DANIEL CHAPTER ONE

[JLG]

- It’s incredible to think when two essential elements miss the consequences it can produce!
- JOB ONLY HAS ONE REFERENCE: YAH.WEH!
- THE BOOK OF JOB SHOWS US ALL THE WEAPONS USED BY THE DEVIL!
- AND ONLY HIS WEAPONS!
- THIS IS A COMPLETELY UNBALANCED FIGHT!
- YAH.WEH CAN DO NOTHING TO DEFEND JOB!
- BECAUSE JOB’S LOYALTY IS AT STAKE
- JOB IS ALL ALONE FACING THE DEVIL!
- AND HE ONLY HAS ONE WEAPON: HIS LOYALTY!
- But even when we do not have these two elements, the words of Yahweh concerning Job should allow us to understand Job's attitude!
- THERE IS NO ONE LIKE HIM ON EARTH! - It is probably because fidelity to Yah.weh is something extremely rare that we can allow ourselves to criticize Job!
- Normally it should be the opposite!
- He should be an example of loyalty to all of us!
- But if Yah.weh does not do it, what right can we afford to do it?
- Nowhere in the Bible we find a faithful man who makes sacrifices taking into account the possibility of his children speaking evil of Yah.weh in their hearts!
- NOWHERE!
- How is it possible to criticize him?
- Is this unforgivable?
- Such ignorance is beyond me!
- Especially when it is widespread!
- When infidelity is the rule everywhere, we seek to condemn fidelity!
- Find the error!

 

[JLG]

1) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

- When the story of Job starts in the book of Job, Job is an old man!
- There” is no one like him on earth!
- His faithfulness is established!
- He has nothing to prove to Yah.weh!
- And Yah.weh is his only judge!
- No one else!
- There is nothing more important than his relationship to Yah.weh!
- it is like breathing, drinking and eating!
- If we want to understand Job’s faithfulness, we need to feel his relationship to Yah.weh!
- I should say smell it!
- Each drop of perspiration!

 

[JLG]

2) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

• He has everything!
• Many animals!
• Many servants!
• Many children!
• We are told about one wife like Abraham!
• A deep relationship to Yah.weh!
• He is respected by everybody!
• Blameless!
• Upright!
• Fearing Yah.weh!
• Shunning evil!
• Is that not enough?
• Unfortunately, we get nothing about Job’s youth and adulthood!
• Personally, I would have enjoyed having such information!
• Then you can compare with your whole life!
• Compare the different stages!
• Nothing special!
• Just human!

 

[JLG]

3) Job - comparing faithfulness to Yah.weh

JOB 1:5

And
וַיְהִ֡י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

when
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the days
יְמֵ֨י (yə·mê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 3117: A day

of feasting
הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֜ה (ham·miš·teh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4960: Drink, drinking, a banquet, feast

were over,
הִקִּיפֽוּ֩ (hiq·qî·p̄ū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 5362: To strike, to knock together, surround, circulate

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

would send [for his children]
וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח (way·yiš·laḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

to purify them,
וַֽיְקַדְּשֵׁ֗ם (way·qad·də·šêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6942: To be set apart or consecrated

rising early
וְהִשְׁכִּ֣ים (wə·hiš·kîm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7925: To load up, to start early in the morning

in the morning
בַּבֹּקֶר֮ (bab·bō·qer)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1242: Dawn, morning

to offer
וְהֶעֱלָ֣ה (wə·he·‘ĕ·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

burnt offerings
עֹלוֹת֮ (‘ō·lō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5930: Whole burnt offering

for all of them.
כֻּלָּם֒ (kul·lām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

For
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

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

thought,
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Perhaps
אוּלַי֙ (’ū·lay)
Adverb
Strong's 194: Perhaps

my children
בָנַ֔י (ḇā·nay)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

have sinned
חָטְא֣וּ (ḥā·ṭə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

and cursed
וּבֵרֲכ֥וּ (ū·ḇê·ră·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse

God
אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

in their hearts.�
בִּלְבָבָ֑ם (bil·ḇā·ḇām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

This
כָּ֛כָה (kā·ḵāh)
Adverb
Strong's 3602: Just so

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

regular
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

practice.
יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה (ya·‘ă·śeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make


- To purify them!
- Rising early in the morning!
- To offer burnt offerings for all of them!
- “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts”!
- This was Job’s regular practice!
- Have you ever seen a simple man like you and me doing such a thing in the Bible?
- I haven’t!
- Just this small element opposes powerfully against all those who speak against Job and have no idea about what means FAITHFULNESS TO YAH.WEH!
- It’s easy to understand when we realize that UNFAITHFULNESS IS NEARLY EVERYWHERE IN THE BIBLE!

 

[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]

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]

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]

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!