ESV Chronological Plan, Day 33 | Exodus 12-15

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Exodus 12:1-15:21

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) The Passover and Jesus. In today's reading we are given instructions for, as well as a description of, the first Passover. All of Israel was instructed to take a lamb and slaughter it, putting its blood on the door frame of their home so that "the destroyer" who came upon the people of Egypt would see the blood covering the entrance to the home and "pass over" them (Exodus 12, see especially 12:21-23). In the New Testament, we are told that this ceremony is a foreshadowing of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." The book of Revelation along with John's Gospel also gives Jesus the title "the Lamb of God" (Revelation 5:6, 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3; cf. John 1:29, 36), referring to Jesus as the true Passover Lamb.* Writing for The Gospel Coalition, Justin Dillehay brings out how the figure of the Passover lamb was fulfilled in Jesus:

"If you wonder how an animal could substitute for a human, the answer is that ultimately it couldn’t (Heb. 10:4). How God could pass over human sin because an animal died was a problem still demanding resolution (Rom. 3:25). Good Friday is when God finally resolved it. Just as even Israel stood exposed to God’s wrath in that 10th plague for their idolatry, so we all stand exposed to God’s righteous wrath for our idolatry... But in his infinite love, God devised a way to be just and merciful at the same time. Salvation through substitution. The Passover was meant to paint a picture of that, but it wasn’t the real thing. But when we get to the Gospels, the true substitute is here. Jesus corresponded to the Old Testament type in many ways. Like the Passover lamb, he was a mature male (Luke 3:23), none of his bones was broken (Ex. 12:46; John 19:36), he was thoroughly examined and found spotless (1 Pet. 2:22), and he was slain for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; Rev. 1:5). We boast that we’ve been redeemed, 'not with perishable things like silver and gold—but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot' (1 Pet. 1:18–19). That’s what Paul means when he says that 'Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.' Our salvation comes through his substitution. That’s why God can say to us, 'When I see his blood, I will pass over you.'"

(B) The Pillar of Cloud and Fire, the Angel of the LORD, and God. The last time that we saw The Angel of the LORD show up, and immediately start speaking in the first person as God, was all the way back in Exodus 3 when Moses encountered the burning bush. (See the entry for that day, #30.) Now we have another occurrence here in Exodus 13-14. First, Exodus 13:21-22 says "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way..." and then Exodus 14:19 says "Then the angel of God, who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them." As we will see throughout the following books, this is going to be a pattern: strange things begin to happen with how the Bible is describing events when The Angel of the LORD shows up in the Old Testament; the biblical writers will often just describe the reality of this one who is with God, and yet is God, and is differentiated from God (God will at one point refer to him in the third person) while being identified as God--and this will often be placed before us without the writers even trying to describe how all of that is supposed to work. The New Testament writers then write about Jesus in the same way. Along with specific Messianic prophecies, and the structure of the Old Testament narratives/books, and foreshadowings in the Old Testament laws and customs, the presence of The Angel of the LORD is yet a fourth way that the Old Testament books point forward to Jesus.

(C) Pointing Little Ones to Jesus. As a dad, I love how a major point of the Passover observance is supposed to be pointing little ones to the story of what God has done. Regarding the celebration, Exodus 13:8 says "You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt" and then in Exodus 13:14-15, "And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.'"  Some of the churches that Kendra and I have attended with our family, usually in the evenings or mid-week where I am not on staff, have had weekly communion. I really enjoy this practice as a dad. It gives me a moment every week where I can pause and turn to Cadence and ask, "Do you know what this cup represents?... Do you know what the bread means?... Do you know what Jesus did?... Do you believe that He died for your sins?... Are you willing to follow Him?" and then we partake of each element as a family ("to Jesus" - taken from a church plant we served with in Saskatoon). I am grateful for this moment when the gospel story is reenacted through the communion elements, and I take seriously the responsibility to guide my family through the practice each time. This is what Moses implored the people of Israel to do through the celebration of Passover.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

As always, there is not just one way to apply today's readings in terms of our attitudes, actions, and worship. For me, seeing how thoroughly Jesus is present in the Old Testament always brings me to worship--"wait, that's in there? God was making it that clear the entire time?" As a husband, father, and eventually grandfather one day, this passage shows me an action application of devoting time to guide my family, without assuming that they will just automatically understand the Gospel. And knowing that I need to be covered by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, because I too am a person in need of redemption and saving, produces an attitude of humility and gratefulness, and joy.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, thank You for providing the blood of the covenant that covers -and washes away!- all of my sin. You have given Your Son in my place. You have exchanged His righteousness for my sin. You have passed over all of my guilt and shame, and have placed Jesus' blood over the door frame of my life. Help me never to feel like that is old news. Help me to run to Jesus, over and over again, just as amazed at the grace of God as I was when I first understood this message. And help me to share this message with others: my family, first, and then my friends, and my community as you provide opportunities. Help me to feel compassion for those who have not experience Your grace in my life as I have. You are my only hope, my peace, my joy, my righteousness, and my strength. Amen."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 32 | Exodus 9-11

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Exodus 9:1-11:10

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) Judgment on the gods of Egypt. At least part of God's intention through the ten plagues is to show that Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, for all of their terrible prestige and willingness to afflict hardship on people, have no authority. God says in Exodus 12:12 that "on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD." Whether God is referring here to the gods of Egypt as symbols of Egyptian authority, or as real demonic powers behind Egyptian mythology, would be an interesting topic for further conversation. But one could just imagine the impression that the plagues left on those who had grown up steeped in Egyptian religion. The Life Application Study Bible note for Exodus 10:22 says "As each gloomy plague descended upon the land, the Egyptian people realized how powerless their own gods were to stop it. Hapi, the god of the Nile River, could not prevent the waters from turning to blood (7:20). Hathor, the crafty cow-goddess, was helpless as Egyptian livestock died in droves (9:6). Amon-Re, the sun-god and chief of the Egyptian gods, could not stop an eerie darkness from covering the land for three full days (10:21, 22). The Egyptian gods were (1) not personal, centering around images like the sun or the river; (2) numerous; (3) not exclusive (any and all could be worshiped). By contrast, the God of the Hebrews was (1) a living personal Being, (2) the only true God, and (3) the only God who should be worshiped. God was proving to both the Hebrews and the Egyptians that he alone is the living and all-powerful God."

(B) The Ipuwer Papyrus. There is a possible, though disputed, Egyptian recollection of the Exodus contained in something known as the Ipuwer Papyrus, written by a royal Egyptian scribe of the same name. Many of its statements are strikingly similar to plagues that we find in Exodus, from "Indeed, the river is blood, yet men drink from it," to "the land is without light," to "he who places his brother in the ground is everywhere" (this is a partial list). It even seems to have parallels to other events like the plundering of the Egyptians, and to Moses pouring out water on the ground as part of his initial signs given to him in Exodus 4. So we read: "gold and lapis lazuli, silver and turquoise, carnelian and amethyst, Ibhet-stone and […] are strung on the necks of maidservants" and "he who poured water on the ground has carried off the strong man in misery." If you have a little time, go and check out this link to the Armstong Institute's write-up on the possible connections between the Exodus and the Ipuwer Papyrus, and decide for yourself whether the connection seems compelling or not. They also include a link to the full translation of the Ipuwer Papyrus near the end.

(C) The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. There is some question throughout the plagues about whether God hardened Pharaoh's heart against letting Israel go. Some have asked whether Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Others have said that Pharaoh hardened his own heart initially, and then God merely solidified him in his stubbornness. What makes it more tricky is this section in Exodus 9:34-10:1 where we read: "But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses. Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them.'" Even when Pharaoh hardens his own heart, God says immediately after that He was the cause of Pharaoh hardening his own heart. Then in Exodus 10:16-17 after Pharaoh repents and says "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. Now therefore, forgive my sin... remove this death from me" we then read in Exodus 10:20 that afterwards "the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go." Whatever the explanation is, we need to remember that (1) God is just. Pharaoh was no saint even before the plagues began, and God is not unjust for hardening someone against having a temporary, false repentance out of self-preservation, in order to use them as an example to others. By solidifying a bad man into a consistent mode of behavior, God demonstrated through Pharaoh the disaster that sin and pride brings into a person's life and the lives of those around them. (2) Jesus consistently implored those around him not to harden their hearts. The danger is that if we allow ourselves to become set in a certain course of action or attitude or thought pattern, out of pride or resentment, there is a real danger that we may never get out of that pattern. The Puritans used to say that "the same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay," and hardening of heart is a real phenomenon. When we allow ourselves to get set on some idea about a person or the way that something should be, it might not matter how much light is shone on us after that, it might just increase our resentment and harden us further. That would be a terrible place to be. Here's the truth from a pastor: I have seen this tragically take place many, many times across 8 churches now. One more truth: I've never seen a case like that where most other people in the church weren't already aware of the unhealth. Often rather than confront the hardened person and receive the backlash, most tend to be one of the few who stay and put up with it, or they move on.

(D) The theory that the plagues were natural occurrences. This comes from the CSB Apologetics Study Bible, from the notes on Exodus 7:20-21: "Were the ten plagues natural occurrences, not miracles? According to the Bible they were true miracles—signs and wonders performed by God (6:6; 7:3-4; 8:19). Theologically, a miracle can be defined as God’s working at just the right time, in just the right place, in just the right degree to produce a redemptive outcome. Miracles are acts of God, but God can make them happen in various ways. As Creator of the universe He can work miracles through nature, or outside the natural order when it suits His purposes. The events of Joshua 3:16 may be an example of a miracle occurring when God worked through natural forces. But God is not bound by nature; He is Spirit (John 4:24) and exists outside the material order. Thus He can act in ways that differ from the patterns we call 'scientific laws.' Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the greatest miracle of this type. The biblical description of the events associated with the ten plagues allows for the possibility that God used natural processes to bring judgments on Egypt’s gods (Exodus 12:12) and set His people free from Egyptian captivity. Some have suggested that bacteria turned the waters red, and the poisoned waters killed the fish and forced the frogs to seek cool, moist places away from the Nile. When the frogs died their corpses were a breeding ground for two types of small insects. These, in turn, spread communicable diseases among both animals and humans, resulting in death to the livestock and boils upon the people. A well-timed locust plague followed by a spring hailstorm devastated Egypt’s crops. Shortly thereafter a desert sandstorm or dust cloud darkened most of Egypt. Finally a devastating plague, perhaps one caused by the insects, killed both humans and beasts among the non-Israelites. God was at work in the entire sequence of events, making them occur in the appropriate location, at the designated time, and at the prescribed intensity level. If God chose to work outside the natural order, it is reasonable to assume that the waters of the Nile were transformed for a time into actual blood. No causal chain would be needed to link the events of the first plague with those that followed up through the sixth, and possibly the tenth, as described above. God could bring small insects into existence directly from the dust of the earth (8:16-17) without resorting to natural causes. He made these ten events take place in response to Pharaoh’s stubbornness. Though this second option may be less intellectually satisfying to Americans and Europeans, it is within God’s power to have brought about the plagues in this way. Which of these methods did God employ to create the ten plagues? Since both account for all the biblical facts, either is a viable possibility. It is enough to affirm that God did them and that they fully accomplished His purposes."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

There are a number of items in today's reading, and we've had a few insights from sources outside of the Bible as well. Now we have time to apply this to our attitudes, actions, and worship. (1) Do we fall in awe at the feet of God who has power over nature and over the human heart? (2) Do we look further into extra-biblical evidence for Scripture so that we can better share our faith with friends and neighbours? (And if you don't have any, an application might be to work on that--I promise, if you give up one non-Sunday morning church commitment to go and get to know your neighbours better, your pastor won't be upset.) (3) Do we search our own hearts for tendencies to harden ourselves into certain positions and attitudes, and resolve to take concrete steps to change that? These and many others could be possible responses to the reading today.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, I just want to love you; to learn, to grow, and to walk humbly with you. If there is anything in my heart that I need to work on -and I know there always will be- help me to see it. Do the work in my soul that I am not strong enough to do on my own. Show me how I can glorify and honour you in my life today. Help me to love you with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength. And thank you that you have loved me first."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 31 | Exodus 5-8

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Exodus 5:1-8:32

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) But by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. This presents us with a difficulty, because the name of the LORD is given all over the earlier chapters os Genesis. Here is the CSB Apologetics Study Bible to help us out: "People began calling on the name of Yahweh during Seth’s lifetime (Gn 4:26), and Abraham and Sarah (Gn 14:22; 16:2), Isaac (Gn 26:22), and Jacob (Gn 27:20) explicitly used the name. Yet here the Lord seems to suggest that he had not previously been known by that name. Two possible reasons may exist for this. First, God may be saying that He is revealing Himself to Moses more fully than to anyone before him. Thus Moses and the generations to follow would have a more complete knowledge of who Yahweh is. Second, the Lord’s statement may be translated from the Hebrew as a rhetorical question: “And did I not make My name Yahweh known to them?” In this case, the Lord was affirming the continuity of relationship that had existed between Himself and His people over a period of time."

(B) Lack of support. Towards the middle of Exodus 6, Moses and Aaron must have felt discouraged. They couldn't convince the Egyptian king with even a small requests, and the people of Israel also seemed to reject Moses and Aaron. But then this note gets added: "But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt." Isn't that amazing? In the time of their doubt and despair, they were able to hear clearly from God that this is where they were supposed to be. May God grant all of us this kind of clarity!

(C) Gods at War. As we will see tomorrow, each of the plagues infringes on the claimed "territory" of some Egyptian deity.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

Moses and Aaron must have a had a difficult time with the lack of support they got from those they were trying to help. But instead of allowing him the lead them, the Israelites grumbled against Moses and his brother. Instead of giving in or giving up, though, they pressed forward. Why would they do this? Because the LORD had charged them to do so (Ex. 6:13). We also need strength to press forward into what God has charged us to do, even if we are met with little support.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer: "God, help me to lean on you when it seems like there is no one with me--and yet I am not doing anything except what you have asked me to do. Help me to lean on the strength that only you provide, with the wisdom that only you can give."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 30 | Exodus 1-4

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Exodus 1:1-4:31

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. We are told in Exodus 1:8 that a new king arose in Egypt who did not know about Joseph. How was this possible? Well, if there had been a regime change, it is entirely possible that this could be the case. (1) First we have to work out the timing of events. The biblical evidence for the date of the Exodus (worked out from Judges 11:26 and 1 Kings 6:1) suggests that the Israelites left Egypt in 1446 BC, with the length of time that they were in the land being 430 years (Exodus 12:41), giving us an arrival date of 1876 BC. (We already know from the Berlin Fragment dated to around 1400 BC, the Soleb Hieroglyph in the 1300's BC, and the Merneptah Stele in 1205 BC, that the Israelites had left Egypt and conquered the Canaanites to establish Israel by the time of the biblically suggested date--with more to follow as we get into further readings.) So the stay of Israel in Egypt is from 1876-1446 BC. (2) Then we have to look at why the Egyptians would have no knowledge of Joseph, and be worried about Semites living in the land and joining their enemies. It turns out that for about a hundred years during the time that Israel was sojourning in Egypt, a foreign group of Semitic rulers named the Hyksos came and ruled over Egypt, from around 1637-1529 BC. Britannica.com tells us, "The rise of the Hyksos kings in Egypt was made possible by an influx of immigrants from Palestine into Egypt beginning about the 18th century BCE... The sequence of events that brought the Hyksos kings to power in Lower Egypt is not entirely clear. The 13th and 14th dynasties, which had existed concurrently in Lower Egypt, weakened and disappeared about the middle of the 17th century. Some scholars have suggested that a famine in the Delta region contributed to their decline and opened the way for the emergence of the Hyksos dynasty. From Avaris the Hyksos 15th dynasty ruled most of Lower Egypt and the Nile valley as far south as Cusae (near present-day Asyūṭ)... [the Hyksos fell to] Ahmose, founder of the 18th dynasty, thereby ending 108 years of Hyksos rule over Egypt. Although vilified in some Egyptian texts, the Hyksos had ruled as pharaohs and were listed as legitimate kings in the Turin Papyrus." Knowing about this as background for the Exodus makes perfect sense for the events leading up to what we see in the opening chapters of Exodus. It explains why the new Pharaoh didn't know about Joseph. It explains why the Egyptians were afraid of Israel (a Semitic group) multiplying in the land and joining with their enemies (perhaps this had been what had happened in the past). And it explains why the Pharaoh of Moses' day went to such incredible and brutal lengths to suppress the people of Israel--by the time Moses was born, the Egyptian victory over the Hyksos was still very new, maybe only having happened a little over 40 years prior.

*One additional nugget: with the timing of the Exodus given above, the Pharaoh of the Exodus may have been either Thutmose III or Amenhotep II (but I think Thutmose III). The Egyptian rulers around this time tend to have "Moshe/Mose(s)" as a part of their name quite often, and so it's interesting that the Egyptian daughter of Pharaoh would give Moses a similar name. **One more nugget: depending on the chronology, some have suggested that it is likely that the daughter of Pharaoh who took Moses out of the river was Hatshepsut--who would later on become the Queen Regnant of Egypt.

(B) Our calling happens on God's time, and in God's way. It looks like Moses became aware of his Hebrew origins, and saw himself as a deliverer for his people, early on. He rose up to kill an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew--"one of his people" (Exodus 2:11-12) when he was 40 years old (Acts 7:23). Then he started walking around and acting like a mediator to unite the people of Israel (Exodus 2:13). In the book of Acts, Stephen said that "Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not" (Acts 7:25). So Moses, when he had been rejected by the people of Israel, and when he was discovered by the Pharaoh to be trying to raise up the Hebrew people against the Egyptians, he fled. He had nothing. And only 40 years later (Acts 7:30) did God appear to Moses in the midst of a burning bush, when Moses was no longer young, or influential, or had anything else going in his favor, to call him to be the deliverer of Israel. Even when we see how we could do something great for God, God likes to remind us that things happen in his time and not ours. The appropriate response to this on our end is humility and patience.

(C) The Angel of the LORD. In Exodus 3:2 we see that "the angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush," but then two verses later we see that "God called to Moses out of the bush, 'Moses, Moses!'" What is happening here? Well, starting in the book of Genesis and then periodically throughout the rest of the Bible, there is "the Angel of the LORD" who is both a messenger from God, and when he speaks, he speaks in first person as God. And when he appears, the narrative often asserts that the person who has seen the angel has actually seen God. (We will see this a few times over the course of our Abraham series, starting this Sunday.) This figure is both with God, and is God, both one who reveals God, and who is himself the appearance of God. This is the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, the physical representation of God the Son who appears all over the Old Testament.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

There is often more happening than we know. In Exodus 1 we see references to a whole history that we only know about now through archaeological sources; we see an early period in Moses' life where he had tried to be the deliverer of Israel, but not in God's timing; and we see a pre-incarnate Jesus delivering a message to Moses; who both is with God and is God, something that confused the Jewish people to no end when interpreting this passage, but now makes perfect sense to Christians. For us, I think the application is to be okay with waiting. The Israelites had to wait 400 years in Egypt. Moses had to wait to fulfill his calling. And the people of God had to wait over 1440 years to find out what was happening with the angel who suddenly started speaking in the first person as God--some things only become clear over time. And so, whatever situation you're in, whatever you're trying to figure out, whatever doesn't make sense--just wait. It will become clear in time.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, help me to be okay with waiting. Help me to be patient, not in a passive way, but actively serving you here and now, trying to understand what you are saying or doing, and yet content to know that you will make all things clear in time. Give me a purpose in my patience, and use this time to draw me more closely to yourself."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 29 | Job 40-42

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 40:1-42:17

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A)  God's challenge to Job. At various points in this final speech, God essentially challenges Job to do what God does. Christopher Ash has a good gospel-centered insight here: "A deeper truth needs to be unearthed here. God is not saying simply that the job of dealing with evil is harder than Job thinks—undoubtedly that is hard work. Rather, God is saying that Job has not begun to understand what will be necessary to win the victory over death and the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil; for only by the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ will this victory be won (Heb. 2:14). Strangely, even as Job does not understand this, in his own sufferings he is foreshadowing that victory."

(B) You have not spoken rightly of Me, as my servant Job has. This seems surprising, given that God has been taking Job to task for the last few chapters. But regarding Job's friends, Ash writes "They may have said all sorts of correct things (and they have); but their message as a whole is simply wrong. Their message denies the grace of God because it has no place either for undeserved suffering (Job and later Jesus) or undeserved blessing (the grace we now have in Jesus)... By contrast, God says that Job has spoken rightly of him. This may surprise us, given all we have just heard about how God has had to rebuke Job. Although God’s verdict may just refer to what Job has just said (42:1–6) in penitence, it seems more likely that it refers overall to what Job has been saying throughout the book, and in dialogue with his erroneous friends. For, even as Job has to repent of what he has said, there has been a fundamental heart of faith that lies beneath what he has said. Job has grappled honestly with God in a way that his comforters have failed to do."

(C) The Septuagint ending of Job. This gets a little more technical--but when the Jews were taken into exile by Babylon, many of them did not return to Judah when it was rebuilt. They stayed out in the lands where they had built their lives, throughout the times of the Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. Over time many of them reached a point where they only spoke Greek. Because of this, the Hebrew Scriptures had to be translated into Greek for people to read them; this translation was called the Septuagint after the Greek word for "seventy," which is the traditional number of translators who worked on the project at Alexandria. In the process of translating, sometimes the translators would add little commentary notes or sum things up for their readers--which still makes the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible important for Bible scholars today, as a sort of early commentary or adaptation of the Old Testament by Jewish scholars who lived much closer in time to when it was written. (The apostles also gave it their approval by often -but not exclusively- quoting from it while producing the various writings of the Greek New Testament). All that to say, here is the ending of Job according to the Septuagint, which includes some extra detail about Job: 

"17a And it is written that he [Job] shall rise again with the ones whom the Lord shall raise up. 17b This man is described by the Syriac book as dwelling in the land of Uz on the borders of Edom and Arabia. And his name before was Jobab. 17c And, having taken an Arabian wife, he fathered a son, whose name was Enan. And he himself had as father Zerah, from the sons of Esau. And his mother was Bosorra, so that it made him fifth from Abraham. 

    17d And these were the kings who were ruling in Edom, which territory also he himself ruled: first, Bela, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And after Bela, Jobab, who was called Job. And after this, Husham, who was serving as leader from the territories of Thaiman. And after this, Hadad, son of Bered, who destroyed Midian in the field of Moab, and the name of his city was Avith. 17e And the friends who came to him were Eliphaz, of the sons of Esau, king of the Temanites; Bildad, the tyrant of the Shuhites; and Zophar, the king of the Naamathites."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

We think that we are correct about most things, which is why we think the ways that we do. After all, it wouldn't make sense to think that we are wrong about some conviction or idea, and still persist in holding to it! When God shows up, he reveals everyone to have been wrong. Job is wrong about God and needs significant rebuke and correction; and yet, he is not so wrong as his wise friends have been, so God is able to say to them "you have not spoken rightly about me, as my servant Job has." 

When Jesus came to the earth, he found several different groups of Jewish thought. There were the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Hellenists, and the Pharisees. Of these, whose teachings did Jesus agree with most often and endorse? The Pharisees. In fact, on many specific beliefs that set apart the Pharisees from other groups -angels, the resurrection, the inspiration of biblical books other than the first five books of Moses, etc.- there is a straight line from the school of the Pharisees to basic Christian beliefs. And yet, this is the group that Jesus disagreed with and took to task most frequently, and they are the ones who confronted and then led the way in plotting to kill Jesus. No group was found to have it all figured out when Jesus arrived. 

So our response today might be one of humility. We are ever searching for the truth, and that search may get us closer than those who do not search (after all, we are not told to search the Scriptures because they are unknowable, but because they can be known), but we know that when Jesus returns to the earth he will make even the confusing or unclear things clear. I am pretty comfortably sure that as a Reformed Baptist (the theological position of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists, which is the denomination to which I belong) I am holding to and teaching pretty well the correct position on most of the main things that the Bible teaches. But I also love learning from Pentecostals, and Orthodox Christians, and Presbyterians, and certain Messianic Jews, and Lutherans, because together we are opening up the same Bible and asking questions, and learning together--some of us may be found to have gotten it more right than others when Jesus appears again, but I have a feeling we will all have a few things that we have been mistaken on. This leads us to the application for today, which I think is an application regarding our attitude--that this reading should cause us to be more humble.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

This is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, help me to stand before you with an attitude of curiosity and wonder, knowing that I may never completely comprehend the complete truth of what you have revealed, but I can increase in joy as I come closer, through prayer and study and meditating on your character. Help me to have an attitude of humility, knowing that as much as I understand, there is also much more that I do not. Help me to hold strongly to what is clearly taught in Scripture, but to be more gentle and open where many strong Christians disagree. There is much that I do not understand. Use that realization to make me a more curious, joyful, humble person. And help me to actively anticipate the day when you will come back to the earth and make all things clear."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 28 | Job 38-39

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 38:1-39:30

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Some think that God is addressing Elihu here in 38:2, but it is clear by verse 3 that God is talking to Job. God will eventually confuse many of us by calling Job his "servant" who has "spoken of me what is right" in 42:8 (more on that tomorrow), but here the story is different. God has arrived to confront Job. The following speech -quoted from, of course, Christopher Ash- is broken down into 17 sections. God doesn't just list all the things that he knows or has done, but he is showing Job his wisdom in how he governs the universe. If God does all this, then Job must acknowledge that God is wise and has a plan, and must trust in him before anything else can move forward. This parallels God's call to faith/trust in the New Testament. Here God shows his credentials:

1. 38:4–7 Creation is like a building whose completion was accompanied by great joy. Whatever follows, the creation is fundamentally good.
2. 38:8–11 The sea is an image of chaos and evil. This is part of creation; it does not lie outside of what God made. And yet it inhabits a strictly limited sphere—“thus far . . . and no farther.”
3. 38:12–15 Wickedness will one day be destroyed. Evil is temporary. Every time the sun rises, it serves as a sign and reminder that darkness cannot endure.
4. 38:16–18 In biblical poetry, the place of the dead lies at the bottom of the chaotic sea. And yet even this, the most extreme place in creation, lies within the Creator’s power and knowledge.
5. 38:19–21 If the last extreme was very deep, these are very wide. From the far east, where the sun rises, to the far west, where it sets, God rules and knows.
6. 38:22–24 Destructive snow, hail, light(nings), storm winds come down from the sky under the control of God.
7. 38:25–27 Instead of destructive water (snow, hail, thunderstorms) we now see water transformed into a life-giving gift that makes even remote deserted lands fertile. The same water is used by God both in a violent way (38:22–24) and a life-giving way. Only God understands how or why.
8. 38:28–30 We have here a beautiful meditation about the relationship between water and the Creator. God is the “father” and “womb” from which water comes in all its varied forms. It comes as “dew” and “rain” to bring fertility. It comes as “ice” and “frost” to threaten life. And all from the same Creator, with whom it has this intimate relationship.
9. 38:31–33 God focuses now on some of the constellations of stars in the sky. Often these have been thought to be divine, influencing affairs on earth (as with horoscopes). But no! Every detail of these stars is ordained and established by the LORD.
10. 38:34–38 And now we come back to water. Every raindrop, each lightning bolt, goes at his command, in detail and precisely as the LORD instructs, whether to destroy or to bring life.
11. 38:39–41 We begin with predators and prey, the lion as a beast predator and the raven as a bird that feeds on the prey of the lion. Surprisingly, God speaks of this whole process—the lion killing the prey and then the raven getting food from the carcass—as a blessing, for it brings food to the defenseless young lions and ravens. So, is it evil or good? What may seem evil could perhaps be good.
12. 39:1–4 If the last section looked at death in the wild, this one considers new life in the wild. These are “mountain goats” not farm goats. God enables them to become pregnant, to go into labor, and to give birth, even in the wild.
13. 39:5–8 Now the camera moves from the mountain goat to the wild donkey, who roams the dry plains. He too, in his wild freedom is under the care and direction of the Creator.
14. 39:9–12 And now the wild ox, a huge and frightening creature. Job is challenged to domesticate this grand animal. But he cannot. The ox is a picture of wild power outside and beyond Job’s control. And yet God controls it all.
15. 39:13–18 But what about the ostrich? What a funny creature she is, failing to care well for her young and yet able to run so very fast! Somehow even in her eccentric strangeness this creature helps us grasp that every creature is under the care and government of God.
16. 39:19–25 The portrait of the war horse pawing eagerly ready for the fight introduces us to another picture of power. For the horse was the nuclear weapon of the ancient world. We are to picture this magnificent creature and marvel that even he is under the control of the Creator.
17. 39:26–30 And then we come back to predator and prey with the hawk or eagle, the bird of prey. Living far above human habitation, God enables him to hunt and to feed his young.

(B) The kinds of things that God mentions are within his active work. These have been somewhat referenced above, but God specifically mentioned to Job that: (1) God has an ongoing story with the "sons of god" (angels) where he is unfolding his glory in their midst, too -- see 38:7. (2) God also does not excuse wickedness, but instead commits that the wicked will "be shaken out of [the earth]" and "light is withheld" from them (38:13, 15). We don't always see this currently, so that will be taken as a future promise. (3) God establishes the laws of the universe as the Creator (38:33). (4) God provides for all his creation, right down to the lion and the raven (38:41). He can be trusted to give what is truly needed. From the highest of heavens, to the laws of the universe, to his plan to deal with wickedness, to his daily provision for every one of his creations, God is on the throne and has things covered.

(C) The gifts of God. These are the gifts that God says he gives throughout his creation. We may ask for these for ourselves, too. (1) God gives "wisdom to the inward parts... understanding to the mind" (38:36). (2) God also gives might to his creatures (39:19). When we are in a situation where we need to ask for God's help to know what to do and be given the ability to do what is needed, we should pray to God, who "gives generously to all without finding fault" (James 1:3).

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

These chapters draw us into worship and recognition of the majesty of God. But they also help us to realize that God offers us his help, which he can give, out of the overflow of his power. We should move forward into the things to which God is calling us, knowing that we are not dependant on our own strength and wisdom, but that which God provides.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

This is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, help me to understand what I do not currently understand, and do that which I currently find myself unable to do. Rather than moving forward in my own strength and wisdom, help me move forward with that which you provide for the journey. Help me to glorify you in my life today."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 27 | Job 35-37

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 35:1-37:24

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) God doesn't need us--His love for us isn't so that He can get something in return. Setting aside for the moment what role Elihu plays in the narrative of the book of Job, he certainly says some true things. One of them is this: "Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you. If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness [only] concerns a man like yourself, and [likewise] your righteousness a son of man" (Job 35:5-8). We should not think so highly of ourselves to believe that God is personally affected by our decision to follow Him or not. If no one worshipped God, He would still be God. But when He glorifies Himself, draws us towards Him, cleanses us of sin, bestows His righteousness upon us as a gift, lifts us up to the highest heaven, and sits us with Him on His throne, clothing us with immortal glory--He does all of this, not because He needs us, but because He knows that we need Him. In the words of the hymn Rock of Ages: "Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to the cross I cling." We don't bring anything in our hands that God needs; but God, who has everything, has given us Himself.

(B) The majesty of God. How often do our prayers include us taking time to meditate on the majesty of God? There is a format for prayer that is sometimes used with the acronym CALL - confess, ask, love, listen. In this model of prayer we start with confession--admitting that our minds wander, that we wander, that our thoughts are far from God, and that we bring all sorts of transgression in thought, word, and deed into our prayer time with us. Then we ask God to help us with those things and with our other requests that we bring to Him. But the third part involves us loving God by meditating on who He is and what He has done. The words of Elihu in Job 36:24-33 (and beyond) would be great to bring into such a prayer time with us as a prompt and a model for us to follow.

“Remember to extol his work,

of which men have sung.

All mankind has looked on it;

man beholds it from afar.

Behold, God is great, and we know him not;

the number of his years is unsearchable.

For he draws up the drops of water;

they distill his mist in rain,

which the skies pour down

and drop on mankind abundantly.

Can anyone understand the spreading of the clouds,

the thunderings of his pavilion?

Behold, he scatters his lightning about him

and covers the roots of the sea.

For by these he judges peoples;

he gives food in abundance.

He covers his hands with the lightning

and commands it to strike the mark.

Its crashing declares his presence;

the cattle also declare that he rises.

At this also my heart trembles

and leaps out of its place." 

 

(C) Anticipating the arrival of God. Knowing that at the end of Elihu's speech, God will answer Job from the whirlwind starting in chapter 38, it is hard to read chapter 37 without imagining that Elihu is speaking increasingly loudly and in awe as the storm in which God will reveal Himself approaches. Lines like "Keep listening to the thunder of his voice and the rumbling that comes from his mouth. Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth... From its chamber comes the whirlwind, and cold from the scattering winds... Out of the north comes golden splendor; God is clothed with awesome majesty" (Job 37:2-3, 9, 22) create a picture for us. Imagine the anticipation of knowing that God is drawing near, and that as He comes closer you are seeking to win someone over to put their trust in God. This is the position that we are in every day as Christians. The whirlwind of God's glory draws near; the thunder is in the air; God is clothed with awesome majesty--who will tell our neighbours before He arrives? What will become of the townhouses and the condos nearby? Are the families that live in our vicinity prepared for the meeting? Do they even know the Good News about His impending arrival? Who will tell them? When God answered Job out of the whirlwind, it was for his restoration. But when God comes again and is not hidden in the cloud, all flesh shall see Him, and the time for an accounting will be at hand. As we anticipate the arrival of God, we like Elihu (whatever his role in the narrative is) may be in the position of having the last opportunity to share the news of God's arrival with others before they meet Him.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

I have started referring to different responses under the categories of actions, attitudes, and worship. Under the heading of actions, certainly anticipating God's arrival would lead us to see the need for outreach and personal evangelism. Recently, I started doing campus evangelism with a team that is already experienced in that kind of ministry; for now I am still learning, but eventually I will be confident enough that I could start to take the lead in certain conversations. Then I can take that same skill out to other areas around Ancaster when the weather warms up again. Under the heading of attitudes, knowing that God loves us but doesn't need us -and yet He has done so much for us!- should instill a deep sense of humility. And, a desire to love others without looking for anything in return. Under the heading of worship, taking time to meditate on who He is and what He has done during our prayer times might be transformational for many of us.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prompt for prayer: "God, help me to anticipate you as if you were approaching me in the whirlwind to speak to me right now. Help me to gaze upon your glory and be transformed by it. Do not let me walk away from this time in prayer without meditating on your goodness, power, and love--which you have demonstrated in the person of Jesus Christ upon the cross. Rid me of my desire to be someone important, and show me instead that I am someone who has been loved by a God who doesn't need anything from me. Give me a heart for those who don't know you. And as the storms of life approach, I ask that you would speak to me out of them."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 26 | Job 32-34

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 32:1-34:37

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) Unlike Job, who we know to be -mostly- correct in his assessment of his problem because of the material in the first two chapters, or his friends who are rebuked in the final chapters, we don't have any outside commentary from the book of Job on the speeches of Elihu. We only know that he is given a lot of space to speak. To be honest, the speeches of Elihu require more careful study than I have previously given them--or to the whole book of Job in general, which is one of the most difficult to understand texts of Scripture. (That doesn't mean that it isn't important to understand, though; I have already been surprised and helped by Christopher Ash's comments earlier on during the readings through Job.) I've already picked Job as the book that I will be studying carefully in the second part of this year. But I did recently see an article for Desiring God (an excellent ministry and resource, founded by John Piper) on the speeches of Elihu. And, going back to check, it turns out it was written by--Christopher Ash, who has become something of a helpful guide through the book of Job so far. I recommend the article to others in full. Here is a snippet:

"Over the years, I have changed my mind about Elihu. In my first book on Job, I argued that while Elihu was not to be dismissed out of hand, what he says is nevertheless 'not authoritative.' He 'is not a prophet, speaking accurately for God; but neither is he a false prophet to be utterly condemned.' However, while writing a full commentary on Job, I became persuaded that Elihu is indeed a true prophet of God. My introduction reflects this change of view: 'Although many scholars disagree, and I myself used to feel that his was an ambiguous voice, I am now persuaded that Elihu speaks by inspiration of the Spirit as a true and prophetic voice.' Why have I changed my mind? My positive evaluation of Elihu cuts across the grain of much scholarly opinion. I have twelve commentaries on Job in my study. Eleven of them think poorly of Elihu. Nevertheless, some theologians from the past agree — or at least see Elihu in something of a positive light: Gregory the Great (ca. 540–604)... Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274)... [and] John Calvin has not a word to say against Elihu. In her scholarly study of Calvin’s exegesis of Job, Susan E. Schreiner argues, 'There are few people in the Bible Calvin admires more than Elihu,' who speaks 'as a true doctor of the church.' Indeed 'Calvin’s elevation of Elihu is as decisive as that of Maimonides [1138-1204, a Jewish rabbi and philosopher who became one of the most influential Torah scholars of the middle ages]; like Maimonides, Calvin sees Elihu as teaching essentially the same truth declared in the whirlwind speech.'"

(B) Matthew Henry has this to say about Elihu waiting his turn to speak until the older men had done so: "Elihu spoke because he thought that it was time to speak, and that now, at length, it had come to his turn, v. 4, 5. (1.) He had waited on Job's speeches, had patiently heard him out, until the words of Job were ended. (2.) He had waited on his friends' silence, so that, as he would not interrupt him, so he would not prevent them, not because they were wiser than he, but because they were older than he, and therefore it was expected by the company that they should speak first; and Elihu was very modest, and would by no means offer to abridge them of their privilege. Some certain rules of precedency must be observed, for the keeping of order. Though inward real honour will attend true wisdom and worth, yet, since every man will think himself or his friend the wisest and worthiest, this can afford no certain rule for the outward ceremonial honour, which therefore must attend seniority either of age or office; and this respect the seniors may the better require because they paid it when they were juniors, and the juniors may the better pay because they shall have it when they come to be seniors."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

I remember as a teenager, and a new Christian, having a difficult time reading through the first chapter of Ephesians. Although it seems completely clear to me now, I couldn't understand a thing that was being said in that chapter. I read it slowly. I tried to memorize it. I wrote it down and then re-wrote it in my own words (not an exercise that I would try today with the Bible, but it had worked for understanding some difficult material when preparing for debates in the past). But the meaning was completely hidden from my understanding. Given how clear the text seems now, I wonder if the meaning was actually being hidden from me at that time. Why would God do/allow that? I believe that it's because through that process, God humbled me and showed me that I needed him to give me wisdom. The process also taught me to follow God even when I did not understand some things -while not giving up, and still fighting to understand that which wasn't clear to me- a process that occasionally repeats itself. God tends to meet me in a special way during seasons where he sends me out on frustrated walks, tossing around some problem or idea that I can't seem to figure out, and asking him to show me what I don't know. If he didn't draw me into these seasons occasionally, I would be tempted to feel like I'm pretty smart and have everything figured out. So I am glad that God loves me enough to take me to the mat every once in a while, wrestle me on to my shoulders, and show me that I still have a long way to go before I have it all figured out. However, it is also possible that you might see this text pretty clearly where I don't. As Elihu points out, wisdom is not just for certain groups of people like the aged (or pastors). If God has shown you something here, go for it and let me know.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is my prayer this morning: "God, thank you for guiding me in wisdom when I am completely at a loss as to what to make of things. Help me to walk with you, and to wait for you to show me the true understanding of things; not to reach for easy but unsatisfying answers, or to just grab onto the opinion of someone who seems like they know what the answer is, but to continue to apply my mind and wait for your wisdom. Guide me into a deeper experience of trust and humility through this process, and teach me your Word."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 25 | Job 29-31

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 29:1-31:40

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) We are blessed so that we can bless others. One thing that's interesting to see throughout Job 29-31 is this conviction that is treated like common sense: that the one who has been given much is required to use what he has to be a blessing to others. When Job is recounting proof that he has been faithful, he says: "I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him... I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame" (Job 29:12, 15). Later on he says of himself, "If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel alone, and the fatherless had not eaten of it... then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket" (Job 31:16-17, 22). In Job's day the only social safety net that existed was the kindness of strangers. If Job didn't help, no one else would (or could). In our day, while our centralized governments are able to provide better security, these kinds of programs are often blunt instruments that do not (and can not) really provide careful, individualized, comprehensive care  to specific people--along with a challenge to move beyond receiving blessing to the point where these they might be able to bless others. This means that the Church, and Christians, who follow God's Word and believe that material blessing comes from God and is given for a purpose, still have  a unique role to play in providing the kind of "on the ground" care that even the most generous governments could not. In many areas where the government works province-by-province and city-by-city, we as Christians are able to serve and see the impact of care that is provided neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood and person-by-person. The one who God has blessed with material goods and wisdom, in order for them to bless others, is still the best social program available.

(B) The categories of sin that Job disavows. Job's speech follows a structure of 1. recounting his former glory; 2. recounting his righteous deeds; 3. recounting his current suffering; 4. proving his innocence by listing common sins and showing that he has not even committed those--at least not as a pattern of living. These categories would be good for us to keep in mind, as we seek to flee from sin and live for righteousness. First, Job denies living in falsehood or with deceit (Job 31:5-8). This includes deceit whose purpose is to get something from others, to seem different than we really are for attention or for an opportunity that we haven't earned, or to make someone else look different than they really are--as in lying about them through gossip. Second, Job denies being enticed by lust (Job 31:9-12). This one is self-explanatory; there is no amount of looking that does not change the heart in some way. Third, Job denies withholding things from those in need (Job 31:13-23). We covered this above. Fourth, Job denies committing the sin of idolatry (Job 31:24-28). It's interesting that along with denying that he has worshipped the sun or moon in secret, Job also mentions that he has not trusted in his wealth. As far as I know, this is the only Old Testament reference which makes the connection between literal idolatry and trusting in one's own material riches. Fifth, and this might surprise someone, Job denies ever being glad that someone who did evil to him got their comeuppance (Job 31:29-36). When God hands out justice in this life, it is either to turn someone on to the right path, to prevent even worse actions, or to display his own glory--and he could just as well at various times have turned his hand against you for other things, but in his mercy, he didn't. None of these reasons for God handing out justice allows  for your celebrating what has happened. We may pray that God would stop an evil person, or that he would show them their error so that they can be restored, or that he would display his glory. But God does not appreciate when he shows us mercy, and we use the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and root for the next person's destruction. We are all deeply in need of the grace of God. This is why Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors.

C. Hardship makes the Kingdom of God more clear to us. As Job has wrestled with the purpose for his suffering, we have also seen how hardship has made him aware of things he had not known before. He has, several times, intuited the need for the Gospel, for eternal life, for God to cover even the remaining sin of an otherwise righteous person (though as has been stated several times in Job, no one is completely righteous), and for an advocate within God that somehow mediates against the wrath of God. Without suffering, Job would have never come to see any of these things. If God is merciful and gracious and good, then Job may dare to boldy approach him on his throne in order to find favor: "Oh, that I had one to hear me!... I would give him an account of all my steps; like a prince I would approach him" (Job 31:37).

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

There are many things in this reading, both that I mentioned and that I didn't, which could draw us to respond in attitude, action, and worship. Some of these applications have already been mentioned above. Job has shown us that we can worship God as the source of both the blessing with which we can bless others, and the hardship that guides us into further understanding. He's shown us that we can use both seasons of wealth and harship to grow in personal maturity, understanding, and holiness. 

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a prayer prompt: "God, I ask that you would teach me, in this season, to be faithful with what you have given me. Help me not to spend my time wishing for a different season of life, but to honor and grow in you where I am at. Help me to draw near to you."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 24 | Job 25-28

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 25:1-28:28

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Continuing on from yesterday, I thought I would highlight some explanatory notes from a few of the excellent study Bibles that are available today. A good study Bible is a great resources to have, though of course the notes are only a fallible commentary on the infallible text of Scripture.

(A) The ESV Study Bible - a peak at the structure of the book. "The dialogue between Job and his three friends has a pattern in which each speech by Job is followed by responses from the friends in a particular order: Eliphaz, Bildad, and then Zophar. After two full cycles of the dialogue, it appears that Job is tired of the repetitive and relentless nature of his friends’ responses. He signals the end of the dialogue by cutting Bildad’s third response short (i.e., it is only six verses long) and precluding any third speech from Zophar. Job concludes with a lengthy monologue in which he takes up several subjects related particularly to the theme of what is hidden and what is revealed... Job criticizes his friends for what is likely an unintentional but still unacceptable consequence of their approach (26:1–4). He questions their certitude by alluding to how much is hidden from human perspective simply in the existence and divine government of the created world (26:5–14)... The first part of Job’s long response is marked with the heading typical of the dialogues, 'Then Job answered and said' (26:1). The heading in 27:1 and in 29:1 ('And Job again took up his discourse') helps bind together the entirety of Job 26-31 as Job’s final speech of the dialogue, which functions as a closing statement."

(B) The CSB Apologetics Study Bible - answering those who say chapters 27-28 don't sound like Job. "Because Job appears to adopt his friends’ view in this passage, some critics theorize that this description of the wicked is wrongly attributed to Job. Some suggest this passage is a lost third speech of Zophar, or that it should be added to Bildad’s short speech (25:1-6). But, as seen elsewhere in the dialogue, Job was searching for answers and encircling his problem from different angles, so his pronouncements were not necessarily consistent with one another (see 21:7-15; 24:18-25). There is no reason to question the text as it stands... Many critical scholars suggest that because the poem of chapter 28 seems to bear no relation to the surrounding discussions, it was once an independent composition that was incorporated later into the text. This view is unnecessary. Job mused concerning the nature of true wisdom that had not been adequately determined in the previous discussions (e.g., 4:21; 11:6-9; 12:12-13; 15:8; 26:3-4). Chapter 28 serves as a transitional piece, clarifying many issues relating to wisdom that have been brought up previously and laying the groundwork for Job’s soliloquy in chaps. 29-31."

(C) The ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible - Jesus is a true comforter. "[In Job 26:1-3] Job’s sarcasm directed at the three who have now been seen to be false comforters affirms by implication what a true comforter should be like. A true comforter would have 'helped him who has no power' (v. 2). A true comforter would have 'saved the arm that has no strength' (v. 2). A true comforter would have 'counseled him who has no wisdom' (v. 3). A true comforter would have 'plentifully declared sound knowledge' (v. 3). A helper, a saver, a counselor, a proclaimer: all those things a true comforter would be—as our Savior ultimately demonstrated. Note the 'no' in 'no power... no strength... no wisdom' (26:2–3). True comfort comes to us when we are at the end of the road, with no gas in the engine and no human possibility of gas for thousands of miles around. Grace doesn’t add to what’s already there. Grace comes to our aid when there is nothing there. This is the comforting grace that Jesus Christ embodied in his life and ministry. He is the Comforter for all who have broken down and have nothing left to run on."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

As seen in the underlined bits above, there are lots of things there that we could appropriately respond to through action, attitude, or worship. (1) Job's example in cutting short the third cycle of speeches from his friends might be a good pattern for us, to remove ourselves from interactions that are exercising a downward pull on our spiritual lives, and which are not heading towards any helpful resolution. (i.e. Some interactions will drain you, but you can tell you are making a difference--others will drain you, and it's clear that you aren't). (2) Job's speech in chapter 26 focuses on the inexpressible glory of God--if you go back and focus on 26:6-14, these verses may draw you into worship. (3) Based on just a surface reading, with no additional study, I was confused by Job's words in chapter 27, which don't sound like him. I still am confused. But the argument found in the Apologetics Study Bible seems like it could have some promise, and it helps me to have an attitude of confidence that there is a satisfactory answer that I will find when I come back to Job for more serious study later on this year. (4) Knowing that Jesus is the comforter of the one who has nothing hits me on several levels: I can respond with worship, it makes me feel an attitude of humility, and it makes me want to put into action the qualities of one who is truly a comforter to others in the pattern set by our God.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, guide me by Your wisdom. When it comes to my relationships, or things that are confusing me, or my feeling like I have nothing left--God, please show me Your wisdom in those situations. Help by drawing me towards a sense of being lost in the worship of You, of Whom I can search forever and still only begin to detect 'the outskirts of Your ways' [Job 26:14]. Help me to find true wisdom by turning to You, for 'the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom' [Job 28:28]. Make me understand, in my heart, that You are enough for me."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 23 | Job 22-24

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 22:1-24:25

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

To do something a little bit different today, I'd like to highlight some good Study Bible resources. I'm a big believer in study Bibles; it is incredibly helpful to have some explanatory notes to help out when a passage seems a little bit hard to understand, or when background information would help to explain something better. There are lots of good options out there, so I will pick three for today and highlight at least one on most other days of this chronological journey.

(A) The NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. "[In Job 23:1-24:25] Job still wishes he knew where to find God, and he believes that if he could confront him, God would listen to him and acquit him (23:6–7). Nevertheless, God 'knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold' (23:10). Job expresses his intuitive insight so far into what is going on between him and God: God is trying him in order to show the purity of his character. And indeed that is precisely the case! (1:8). This explanation for Job’s suffering may be called the probationary explanation: God is trying Job to reveal his genuine religious faith. The metaphor 'I will come forth as gold' builds off Eliphaz’s assurance that if Job submits to God, God will become his gold (22:25). Slowly Job is moving away from his friends and their speeches and counter-speeches and moving closer to losing himself in his own thoughts about God and his personal dilemma; his position becomes virtually two monologues (chs. 28; 29–31) that form a capstone to the dialogue. In 22:23 Eliphaz instructed Job to 'return to the Almighty;' Job replies, in 23:3, 'If only I knew where to find him.' Job’s confidence in a benevolent God has been growing since he declared in ch. 9 that even if he could approach God, God would prevail against him because of his power. Job insists, 'No godless person would dare come before him!' (13:16), thus anticipating this moment. Now Job is sure that if he could find God, God 'would not press charges' against him. On the contrary, God could establish Job’s innocence."

(B) The Life Application Study Bible. "[In chapter 22] Eliphaz declares that Job’s view of God is too small, and he criticized Job for thinking that God was too far removed from earth to care about him. If Job knew of God’s intense, personal interest in him, Eliphaz said, he wouldn’t dare take his sins so lightly. Eliphaz had a point—some people do take sin lightly because they think God is far away and doesn’t notice all we do. But his point did not apply to Job. Several times Job’s friends showed a partial knowledge of God’s truth and character, but they had trouble accurately applying this truth to Job's life. Such was the case with Eliphaz, who gave a beautiful summary of repentance. He was correct in saying that we must ask for God’s forgiveness when we sin, but his statement did not apply to Job, who had already sought God’s forgiveness (7:20, 21; 9:20; 13:23) and had lived closely in touch with God all along."

(C) The Gospel Coalition Commentary. Alright, so this last one is not a study Bible--but it is a free, online commentary on the whole Bible, with some of the top Bible scholars in the world having contributed to it. The notes on the book of Job are written by Christopher Ash. He writes, "Where Eliphaz and his friends think that justice is perfectly done on earth, Job knows justice is lacking but longs for the day when it will be established on the whole earth. Job’s speech here is almost an expanded version of the cry “Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” in the Lord’s prayer. Job is reaching towards the understanding that, although God is sovereign in all he commands, not all that he commands fits yet with what he desires; in this age God commands puzzling things, in order to work out his inscrutable purposes of good, so that in the age to come he will bring to fruition all that he desires. In chapter 23 the burden of Job’s speech is the longing that those who are righteous by faith will be vindicated. Then in chapter 24 he turns to the other side of the problem and cries out that the wicked will be judged. Probably Job is agreeing with his friends that there will be a judgment but doubting that it always happens straightaway, as they suppose."

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

Increasingly, Job ceases to really interact with those bringing accusations against him, and he begins to center his thoughts more upon God--intuitively coming to understand many important theological truths in the process. As he focuses on God, he begins to understand how the world works on God's timeline. Maybe a great way to respond to that, today, would be to ask that God would help you to do the same--that He would help you to be less overwhelmed by the urgency and downward pull of the things of this world, so that like Job you would be enabled to tune those things out and begin to turn your attention to Him more directly, to wrestle with the things of God.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a suggested prayer prompt for today: "God, there are so many things going on in and around me that take up my mental space. I have urgent cares that need to be acted upon; I have relationships that demand my focus; I have responsibilities; I have things that demand a response from me from without, and I sometimes face discouragement and times of guilt or questioning from within. Help me, God, to turn towards you. Help me to tune those things out, at least for these next few moments, so that I can focus on you. Remind me that the rest of the world around me is just temporary noise, but that You are eternal peace. Fill me with Your Spirit. Grant spiritual insight to me. Help me to breathe in calmly, and to know that You are God."

ESV Chronological Plan, Day 22 | Job 18-21

LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Read Job 18:1-21:34

THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

(A) As Bildad and Zophar both take turns speaking against Job again  in these chapters, it's worth taking a moment to draw on Christopher Ash's popular-level book on suffering in Job, titled Trusting God in the Darkness, to lay out what exactly is wrong with Job's accusers. He writes, "The trouble with [Job’s] comforters is that so much of what they say sounds right. It would be a useful exercise to read their speeches with a pencil in hand, and to put a tick in the margin against every statement they make with which we agree. There would be many ticks, and generally high marks for doctrinal orthodoxy, so much so that it is easy to think the friends are doctrinally sound teachers whose fault is simply that they are pastorally insensitive. But more careful consideration suggests that their fault lies deeper than pastoral insensitivity. It is the content, not just the tone, of their teaching that is false... There are three vital truths they don’t believe." The three vital truths that they don't believe, Ash goes on to say, are: (1) "They have no place in their thinking for Satan." (2) "There is no hoping for a future promised, but only living in the present." (3) "Perhaps the deepest error and omission of the friends is this: they have no place for innocent suffering." It might just be possible that the reason Job's friends are such miserable comforters is that, having achieved some level of insight and knowledge, they have decided to rest on their high level of understanding and haven't explored any further, which is why they are not really in possession of the truth--they haven't even considered the problems of innocent suffering or of seeming injustice in this life. And, judging by their emotional reactions to Job, they don't want to consider them. So because they have stopped growing in their understanding, they haven't understood important theological truths that would have been important in helping Job. By contrast, Job asks them, "Have you not asked those who travel the roads, and do you not accept their testimony that the evil man is spared in the day of calamity, that he is rescued in the day of wrath?" (Job 21:29-30). Job seems to have previously taken the time to understand the way that the world is, and to apply his theology to what he is seeing on the ground, which is why even at the start of his suffering, he was able to say: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). As time goes on, Job's experience here leads to him being able to put the pieces together and intuitively come to understand some important truths, and he almost goes on to become his own comforter. Which leads us to the next bit.

(B) The Gospel continues to come into clear focus in Job's speeches. Although his friends keep pushing him back towards defensively explaining how he is suffering without cause, when Job is talking, he occasionally has some flashes of insight. We see one of these in Job 19:23-27: "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were transcribed in a book... For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!" Who is Job's Redeemer? As we saw in yesterday's reading, "this witness who argues Job's case before God is--God himself." Job comes to believe at this point that there will be a life after this one, that God is for him (though he currently seems to also be against him), and that the unseen God who he holds on to by faith will one day stand upon the earth, visible, personified; and Job in his resurrected flesh will see it and be satisfied. This has already come true as God, in human form, has stood upon the earth as Jesus of Nazareth. He has ascended back into heaven, where he intercedes for us before God the Father: "we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1)--a fulfillment of Job's intuition that in some strange way, God must be his advocate with God. And one day this will literally be true for Job, as he will participate in the resurrection of the saints, and life everlasting in the presence of Jesus, whom he anticipates in these verses. No longer will God be mysteriously invisible, nor will he speak in a hidden way "through the whirlwind" as God does at the end of the book (38:1), but Job says "I shall see God... my eyes shall behold, and not another." That is good news.

RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?

There are many things in these passages that I did not get into, including knowing the difference between the time for correction and the time to just be there to provide comfort (19:2-4). But we can respond to the reading from today through an action item like taking time today to learn and grow in your understanding of how the Christian faith applies to tricky situations, or we can respond through worship as the picture of the Gospel in Job leads us into astonishment at what God revealed to Job, or we can respond through a change in attitude by choosing not to assume the worst of others, as Job's friends continue to do with him.

PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?

Here is a prayer prompt: "God, please help me to have an active faith that applies itself to every area of my life, and that helps me understand better the world that you have made. Don't allow me to settle for knowing just a few disconnected truths that will make me seem wise, as Job's friends seemed. Instead, help me to continually see everything around me in a new way, through the lens of the Gospel."