Answers Faith Fully Fit Monday: Job 15-17 Ch. 15 Note: After Job’s first complaint in chapter 3, each of the three friends made one speech. Elip- Weekly Spiritual My Spiritual Fitness Goals for this week: haz spoke at greatest length, then Bildad, and final- Thursday ly Zophar, who spoke most briefly. After each  Eliphaz gets downright mean here. He says that even speech Job replied. His speeches were longer and

if Job were righteous, it wouldn’t phase God in the Fitness Plan more detailed than those of his friends. In chapters least, for God is so much higher than man. This is 15 to 21, the three friends again speak, and Job pure foolishness. God is pleased with what we do, not answers them in turn. so that we can become righteous in his sight but be- cause we bring him glory by serving him for his good- 16:15 “Brow”—The literal meaning of this Hebrew ness to us. God was pleased with Job, and Job’s life word is “horn.” In the Old Testament, the word was evidence of Job’s love for God. horn was used to express strength and pride. In his  Job is no different from us. He has a new man and a Introduction & Background present humiliation, Job feels his strength and sinful nature. The new man, the new creation, trusts and hopes and relies on God’s grace, forgiveness, and to this week’s readings: pride are crushed.

love. The new man is always sure that God has vindi- 16:20 “My intercessor is my friend.” A better trans- cated him, and the new man is always sure that God Introduction to the Book of Job - Part 2 lation of this phrase is, “My friends treat me with will save him. Every Christian also has a sinful flesh that is dour and despairing, that never hopes and is Content / Purpose: Ever since our first parents fell scorn.” Other Bible translations use that transla- never confident. The real I in Christians is our new into sin in the Garden of Eden, sin has been very tion, and it seems to fit better with the rest of the person. much a part of our experiences. Sin has brought verse. with it many consequences: misunderstandings, Friday 17:6 “Byword”—People had come to associate the troubles, grief, pain, sickness, death.  He knows that although he is suffering like a wicked name Job with suffering. For Christians today as well as for Old Testament person might suffer, his sufferings are coming on him believers, these afflictions that God permits us to for some other reason, which he cannot understand.  How can we avoid sounding like Eliphaz? Nevertheless, he can speak of God’s justice in punish- endure are not punishment but wholesome chas- ing the wicked. This must have galled his friends. tisement, a disciplining exercise to strengthen our faith. Saturday There is much more to the book of Job than the  When a person is broken and crying for mercy, any- story of a good man who suffered many things and one who sees that person naturally comes to his or Week 43 - Job 15-31 her aid. In fact, Job did this for others. Job sees him- was engaged in a prolonged dialogue with three Tuesday: Job 18-19 friends who actually did more harm than good in self like a fighter who has been beaten and is calling 18:3 “Stupid”—Bildad appears to have been as their attempts to comfort him. This book also has a out “uncle” only to have his opponent fight harder. sensitive of his own feelings as he was insensitive messianic content, in a number of passages that of the feelings of others. point to the coming Savior, Jesus Christ. Apart from God’s love for us in Jesus Christ, we will 18:5,6 “Lamp . . . flame . . . fire . . . light”—These be unable to grasp the real message of this book. words indicate that all is well with a person and Franz Delitzsch, a Lutheran commentator, is not that he or she is safe and secure in the night as well guilty of overstating the case when he writes, “The as in the day. Throughout the Bible, the expression real contents of the book of Job is the mystery of light has a favorable connotation. The wicked, how- the Cross: the Cross on Golgotha is the solution of ever, are deprived of these blessings. the enigma of every cross; and the book of Job is a Most of the questions and answers on the “Weekly Spiritual Fitness Plan” prophecy of this final solution” (page 32). 18:15 “Fire resides in his tent.” Once again the NIV come from “The Whole Bible Project” Bible studies. Background and footnote provides a better translation: “Nothing he Introduction information come from “The People’s Bible” commentary series and from “Book of Books,” both published by NPH. had remains in his tent.” In other words, he has lost everything. Tuesday: Job 18-19 (continued) Thursday: Job 22-24 Friday: Job 25-28 Saturday: Job 29-31

19:25 “Redeemer”—The Hebrew word includes Ch. 22 Note: Each of Job’s friends has expressed 25:1 “Bildad”—This final speech by Bildad is very the idea of a “kinsman,” who was in charge of buy- himself twice, and Job has answered each in turn. short—only six verses. There is no third speech by 30:13 “Without anyone’s helping them”—This ing someone out from another’s authority and ser- Perhaps all four were beginning to realize that they Zophar. On the other hand, the next six chapters phrase could also be translated, “there is none to vitude. had reached an impasse and that they were only (26–31) are spoken by Job. help against them.” Job feels helpless as he is con- talking past each other. But they give it one more fronted by his aggressive enemies. He needs help.  What do you think Bildad has in mind when he try. 26:12 “Rahab”—This name must not be confused asks Job to be sensible? with the name of the former prostitute who kindly 30:30 “My skin grows black.” This gives us some 22:1 “Eliphaz”—Eliphaz’ final speech is far more helped Israelite spies at Jericho in Joshua chapter 2. clue to the nature of Job’s ailment: he may have blunt than his first (chapters 4,5). At first Eliphaz In Hebrew, the two names are written differently. suffered from elephantiasis or some form of lepro- had spoken in rather vague generalities. In his sec- This Rahab is not a person but rather the personifi- sy. ond speech (chapter 15), he became more person- Wednesday: Job 20-21 cation of all evil forces. 31:26 “Sun . . . moon”—Because the sun is so im- al, and in this final speech, he directly attacks Job. 27:1 “Job continued his discourse.” This wording portant for life and growth on this earth, from ear- Ch. 20: Job’s confession of faith in the last chapter 22:16 “A flood”—It’s possible that Eliphaz is refer- differs from all of the previous speeches, sug- liest times people have worshiped it as a god. The did not occur in the middle of his speech as before. ring to the great flood described in Genesis 6–9. gesting that Job paused for a few moments to give moon has fascinated people from earliest times Yet it is found in the middle of the book as a whole. The tradition of a universal flood was preserved the third friend, Zophar, the opportunity to re- because of its ever-changing phases and its control That Job’s Redeemer is alive and interceding for among many ancient nations. spond. But Zophar apparently had nothing more to of ocean tides. him is the high point of the book of Job. Zophar say. now continues to accuse Job. He has just heard one 22:30 “Deliver”—We can properly understand Elip-  What complaint does Job make against the of the most beautiful confessions of faith of all haz’ words. He says a godly person can pray for the 27:5 “Integrity”—Job’s greatest concern is his per- Lord in verses 24-27? time, but it rolls off him like water off a duck’s forgiveness of a guilty person, and God will forgive sonal integrity. In Hebrew this word has the same back. that person. Job’s hands were already clean. root as blameless. In his conversations with Satan, the Lord twice referred to Job as “blameless” (1:8; 20:1 “Zophar”—In his first speech (chapter 11), Ch. 23-24 Note: In this speech, Job’s words are not 2:3). Zophar had been both blunt and sharp in his criti- directly addressed either to Eliphaz, the previous cism of Job. His words had caused a strong reaction speaker, or to God. Job is speaking to himself, wish- 28:6 “Sapphires”—There is a difference of opinion Answers from Job (12:2,3). This must have disturbed Zophar ing he could somehow approach God with his com- among translators regarding the identification of greatly. He appears to have been anxiously waiting plaint. some of the jewels mentioned in this chapter. We to get back at Job. Now he has his opportunity. He do well simply to think of them as a rather exten- Monday speaks with even more venom than before.  Job claims to be righteous. What does Eliphaz sive list of precious metals and gems.  We must grow to understand the gospel better and say about that, even if true? better and understand suffering in that context. Only 20:17 “Honey and cream”—The last word here is  Why can Job fearlessly speak about the fate of when we know God is our loving Father, and only better translated as “curds.” In the prerefrigeration when we realize what we are as God’s new crea- the wicked, even though everything that he days of old, milk was preserved in a form similar to tions, can we understand his loving desire to prune says happens to the wicked is happening to cottage cheese or yogurt. Milk and honey were us and make us more fruitful, even if that means  Job goes back and forth between being confi- him? symbols of prosperity, as we know from the famil- suffering. dent and being afraid of God, who seems to be iar description of the Promised Land as a place hiding his face from him. This seems like an Tuesday “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8).  Bildad wants Job to think like he and his friends inconsistency on Job’s part. Explain this seem- ing inconsistency from the standpoint of your Saturday: Job 29-31 think. He wants Job to start searching his life and 21:2 “Listen”—The Hebrew verb form is plural, as repenting of the sins he is committing. Basically, he own life of faith. though Job is calling on all three of his friends to 29:7 “Gate”—The gate of the city was the place wants Job to deny his God-pleasing life, worked listen to what he has to say. where people would gather to visit, transact busi- through faith in God’s covenant promise. The world always wants Christians to be “sensible.” ness, or conduct trials.  Job suggests a way his friends can console him. Wednesday 30:11 “Bow”—A strung bow is a symbol of What is that?  strength. Job is complaining that God has deprived By listening to what he has to say and then weighing his arguments. He doesn’t want them to judge him him of his strength. immediately without thinking about his words.