In our study of Job chapter twelve, we see how important it is to have friends around you in difficult times that are solidly grounded in the word of God.
** Note ** In this study, we will be using the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) translation which was translated directly from Hebrew into English. You can get your own hardback or paperback copy on Amazon where we will earn a small commission.
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Iyov responded: "No doubt you are [the only] people [that matter]; and when you die, so will wisdom. But I too have a brain, as much as you, In no way am I inferior to you. Besides, who doesn't know things like these?
Job begins to answer his friends and you can almost feel the sarcasm in his words. He is basically saying that they think they have cornered the market on wisdom but Job says that they have not said anything that is not common knowledge. We remember that, throughout their words to Job there was mostly condemnation and no comfort. This has caused Job to try to defend himself and, as we shall see this is a slippery slope that does not glorify God.
"Anyone who calls on God, and he answers him, becomes a laughingstock to his friends -they make fun of an innocent, blameless man. Those at ease have contempt for misfortune, for the blow that strikes somebody already staggering. The tents of robbers prosper, [the homes of] those who anger God are secure, those who carry their gods in their hands. "But ask the animals - they will teach you -and the birds in the air - they will tell you; or speak to the earth - it will teach you -and the fish in the sea will inform you: every one of them knows that the hand of ADONAI has done this! In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being.
Job continues by saying that it is obvious that what has happened to him is by the hand of God as even the earth itself can see this.
Shouldn't the ear test words, just as the palate tastes food? Is wisdom [only] with aged men? discernment [only] with long life? "With God are wisdom and power; he has [good] counsel and understanding.
Job acknowledges the wisdom and power of God.
When he breaks something down, it can't be rebuilt; when he imprisons someone, he can't be released. When he holds back water, there is drought; when he sends it out, it overruns the land. With him are strength and common sense; both the misled and those who mislead are his. He leads counselors away captive, he makes fools of judges. He removes authority from kings, then binds them up [as prisoners]. He leads cohanim away captive and overthrows those long in power. Those who are trusted he deprives of speech, and he removes the discernment of the aged. He pours contempt on princes and loosens the belt of the strong.
Job goes on by acknowledging that God is over everthing and everyone and he can do with them as he pleases. This is all true but you can almost feel the current running underneath Job's words. In a sense, the road that Job is going down is where he is justifying himself and basically saying that God did not have a reason to cause him all of this misery. Job's friends had the chance to kindly lead Job into humility and trusting in God and his wisdom but instead they had spoken of their experiences, traditions, and legalistic answers which started him down this wrong path of thinking.
He discloses the deepest recesses of darkness and brings light into shadows dark as death. He makes nations great and destroys them; he enlarges nations, then leads them away. He removes understanding from a country's leaders and makes them wander in trackless deserts. They grope in unlit darkness; he makes them stagger like drunks.
Job continues to speak of the fact that God can do whatever he wants but he makes it seem like God just acts on a whim and is toying with his creation. We notice that Job does not make any mention of God's reasons for doing the things that he has described. In all of this, we see how important it is to have friends around you in difficult times that are solidly grounded in the word of God.
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