I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Job’s friend Bildad now replies to Job. Bildad starts off with a circular logic argument. He says that Job’s children must have been guilty of some sin, since they died in the natural disaster. Therefore their punishment (death in the natural disaster) was well-deserved. Bildad’s argument can be summed up this way, “They died, therefore they deserved to die.” Bildad then tells Job that if he would only turn to God his troubles would all go away. Bildad says that the wicked seem to flourish, but they soon wither and disappear. He argues that on the other hand, those who have integrity before God will enjoy untroubled lives. Bildad’s argument rests on the assumption that Job has turned away from God and/or rejected God, when Job has already said that such is not the case.
Job responds that he agrees with Bildad in principle, but asks how anyone can be innocent in God’s sight? Job tells us that God is so mighty that none dare challenge Him. In addition, God is so wise that none can win a debate against Him. Job cries out that what he needs is a mediator between himself and God because he cannot stand before God in his own strength. Job makes an absolutely valid point, we cannot stand before God in our own strength and wisdom. Thankfully, God has provided us with a mediator between us and Him, Jesus Christ. Job goes on to cry out the question that all people ask when they suffer, “Why are You doing this? Why me?”
Job’s third friend, Zophar, now speaks up. He continues the line of argument made by the first two. He declares that Job must be guilty of some sin deserving of this punishment. Zophar goes further and says that Job’s sin probably deserves even worse punishment than he is currently suffering. Zophar notes that no mortal can possibly comprehend all there is to know about God. But Zophar goes on to say that all of Job’s troubles are the result of his sin and if Job would only confess it and turn from it his troubles would go away.
Paul now addresses the issue of the resurrection of the dead. He begins by basically saying, “OK, let me go over the basics of what I first taught you.” He tells them that if they do not hold to this teaching all of what they believed about what he taught is in vain. He then goes on to sum up the Gospel. He tells them that Jesus died for our sins and then was raised from the dead. That there are still those alive who witnessed all of this, including seeing the resurrected Christ. He points out that he and the other apostles preach the same message.
Paul then asks them how some of them can say that there is no resurrection from the dead if Jesus was raised from the dead? He then makes two points. The first point is that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then faith in Him is useless. Second, he points out that if there is no resurrection of the dead than all of the apostles are lying about God and nothing they have said can be trusted. However, Paul says that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Jesus is the first of many to be raised from the dead for eternal life. Those who believe in Him will be raised when He comes back. When Christ returns He will have destroyed every ruler and power and authority such that everything is subject to Him. Death will be the last such authority to be destroyed. I know people who argue that they are Christians but do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Paul argues that there is no value in faith in Christ if there is no resurrection of the dead. Further he argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead, than the teachers of Christianity are liars and all of their teachings are lies.
The psalmist cries out from his suffering and confesses his sin before God. He makes no defense of his actions, but begs God for forgiveness. He is sorry for what he has done and resolves to change his ways. He chooses to wait upon God to either defend him or punish him. That is my wish to always lay my life before God and wait for Him to act.
The first proverb contrasts those who bear false witness with those who listen carefully. I had to read this several times in several different translations before that connection made sense to me. It then hit me that this was talking about how sometimes we think people meant one thing, and we tell others that that is what they said, when if we had listened carefully we would have realized they meant something very different. Even further I think it was talking about people who intentionally distort part of what someone said to make the original speaker look bad over against people who listen carefully to what the original speaker said and relay their meaning accurately.
I had a similar problem with the second proverb. Most translations said something along the lines of wicked people bluff their way through but the godly think before they act. I had trouble seeing what it was getting at. Then I read the New Century Version which translates this as:
but good people think carefully about what they do.”
Looked at from that perspective I could see how it made sense. I have known people who always try to bull their way through even when it turns out that things will not work out like they planned. These are usually people who do so either because they selfishly want what they will get out of it, no matter what the cost to others or because they are unwilling to admit that they were wrong.