Introduction Back in chapter 9 and verse 33 Job expressed a wish for an arbiter: someone who would enable Job to speak up and make his case before God without being afraid. He was looking for a mediator to bring them together. And then, in chapter 17 and verse 19, he spoke of a witness … Continue reading Job 18–21
Tag: Old Testament
Job 15–17
Introduction Let's take a moment to review what we're read so far in the book of Job. In the first two chapters, we learned that God regarded Job as blameless and upright. However Satan was not so impressed and he wanted to permission to attack Job's life to see whether he could destroy Job's faith. … Continue reading Job 15–17
Job 11–14
Introduction We come today to Zophar's first speech and to Job's reply to him. And today's passage is the last part of the first cycle of speeches. I've explained before that there are three cycles of speeches from chapter 4 to chapter 28. In the first cycle, the three friends take it in turns to … Continue reading Job 11–14
Job 08–10
Introduction We come today to the first speech by Bildad and Job's response to it. Bildad was one of Job's three friends who came to sympathise with him and to comfort him in his suffering after he lost his family and his possessions and his health. For seven days and nights they sat with Job … Continue reading Job 08–10
Psalm 055
Introduction Today's psalm is a psalm of lament in which the psalmist cries to the Lord because he's in trouble. And he's in trouble because of the wicked and the wicked things they're doing. But he's also in trouble, because a friend has betrayed him. Verses 1 to 3 In verses 1 to 3 the … Continue reading Psalm 055
Psalm 054
Introduction Today's psalm begins with the psalmist crying to God to save him, because ruthless strangers are attacking the psalmist. Then, in the middle of the psalm, the psalmist expresses his confidence in the Lord. And at the end, the psalmist makes a vow to give thanks to the Lord for delivering him from his … Continue reading Psalm 054
Psalm 053
Introduction This psalm may be familiar to us because it's almost identical to Psalm 14 which we studied together last November; and Paul the Apostle quotes lines from these two psalms in Romans 3 to make the point that Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners in the sight of God. And while it's true that … Continue reading Psalm 053
Psalm 052
Introduction The title to today's psalm refers to that time in David's life when he had to flee for his life because Saul wanted to kill him. And we read in 1 Samuel 21 that Samuel went to a place called Nob, where he asked the priest for food. The priest replied that the only … Continue reading Psalm 052
Job 02(11)–03(26)
Introduction We began to study the book of Job together two Sundays ago when I made the obvious point that the book of Job is a book about suffering. The opening two chapters tell us about how Job suffered. On one extra-ordinary day, he lost his possessions and his family when one servant after another … Continue reading Job 02(11)–03(26)
Job 04–07
Introduction Today we come to the first speech of Eliphaz, who was one of Job's three friends who came to comfort him after he lost his possessions and after he lost his children and after he lost his health. When they heard what had happened to him, the three friends arranged to go and see … Continue reading Job 04–07
