Bible: Beginning to End - Job 1-21: Prologue & Speeches

Episode Date: December 13, 2025

Read Job (Berean Standard Bible)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Important Links for the Podcast⁠⁠��⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here for our YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss each episode on Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Resources on JobBible Project Video on JobTen Minute Bible Hour Video on JobWas Job a Man or a Myth? - John PiperWas Job in the Bible Actually a Real Person? - Anchor Bible CollegeIs the Story of Job Historical? - Dr. Douglas Sean O’DonnellDefinition of “satan” and “hasatan”Who was Satan in the Book of Job - Video Dr. Michael HeiserThe Absence of Satan in the Old Testament - Dr. Michael HeiserWhy Michael Heiser is Probably Wrong about Satan in the Book of Job - Kenneth BerdingIs “The Satan” in Job Actually Not the Devil? - Dr. Philip BrownWhat is Sheol? - Matthew Y. EmersonReturning to Sheol - Dr. Michael HeiserSheol: Does the OT Have a Concept of Eternal Bliss or Heaven? - Dr. Michael HeiserContact Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Twitter: @biblebeginning1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Via email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Supporting the ShowFinancial contribution is never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways:Be a listener and share the show with your friends!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible.10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps0:00 - Intro9:32 - Ad Break9:33 - Job 125:43 - Job 2 31:30 - Job 336:22 - Job 440:58  - Job 545:06 - Job 649:11 - Job 756:03 - Job 859:50 - Job 91:08:10 - Job 101:12:32 - Job 111:16:53 - Job 121:21:14 - Job 131:25:27 - Job 141:29:51 - Job 151:35:32 - Job 161:40:00 - Job 171:42:57 - Job 181:45:43- Job 191:49:35 - Job 201:53:32 - Job 211:58:37 - outro

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end, where we are reading through the scriptures together from Genesis to Revelation. I'm so glad that you're here and choosing to spend your time learning more about the Bible and understanding it in its entire context. For this episode, I am using the Berean Standard Bible Translation. And if you want to read along, there is always a link in the description of every episode that takes you to the verses that we read through in this. episode. So if you want to read along, you can follow that link. As always, I will be reading through the passages today and I will be stopping along the way to ask questions. These are critical thinking questions to get you thinking about God's Word, thinking about the Bible,

and really sitting with and processing these questions through prayer and thoughtful consideration. Of course, after you sit with these questions, you're free to look at commentary, hear what other scholars have to say, hear what different people have to say, talk with your friends, talk with people in your community, in your church about these questions and see what they have to say. But I think it's really important to sit with the questions on your own first and really make space to listen and hear what God's word is saying to you. Okay, so last time we finish up the book of Esther, and we read about how Queen Esther helped save God's people. The book of Esther concludes the section of the Old Testament that we call the historical books. So the first section of the Old Testament are the books of the law.

So that's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Then we transitioned into the historical books, Joshua, judges, Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. That's where we learned about the history of God's people, of the tribes of Israel and their stories. And now we're transitioning into the next section of the Old Testament, the poetic books. And these include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

So today, we're going to be starting with the book of Job. So remember that in Protestant Christianity, the way the Bible is organized is not chronologically. So they group the Old Testament into these different categories for convenience. The law books together, the poetry books together, the history books together, the prophets together. So even though Job is the next book in the Bible after Esther, that doesn't mean that the book of Job took place chronologically in the historical timeline after the story of Esther.

Job most likely took place well before Esther was even alive. So if you're looking at the historical timeline of events, many scholars put Job in between Genesis 11 and Genesis 12. So this would be after Noah, after the Tower of Babel, but before God calls Abram, who would later become Abraham, to begin his journey toward the promised land. And it would be before Exodus and before Moses and before the Egyptians and before that entire story.

So Job would have been alive around the same time as Abraham. So it's important to keep that in mind as we're reading through to understand what's going on culturally during the time of Job. But it's placed here in the Bible because it's grouped with these other poetry books. We also are unsure who the author of Job is. Some think it might be Job himself, some think Moses or Solomon or Elihu, although we really don't know who wrote the book of Job. And Job is a really interesting book of the Bible. It is written in a way that's different than many other books of the Bible. It tells a story that feels a little different than other

books of the Bible. And it's a story that deals with grief, with questioning God, with pain and suffering. And it also deals with our relationship with not only God, but our relationship with those around us. So there's a lot to the book of Job. It's very interesting. It's very fascinating. It's one that I think after you read through it and sit with these questions, you're going to want to dive deeper into. You're going to want to do more research on your going to want to find out more about the book of Job and where it came from and what questions does it answer and what do other scholars have to say about Job and his story. Because there's a lot of debate around the book of Job. Like I said earlier, some scholars put the book of Job

in between Genesis 11 and 12. And some people say that because Job doesn't mention the Israelites and it doesn't mention the temple, and it doesn't mention priests or things like that that came about during the time of Moses, that Job is one of the oldest books in the Bible and occurred before all of those events occurred. But then you have some people who believe that the book of Job was written during the Persian period, which would have been after Babylon. And the evidence that biblical academics and scholars have for this is, when they look at the original Hebrew that Job was written in, the original language it was written in, they see some borrowings from the Aramaic language and the way the story is structured and told,

and comparing that to other literature of the time. They think that Job was written during that Persian period based on how the story is told and the original language it was written in. In essence, they think the story of Job was probably around for a very long time, but maybe not written down until this Persian period. There's also some debate over whether Job was a real person or if the story of Job was an allegory or parable that God used to teach us about suffering. Some people say that the way the story is framed and the way that is written, because it kind of reads like a play, or a story where you have all these characters and different scenes that they wonder if it was written as an allegory or a parable.

While others point to evidence throughout other parts of the Bible where Job is mentioned alongside other biblical figures giving us some evidence that he was a real person because he's included in these lists of other real biblical historical figures. and I'm not telling you what to think one way or the other, but I think it's good to know what different scholars say in the debates that go on surrounding different books or parts of the Bible so that you have this understanding and that if you agree with one viewpoint or one side, you have your evidence and your understanding to back it up. and if you disagree with one side, you have an understanding of what the other side has to say. And maybe this is a question that you've had while reading Job, and this is a starting place where you can do some research on what other people have to say about it. But the most important point is that as you're reading through this and you're having these questions,

that you're starting in the right place by reading the Bible and seeing what the Bible has to say first, and then praying through these questions and seeing what God reveals to you. And another reason that I bring up some of these debates and some of these questions is because when I've read through Job, I've had some of these questions. Who is Job? Where did he come from? Why is this book of the Bible written the way that it is? And so I don't want us to be afraid to ask these questions. because I think as you read through the book of Job, you'll realize how important it is to ask

serious, deep theological questions and pray about them and talk to your friends about them because that's what Job is going to do. Job is going to be put through a series of trials, and he's going to go through a lot of grief and sadness, and he's going to ask God a lot of tough questions. And so I think it's important for us to realize that we can ask those questions too. Because if we're not curious and we're not seeking answers and seeking answers through prayer and through conversation and through reading and learning and understanding, then we can never grow in our understanding of God and the Bible. Okay, so I hope that was some good and interesting background on the book of Job.

and we will get started with the Book of Job right after this break. Convierre your passion in a business with Shopify and bathe records of ventas with the form of pay with a better conversion of the world. Has you heard well? The mejor conversion of the world. The incredible system of Pago of Shopify facilitates on your site web, in the networks, and in whatever place.

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Okay, so now we can start Job, chapter one, which starts the section of Job known as the prologue. Job is split up into four sections. There's the prologue, which is chapters one and two, and then the dialogue about suffering,

which goes from chapters three to 37, and then you have the Lord challenging Job, which is chapters 38 to 42 verse 6, and then the rest of the book of Job is the epilogue. And so I said that Job is a book of poetry. It's known as wisdom literature, just like Psalms, proverbs, and ecclesiastes are. So it's a book of poetry, but it starts with prose. And the word prose just means the opposite of poetry. So that's your ordinary story structure, ordinary sentence structure, normal grammar. So the first two chapters, the prologue, are going to be prose. Then the middle part of the book of Job is going to be written in poetry, and then the epilogue

goes back to prose. So when we read the first couple of chapters together, this prologue, that's why it's not written in poetic form because this part is written in prose. Okay, so now we can start Job Chapter 1, which begins with a section called Job's character and wealth. Job 1, verse 1. There was a man in the land of us, whose name was Job, and this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels,

500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man of all the people of the East. Job's sons would take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of feasting were over, Job would send for his children to purify them, rising early in the morning to offer burnt offerings for all of them. For Job thought, perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

This was Job's regular practice. Okay, so pause there. In these first few verses, what do we learn about who Job is? What is his character? It says in verse one that he was blameless and upright. So what does that mean? Does that mean that Job was perfect? Does that mean that he was without sin?

Or was he just a righteous man who followed God and had his? integrity. It's an interesting verse to read because it calls Job blameless, and so you might be asking yourself, can anyone else be blameless other than Jesus? So do you think blameless means without sin? Is it the same as being sinless? And then how do we see his dedication to God? What actions does he take that show us he adheres to God's law and takes God's law seriously? Okay, the next section is Satan's first attack. Verse 6. One day the sons of God

came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. Where have you come from? said the Lord to Satan. From roaming through the earth, he replied, and walking back and forth in it. Then the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?

For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God, and shuns evil. Satan answered the Lord. Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not placed a hedge on every side around him and his household and all that he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

But stretch out your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse you to your face. Very well, said the Lord to Satan. Everything he has is in your hand. hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself. Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. This is a very interesting section, and you might have a lot of questions about what's going on.

We have this scene where we see God in heaven, and we have the sons of God, or as other translations, call it the heavenly court, come to present themselves before the Lord. So who are the sons of God? What is this heavenly court and what is its purpose? And then it says that Satan also came with them. So who is this Satan? Is this the same being as the serpent in Eden? Is this the same being that will tempt Jesus in the New Testament? In this scene, is God giving Satan permission to test us? I do want to give a little background here and a little information about the original Hebrew, because part of being a scholar of the Bible and understanding the Bible is understanding the words that were written in the original language the Bible was written in. So the Old Testament,

the Hebrew Bible was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was written in Greek. And we have to remember, as we're reading to the Bible, that the Bible was translated from those original languages into English, and there have been many different translations of the Bible, and some versions translate words differently than other versions. So I want to give a little background about the Hebrew word that is translated to be Satan in Job. So the word in Hebrew that is translated into Satan here in Job is the Hebrew word, Satan. It's also spelled S-A-T-A-N, but it's pronounced satan. It is a noun that means adversary. So the word adversary meaning someone who is against someone else. This word is

used many times throughout the Old Testament and is not always translated into Satan with a capital S. For example, in 1st Kings 11, verse 14, the verse says, then the Lord raised up against Solomon an adversary, Haddad the Edomite from the royal line of Edom. In the original Hebrew, the word adversary in that verse in First Kings is Satan. And we see in First Kings that it's translated as an adversary because it's talking about Haddad, the Edomite who is Solomon's adversary. So it's not translated in that instance as Satan. with a capital S, because the word satan means adversary.

There are some instances in the Old Testament where the word satan has ha in front of it in the original Hebrew. So ha satan. Ha is the article the in Hebrew. So when they add ha to the beginning of a word, it means the Satan. So they put that article in front of it. So instead of adversary or an adversary, it would be the adversary.

In Job, when we see the word Satan, the original Hebrew that is used is Ha Satan. So it has that article, the, in front of it. Some people think that because it has ha in front of it, that that means it's the Satan, Satan with a capital S, this being who is an adversary against God and all of humanity, the tempter, the one who we see in the Garden of Eden, the one who we see in the New Testament who tempts Jesus.

So some people think that in Job, this is Satan with a capital S. Other translations and other scholars think that it just means the adversary, the same way that you wouldn't call someone the John. You would just call them John, so you wouldn't have a the in front of a proper name like that. they say that the original Hebrew would not use the in front of a proper name. So they translate it in some translations as the adversary or the accuser. And some scholars say that the accuser was a being in God's heavenly court, part of God's heavenly court of angels, whose job it was within the heavenly court to test the people of earth to test God's people. And God, we give them permission, this accuser, permission to go

and seek and find people on earth to test. So they would think that this is a different being than this being we know of as Satan, the big capital S enemy of God, enemy of Jesus. I will link to some articles and some resources in the description of this episode, because there are people who have done a lot more research who are a lot smarter than me, on this topic. So I'm going to link to some articles, some websites that give you some more information if this is something you're interested in researching a little bit more. But I bring it up because this is one of the big questions I ask myself every time I've read through Job throughout my life. These are all important questions to ask. And I also think it's really important to understand

the original language the Bible was written in as best we can and to do research on what the original words were, what they meant to the people who wrote them, and how biblical scholars came to translate the words into what we read in English. So again, like the earlier questions we've been asking, the most important thing to do is to take that information, read what's presented in the Bible, and pray through these questions, do your research, and listen to what God is telling you about what's going on in these chapters.

So hopefully that's helpful. I'm really big into research, so I love reading about all these things. And I hope that was kind of interesting and a little bit different than what I usually do. But I hope you guys found that interesting and helpful to know that background on some of these Hebrew words and how they get translated. And we also have in this section, we have God saying, have you considered Job? He's blameless. He's doing the right things. And then Satan is saying what?

What is Satan's accusation about why Job is blameless? Satan is saying to God that Job is only good because God, you have blessed him and you've protected him and he only has good things. But what would happen if Job suffered? and Satan's theory is that if Job suffers, he will turn away from God. And God says, let's test your theory. You can do anything you want to Job, but just don't kill Job himself. So what do you think about this?

Why do you think God is allowing Satan to test Job? And this is a question that Christians have asked themselves, since the beginning of time and continue asking themselves to this day, do you only praise God and stay true to God when everything in your life is going well? Or do you still rely on him and praise him when you suffer? So think on that question, because that's going to be one of the themes throughout Job, among many other themes about suffering and grief. The next section is Job loses his children and possession.

Verse 13. One day, while Job's sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, a messenger came and reported to Job. While the oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, the Sabians swooped down and took them away. They put the servants to the sword and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported, The fire of God fell from heaven.

It burned and consumed the sheep and the servants, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported. The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels, and took them away. They put the servants to the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and reported, your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their ultimate. brothers' house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.

Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshipped, saying, "'Naked, I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will return.' God gave, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter one. What all happened to Job? What tragedies struck Job? What has Job lost from his life? One of the messengers who came and spoke to Job said that the fire of God fell from heaven. What is the fire of God? What does that phrase mean?

Okay, and now put yourself in Job's shoes. You've lost everything, all of your livelihood, your family, your children. How would you react to such tragedy? How does Job react to this tragedy? What does he say? How does he act? And who does he blame for this tragedy? Job stands up and tears his robe and shaves his head. What do these actions tell us about how he's feeling? Why did he do these things? Why was it important for Job to express his grief and sadness? and why is it important for us to know that Job did not sin when he did this?

What does that tell us about expressing grief and sadness? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 2, which begins with a section called Job loses his health. Verse 1. On another day, the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. "'Where have you come from?' said the Lord to Satan. "'From roaming through the earth,' he replied,

"'and walking back and forth in it. "'Then the Lord said to Satan, "'have you considered my servant Job? "'For there is no one on earth like him, "'a man who is blameless and upright, "'who fears God and shuns evil. "'He still retains his integrity, "'even though you incited me against him

"'to ruin him without cause.' "'Skin for skin, Satan replied, a man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life, but stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face. Very well, said the Lord to Satan. He is in your hands, but you must spare his life. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and infected Job with terrible boils

from the souls of his feet to the crown of his head, and Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself, as he sat among the ashes. Then Job's wife said to him, Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die. You speak as a foolish woman speaks, he told her. Should we accept from God only good and not adversity? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. So we kind of have a similar situation to what happened at the beginning of Job 1, where we're back in the heavenly court, and we see God and the sons of God and Satan, all in the heavenly court, kind of having this meeting, and they're

talking about Job again. So what did you think about this exchange between God and Satan, this adversary and accuser? In verse 3, God says something interesting. He says, have you considered my servant Job? So he brings up Job again. And then he says that Job, still remains faithful and has integrity, even though you incited me against him to ruin him without cause. So what do you think about what God says here? Does this mean that God has the ability to be persuaded, or is something else going on here? And then what is Satan's response? He says that Job only remained faithful because why. And remember in chapter one, God's says you can do anything to Job, except you cannot touch the man himself. And Satan's saying,

well, of course he remained faithful to you. He's still alive. He still has his life. But if you touched Job, if you did something to his physical body, then he would surely curse you to your face. And then God says very well, he's in your hands, but you must spare his life, you must not kill him. So why do you think God changed his mind here? Why do you think, God is now letting Satan cause harm to Job's physical body. And then we have Job infected with boils, and what does his wife say to him? And then how does Job respond to his wife and show faithfulness to God? The next section is Job's Three Friends, verse 11.

Now in Job's three friends, Elaphaz the Temanite, Bilad the Shuite, and Zoffer, the Na'amathite, heard about all this adversity that had come upon him. Each of them came from his home, and they met together to go and sympathize with Job and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. but no one spoke a word to him because they saw how intense his suffering was. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter three.

So we have Job, we have his suffering, the scene has been set, we know why he's suffering, and now his three friends, these three new characters come into the story, and they see that their friend is in deep suffering, in deep pain, in deep anguish. and what do they do? What can we learn from Job's three friends about how to sit with each other during tough times, about how to love each other during tough times? Why was it important that Job and his friends

sit in silence for a period of time? Why didn't Job's friends just show up and start saying things? Start saying how sorry they were for him, start giving him advice, start telling him what to do next. Why did they need this period of silence and this period of sitting in grief? Okay, so those were the first two chapters, the chapters of prose. And now we're going to start chapter three where we transition into poetry, which is how the rest of Job is written up until the epilogue.

And these chapters of poetry is where we will explore Job's mental state, where he will have the freedom to ask questions and to talk through these questions with not only his friends, but eventually with God himself. And so we have seven days of silence, seven days of sitting in silence with his friends in grief, and then here we start chapter three,

where Job is going to break the silence and start talking with his friends. So Job 3, which starts with a section, called Job laments his birth. Jope 3 verse 1. After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth, and this is what he said. May the day of my birth perish. And the night it was said, a boy is conceived.

If only that day had turned to darkness, may God above disregard it, may no light shine upon it, May darkness and gloom reclaim it, and a cloud settle over it. May the blackness of the day overwhelm it. If only darkness had taken that night away, may it not appear among the days of the year, may it never be entered in any of the months. Behold, may that night be barren. May no joyful voice come into it.

May it be cursed by those who cursed the day. Those prepared to rouse Leviathan. May its morning stars grow dark. May it wait in vain for daylight. May it not see the breaking of dawn. For that night did not shut the doors of the womb, to hide the sorrow from my eyes. Why did I not perish at birth?

Why did I not die as I came from the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I should be nursed. For now, I would be lying down in peace. I would be asleep and at rest, with kings and counselors of the earth, who built for themselves cities now in ruins, or with princes who had gold,

who filled their houses with silver. Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, like an infant who never sees daylight? There, the wicked cease from raging, and there, the weary, find rest. The captives enjoy their ease. They do not hear the voice of the oppressor. Both small and great are there, and the slave is freed from his master. Why is light given to the miserable, and life to the bitter of soul who long for death

that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure, who rejoice and greatly exult when they can find the grave. Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in? I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water, for the thing I feared has overtaken me, and what I dreaded has befallen me. I am not at ease or quiet. I have no rest, for trouble has come. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter three. This is what Job has said to break the silence of seven days of sitting in grief.

Why do you think Job wishes he was never born? And then in the middle section, he's saying, Why wasn't I born dead? if I was dead I would be at peace. Why does Job think that death would be better than what he's going through now? What is he longing for in death? And then he kind of asks these questions in the last section of, why give me life at all?

Why give life to those who are suffering? What is the point of living if you're in such pain? So why do you think Job is asking this question? And how do you think his friends are going to respond to it? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter four, where Job's friend, Elifaz, is going to respond to what Job said in chapter three. So Job chapter four, which begins with a section called Eliphaz, The Innocent Prosper.

Chapter 4, verse 1. Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, replied, If one ventures a word with you, will you be wearied? Yet, who can keep from speaking? Surely you have instructed many and have strengthened their feeble hands. Your words have steadied those who stumbled. You have braced the knees that were buckling. But now, trouble has come upon you and you are weary.

It strikes you and you are dismayed. Is your reverence, not your confidence? and the uprightness of your ways, your hope? Okay, so pause there. What is Elifaz saying about Job in that first section? How has Job comforted other people when they have gone through suffering? And how does that compare to how Job is treating himself and reacting to his own suffering? Verse 7.

Consider now, I plead. Who, being innocent, has ever perished? or where have the upright been destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger, they are consumed. The lion may roar, and the fierce lion may growl,

yet the teeth of the young lions are broken. The old lion perishes, for lack of prey, and the cubs of the lioness are scattered. Now a word came to me secretly. My ears caught a whisper of it. In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear and trembling came over me

and made all my bones shudder. Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled. It stood still. But I could not discern its appearance, a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice. Can a mortal be more righteous than God, or a man more pure than his maker? If God puts no trust in his servants, and he charges his angels with error,

how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth. They are smashed to pieces from dawn to dusk. Unnoticed. They perish forever. Are not their tent cords pulled up so that they die without wisdom? Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter four. What reason is Elifaz giving for Job's suffering?

He's trying to explain why he thinks Job is suffering and what reason does he give? He's insinuating that righteous men would never suffer, but that sinners are punished. And so what he's basically saying to Job is, you claim to have done nothing wrong, but you must have done something wrong, or else you wouldn't be suffering like this. So do you agree with what Elifaz says? Do you agree with his reason for why Job is suffering? And while he's speaking, Elifaz claims that he's, was given a revelation from God and that he also learned from his personal experience

that suffering is a direct result of sin. So do we believe what Elifaz says? Do we think that he really had a revelation from God? Because sometimes we have false prophets in the Bible and sometimes we have real prophets in the Bible and people who have claimed to hear from God and are lying and people who have claimed to hear from God and are telling the truth. So what do you think is going on here? Do we trust Elifaz and what he says?

Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 5, where Elifaz continues talking, and it starts with a section called Elifaz continues. God blesses those who seek him. Joke 5 verse 1. Call out if you please, but who will answer? To which of the holy ones will you turn? For resentment kills a fool, an envy, slay, slay. the simple. I have seen a fool taking root, but suddenly his house was cursed. His sons are far from

safety, crushed in court without a defender. The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from the thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth. For distress does not spring from the dust, and trouble does not sprout from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble, as surely as sparks fly upward. However, if I were you, I would appeal to God, and lay my cause before him,

the one who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number. He gives rain to the earth and sends water upon the fields. He sets the lowly on high so that mourners are lifted to safety, He thwarts the schemes of the crafty So that their hands find no success

He catches the wise in their craftiness And sweeps away the plans of the cunning They encounter darkness by day And grope at noon as in the night He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth And from the clutches of the powerful So the poor have hope And injustice shuts its mouth

Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty, for he wounds, but he also binds. He strikes, but his hands also heal. He will rescue you from six calamities. No harm will touch you in seven. In famine, he will redeem you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword. You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue and will not fear havoc when it comes.

You will laugh at destruction and famine and need not fear the beasts of the earth. For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field and the wild animals will be at peace with you. You will know that your tent is secure and find nothing amiss when inspecting your home. You will know that your offspring will be many, your descendants like the grass of the earth, you will come to the grave in full vigor,

like a sheaf of grain gathered in season. Indeed, we have investigated, and it is true. So hear it, and know for yourself. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 5. What else is Elaphaz saying to Job? He's giving him this advice to make an appeal to God. And he's trying to tell him that he should trust God and accept God's punishment because God punishes, but he also blesses. And God punishes, but he also protects. So do you agree with what Elifaz is saying in this chapter? Do you think that he is giving Job good advice?

And do you think he actually understands why Job is going through suffering? Because remember, Elifaz thinks that Job has done something wrong. wrong to deserve this suffering. But what do we know as the readers? What was said about Job at the very beginning of the chapter? We were told that he was blameless. So did his sin cause his suffering? Okay, so now we can start Job 6, and the conversation will continue.

So now it's Job's turn to respond to what Eliphaz has said. So Chapter 6, which begins with a section called Job replies, my complaint. is just. Chapter 6, verse 1. Then Job replied, if only my grief could be weighed, and placed with my calamity on the scales, for then it would outweigh the sand of the seas, no wonder my words have been rash. For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me. My spirit drinks in their poison. The terrors of God are arrayed against me. Does a wild donkey bray? over fresh grass, or an ox low over its fodder? Is tasteless food eaten without salt,

or is there flavor in the white of an egg? My soul refuses to touch them. They are loathsome food to me. If only my request were granted, and God would fulfill my hope, that God would be willing to crush me, to unleash his hand and cut me off, It still brings me comfort and joy through unrelenting pain that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

What strength do I have that I should still hope? What is my future that I should be patient? Is my strength like that of stone or my flesh made of bronze? Is there any help within me now that success is driven from me? A despairing man should have the kindness of his own. his friend, even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. Caravans turn aside

from their routes. They go into the wasteland and perish. The caravans of Tima look for water. The travelers of Sheba hoped to find it. They are confounded because they had hoped. Their arrival brings disappointment. For now, you are of no help. You see terror, and you are afraid. Have I ever said, give me something. Offer me a bribe from your wealth. Deliver me from the hand of the enemy, redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless. Teach me, and I will be silent. Help me understand how I have erred. How painful are honest words. But what does your argument prove?

Do you intend to correct my words and treat as wind, my cry of despair? You would even cast lots for an orphan and barter away your friend. But now, please look at me. What I lie to your face? Reconsider. Do not be unjust. reconsider for my righteousness is at stake. Is there iniquity on my tongue?

Can my mouth not discern malice? Okay, so pause there. How does Job respond to his friends? What does he think about what they've said? He's asking his friends, don't I have a right to complain? And he's agonizing over the fact that God won't grant this request to deliver him from his suffering. and then he pushes back against his friends for accusing him of doing something wrong. He's saying, what proof do you have that I've sinned?

You keep saying that I must have done something wrong, but what proof do you have? So is Job justified in what he's said so far? Okay, so now we can start Job Chapter 7, where Job is continuing to respond to his friends, and it starts with a section called Job continues, life seems futile. Job 7 verse 1 Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? Like a slave he longs for shade.

Like a hireling, he waits for his wages. So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed me. When I lie down, I think, when will I get up? But the night drags on, and I toss and turn until dawn. My flesh is clothed with worms and encrusted with dirt. My skin is cracked and festering. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle.

They come to an end without. hope. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. How is Job feeling? And what is he saying about humans and suffering? Is he saying that suffering is inevitable, or is he saying that we won't suffer in this life? What is he thinking right now? Verse 7. Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness. The eye that beholds, me will no longer see me. You will look for me, but I will be no more. As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheal does not come back up. He never returns to his house. His place remembers him no more. Okay, so pause there. Why does Job think that his life is but a breath?

Does he think that he's about to die? Does he think that life is flea? Does he think that life is fleeting? He says, my eyes will never see happiness again. Why does he feel this despair? And then he says, as a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to Sheal does not come back up. What is Sheel? That's capital S-H-E-O-L. It's a place. What do you think Sheal is? Sheal is a word that you might want to do some research on. It shows up several times. throughout the Old Testament. It shows up first in Genesis 37, verse 35, when Jacob thinks that his son, Joseph is dead, and he says, I will go to my grave, or Sheal, which is the original word, mourning for my son. So Sheal, in the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament, is Israel's understanding of the

afterlife and of where people go when they die. I'll link to a resource or two about Sheal in the description of this episode if you want to dive deeper into understanding that word and tracking it throughout the Old Testament to learn a little bit more about how the Israelites understood the afterlife and understood where people go when they die throughout the Old Testament. But when Job is talking about Sheal here. He's talking about those who go to the grave, those who die, those who go to Sheel. He's talking about the afterlife here. So you might want to do a little research on that. It's a really interesting study to do because throughout the Old Testament, when they talk about Sheal, they're not necessarily very specific. And so many biblical scholars have gone through the

texts and tried to understand what exactly is Sheel. What was their understanding of it at the time? So it can really be interesting to read those verses for yourself and get an understanding of what they thought at the time and how people interpret that now and how you interpret it when you read it. And what do you think God is saying to you about Sheal? Verse 11, therefore I will not restrain my mouth. I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

Am I the sea or the monster of the deep that you must keep me under guard? When I think my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my complaint, then you frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions so that I would prefer strangling and death over my life in this body. I loathe my life. I would not live forever. Leave me alone. for my days are but a breath.

What is man, that you should exalt him? That you should set your heart upon him, that you attend to him every morning and test him every moment. Will you never look away from me, or leave me alone to swallow my spittle? If I have sinned, what have I done to you, a watcher of mankind? Why have you made me your target?

so that I am a burden to you. Why do you not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity? For soon, I will lie down in the dust. You will seek me, but I will be no more. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 7. Who is Job talking to in this last section? Who is the you that he keeps talking to? This is kind of a turning point where he's not talking to his

friends anymore, he's talking to God directly. And what is he saying to God? What is he questioning God about? What is he asking God? How do you think Job felt toward God and toward his situation in this moment? Is it okay that Job is being this honest with God? And when we are feeling anguish, should we be honest with God? Okay, so now we can. Now we can, we can, you know, can start Job chapter 8. So Job has finished responding to Eliphaz, and now it is his other friend Bill Dad's turn to respond. So Job 8 starts with a section called Bildad. Job should repent. Job 8, verse 1. Then Bilad, the Shulite, replied, How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.

Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to their rebellion. But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate. Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish. Okay, suppose they're at the end of that section. What is Bill Dad saying? He's saying, Job, you're wrong. You have to be suffering because why? Why does Bill Dad think that Job is suffering? And is Bill Dad correct? Based on what we know of Job from the beginning of Job, where we're told, He was blameless.

Verse 8. Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers. For we were born yesterday and know nothing. Our days on earth are but a shadow. Will they not teach you and tell you and speak from their understanding? Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water? While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker.

than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget God. So the hope of the godless will perish. His confidence is fragile. His security is in a spider's web. He leans on his web, but it gives way. He holds fast, but it does not endure. He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. His roots wrap around the rock heap. He looks. He looks. He looks. He looks. for a home among the stones. If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him saying, I never saw you.

Surely, this is the joy of his way. Yet others will spring from the dust. Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will he strengthen the hand of evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with a shout of joy. Your enemies will be closed, in shame and the tent of the wicked will be no more. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter

8. What is Bill Dad saying? What else is he saying to Job about why Job is suffering? He's using all this imagery of spiders webs and a plant being uprooted from where it was planted. He's saying, the godless are so fragile. It's like building their confidence, building their support, on a spider's web. You lean on it, and it gives way. So what is he saying about Job when he uses this metaphor? What is he assuming about Job? Okay, so now we have Job 9, which is Job's response,

starting with the section Job, how can I contend with God? Job 9, verse 1. Then Job answered, Yes, I know that it is so, but how can a mortal be righteous before God? If one wished to contend with God, he could not answer him one time out of a thousand. God is wise and heart and mighty in strength. Who has resisted him and prospered? He moves mountains with their knowledge and overturns them in his anger.

He shakes the earth from its place so that its foundations tremble. He commands the sun not to shine. He seals off the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. He is the maker of the bear and Orion of the Pleiads and the constellations of the south. He does great things beyond searching out and wonders without number. Were he to pass by me, I would not see him. Were he to move, I would not recognize him.

If he takes away, who can stop him? Who dares to ask him, what are you doing? God does not restrain his anger. The helpers of Rahab cower beneath him. How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him? For even if I were right, I could not answer. I could only beg my judge for mercy. If I summoned him, and he answered me, I do not believe he would listen to my voice,

for he would crush me with a tempest and multiply my wounds without cause. He does not let me catch my breath, but overwhelms me with bitterness. If it is a matter of strength, he is indeed mighty. If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him? Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me. If I were blameless, it would declare me guilty. Though I am blameless, I have no concern for myself. I despise my own life.

It is all the same, and so I say. He destroys both the blameless and the wicked. When the scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent. The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He blindfolds its judges. If it is not he, then who is it? Okay, so pause there. At the beginning of this chapter, Job answers Bildad.

And he first says, yes, I know that is so. But how can a mortal man be righteous before a God? So what did Bildad say that was obvious to Job? What did Bildad say that was true, maybe about wickedness, or what happens to wicked people and good people? what did Bill Dad say that was so obvious to Job? And then Job goes on to say all these things about God, these attributes of God, his wisdom, his power,

his ability to create. Why is Job talking about these attributes of God? What point is he trying to get across? Then he goes on to say, after he lists these attributes, how then can I answer God or choose my arguments again? him. How could I even argue with God for even if I was right, I could not answer him. I could only beg him for mercy. So what does this tell you about Job's understanding of God and God's relationship to Job and God's relationship to man? Why does he feel unworthy to argue with God,

even if he thinks or even if he knows he's right? And then in verses 21 to 24, Job makes a statement And again, he says, no, I am blameless. He says, though I'm blameless, I still despise my own life. And he comes to this conclusion that God destroys both the blameless and the wicked. He has this idea that once we're on earth, God just kind of blindfolds the judges, and both the wicked and the innocent are punished. And he says, because if it's not God, then who is doing it? So why do you think Job's asking this question, and do you think he's right?

Verse 25. My days are swifter than a runner. They flee without seeing good. They sweep by like boats of papyrus, like an eagle swooping down on its prey. If I were to say, I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile, I would still dread all my suffering. I know that you will not equip me. Since I am already found guilty, why should I labor in vain?

If I should wash myself with snow and cleanse my hands with lie, then you would plunge me into the pit. And even my own clothes would despise me. For he is not a man like me that I can answer him, that we can take each other to court, nor is there a mediator between us to lay his hand upon a spot. both. Let him remove his rod from me so that his terror will no longer frighten me. Then I would speak without fear of him. But as it is, I am on my own. Okay, so pause there at the end of the

chapter. Again, we have Job kind of shifting, and he's talking to God. He's saying you with a capital Y, meaning that he's talking to God, and when he's saying he, he's talking about God here. So what does Job mean in verse 27 when he says, If I were to say, I will forget my complaint and change my expression and smile, I would still dread all my sufferings. So what is he saying there? If he just acted like he was happy, why would he still dread all of his suffering?

And what does he mean he's already been found guilty? A couple verses later, he says, since I'm already found guilty, why should I labor in vain? Why does he think he's already been found guilty? Is it because he thinks he's actually done something wrong? Or because he sees his suffering as some sort of punishment or condemnation or a form of a sentence, like from that of a judge? And then he has this thought that even if he cleansed himself,

that God would still throw him into the pit, why does he think this? And then towards the end of this chapter, he says, there is no mediator between us. There is no way for me to talk to God. He's not a man like me. I can't take him to court. I don't have this mediator. So, you know, this is the Old Testament. Jesus hasn't come yet.

But when Jesus does come in the New Testament, is he going to become this type of mediator between us and God? And then he ends his speech by saying that he, He wants God to take away this rod from him, to take away this punishment, so that he won't be afraid of God anymore and that he can speak to him without fear. And then he says, but as it is, I am on my own. So why does he feel alone? Why does he feel isolated right now? And then based on what Job said, what do you think he got right and what do you think he got wrong so far? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 10, which begins with a section called Job's plea to God.

Chapter 10, verse 1. I loathe my own life. I will express my complaint and speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, do not condemn me. Let me know why you prosecute me. Does it please you to oppress me to reject the work of your hands? and favor the schemes of the wicked? Do you have eyes of flesh?

Do you see as man sees? Are your days like those of a mortal man or your years, like those of a man? That you should seek my iniquity and search out my sin? Though you know that I'm not guilty, and there is no deliverance from your hand? Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me. Would you now turn and destroy? me? Please, remember that you molded me like clay. Would you now return me to dust? Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me, like cheese? You clothed me with skin and flesh. You knit me together

with bones and sinews. You have granted me life and loving devotion, and your care has preserved my spirit. Yet you concealed these things in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind. If I sinned, you would take note and would not acquit me of my iniquity. If I am guilty, woe to me. And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and aware of my affliction. Should I hold my head high, you would hunt me like a lion, and again, display your power against me. You produce new witnesses against me and multiply your anger toward me. Hardships assault me in wave after wave. Why then did you bring me from the womb? Oh, that I had died and no eye had seen me. If only I had never come to be, but having carried

from the womb to the grave. Are my days not few? withdraw from me that I may have a little comfort before I go, never to return, to a land of darkness and gloom, to a land of utter darkness, of deep shadow and disorder, where even the light is like darkness. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 10. So Job is pleading with God, and what are the questions he's asking God? At the beginning, he's talking about hating himself, hating his life, feeling condemned. And does he understand why he's going through this suffering?

Does he have an answer yet as to why all this suffering is happening to him? And then in the second section, he's saying, God, you're the one who made me. So why are you now trying to destroy me? So what is he trying to understand about God? What is he trying to ask God when he makes that statement? And then he says in the third section, if I'm guilty, woe to me. And even if I'm righteous, I cannot lift my head.

I am full of shame and aware of my affliction. So what is he wrestling with there? What is he wrestling with? And he's talking about, well, if I'm guilty in suffering, then this is how I feel. But if I'm righteous in suffering, then this is how I feel. What is he trying to wrestle with when he's bringing up these points? And then he ends with this question of, well, God, why did you even allow me to be born? Why did you even bring me into this earth if you knew that I was going to suffer like this?

So why is he asking this question? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 11. And this is where Zofar, his third friend, is going to respond and say what he thinks. So Job chapter 11, which starts with a section called Zofar rebukes. Job. Job 11, verse 1. Then Zofar the Na'amathite replied, Should this stream of words go unanswered, and such a speaker be vindicated? Should you babbling, put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? You have said, my doctrine is sound, and I am pure in your sight, but if only God would

speak and open his lips against you and disclose to you the secrets, of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves. Okay, so pause there. How does Zofar start his response? What is he upset about? Why does he feel like he has to say something to Job? And again, does Zofar agree with the other two friends of Job?

Is he also saying, well, you must have done something wrong? You must have sinned. Otherwise, you wouldn't be suffering like you are. And then Zofar is even so bold as to say at the end of this section, God is actually punishing you less than you deserve when he says, know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves, less than your sin deserves. So what does Zofar think? Verse 7.

Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens. What can you do? They are deeper than sheal. What can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. If he comes along to imprison you or convenes a court who can stop him, surely he knows the deceit of men.

If he seeks iniquity, does he not take note? But a witless man can no more become wise than the cult of a donkey can be born a man. As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to him, if you put away the iniquity in your hand and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, then indeed you will lift up your face without shame, you will stand firm and unafraid, for you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by. Your life will be brighter than noonday.

Its darkness will be like the morning. You will be secure because there is hope. And you will look around and lie down in safety. You will lie down without fear. And many will court your favor. But the eyes of the wicked will fail and escape will elude them. They will hope for their last breath. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 11.

What is Zofar saying in that second section? why is he asking Job, can you fathom the deep things of God? They are higher than the heavens. Who can stop God? Why is he telling Job these things? And then again, like his other friends, Zofar accuses Job of hiding something. He's saying, you must be hiding some sin or this wouldn't be happening to you. So repent and put away your sin, and that will change your circumstances. Because what does he say towards the end of this section?

He's saying, for you will forget your misery, your life will be brighter than noon day. What is he telling Job will happen if he finally confesses whatever sin he's hiding and turns that over to God? But remember, what do we know as the reader? Did Job commit some grave sin that caused his suffering? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 12. So there's a lot of back and forth. These chapters are pretty short, but there's a lot there, a lot to interpret because it's written in poetry. There's a lot of imagery, so we kind of have to slow down and listen to what they're saying and then figure out what they mean when they're using these images.

So now we're in chapter 12. Job is going to present his case. So chapter 12, verse 1. Then Job answered, truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die. But I also have a mind. I'm not inferior to you. Who does not know such things as these? I'm a laughingstock to my friends,

though I called on God and he answered, The righteous and upright man is a laughing stock. The one at ease scorns, misfortune, as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure, those who carry their God in their hands. Okay, so pause there. What is Job trying to say when he's saying,

the ones who are at ease, the ones who live an easy life, scorn or make fun of the misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping? What do you think that metaphor means feet slipping? And then he says, even robbers are left in peace. Even those who provoke God are secure. so what is he trying to say here? Verse 7. But ask the animals, and they will instruct you.

Ask the birds of the air and they will teach you, or speak to the earth and it will teach you. Let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes, it's food. Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

Okay, so pause there. What is Job saying that we can learn from the animals? What point is he trying to get across when he says, even the animals know that God has done this? And then where does he say wisdom comes from? Verse 13, wisdom and strength belong to God. counsel and understanding are his. What he tears down cannot be rebuilt. The man he imprisons cannot be released. If he holds back the waters, they dry up. And if he releases them, they overwhelm the land.

True wisdom and power belong to him. The deceived and the deceiver are his. He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges. He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists. He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established. He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders. He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty. He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

He makes nations great. and destroys them. He enlarges nations, then disperses them. He deprives the earth's leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. They grope in the darkness without light. He makes them stagger like drunkards. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 12. What is Job attributing to God? He's saying that God is responsible for two things, for two sides of. life. He does this and he does this. So what is Job saying God is responsible for? And is Job right? Okay, so now we can start Job 13. So in Job 12, Job presented his case. He made a claim. So what claim did he make about God? What claim did he make about his suffering in Chapter 12?

It's important to know because in chapter 13, he's going to prepare and argue his case. So he made a claim, and now he's going to give his evidence as to why he thinks his claim is correct. So Job 13, which begins with a section called Job prepares his case, 13 verse 1. Indeed, my eyes have seen all this. My ears have heard and understood. What you know, I also know. I'm not inferior to you. Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.

You, however, smear with lies. You are all worthless physicians. If only you would remain silent, but that would be your wisdom. Hear now my argument and listen to the plea of my lips. Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf, or speak deceitfully for him? Would you show him partiality or argue in his defense?

Would it be well when he examined you? Could you deceive him like a man? Surely he would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. Would His Majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of him not fall upon you? Your maxims are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay. Be silent.

and I will speak. Then let come to me what may. Why do I put myself at risk and take my life into my own hands? Though he slay me, I will hope in him. I will still defend my ways to his face. Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before him. Listen carefully to my words.

Let my declaration ring in your ears. Behold now that I have prepared my case. I know that I will be vindicated. Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die. Okay, so pause there. In that first section of chapter 13, he's talking to his friends, and what are his critiques, what are his criticisms of what his friends have been saying?

What does he say about their wisdom? And what does he say about their reasoning and the reasons that they gave Job for why he's suffering? and then he's saying that he's going to argue his case, and he is sure he will be vindicated. Why is Job so sure that he will be vindicated? Okay, now verse 20, where we're shifting, and Job is talking to God now,

and so he's asking God to give him these couple of things. So verse 20, only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from you. Withdraw your hand from me, and do not let your terror, Frighten me. Then call me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you can reply. How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

Why do you hide your face and consider me as your enemy? Would you frighten a wind-blown leaf? Would you chase after dry chaff? For you record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth. You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths. You set a limit for the souls of my feet. So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 13. Why is Job asking God to tell him his sins, to show him his transgressions?

Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 14, which begins with a section, called Job laments the finality of death. Job 14, verse 1, where he's still talking to God. Man who is born of woman is short of days and full of trouble. Like a flower, he comes forth. Then withers away, like a fleeting shadow he does not endure. Do you open your eyes to one like this? Will you bring him into judgment before you?

Who can bring out clean, from unclean, no one? Since his days are determined in the number of his months is with you, and since you have set limits that he cannot exceed, look away from him and let him rest, so he can enjoy his days as a hired hand. For there is hope for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its tender shoots will not fail.

If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil, at the scent of water it will bud and put forth twigs like a sapling. But a man dies and is laid low. He breathes his last, and where is he? As water disappears from the sea and a river becomes parched and dry, so a man lies down and does not rise until the heavens are no more. He will not be awakened or roused from sleep. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section.

Job is talking about how frail life is and how limited our days are on earth. And he says, God, you know how many days we have. And he says to God, since you know, look away from man and let him rest so that he can enjoy his days. What does he mean by this? What is Job saying? And then Job uses this metaphor of a tree, and he says, If a tree is cut down, it will sprout again. But what does he say about man?

When man dies, what does Job say happens to them? And what point is he trying to make? Verse 13, If only you would hide me and shield and conceal me until your anger has passed. If only, you would appoint a time for me and then remember me. When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my renewal comes. You will call and I will answer.

You will desire the work of your hands. For then you would count my steps, but would not keep track of my sin. My transgression would be sealed in a bag, and you would cover my iniquity. But as a mountain erodes and crumbles, and a rock is dislodged from its place, as water wears away the stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a man's hope. You forever overpower him, and he passes on. You change his countenance and send him away.

If his sons receive honor, he does not know it. If they are brought low, he is unaware. He feels only the pain of his own body and mourns only for himself. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 14. Why is Job saying that he wished God would hide him in Sheal in this afterlife? Why is he wishing that God would hide him with the dead and then bring him back to life later? Do we see Job having any signs of hope in this passage? And then how do you think Job feels at the end of this chapter?

And when he's talking about mountains eroding and crumbling and God destroying a man's hope and overpowering them, what do you think he's trying to say and how does he feel? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 15. And this is going to start the second round of speeches. So chapters 4 through 14 were the first round of speeches, the first back and forth between Job and his friends, and now that round of conversation has come to an end, and we're going to have another round of conversation between Job and his friends. So this is where that second round starts. Okay, so Job chapter 15, which begins with a section called Eliphaz, Job does not fear

God. Chapter 15, verse 1. Then Eliphaz, the Temanite, replied, does a wise man answer with empty counsel, or fill his belly with hot east wind? Should he argue with useless words or speeches that serve no purpose? But you even undermine the fear of God and hinder meditation before him. For your iniquity instructs your mouth, and you choose the language of the crafty. Your own mouth, not mine, condemns you. Your own lips, testifies. against you. Okay, so pause there. What is Elifaz accusing Job of? He's critiquing what Job has been saying,

and he disagrees with what Job has said. But what reason does he give? He says, this is why you speak this way. Why does Elifaz think that Job is saying what he's saying? Verse 7. Were you the first man ever born? Were you brought forth before the hills? Do you listen in on the council of God, or limit wisdom to yourself? What do you know that we do not? What do you understand that is not clear to us? Both the gray-haired and the aged are on our side, men much older than your father. Are the consolations of God not enough for you, even words spoken gently to you? Why has your heart carried you away and wide your eyes flash as you turn your spirit against God and pour such words from your mouth? What is man that he should be pure, or one born of woman,

that he should be righteous? If God puts no trust in his holy ones, if even the heavens are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks injustice, like water. Listen to me, and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen, what was declared by wise men, and was not concealed from their fathers, to whom alone the land was given,

when no foreigner passed among them. A wicked man writhes in pain all his days. Only a few years are reserved for the ruthless. Sounds of terror fill his ears, In his prosperity, the destroyer attacks him. He despairs of his return from darkness. He is marked for the sword. He wanders about as food for vultures.

He knows the day of darkness is at hand. Distress and anguish terrify him, overwhelming him like a king poised to attack. For he has stretched out his hand against God and has vaunted himself against the Almighty, rushing headlong at him with a thick, studded shield. Though his face is covered with fat, and his waistline bulges with flesh,

he will dwell in ruined cities, in abandoned houses destined to become rubble. He will no longer be rich, his wealth will not endure. His possessions will not overspread the land, he will not escape the darkness, the flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God's mouth will carry him away. Let him not deceive himself with trust and emptiness, for emptiness will be his reward. It will be paid in full before his time and his branch will not flourish.

He will be like a vine stripped of its unripe grapes, like an olive tree that sheds its blossoms. for the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery. They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their womb is pregnant with deceit. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 15. How does Elifaz feel about what he is saying? Is he confident, or is he unsure about his beliefs and ideas?

Does he say anything different than he did the first time, or is he reiterating his points from earlier? Job and his friends are each making their own case for why Job is suffering, and they're trying to convince each other that they are correct. So do you see any truth in what Elifaz has been saying? And on the flip side, do you see anything in what he's saying that's wrong? Okay, so now we can start chapter 16. It's Job's turn to respond, and this starts with a section called Job decries his comforters. 16, verse 1. Then Job answered,

I have heard many things like these, miserable comforters are you all. Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provoked you to continue testifying? I could also speak like you if you were in my place. I could heap words against you and shake my head. head at you, but I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief. Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

Surely, he has now exhausted me. You have devastated all my family. You have bound me up, and it has become a witness. My frailty rises up and testes. My frailty rises up and testes. He testifies against me. His anger has torn me and opposed me. He gnashes his teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with his eyes. They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt. They join together against me. God has delivered me to unjust men. He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked. I was at ease, but he shattered me. He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as his target. His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground. He breaks me with wound upon wound. He rushes me like a

mighty warrior. I have sewn sackcloth over my skin. I have buried my horn in the dust. My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows wring my eyes, yet my hands are free of violence, and my prayer is pure. O earth, do not cover my blood. May my cry for help never be laid to rest. Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high. My friends are my scoffers, as my eyes are, pour out tears to God. Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor.

For when only a few years are passed, I will go the way of no return. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 16. Job is still very emotional and frustrated with his friends, and he starts out by saying that he's exhausted with all their words. And then what does he say, he would do if the roles were reversed. If he was in their shoes, how would he treat them? And then he goes into this questioning again of sort of this double-edged sword that he's living with.

He's saying, even if I say something, I still feel pain. But if he doesn't say anything, his pain won't go away either. So what is he supposed to do? And then he cries out to God and he talks about how he feels. feels. He feels like God is targeting him. He feels like God is against him, even though he knows he hasn't done anything wrong. He says, my hands are free of violence. But then towards the end of the chapter, he says, even now my witness is in heaven and my advocate is on high. Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor. So what does Job want? So what does Job want?

What is he desiring when he talks about desiring an advocate in heaven? And do you think it's okay for Job to talk about God this way? To share his honest feelings aloud with his friends. And to share his feelings aloud with God about how he's feeling about this situation. Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 17, which begins with a section called Job prepares for death. 17 verse 1 My spirit is broken

My days are extinguished The grave awaits me Surely mockers surround me And my eyes must gaze At their rebellion Give me, I pray

The pledge you demand Who else will be my guarantor You have closed their minds to understanding. Therefore, you will not exalt them. If a man denounces his friend for a price, the eyes of his child will fail.

He has made me a byword among the people, a man in whose face they spit. My eyes have grown dim with grief, and my whole body is but a shadow. The upright are appalled at this, and the innocent are stirred against, against the godless. Yet a righteous one holds to his way, and the one with clean hands grows stronger. But come back and try again all of you, for I will not find a wise man among you. My days have passed,

my plans are broken off, even the desires of my heart. They have turned night and today making light seem near in the face of darkness. If I look for Sheal as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness and say to corruption, you are my father, and to the worm my mother or my sister, where then is my hope?

Who can see any hope for me? Will it go to the gates of Sheel? Will we go down together in the dust? Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 17. Why does Job think he's going to die? Why does he see that as his fate as something that's going to happen soon? This chapter starts out with Job telling us how he feels. His spirit's broken and all of his friends are mocking him.

Why does he feel like they're mocking him? And then he asks God to be his guarantor or for God to defend his innocence. Why does he need God to defend his innocence to his friends? And then towards the end, we see Job really lose hope that things are going to get better. Why do you think he's lost hope? And do you think he will gain his hope back? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 18, where it is Bil-Dad's turn to respond.

So this starts with a section called Bil-Dad. God punishes the wicked. verse 1. Then Bildad the Shouite replied, How long until you end these speeches? Show some sense. Then we can talk. Why are we regarded as cattle, as stupid in your sight? You who tear yourself in anger, should the earth be forsaken on your account,

or the rocks be moved from their place? Indeed, the lamp of the wicked is extinguished. The flame of his fire does not close. The light in his tent grows dark, and the lamp beside him goes out. His vigorous stride is shortened, and his own schemes trip him up. For his own feet lead him into a net, and he wanders into its mesh. A trap seizes his heel, a snare grips him. A noose is hidden in the ground, and a trap lies in his path.

Terrors frighten him on every side and harass his every step. His strength is depleted and calamity is ready at his side. It devours patches of his skin. The firstborn of death devours his limbs. He is torn from the shelter of his tent and is marched off to the king of terrors. Fire resides in his tent. Burning sulfur rains down on his dwelling. The roots beneath him dry up.

and the branches above him wither away. The memory of him perishes from the earth, and he has no name in the land. He is driven from light into darkness, and is chased from the inhabited world. He has no offspring or posterity among his people, no survivors where he once lived. Those in the West are appalled at his fate, while those in the East tremble in horror. surely such is the dwelling of the wicked and the place of one who does not know God. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 18. What is Bill Dad saying about people who are wicked? What does he think happens to people who are wicked?

What is their fate? And why is Bill Dad saying this to Job? When we listen to what Bildad says, what does that tell us about what he thinks of Job? And why does he think Job is suffering? And is he correct about why Job is suffering? Okay, so now we can start Job, chapter 19. Now it's Job's turn to respond again.

He's going to respond to Build That, and this chapter is called Job, My Redeemer, lives. Chapter 19, verse 1, then Job answered, How long will you torment me and crush me with your words? Ten times now you have reproached me. You shamelessly mistreat me, even if I have truly gone astray. My error concerns me alone. If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me and use my disgrace against me, then understand that it is God who has wronged me and drawn his net around me.

Though I cry out violence, I get no response, though I call for help there is no justice. He has blocked my way so I cannot pass. He has veiled my paths with darkness. He has stripped me of my honor and removed. the crown from my head. He tears me down on every side until I am gone. He uproots my hope like a tree.

His anger burns against me, and he counts me among his enemies. His troops advance together. They construct a ramp against me and encamp around my tent. He has removed my brothers from me. My acquaintances have abandoned me. My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me. My guests and maid servants count me as a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight.

I call for my servant, but he does not answer, though I implore him with my own mouth. My breath is repulsive to my wife, and I am loathsome to my own family. Even little boys scorn me. When I appear, they deride me. All my best friends despise me, and those I love have turned against me.

My skin and flesh cling to my bones. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. Have pity on me, my friends. Have pity. For the hand of God has struck me. Why do you persecute me as God does? Will you never get enough of my flesh? I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book

by an iron stylus on lead or chiseled in stone forever. But I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end he will stand upon the earth, even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I will see Him for myself. My eyes will behold him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns within me. If you say, let us persecute him since the root of the matter lies with him, then you should fear the sword yourselves, because wrath brings punishment by the sword so that you may know there is a judgment. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 19.

Where does Job think his suffering is coming from? Why does he think God is against him, and what does he think God is doing to him? And then do we see Job have any sense of hope in this chapter? Who is this Redeemer that Job is talking about? And in this chapter, we hear Job talking about God as if God is against him, as if God is the enemy. But who is the enemy? Why is this happening to Job?

Is he correct? Or is there another enemy against him? What do we know from what we've already read? Okay, so now we can start Job chapter 20. Now his friend Zofar is going to respond. So Zofar, destruction awaits the wicked. Chapter 20, verse 1. Then Zofar the Na'amathite replied,

So, my anxious thoughts compel me to answer, because of the turmoil within me. I have heard a rebuke that insults me, and my understanding prompts a reply. Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth, the triumph of the wicked has been brief, and the joy of the godless man momentary? Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds, he will perish forever, like his own dung. Those who had seen him will ask, where is he? He will fly away like a dream, never to be found.

He will be chased away like a vision in the night. The eye that saw him will see him no more, and his place will no longer behold him. His sons will seek the favor of the poor, for his own hands must return his wealth. The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie down with him in the dust. Though evil is sweet in his mouth, and he conceals it under his tongue, though he cannot bear to let it go and keeps it in his mouth,

yet in his stomach his food sours into the venom of cobras within him. He swallows wealth but vomits it out. God will force it from his stomach. He will suck the poison of cobra as the fangs of a viper will kill him. He will not enjoy the streams, the rivers flowing with honey and cream. He must return the fruit of his labor without consuming it. He cannot enjoy the profits of his trading, for he has oppressed and forsaken the poor. He has seized houses he did not build. Because his appetite is never satisfied He cannot escape with his treasure Nothing is left for him to consume

Thus his prosperity will endure In the midst of his plenty He will be distressed The full force of misery Will come upon him When he has filled his stomach God will vent his fury upon him raining it down on him as he eats

Though he flees from an iron weapon A bronze-tipped arrow will pierce him It is drawn out of his back, the gleaming point from his liver. Terror's come over him. Total darkness is reserved for his treasures. A fire unfanned will consume him and devour what is left in his tent. The heavens will expose his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him. The possessions of his house will be removed, flowing away on the day of God's wrath.

This is the wicked man's portion from God, the inheritance, God has appointed him. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 20. What is Zofar saying about wicked men? According to Zofar, what happens to wicked men? What is their fate? And how does God feel about them and act towards them? And just like Bildad, why is Zofar talking about wicked men to Job?

Why does Zofar think that Job has acted wickedly? Was Zofar correct about what happened? happens to wicked men, but wrong about Job? Was he right about Job, but wrong about what happens to wicked men? Was he right about both? What do we think Zofar is getting right and wrong in his speech? Okay, so now we can start our final chapter for today, which is going to get us about halfway through Job, where Job is going to respond. And this will end the second round of speeches, and the next time in our next episode will start the third round of speeches. So Job 21, which is called Job, God will punish the wicked.

Job 21, verse 1. Then Job answered, Listen carefully to my words. Let this be your consolation to me. Bear with me while I speak, then after I have spoken, you may go on mocking. Is my complaint against a man? Then why should I not be impatient?

Look at me and be appalled. Put your hand over your mouth. When I remember, terror takes hold, and my body trembles in horror. Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? Their descendants are established around them and their offspring before their eyes. Their homes are safer from fear. No rod of punishment from God is upon them. Their bulls breed without fail, their cows bear calves, and do not miscarry.

They send forth their little ones like a flock. their children skip about, singing to the tambourine and lyre, and making Mary at the sound of the flute. They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheal in peace. Yet they say to God, leave us alone, for we have no desire to know your ways. Who is the Almighty that we should serve him, and what would we gain if we pray to him? Still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far from the counsel of the wicked. Okay, so pause there, the end of that section. What is Job saying about the wicked?

What is he saying happens to wicked people on earth? And why does Job think that the wicked prosper on earth? What's going on in his life that's making him compare himself to the ways of the wicked? And then at the end of that section, he says, still, their prosperity is not in their own hands, so I stay far away from the counsel of the wicked. So why does Job say, even though they prosper on earth, I still, stay far away from their counsel from what they say. Verse 17.

How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? Does disaster come upon them? Does God and his anger apportioned destruction? Are they like straw before the wind, like chaff swept away by a storm? It is said that God lays up one's punishment for his children. Let God repay the man himself so he will know it. Let his eyes see his own destruction.

Let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. For what does he care about his household after him when the number of his months run out? Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since he judges those on high? One man dies full of vigor, completely secure and at ease. His body is well nourished and his bones are rich with marrow. Yet another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, having never tasted prosperity, but together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them both. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section.

What is Job saying, when he's comparing these two men, and then saying, but at the end of their lives, they both die and are covered in dust. What is Job thinking about right here? Verse 27, Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me. For you say,

where now is the nobleman's house, and where are the tents in which the wicked dwell? Have you never asked those who travel the roads? Do you not accept their reports? Indeed, the evil man is spared from the day of calamity, delivered from the day of wrath. Who denounces his behavior to his face? Who repays him for what he has done?

He is carried to the grave, and watch is kept over his tomb. The clods of the valley are sweet to him, everyone follows behind him, and those before him are without number. So how can you comfort me with empty words? For your answers remain full of falsehood. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 21.

What did Job think about what his friends were saying? Did he agree with them or did he disagree with them? And so far, what do you think about what Job has been saying? Do you agree with Job? Do you agree with his friends? Do you think some of what Job has said is right? and some of what his friends have said is right? Is it a mix?

So who are you siding with? What do you think the real answer is going to be? Okay, so thank you so much for listening to this episode. I really hope that you enjoyed it. I hope you're enjoying reading through Job. It's one of my favorite books of the Bible. I find it very interesting. And it gives you a lot to think about,

a lot of really deep questions about suffering and where it comes from and why we suffer even when we're faithful to God, why we suffer, even when we feel like we're doing the right thing. Why do we still experience suffering? So these are important questions to ask, to pray about, to think about, and I hope that you will continue thinking about them until the next episode where we'll finish Job and see what God has to say about all of these questions.

So thank you for listening and I'll talk to you in the next one.