October 15, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Job? Here’s today’s reading:
Job 27 (NIV)
Job’s Final Word to His Friends
1 And Job continued his discourse:
2“As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,
the Almighty, who has made my life bitter,
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God in my nostrils,…..Continue Reading
Job now uses his friend’s own arguments against them. If their point is that the wicked be punished, in particular hypocrites, then shouldn’t they be subject to this same punishment. Job knows he is innocent and is not afraid to say it aloud, he has never lost his hope that God is with him even though he feels distant from Him. He is showing his friends here that he gets it! He knows how God works but that God’s plan are sometimes much more than we can see or understand and they are not taking account for that and Job even experiencing the pain and heartache he was could still see God may have another purpose than simply punishment.
Job no matter what God allows to happen to him will as long as he has breath never speak wickedness on his tongue or utter deceit. He will determine to keep his integrity. He says that they know how great God is so why is their conversation so vain. Job has hope for he knows that his Redeemer lives and he will see Him when he dies. [ Job 19;25-27] Here in this chapter he is describing the wicked who have no hope. For they might have gain but then they are gone and their soul is lost. He goes on to say that God will not hear them if they are in trouble. Their children may be multiplied but they won`t be satisfied and his wife won`t weep for him when he dies. Men won`t care that he dies. None of this is good for the wicked. Matthew 16;26 [ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.] Proverbs 10;2 [ Treasures of the wicked profit nothing but righteous delivereth from death.] Proverbs 11;10 [ When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth, and when the wicked perish there is shouting.] Let our hope be our Almighty God who redeemed us with His blood.
Job 27
For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
Job is resolved in maintaining his character, his righteous ways and his faith in God in spite of that he feel like God has not been fair to him. How good it is for us to remain resolved in hard times to remain true to all the things we believed in good times. He also remains committed to the truth that he has not done anything deserving of what he has received and his “friends” are all wrong. He then gives a fitting description of the wicked and how they will not prosper even if it may appear that they do. We should never wish such things on people, but also recognize that is the way consequences flow as well as the work of God opposing wickedness and supporting righteousness.
Job 27
Job stands firm in his belief that God is not punishing him because of anything wicked that he’s done. I have a lot of respect for him for not wavering from this thinking when he is at his weakest and his friends are telling him otherwise.
I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.
I will maintain my innocence and never let go of it;
my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.