Job Chapter eight

[JLG]

A Bed of Darkness
11 # Short Commentary and Lesson from Job 17.11-15

These words were spoken in a moment of deep depression. Job's emotions went back and forth from faith to bleak despair.

We can think of our lives as slender candles. Once the wick has been consumed there is no more time remaining. Those who have spent their lives with no regard for God and eternity are making a bed of darkness for themselves. This is also true for those who are obsessed with making money and spending it on themselves.

What kind of hope is that? Rather than trivialize our lives, let's concern ourselves with eternal matters. Begin today to prepare for yourself a bed of hope.

Yes and stay healthy and mentally active, ready to face any situation even difficult ones and keeping in mind the prize!

 

[JLG]

Second lesson from the book of Job:
Comfort those who suffer

First we must be able to comfort ourselves by building our mental strength and by developing God’s quality! Then we can use our own experience to encourage others by thinking positively! Of course, they must accept our help!

 

[JLG]

4. Wisdom Comes from God

In many countries, world leaders are presented through puppets and it seems to be that they are just short-sighted! Some people want to colonize Mars such as those who want to colonize other countries such as those who think that the grass is greener elsewhere! But they look like teenagers! They just want to escape reality but they are unable to make people’s lives better! Only words! They speak well but only say empty words! And when we look at countries controlled by religious leaders it’s exactly the same: empty words! The world is completely away from God! They are so different from the faithful examples in the Bible and so similar to the bad examples in the bible, I would say the normal examples which are the majority in the Bible! Let’s think of men like Job and Daniel and Moses and … who were able to speak to God and do his will!

 

[JLG]

#7 - God often uses crisis to bless us spiritually

It is usually after a crisis of some kind in our lives that we gain a greater understanding of God and His nature, power and ways. After a blessing, I am reminded of the things that I already know about God (His kindness and generosity) for which I repeatedly give thanks. However, it is during a crisis or during a trial that I usually discover something that I didn't know about God.

For example, I have learned and have been amazed at how God sees to all the small details of answered prayer. My wife and I prayed for help with a recent move, but in answering that prayer I noted the assistance and the blessings that we received in every aspect of that move (selling our house, buying another house, financing, moving, setting things up). I realized that God is the God of detail.

Regardless of the trial or challenge, God rewards faithfulness with both material and spiritual rewards. Job suffered greatly, but his constant (not perfect) faith was ultimately rewarded, not with the why of his situation, but rather with a greater understanding and appreciation of the "who" God really is and what He is like.

« I like the idea of the God of detail, I would prefer the God of details because for him every detail matters as he is a God of ORDER. We find many examples in the Bible about how God used crisis to train his servants and crisis help a lot. But normal times are also good to build up our faith when take time to study carefully the Bible and exchange ideas with others and think about the good examples of faithfulness we find in the Bible. It helps to analyze our personal relationship with God and what we can do to improve it and develop it and make it alive and invigorating!”

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

- AND THIS KIND OF FOOD IS ONLY SERVED AT JOB’S TABLE! OF COURSE THERE ARE OTHER TABLES WHICH ARE EXCELLENT TOO!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 6:
Is my tongue speaking unjustly?
Does my palate not discern that something
is wrong?

- Job is in total distress!

- He knows it perfectly!

- No need to tell him!

- For these guys, it seems impossible to help!

- How easy it is to make a situation worse!

- Sometimes it is better no to say a word, sometimes it is better to act!

- But these guys, they have all wrong and each time they make it worse!

- It helps to understand why God uses special hard training for his faithful ones!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 7:
Why have you made me your target?
Have I become a burden to you?
Why do you not pardon my transgression
And excuse my error?
For soon I will lie down in the dust,
And you will look for me, but I will be gone.”

- Job can’t imagine that the devil is after him!

- He doesn’t know what is going on!

- He can only think that God is punishing him!

- And he doesn’t know why!

- It is completely crazy and the devil knows it!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 9:
When he snatches something, who can resist
him?
Who can say to him, “What are you doing?”

- God could have erased the devil and the demons and Adam and so on as the ridiculous human dictators usually do!

- But no, he let them all act to prove through God’s justice that they are liars and that God is the only one who can govern the universe and all its creatures!

- That’s why we have to bear human rats act and bring misery to humanity till God would have proved we are only rats unable to govern ourselves!

- That’s why we have to wait for God to put an end to this FARCE!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 9:
The earth has been handed over to the
wicked;
He covers the eyes of its judges.
If it is not he, then, who is it?

- Here we are again: Job only knows God!

- He doesn’t know that the devil is controlling the world and he is the one who is responsible!

- In fact, in a way, the world is in Job’s situation, but it is the world, not only one man but the whole humanity, and who is going to be faithful like Job?

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 10:
I will say to God:” Do not pronounce me guilty.
Tell me why you are contending with me.

- Job is used to communicate personally with God!

- He doesn’t know how to do it in another way!

- We don’t know when he started his relationship with God!

- We don’t know about his family!

- As far as we know, the relationship between Job and God has strong foundation!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 10
If I sinned, you would watch me,
And you would not acquit me of my error.

- Yes, God is watching!

- And God was watching Job and his pain and his sufferance!

- Don’t you think he was sharing it with Job!

- Now think about what God says to Job and only to him when he finally answers him: please listen to me or he invites him to listen to him!

- Isn’t it RESPECT from God’s part towards Job’s faithfulness which echoes to there is no one like him on earth!

- Now think about a special communication between God and Job!

- Now think about what we have to do to improve our communication with God!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 10
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 care about God!

- And he cares about people!

- But he also cares about himself!

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

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 12
He reveals deep things from the darkness,
And he brings deep darkness into the light;

- God is definitely the source of knowledge, the creator of everything!

- We can check that every day if we open our eyes and ears to look at and listen to nature!

- We can learn a lot from the Bible if we take time and use patience and efforts!

- But we need to make efforts to get closer to God!

- We need to open our minds!

- And it is not easy in this superficial modern world!

- In history they speak about dark ages!

- Are we far from it today where everything is superficial and confused?

 

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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]

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 the source of knowledge!

- Even if some angels rebels against God, the majority stayed faithful!

- Why cutting the roots of the tree?

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 16
If I speak, my own pain is not relieved,
And if I stop speaking, how is my pain
reduced?

- Job is in a trap!

-Whatever he does – speaking or not – it doesn’t change anything!

- He doesn’t find anyway to feel better!

- In this case, you need to escape by going in a peaceful place where you can rest a bit!

- And you need to walk, to move, to do something!

- The best is to use one’s mind so you can think of something else!

- When it is not possible, it is really hard!

- But you don’t need people to help you go down!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 17
Please accept my security, and keep it with you.
Who else will shake hands with me and pledge
in my behalf?
For you have concealed discernment from their
heart;
That is why you do not exalt them.

- Everybody is against him!

- The only one who can help him is God!

- The men who speak and oppose him are far from being wise!

- They don’t know what they are talking about!

- He can’t stop fighting!

- He has no other alternative till God answers him!

- He can only save time!

 

[JLG]

Looking for Job

Job 19
My path he has blocked with a stone wall, and I
cannot pass by;
He has covered my roadways with darkness.

- Yes, the devil is blocking him with a stone wall!

- Yes, the devil is covering his roadways with darkness!

- And more than that!

- Because there is no one like him on earth!

- And think of each attack by the devil!

- And Job keeps faithful!

- And the more he attacks him, the more Job resists and keeps faithful!

- What A SMACK in the devil’s face!

- Job is proving he is A LIAR!

 

[JLG]

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- Get away from this old world of Chaos and prepare for the New World!

- don’t do like the Israelites who stayed in the old world and died!

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Looking for Job

Job 21
Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
When He is the one who judges even the highest ones?
One man dies in his full vigor
When he is completely carefree and at ease,
When his thighs are padded with fat
And his bones are strong.
But another man dies deeply distressed,
Never having tasted good things.
Together they will lie down in the dust,
And maggots will cover both of them.

- A man can have a good or bad life!

- But for Job one thing is clear!

- When a man dies, his end will be the same: dust and maggots!

- Before, he was looking for death!

- Because for him it was relief!

- But now he doesn’t say that anymore!

- Only that death is the same for all people that is the void!

 

[JLG]

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- Get away from this old world of Chaos and prepare for the New World!
- don’t do like the Israelites who stayed in the old world and died!
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Looking for Job

Job 24
“Why does the Almighty not set a time?
Why do those who know him not see his day?

- The devil strikes Job again and again !

- And Job doesn’t see the end of it !

- It is really hard when you are in trouble and it seems it will never end !

- Of course, man is able to endure again and again !

- Man usually adapt to adversity !

- He is supposed to be flexible !

- But there is a limit !

- A mental and physical one !

- It is different for each individual according to his own experience !