Day 149: Job 25-27

(The previous post covered Eliphaz's weak Deterministic Third Round perspective and Job's response.)

Job 25
¹ Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

(Bildad was the second "comforter" to speak in the Third Round.)

² Dominion and fear are with him; He maketh peace in his high places.
³ Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise?
⁴ How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?
⁵ Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, And the stars are not pure in his sight:
⁶ How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm!

(Bildad's argument was short and abstract, making his point that "everyone is bad." He was analogous to Traditionalists today (a belief in "total depravity"?). He appealed to the doctrine that they had followed from the past and could not begin to make a coherent point in his concluding speech. If man was a "worm," then why was Bildad speaking at all?)

(Zophar did not speak at all during the Third Round. He was analogous to Post-Moderns today. He did not believe we could understand God, God was unjust, and none of this mattered anyway.)

(All three of the "comforters" arguments towards Job diminished in quality the more they spoke. Each of the three round's arguments grew more abstract, more contradictory, and weaker. We were done hearing from Job's three friends.)




Job 26
¹ Then Job answered and said,
² How hast thou helped him that is without power! How hast thou saved the arm that hath no strength!
³ How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom, And plentifully declared sound knowledge!
⁴ To whom hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came forth from thee?

(Job asked his "comforters" who they had helped. Job blatantly asked them "whose spirit" came out of them (God or enemy?). Job was beginning his "victory" speech.)

⁵ They that are deceased tremble Beneath the waters and the inhabitants thereof.
⁶ Sheol is naked before God, And Abaddon hath no covering.

(The word "Abaddon" was Strong's #11 and it meant "destruction.")

⁷ He stretcheth out the north over empty space, And hangeth the earth upon nothing.
⁸ He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; And the cloud is not rent under them.
⁹ He incloseth the face of his throne, And spreadeth his cloud upon it.
¹⁰ He hath described a boundary upon the face of the waters, Unto the confines of light and darkness.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble And are astonished at his rebuke.
¹² He stirreth up the sea with his power, And by his understanding he smiteth through Rahab.
¹³ By his Spirit the heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent.

(Job gave a list of attributes that showed how awesome God was! Remember, the word "Rahab" was Strong's #2793 and it meant "proud," however, it was also used in the Old Testament as a poetic reference to Egypt.)

¹⁴ Lo, these are but the outskirts of his ways: And how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?

(Job stated that this list was only a portion of how awesome God was! Job had declared victory. Next, it was time to conclude his interaction with his three friends.)




Job 27
¹ And Job again took up his parable, and said,

(Job presented his conclusion with a "parable." This word parable was Strong's #4912 mashal which meant "sense of superiority in mental action." Job was completely in charge of this debate.)

² As God liveth, who hath taken away my right, And the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul:
³ (For my life is yet whole in me, And the spirit of God is in my nostrils);
⁴ Surely my lips shall not speak unrighteousness, Neither shall my tongue utter deceit.
⁵ Far be it from me that I should justify you: Till I die I will not put away mine integrity from me.
⁶ My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

(Job stated his will that he would not renounce God.

**This was officially the moment that God was proven right before Satan.**

Satan believed that Job would renounce God if his HAVE and DO were taken away and Job had proven that he would not. Job stated he would not, even in the very midst of his extreme suffering.)

⁷ Let mine enemy be as the wicked, And let him that riseth up against me be as the unrighteous.
⁸ For what is the hope of the godless, though he get him gain, When God taketh away his soul?
⁹ Will God hear his cry, When trouble cometh upon him?
¹⁰ Will he delight himself in the Almighty, And call upon God at all times?

(Job concluded: The godless may gain in the short term but will lose in the long term. The godless did not inquire of God.)

¹¹ I will teach you concerning the hand of God; That which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.
¹² Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; Why then are ye become altogether vain?
¹³ This is the portion of a wicked man with God, And the heritage of oppressors, which they receive from the Almighty:

(Job's objective became teaching the three "comforters," and he stated his objective to them.)

¹⁴ If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
¹⁵ Those that remain of him shall be buried in death, And his widows shall make no lamentation.
¹⁶ Though he heap up silver as the dust, And prepare raiment as the clay;
¹⁷ He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on, And the innocent shall divide the silver.
¹⁸ He buildeth his house as the moth, And as a booth which the keeper maketh.
¹⁹ He lieth down rich, but he shall not be gathered to his fathers; He openeth his eyes, and he is not.
²⁰ Terrors overtake him like waters; A tempest stealeth him away in the night.
²¹ The east wind carrieth him away, and he departeth; And it sweepeth him out of his place.
²² For God shall hurl at him, and not spare: He would fain flee out of his hand.
²³ Men shall clap their hands at him, And shall hiss him out of his place.

(Verses 14-23 was a list of things that happen to the wicked, making the point that "the wicked will not get away with their wickedness." Job was not done with his conclusion.)

(This post covered the conclusion of the Third Round and the beginning of Job's "victory speech.")

Day 150