Job 8-14

    Alright, missed a day of blogging, but got a lot of reading done. Even started going through underlining things, which I have never really gotten into before. I read an interesting thing at work today, it was in one of Donald Millar's books (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years), and he refers to the book of Job. He says, and I am paraphrasing here because I forget the exact quote that, Before the story really gets going, God tells everyone "Life is gonna hurt sometimes!". I never really thought of that before.
    I always knew that Job was the oldest book (at least believed to be), but it never occured to me that at one point, the book of Job was the only "scripture" people had for a short time. Reading the book of Job with that in mind, it is amazing to read what sort of things the book says about God and life. You would think that God would want the first book written to be Genesis, or some other book that really portrays God's love, and that tells everyone that having faith in God makes life easy and fun, but instead He chose a book about a man who was faithful, but lost everything. Definitely not what I would have done, that's for sure. Anyway, with that in mind, here are my thoughts and observations on Job 8-14
 
 8:8-9. Bildad is the second friend of Job's to speak, and his speech follows the same pattern as Eliphaz in chapter 4, however, verses 8 and 9 really struck me as profound. Bildad says, "Ask the former generations and find out what their fathers learned, for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth ae but a shadow". Amidst the poor advice, and the "you have sinned" confrontations, is this gem of a suggestion. Today, we are always looking to the future, always trying to outdo the previous generation, but Bildad reminds Job, and encourages Job, to ask the older generation. They are older, and wiser, and have much more life experience. Wise words from an unwise person.

   9:5-10. Considering that this book was written before the Genesis account was recorded, Job's declaration of God's power, might and creation is profound and powerful. Job confidently declares that God is all-powerful, Creator, and is in complete control of everything. Job says:

"He moves mountains without their knowing it

and overturns them in his anger.

He shakes the earth from its place

and makes its pillars tremble.

He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;

he seals off the light of 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,

the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,

miracles that cannot be counted"

 Job then, after this beautiful description of God's incredible power, regresses back to his "kill me now, I wish I were dead" monologue.

 11:6-9. Zophar finally makes his appearance, and at first I really like him. He starts out making some real sense, before he follows suit with his other friends and tells Job that he is a filthy sinner and that is why he is being punished. But before he gets to that, he has some very wise words for Job (kind of a diamond in the rough type thing). Zophar reminds Job that God has forgotten his sins (he says "some" of his sins, which probably isn't as encouraging as Job would like to hear, but he's at least trying), and then speaks about the mysteries of God, which sound like they are taken directly out of the Psalms:

"Can you fathom the mysteries of God?

Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

They are higher than the heavens-what can you do?

They are deeper than the depths of the grave-

what can you know?

Their measure is longer than the earth

and wider than the sea"

12:25. "he makes them stagger like drunkards". For some reason, it pleases me to know that alcohol dates back to the time of Job...I don't know why, but it makes me happy!

13:5. Job says what everyone reading the story is thinking, "If only you would be altogether silent! For you that would be wisdom". I'm sensing some frustration from Job here...I kinda like it!

 13:15. So far, the most powerful verse I have read. I was always taught that Job was faithful, and righteous, but these words are a rallying cry for the martyrs and persecuted: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face". Wow...incredible words!

 14:6. Job refers to his time on earth as being like a hired man putting in his time. I'm not sure how I feel about that metaphor. Hired men are essentially slaves right? Are we just slaves owned by God for his work, and his enjoyment? Is our whole purpose just to do everything we are told? Are we just putting in our time? Doesn't sound very encouraging, or motivational.