Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
July 30, 2003
Introduction
Job’s first three friends had the idea that Job must have done something
wrong. He must have done something to
deserve all the trouble he was going through.
After the older three were finished, Elihu, a younger man, began to
speak. His main idea was to suggest that
God allows pain in our lives not necessarily as punishment, but sometimes as
“chastisement”, as a way of correcting us and keeping us on the right path.
As Elihu speaks, we believe that a storm was beginning to form. Elihu makes many references to clouds,
storms, rain, hail, lightning, and thunder.
Job 38:1-38 Explaining Creation
38:1-11 Creation of the World
:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
whirlwind – ca‘ar –
tempest, storm, whirlwind; from ca‘ar –
to storm, rage
LORD – Yahweh – “the
existing One”
This is God’s name. God’s name was
used throughout chapters 1-2, but has not been used since, except by Job in:
(Job 12:9 KJV) Who knoweth
not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
Job had earlier been complaining and asking for an audience with God:
(Job 13:22
KJV) Then call thou, and I will answer:
or let me speak, and answer thou me.
Now God has finally shown up to address Job.
Lesson
He IS the answer
Warren Wiersbe writes,
The answer to Job’s problems was not an explanation about God, such
as the three friends and Elihu had given, but a revelation of God. The
four men had declared and defended the greatness of God but had failed to
persuade Job. When God displayed His majesty and greatness, it humbled Job and
brought him to the place of silent submission before God. That was the turning
point.[1]
Swiss psychologist Dr. Paul Tournier wrote in his book Guilt and Grace (Harper
& Row, p. 86), “For God’s answer is not an idea, a proposition, like the
conclusion of a theorem; it is Himself. He revealed Himself to Job; Job found
personal contact with God.”[2]
When God speaks, God doesn’t tell Job about the secret sin that he’s
committed (which he hadn’t). Instead,
God deals with Job’s attitude of complaining about what God has done or allowed
to happen in his life. God deals with
the issue of His own fairness by simply reminding Job of just who He is.
I wonder if sometimes the answer we need is a little bigger than we
think. I wonder if the answer we need is
a bigger vision of who God is.
:2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
darkeneth – chashak –
(Hiphil) to make dark, cause to be dark; to hide, conceal; to obscure, confuse
(fig.)
counsel – ‘etsah –
counsel, advice, purpose
knowledge – da‘ath –
knowledge, perception, skill; discernment, understanding, wisdom
(Job 38:2 The Message) {2} “Why do you confuse the issue? Why do
you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?
This is very similar to something that Elihu had just said:
Job 35:16 Therefore doth Job
open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
Lesson
Careful what you talk about
God isn’t questioning Job’s integrity.
God is questioning Job’s ability to explain what has been going on.
Do you really know what you’re talking about?
I think that sometimes we have a confused idea of what we really know to be
true. I think that sometimes we have a
highly inflated view of how much we really know.
Warren Wiersbe writes,
Job thought he knew about God, but he didn’t realize how much he didn’t know
about God. Knowledge of our own ignorance is the first step toward true wisdom.[3]
:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer
thou me.
(Job 38:3 The Message) {3} Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your
feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight
answers.
God is going to ask Job 77 questions.
:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if
thou hast understanding.
I think that God would want to ask this question of more than just Job.
One of the great problems with man’s theories about the origin of the
universe stem from the fact that man wasn’t there to observe it.
Illustration
Tour guide at dinosaur museum – this dinosaur is two million and six years
old. How do you know? I began working
here six years ago and they told me it was two million years old then.
It wouldn’t be surprising to think that when man chooses to reject the
Bible as an accurate, credible book, even in terms of describing things like
origins, that man would find some amazing (and sometimes silly) possibilities.
The Bible itself records,
(Rom 1:20-22 KJV) For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they
are without excuse: {21} Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him
not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. {22} Professing themselves to be wise, they
became fools,
When man rejects God’s truth, he will find himself resorting to some silly
(or, “foolish”) things.
Illustration
This response from the Smithsonian was intercepted recently and I thought I
would pass it on for your examination (this is just a humorous letter, only
meant to amuse).
Paleoanthropology Division
Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20078
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled “211-D,
layer seven, next to the clothesline post / Hominid Skull.” We have given this specimen a careful and
detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your
theory that it represents “conclusive proof” of the presence of Early Man in Charleston
County two million years ago.” Rather, it appears that what you have found
is the head of a Barbie Doll, of the variety one of our staff, who has small children,
believes to be “Malibu Barbie.” It is
evident that you have given a great deal of thought as to the analysis of this
specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with
your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings. However, we do feel that there are a number
of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off as to
its modern origin.
1.) The material is molded plastic, ancient hominid remains are typically
fossilized bones.
2.) The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters,
well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-hominids.
3.) The dentition pattern evident on the “skull” is more consistent with
the common domesticated dog than it is with the “ravenous man-eating” Pliocene
clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time. This latter finding is certainly one of the
most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your in your history with the
institute.
The evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against your theory. Without going into much detail, let us say
that:
1.) The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed
on.
2.) Clams don’t have teeth.
It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request
to have the specimen carbon dated. This
is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation,
and partially due to the carbon dating’s notorious inaccuracy in fossils of
recent geological record. To the best of
our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon
dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results. Sadly, we must also deny your request that we
approach the National Science Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning
your specimen the scientific name “Australopithecus spiff-arino.” Speaking personally, I, for one, fought
tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but it was ultimately
voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really
sound like it was Latin.
However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen
to the museum. While it is undoubtedly
not a hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless yet another riveting example of the
great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly. You should know that our director has
reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you
have previously submitted to the institution, and the entire staff speculates
daily on what you will happen upon next year in your digs at the site you have
discovered in your backyard. We eagerly
anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital you proposed in your last letter,
and several of us are proposing the director pay for it. We are particularly interested in hearing you
expand on your theories surrounding the “trans-posicating fillifitration of
ferrous ions in the structural matrix” that makes the excellent juvenile
Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive
appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.
Yours in Science,
Harvey Rowe, Curator, Antiquities
:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy?
all the sons of God – angels
The angels had already been created when God created the earth. They were there providing “background music”
as God created.
You could make a case for saying that God seems to do His best work when
there’s background music.
Lesson
Praise Him
We ought to consider learning how to praise and worship the Lord as He
works.
(Psa 22:3 KJV) But thou art
holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further
Putting boundaries on the ocean.
(Job 38:10-11 The Message) {10} Then I made a playpen for it, a
strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose, {11} And said, ‘Stay here, this is
your place. Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’
:38:12-24 Creation of light
:12 and caused the dayspring to know his place;
dayspring – shachar – dawn
:13 That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might
be shaken out of it?
(Job 38:13 The Message) {13} So you could seize Earth like a
blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches?
:14 It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.
(Job 38:14 NIV) The earth
takes shape like clay under a seal; its features stand out like those of a
garment.
The idea is that the shape or features of the earth slowly take shape as
the sun rises and you can make shapes out of the darkness.
:16 hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
The greatest depth measured so far is in the Pacific Ocean—35,810
feet or 6.78 miles.
:17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the
doors of the shadow of death?
(Job 38:17 The Message) Do you know the first thing about death? Do
you have one clue regarding death’s dark mysteries?
Speaking of death …
I understand that we’ve lost a great person this week.
Illustration
It is with the saddest heart that I must pass on the following news: Please
join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The
Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from
repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly
greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their last respects,
including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker,
the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. As you might imagine, the gravesite was
piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described
Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly
in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not
considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked
schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still, as a crusty old man,
was considered a roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife,
Play Dough, and two Children, John and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the
oven. His elderly father Pop Tart, also survives him. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
Job has made some claims about death that have been untrue. You need to be careful about forming
doctrines based on Job’s concept of death.
For example, there are some who teach this doctrine called “soul sleep”
(Jehovah’s Witnesses, 7th Day Adventists) that say that when a
person dies, they go and sleep in the grave.
They base some of their teaching on Job’s comments:
(Job 3:13-14 KJV) For now
should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been
at rest, {14} With kings and counsellors of the earth, which built desolate
places for themselves;
But keep in mind, God is saying that Job doesn’t know what he’s talking
about when it comes to death.
Lesson
Truth isn’t based on what you
“think” is true
Job has been talking about death, yet he really had nothing to base his
ideas on.
Some people base their thoughts on God in the same way.
If we’re going to trust what anyone says about death, we ought to trust
Jesus. After all, He’s been there and
back. Jesus described what Sheol was
like:
(Luke 16:19-31 KJV) There
was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared
sumptuously every day: {20} And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which
was laid at his gate, full of sores, {21} And desiring to be fed with the
crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked
his sores. {22} And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by
the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; {23}
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off,
and Lazarus in his bosom. {24} And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water,
and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. {25} But Abraham said,
Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. {26} And
beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they
which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that
would come from thence. {27} Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that
thou wouldest send him to my father's house: {28} For I have five brethren;
that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
{29} Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear
them. {30} And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent. {31} And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
There doesn’t seem to be much sleeping going on.
38:25-41 Storms and nature
:26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is
Does Job understand why it rains in places where no one lives?
:31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of
Orion?
sweet influences – ma‘adannah –
bonds, bands
Pleiades – Kiymah –
Pleiades, a constellation of seven stars
bands – mowsh@kah – cord
Orion – K@ciyl –
constellation, Orion
:32 Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide
Arcturus with his sons?
Mazzaroth – mazzarah –
Mazzaroth; the 12 signs of the Zodiac and their 36 associated constellations
Arcturus – ‘Ayish – a
constellation; Great Bear, Ursa Major; (TWOT) Arcturus
Arcturus, fourth brightest star in the sky, with a visual magnitude of
-0.05. An orange star in the northern constellation Boötes, Arcturus is about
40 light-years from the sun. Because it lies relatively nearby, its diameter
has been measured; it is about 23 times that of the sun. Arcturus is one of the
first stars to have its actual motion in the sky detected, through comparisons
with its relative position in ancient charts.
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library
2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Some have called Arcturus the “runaway star” because of it’s motion. Interesting that God speaks of “guiding” it.
:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion
thereof in the earth?
ordinances – chuqqah –
statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed
heaven – shamayim –
heaven, heavens, sky
I don’t think God is saying that the constellations control things on
earth. That’s astrology. God is talking about how the stars in the
universe are guided, how God rules over the universe.
(Job 38:31-33 NLT) "Can
you hold back the movements of the stars? Are you able to restrain the Pleiades
or Orion? {32} Can you ensure the proper sequence of the seasons or guide the
constellation of the Bear with her cubs across the heavens? {33} Do you know
the laws of the universe and how God rules the earth?
:36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given
understanding to the heart?
wisdom – chokmah – wisdom
inward parts – tuwchah –
inner regions, hidden recesses, inward parts
Think about the complexities of cells with their DNA and the advanced
mechanisms that are used to replicate cells.
Fascinating, incredibly complicated stuff.
38:39 – 39:30 Maintaining Creation
38:39-41 Lions and Ravens
:41 Who provideth for the raven his food?
At this point, God now challenges Job to think about what it takes to
oversee and take care of His creation. (38:39 – 39:30)
Lesson
Try walking in my shoes
In a way, God is saying that Job ought to think about God’s capabilities,
the kinds of things that God deals with.
God’s not saying, “hey, cut me a break, you don’t know how tough it is
to be God”. I believe that’s the premise
behind the movie “Bruce Almighty”.
Instead, the idea is that if Job could just begin to grasp the immense
creation that God very capably manages, Job would realize that God is way
bigger and smarter than Job is.
Perhaps God knows what He’s doing.
Job 39
39:1-12 Wild goats, ass, unicorn
:1 Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth?
wild goats – ya‘el –
mountain goat
:4 they go forth, and return not unto them.
Some animals are born and grow up on their own, without being cared for by
their parents. How does an animal do
that? How are they able to survive?
:5 Who hath sent out the wild ass free?
wild ass – pere’ – wild
ass; also called an “onager”, it roamed wild and refused to be domesticated.
:9 Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?
unicorn – r@’em – probably
the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct. The exact meaning is not
known. Some have suggested this could be the rhinoceros.
:12 Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it
into thy barn?
Apparently this animal was very powerful and not one that could be tamed.
If Job is unable to take domesticate or take care of these animals, then
how does he qualify to be judging God?
39:13-18 Ostrich
:13 Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers
unto the ostrich?
peacocks – ‘alac – to
rejoice; to flap joyously (of ostrich); some translate this “stork”
ostrich – that great bird that has wings, but doesn’t fly, but it
can run faster than a horse.
:14 Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
The ostrich doesn’t have a very wise approach to laying eggs. Anyone can get to them.
:18 What time she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and
his rider.
How did the ostrich survive the evolutionary onslaught of time? How could be it survival of the fittest when
it seems to be the dumbest?
39:19-25 Horse
:19 Hast thou given the horse strength?
God is talking about war horses, not plow horses.
:25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha
Horses are awesome animals. We could
probably learn a lot from them.
Seabiscuit
39:26-30 Birds of prey
:26 Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom
God has built into birds some amazing things.
The Pacific Golden plover builds it’s nest in Alaska
in the summertime. There it lays it’s
eggs, hatches the eggs, then takes off into the Pacific ocean
where it will fly for thousands of miles until it reaches Hawaii. It spends the winter in Hawaii
before flying back to Alaska to
lay more eggs. An amazing feat of
navigational skill, to land in Hawaii. But even more interesting is that the babies
are left behind by the parents in Alaska. When the babies get big enough, they start
off for Hawaii on their own. Without their parents to show them the
way. How do they find Hawaii? Amazing stuff.
:29 From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.
Good eyesight
Perhaps a little like God, being “afar off”, yet able to see things?
:30 Her young ones also suck up blood: and where the slain are, there is
she.
Was Jesus quoting this when He said,
(Mat 24:26-28 KJV) Wherefore
if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold,
he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. {27} For as the lightning cometh
out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of
the Son of man be. {28} For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles
be gathered together.
Job 40
40:1-5 Job can’t answer
:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that
reproveth God, let him answer it.
contendeth – riyb – to
strive, contend; to make complaint; to quarrel
could have been a contender …
instruct – yiccowr –
faultfinder, reprover, one who reproves
reproveth – yakach – to
prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right
answer – ‘anah – to
answer, respond, testify, speak, shout
Job, should you be teaching Me?
:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon
my mouth.
vile – qalal – to be
slight, be abated (of water); to be trifling, be of little account
answer – shuwb – (Hiphil)
to cause to return, bring back; to bring back, report to, answer; to bring
back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
Job had asked his friends to put their hands on their mouths to shut up:
(Job 21:5 KJV) Mark me, and
be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth.
Now Job finds that he needs to shut up.
Warren Wiersbe writes,
Until we are silenced before God, He
can’t do for us what needs to be done.[4]
:5 Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will
proceed no further.
(Job 40:5 NLT) I have said
too much already. I have nothing more to say."
(Job 40:4-5 The Message) {4} “I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me.
I should never have opened my mouth! {5} I’ve talked too much, way too much.
I’m ready to shut up and listen.”
Illustration
“I had a million questions to ask God; but when I met Him, they all fled my
mind; and it didn’t seem to matter.”
- Christopher Morley
40:6-14 Challenging God’s judgment
:8 Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou
mayest be righteous?
disannul – parar –
(Hiphil) to break, violate; to frustrate, make ineffectual
This is very similar to something Elihu had said:
(Job 34:17 KJV) Shall even
he that hateth right govern? and wilt
thou condemn him that is most just?
:10 Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with
glory and beauty.
majesty – ga’own –
exaltation, majesty, pride
excellency – gobahh –
height, exaltation; grandeur
glory – howd – splendour,
majesty, vigour
beauty – hadar – ornament,
splendour, honour
:14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save
thee.
One of Job’s complaints has been that God has not been fair to Job:
(Job 27:1-2 NIV) And Job
continued his discourse: {2} "As surely as God lives, who has denied me
justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,
God is challenging Job to demonstrate his ability to judge and execute
justice:
(Job 40:10-14 The Message) {10} Go ahead, show your stuff. Let’s
see what you’re made of, what you can do. {11} Unleash your outrage. Target the
arrogant and lay them flat. {12} Target the arrogant and bring them to their
knees. Stop the wicked in their tracks—make mincemeat of them! {13} Dig a mass
grave and dump them in it— faceless corpses in an unmarked grave. {14} I’ll
gladly step aside and hand things over to you— you can surely save yourself
with no help from me!
Before God turns all judgment in the world over to Job, first God
challenges Job to tame or subdue just two of His creatures.
40:15-24 Behemoth
:15 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
behemoth – b@hemowth – Some
translate as elephant or hippopotamus.
from b@hemah – beast, cattle,
animal
As we look at the description here, I tend to lean towards thinking that
this is perhaps an extinct dinosaur; a Diplodocus or Brachiosaurus, something
like that.
There are some findings down at the Biloxy river in Texas, of tracks that
appear to be human tracks, that are right along side of dinosaur tracks,
crossing over them. One human foot print inside of a dinosaurs print.
:17 He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped
together.
stones – pachad – thigh
Tail like a cedar? This doesn’t
sound like a hippo to me.
:24 He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.
Lesson
God is bigger than you
I think it helps to stop and think about just who God is.
There’s a sense in which it ought to terrify us a little (maybe a lot).
There’s a sense in which we ought to find a little comfort in it.
If God is BIG and God is on our side, we ought to find
comfort in this.
(Rom 8:31 KJV)
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us?
Lesson
God is wiser than you
He knows the end from the beginning.
He knows what REALLY ought to happen in our lives.
He knows how things are going to turn out.
He doesn’t make mistakes.
Lesson
God loves you
This is an important part of the equation.
If God is just big and smart but doesn’t love us, then we ought to be
afraid. Very afraid.
But He loves us like no other.
(Rom 5:8 KJV) But God
commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us.
(1 John 3:16 KJV)
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for
us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
He is not safe, but He is good.
Lesson
You can trust Him
(Rom 8:32
KJV) He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?
[1]Wiersbe, W.
W. (1996, c1991). Be patient. An Old Testament study. (Job 38:1). Wheaton,
Ill.: Victor Books.
[2]Wiersbe, W.
W. (1996, c1991). Be patient. An Old Testament study. (Job 38:1). Wheaton,
Ill.: Victor Books.
[3]Wiersbe, W.
W. (1996, c1991). Be patient. An Old Testament study. (Job 38:1). Wheaton,
Ill.: Victor Books.
[4]Wiersbe, W.
W. (1996, c1991). Be patient. An Old Testament study. (Job 40:1). Wheaton,
Ill.: Victor Books.