ֖את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

Job
אִיּ֑וֹב (’î·yō·wḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 347: Job -- a patriarch

did not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

sin
חָטָ֣א (ḥā·ṭā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

or charge
נָתַ֥ן (nā·ṯan)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

God
לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

with wrongdoing.
תִּפְלָ֖ה (tip̄·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8604: Unsavoriness, unseemliness

- DO I HAVE TO REPEAT?
- APPARENTLY YES!
IN ALL THIS
JOB DID NOT SIN OR CHARGE GOD WITH WRONGDOING!