ListenDaily - 03 July 2009: Doing everything right, but...
As we press into the Book of Job, it would be helpful for you, though not necessary, to read a bit more than what I include here. I would recommend reading through chapter 1, today, and again over the weekend, maybe a few times
Job can be broken down into some specific sections, and I plan to go through these sections, highlighting certain elements. I do, however, believe very much in the old Jewish saying; "Man plans, God laughs." That being said, the plan is to follow the following outline, in some manner, not necessarily one day per section:
Prologue: 1: 1-5
1st test: 1: 6-22
2nd test: 2:1-10
Job speaking to his friends: 2:11 - 3:26
Eliphaz speaking, Job replying: 4-7
Bildad speaking, Job replying: 8-10
Zophar speaking, Job replying: 11-14
Eliphaz speaking, Job replying: 15-17
Bildad speaking, Job replying:18-19
Zophar speaking, Job replying: 20-21
Eliphaz speaking, Job replying: 22-24
Bildad speaking, Job replying: 25-31
The young man, Elihu speaking: 32-37
God speaking out of the storm, Job replying: 38-42:6
Epilogue: 42:7-17
In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East. His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three
sisters to eat and drink with them. When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.
Job 1:5 NIV (find any passage at www.Biblegateway.org)
Let us see what this prologue to the story of Job tells us about the man:
He was a good man -- "blameless and upright".
He was a Godly man -- "he feared God and shunned evil. "
He had a large family and was wealthy -- "he had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.
His children's behavior concerned him -- "his sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
He responded as the good and Godly man he was -- "when a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send
and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.
Scholars believe that Job lived at the same time as the Patriarchs, but had little if any contact with, or knowledge of them. He obviously knew God, however, and sought to be the Godly head of his household. I would like to point out two specific things about Job's character, of which we are given insight in these verses:
1) Being a good and Godly person does not provide escape from the ills of this world; as a matter of fact, it might place you more squarely in Satan's cross hairs.
2) Walking in the will of God does guarantee that He will be with you always, and that the end result will be that you see Him.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Questions:
1. Have you ever read the Book of Job? 2. Do you have any notions about it? 3. Will you ask God to teach you through it, and pray that I will say what He wants me to say?
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"A man may lose the good things of this life against his will;
but if he loses the eternal blessings, he does so with his own consent."
Augustine
No comments:
Post a Comment