(The previous post covered Zophar's First Round statement and Job's response. Also, Job began the Second Round stating he had not learned anything from his friends.)
Job 13
(Job continued to speak during the Second Round, with a different tone.)
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value.
5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
(Job stated that his friends had not helped but he still wanted to understand and that God alone could explain this why. Verse 4: Job was done with his friends and started going on the attack.)
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?
10 He will surely reprove you If ye do secretly show partiality.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will.
(Job declared his friends as false teachers!)
14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?
15 Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
16 This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.
(Job was not going to stop trying to understand and he still did not believe he caused this.)
19 Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face:
21 Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
(Job wanted to talk with God, face to face, without fear. If Job did cause this, he wanted to know how.)
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth:
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet:
28 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
(This chapter can be summed up by Job stating to his "friends": "You are false teachers. I want to meet with God so I can understand why this is happening.")
Job 14
1 Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
(Job recognized he was nothing compared to God. Job was still humble.)
3 And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
(Job believed any chance of him being profitable would happen after he was dead because he could not point to something that would change. All three of his friends had spoken to no avail. Job had been asking God for the reason and had not received an answer. Why would Job expect an answer now when he had not received one yet?)
8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.
10 But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 As the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;
12 So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
(Job believed his suffering was an effect of God's wrath upon everything. This was part of Job's CONCLUSION #1 in chapter 9 that stated God destroyed everyone, good and bad. Job wanted his suffering to stop and for God to remember him when God's wrath was gone.)
14 If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.
15 Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.
16 But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
(Job stated that his sin was sealed up. Job still did not understand why he was suffering and he thought it may have been from a transgression that he was unaware.)
18 But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place;
19 The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth.
(Job's Second Round perspective was that his friends were useless, false teachers even, and that he would not get resolution until he was dead.)
Job 15
(Like during the First Round, Eliphaz began the Second Round.)
1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2 Should a wise man make answer with vain knowledge, And fill himself with the east wind?
(In the Bible, an "east wind" was what brought a "curse." This was a big accusation against Job.)
3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk, Or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4 Yea, thou doest away with fear, And hinderest devotion before God.
5 For thine iniquity teacheth thy mouth, And thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; Yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
(Eliphaz responded by attacking back. Eliphaz did not want to reason with Job and his excuse for not having to deal with Job was that Job was in pride.)
7 Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou brought forth before the hills?
8 Hast thou heard the secret counsel of God? And dost thou limit wisdom to thyself?
9 What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?
10 With us are both the gray-headed and the very aged men, Much elder than thy father.
(Eliphaz thought he was right because he had more people on his side. Eliphaz could not reason with Job, so he stated his age/seniority as proof he was right.)
11 Are the consolations of God too small for thee, Even the word that is gentle toward thee?
12 Why doth thy heart carry thee away? And why do thine eyes flash,
13 That against God thou turnest thy spirit, And lettest words go out of thy mouth?
(Eliphaz accused Job of turning against God. If Eliphaz was right, then Satan would be right.)
14 What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15 Behold, he putteth no trust in his holy ones; Yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight:
16 How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, A man that drinketh iniquity like water!
17 I will show thee, hear thou me; And that which I have seen I will declare:
18 (Which wise men have told From their fathers, and have not hid it;
19 Unto whom alone the land was given, And no stranger passed among them):
20 The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, Even the number of years that are laid up for the oppressor.
21 A sound of terrors is in his ears; In prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22 He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, And he is waited for of the sword.
23 He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24 Distress and anguish make him afraid; They prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25 Because he hath stretched out his hand against God, And behaveth himself proudly against the Almighty;
(Again, Eliphaz accused Job of turning against God.)
26 He runneth upon him with a stiff neck, With the thick bosses of his bucklers;
27 Because he hath covered his face with his fatness, And gathered fat upon his loins;
28 And he hath dwelt in desolate cities, In houses which no man inhabited, Which were ready to become heaps;
29 He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, Neither shall their possessions be extended on the earth.
30 He shall not depart out of darkness; The flame shall dry up his branches, And by the breath of God's mouth shall he go away.
31 Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; For vanity shall be his recompense.
(Eliphaz accused Job of trusting in vanity (unprofitability) and that vanity would be his reward.)
32 It shall be accomplished before his time, And his branch shall not be green.
33 He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, And shall cast off his flower as the olive-tree.
34 For the company of the godless shall be barren, And fire shall consume the tents of bribery.
35 They conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity, And their heart prepareth deceit.
(This post covered Eliphaz's Second Round response which included attacking Job, and accusing him of both being in pride and turning his back on God. Also, Eliphaz claimed he must be right because of his age/experience and number of people who agree with him.)
Day 146
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