Looking for Job

[JLG]

124) Looking for Job


Job 13

He will surely rebuke you

If you secretly try to show favoritism.

Will not his very dignity terrify you

And the dread of him falling upon you?


- It is premonitory!


- Job knows God well!


- It tells about his special relationship with him!


- But they don’t care!


- Pride!


- Self-satisfaction!


- They are not afraid!


- They can be lucky that God put their destiny in Job’s hands!


- He could have struck them more severely!


- The religious leaders act the same way!

 

[JLG]

125) Looking for Job


Job 13

Your wise sayings are proverbs of ashes;

Your defenses are as fragile as defenses of

clay.

Keep silent before me, so that I may speak.


- Job is clear: they are wrong!


- And God will say he is right and they are wrong!


- They will be condemned and he will be rewarded for his continuous faithfulness!


- They should keep silent!


- But the devil is pushing them continuously!


- And think about the fourth individual who is going to speak later!


- When we listen to God’s words, he doesn’t exist!


- He ignores him!


- Isn’t it worse than being condemned?

 

[JLG]

126) Looking for Job


Job 13

Then let whatever may come upon me come!

Why do I put myself in danger

And take my life in my hands?

Though he may slay me, I would still wait;

I would argue my case before his face.


- Job wants to control his life and destiny!


- I mean he knows who he is, he knows his faithfulness!


- he knows he hasn’t done anything wrong!


- He knows that God can kill him!


- He wants to defend himself in front of God!


- It is the only thing that counts for him!

 

[JLG]

127) Looking for Job


Job 13

He would then become my salvation,

For no godless person may come in before

him.


- He knows God can’t condemn him!


- He knows his faithfulness to God!


- He knows he can stand in front of God!


- He has never done anything he could be ashamed of!

 

[JLG]

128) Looking for Job


Job 13

Listen closely to my word;

Pay attention to my declaration.

See, now, I have prepared my legal case;

I know I am in the right.


- Job’s thoughts are clear!


- He has all his fighting spirit!


- His mind is so strong that it surpasses his pain and suffering!


- He has prepared his legal case meaning he has organized his personal defense!


- It is really important for him!


- And above all, he knows he is right!


- It is his compass which helps him to stay on course!

 

[JLG]

129) Looking for Job


Job 13

Who will contend with me?

I would die if I were to stay silent!


- Here we are: Job is ready to defend himself at any cost!


- There is nothing more valuable than his reputation in front of God!


- He will never keep silent!


- In fact, he will keep silent but only after having Fought with all his strength!


- Then he can keep silent!


- But not before!

 

[JLG]

130) Looking for Job


Job 13

Only grant two things to me, O God,

So that I will not conceal myself from before

you:

Remove your heavy hand far away from me,

And do not let the fear of you terrify me.


- Wow, wow, wow!


- He wants God to stop striking him, we can understand that!


- Even if it is the devil and God will stop him!


- But the last verse is so powerful!


- In fact, he wants back his personal relationship with God, nothing else!


- It is vital for him!


- It is his root to life!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


131) Looking for Job


Job 13

Either call and I will answer,

Or let me speak, and you answer me.


- Job wants to speak with God!


- He doesn’t want to speak with anybody else!


- Any connection will do!


- Whatever happens, he wants this communication!


- He can’t do without it!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


132) Looking for Job


Job 13

What Are my errors and sins?

Reveal to me my transgression and my sin.

Why do you hide your face

And consider me your enemy?


-Yes, Job wants to know his errors and sins!


- Because he knows he hasn’t done anything wrong!


- And he wants God to tell him!


- He wants a discussion with God!


- Meaning he is used to doing it!


- And he doesn’t know what is happening!


- Why can’t he speak with God?


- Of course he doesn’t know what’s on between God and the devil!


- He doesn’t know God can’t have a discussion with him!


- And it is unbearable for him!


- Imagine you can’t speak with somebody who is close to you!


- You can’t speak with this person because he or she refuses to speak to you because of something you don’t know and you are not responsible!


- Of course, it is better to speak and to clarify the situation!


- When it is not possible, it is hard!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


133) Looking for Job


Job 13

Will you try to frighten a windblown leaf

Or chase after dry stubble?


- A man is nothing compared to God!


- But Job knows the type of relationship he has with God!


- Or he thinks he knows!


- And in fact he is right!


- he has a special one!


- That’s why Job can’t stand the absence of communication!


- Once again we see the importance of communication!


- It doesn’t matter if sometimes it is hard to communicate!


- otherwise it makes it more difficult!


- And the problem gets bigger!


- Or it can lead to incommunicability!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


134) Looking for Job


Job 13

For you keep recording bitter accusations

against me,

And you make me answer for the sins of my

youth.


- Job doesn’t understand what’s on!


- And he tries hard to understand!


- He tries to go back to his past as far as he can!


- Thus he speaks about the sins of his youth!


- Of course, it has nothing to do with that!


- But when you don’t understand what’s on, you imagine any possibility!


- Even something which is not!


- And it brings more lack of understanding!


- It is a never ending story!


- You build on something which doesn’t exist for nothing!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


135) Looking for Job


Job 13

You have put my feet in stocks,

You scrutinize all my paths,

And you trace out each of my footprints.

So man decays like something rotten,

Like a garment eaten by moths.


Stocks and pillory

These were used to punish people for crimes such as swearing or drunkenness. Criminals would sit or stand at a wooden frame and the local people would throw rotten food or even stones at them. The stocks and pillory were used as a punishment throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.


- In such punishment you were unable to move!


- You can imagine what the people would feel!


- Mentally and physically!


- Thus it is exactly what Job feels!


- Except that for Job the punishment lasted for months!


- It is like being eaten alive by red ants and you can’t escape!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


136) Looking for Job


Job 14

“Man, born of woman,

Is short-lived and filled with trouble.


- Job speaks about man’s life!


- “short-lived”: Job is old when he speaks!


- But what does old mean!


- When we get older, we are physically old!


- But are we old mentally?


- The brain has so many abilities!


- And the more we live the more connections we can get!


- And we never use all that we have!


- And like the universe, the brain has no limit!


- So yes, man’s life is too short!


- And man is not made for such a short life!


- Otherwise why do we have such a powerful brain?


- But yes, in this world, our lives are filled with trouble!


- And Job knows what he speaks about because the devil is after him and he doesn’t know it!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


137) Looking for job


Job 14

He comes up like a blossom and then withers

away;

He flees like a shadow and disappears.


- Yes, life is too short!


- And Job wants to live!


- But not in such conditions!


- He wants to get back to his normal life!


- He wants to be active!


- He wants to communicate with God!


- he doesn’t want to die!


- And his complaints show how much he wants to live!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


138) Looking for job


Job 14

Yes, you have fixed your eye upon him,

And you bring him into judgment with

yourself.

Who can produce someone clean from someone

unclean?

No one can!


- God created man as a perfect creature!


- Because of the devil and because of Adam we lost this perfection!


- We can see the result every day by living in this world!


- We didn’t choose!


- But it is so!


- We can only wait for a new world!


- But for now we have to live in this world!


- But we must prepare for the next one!


- Remember the Israelites!


- They were not prepared!


- When they left, they acted as if they were still in Egypt!


- And if Moses hadn’t prevented God from destroying them, they would have been destroyed all at once and all of them!


- May we remember this reality!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


139) Looking for job


Job 14

If his days are decided,

The number of his months is with you;

You have set a limit for him that he may not go

beyond.

Turn your gaze away from him so that he may

rest,

Until, like a hired worker, he finishes out his

day.

- Yes, man has limited days to live!


- But he should have lived forever!


- With no limits to learn!


- And no limits to develop ourselves!


- And the possibility to develop a personal relationship with God like the faithful characters in the Bible!


- And the possibility to work for God as the source of knowledge!


- Even if some angels rebel against God, the majority stays faithful!


- Why cut the roots of the tree?

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


140) Looking for job


Job 14

For there is hope even for a tree.

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

And its twigs will continue to grow.


- Yes, and it’s the same for us!


- We have to live for a few days!


- And we must live in this contaminated world!


- And we don’t have enough time to learn!


- There are so many things to learn!


- But our hope must get stronger and stronger!


- And we must build it up now to be stronger ourselves!


- Even if we live in bad conditions!


- Even if we are ill or whatever!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


141) Looking for job


Job 14

If its root grows old in the ground

And its stump dies in the soil,

At the scent of water it will sprout;

And it will produce branches like a new plant.


- Yes, we need to see our hope grow!


- We must not let despair grow!


- We must fight like Job no matter what happens!


- And if we die, God can bring us back through resurrection!


- But we must build up our relationship with God!


- We mustn’t let it die or diminish to become a pea!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


142) Looking for job


Job 14

But a man dies and lies powerless;

When a human expires, where is he?


- When someone dies believing in God, he can have hope through resurrection!


- But it is necessary to build up this hope like a rock or a mountain!


- Something solid we can hold onto!


- But it is hard work!


- That’s why we need to study personally and dig deeply!


- We must learn how to do it!


- It is not easy because this world is superficial!


- And knowledge is a perpetual movement!


- A never ending trip!


- On the contrary superficiality is easy!


- You don’t need any effort!


- But you go nowhere!


- And thus you can’t build a relationship with God!


- No way!

 

[JLG]

There are two parts in the Bible: if you miss one, you can forget the rest!


143) Looking for job


Job 14

Waters disappear from the sea,

And a river drains away and dries up.

Man also lies down and does not get up.

Until heaven is no more, they will not wake up,

Nor will they be aroused from their sleep.

O that in the grave you would conceal me,

That you would hide me until your anger

masses by,

That you would set a time limit for me and

remember!

- Yes, Job wants to die because of his pain and sufferance!


- He wants to go to the Grave to be concealed!


- There he will wait for God to remember him and bring him back from death!


- Everything is clear in Job’s mind!


- Do we have the same mind light?