Job 26 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bildad’s last argument was quite short and merely a repetition of his previous arguments that somehow Job is to blame for his own misery and that no one is pure in God’s sight. Now it seems that Job has had enough of his empty words and cuts him off mid-sentence to put an end to this farcical dialogue between him and his three “friends.” Zophar doesn’t even have a…

 Job 24 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson             When we are in pain, experiencing loss, or terribly confused, we say things out of frustration that we don’t mean – at least not upon further reflection.  Job wants God to have regular office hours in court.  Since Job maintains his innocence, the only alternative is that God is unjust.  It seems so obvious to Job.  I am innocent so God is unfair.             Job has great…

Job 23 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence This time Job doesn’t even respond to Eliphaz’s accusations, but desires to take his case directly to the Lord. If only he knew where to find him in order to be acquitted of all these false charges of wickedness by his three friends. He assures himself, though, that if such an opportunity were to arise that his mouth would be full of righteous arguments and that the Lord would…

Job 22 by Pastor David Groendyk Eliphaz speaks again for the third and final time. This chapter begins the third round of speeches from Job’s friends, although it won’t really be a full third round since only two of the friends speak, and the second friend gets interrupted by Job mid-way through his speech. As we approach these next few chapters, the ESV Study Bible summarizes them well: “If there was any comfort in the…

Job 21 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson                          Job is getting more and more frustrated.  Now Job is disagreeing with the arguments of his friends.  Eliphaz in 15:20ff, Bildad in 18:5ff, and now Zophar in 20:5ff each claim that the wicked do not prosper in this life.  Outwardly they suffer loss, are afflicted, and in the end will have nothing.  How does Job react to these observations?             Job utterly rejects this type of…

Job 20 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin Zophar’s speech ends the second cycle of speeches found in chapters fifteen to twenty, and it also concludes any attempt by Zophar to convince Job of his sin, for he does not participate in the third round. He seems to be personally offended by Job’s comments and simply wants to have the last word, for there is no renewed call for repentance. Zophar is no longer seeking to…

Job 18 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson                          Bildad is not the encouraging type.  He is not a quiet listener who nurtures, listens, reflects, and responds with a gentle nudge of truth.  Nor does he seem to be overly empathetic.  And I am being overly generous.  Bildad has a theological grid or paradigm and life fits into that system.  Bildad’s theology is this: The unrighteous suffer in this life.  Therefore if you are afflicted…

Job 16 Devotional  by Pastor David Groendyk Job responds now to Eliphaz for a second time. Eliphaz has essentially doubled down on his previous speech that Job has somehow sinned and brought this disaster upon himself. In verses 2–5, Job goes off on Eliphaz and the rest of his companions. They’ve been absolutely lousy counselors and comforters. Pastor Mark wrote yesterday that Job didn’t need answers; he needed friends. By further pummeling Job into the…

Job 15 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson              Job has been defending himself the entire book.  But as Eliphaz the Temanite begins in 15:1, Job has been speaking from chapter 12 to 14.  Eliphaz is none too flattering.  Eliphaz seems to imply or suggest that Job’s words are mere flatulence or gas.  At least that is what he could be suggesting.  Job’s words are utterly worthless Eliphaz contends .  Eliphaz does not stop.  He accuses…

Job 13 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk Job continues his response to Zophar. Of all three friends, Zophar in particular really seemed to belittle Job in his rebuke, and so Job is quite serious in his reply: Zophar is speaking wrongly on behalf of God (vv. 7–12). He’s being partial to God, defending him, and arguing his side, but he’s deceived himself that his words are what God would say. Zophar has mis-diagnosed Job as…

Job 12 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin Job has heard now from all three of his friends, but he still has not been convinced by any of their arguments since they all have assumed that he has done something evil which has caused this great misery in his life. In the first few verses he challenges their unique claims to wisdom reminding them that he too has been known as a wise man and is…

Job 11 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin In this chapter, we are introduced to Zophar, another of Job’s friends with good intentions who is trying to help Job to see that the cause of his suffering is because of some particular sin in his life. Having heard Job’s responses to the first two friends, Zophar comes out immediately accusing Job of babbling, which is the sure sign of a fool. He also accuses him of…

Job 10 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk Job continues his response to Bildad. Both chapter 9 and chapter 10 begin with the word “contend” (9:3; 10:2), which in Old Testament language means that this is some sort of legal speech or argument that Job is making. He’s arguing his case like a lawyer would. However, his conclusion at the end of chapter 9 was that there was no arbiter who could adequately and fairly go…

Job 9 Devotional by Pastor Mark Hudson                          Bildad tries after Eliphaz’s attempt to persuade Job to just admit he deserves God’s judgment and he gets his stuff back.  That is really not a bad deal.  From Bildad’s perspective, this should not require a great deal of resistance from Job.  Just realize that your life is bad because you sinned against God.  If you want your life back with all the things you have…

Job 8 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin Like Eliphaz before him, Bildad’s limited understanding of God’s providence and justice causes him to wrongly accuse Job of some egregious sin.  Both of these men assume that God will always bring justice to the wicked and mercy to the righteous in this life and that right quickly.  They both infer that Job’s children must have done something evil justly incurring God’s wrath and that Job himself must…

Job 7 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk Job’s response to Eliphaz continues. Verses 1–10 appear to be addressed to Eliphaz himself, and the overarching theme is that life is futile. It’s futile because it’s filled with so many hard things—back-breaking work, sleepless nights, and painful illnesses. It’s also futile because of how short life is. Days are swift, life is a vapor, and we vanish quickly. You can hear in Job’s words, however, the way…

Job 6 Devotional by Pastor Mark  Hudson Job is having none of it.  Eliphaz the Temanite  sounded wiser in Job 2:11-13, when in verse 13, “they sat with him (Job)  on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.”  Is this a cultural expression of grief or a spontaneous response to Job’s pain?  It is hard to know who…

Job 5 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin             Job is having none of it.  Eliphaz the Temanite  sounded wiser in Job 2:11-13, when in verse 13, “they sat with him (Job)  on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.”  Is this a cultural expression of grief or a spontaneous response to Job’s pain?  It is hard to know…

Job 4 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk If only Job’s friends would’ve remained where they were in 2:11–13. They do fine work comforting Job and mourning with him, but as soon as they open their mouths, they prove that they don’t really know what God is up to in Job’s trials. The proverb rings true: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” Each of Job’s three friends…

Job 3 Devotional by Pastor David Groendyk “His suffering was very great” were the last words we read in chapter 2. Chapter 3 shows us the depths of Job’s personal agony during this time. Many foolish scholars and commentators have tried to diagnose men and women in the Bible with various psychological conditions without having any real basis for doing so, yet given Job’s own testimony in this chapter, I think it’s fair to say…

Job 2 Devotional by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin If the first chapter challenged all aspects of the wealth side of the health and wealth gospel, today's passage challenges any aspect of the health portion. Satan's argument is that Job still trusts in the Lord because of some benefit he receives from God, and that God himself is not Job's reward. That is the challenge to all of us in the midst of our trials: is God…