Monday, November 1, Job 25-28
Chap. 25:4 — This is the last we hear of Bildad, Eliphaz and Zophar. Notice Bildad doesn’t answer the question, “How can a man be righteous before God?” That’s because all 3 put their trust in their own righteousness. That should also indicate to us why they were unable to truly comfort Job. You get no comfort from the Law, only from the Gospel. For true comfort, read John 3:16 and Rom. 3:23, 24.
Chap. 26-28 — In these chapters, Job has some positive things to say and some negative things. In chap. 26:8-14 are the positive things. In them, he describes God’s almighty power. In v. 12 of chapter 26 Job is not referring to Rahab of Joshua’s day. Here Rahab refers to an ancient sea monster (cf. also Is. 51:9)
Underline v. 28 of chapter 28. The negative is in chapter 27:2. No Christian has the right to say, “God is not just with me.” That would conflict with Romans 8:1, 28 and Heb. 12:5,6, 11.
Tuesday, November 2, Job 29-31
As you read Chapters 29 and 30, Job gives you a picture of what life was like before his cross and after he had to bear his burden of affliction. Notice in chapter 30 how worldly people are fair weather friends. The weakness on Job’s part is in chap. 30:20-22. Here he speaks of God as being unfair. No Christian has the right to make that claim. That’s because God is perfect and makes no mistakes in His dealings with us. Think of
the comforting and wonderful promises He makes us in I Cor. 10:13 and Phil. 4:13.
Chap. 31 — This chapter ends Job’s defense of himself. He insists there is no grievous sin that he can recall which should have brought down upon him all his troubles. When that is true, the affliction is not there as a correction, but as a test of faith. The result will not be a weakened, but a stronger Christian. That we can see in Job’s words in chap. 1:21; 19:25-27, and 42:1-6.
Wednesday, November 3, Job 32-37
Elihu appears for the first time and responds to Job and his 3 friends. He gives his identity and reason for speaking in chap. 32:2-5. He is in the same class as Job’s friends in accusing Job of being a terrible sinner(chap. 34:35-37). However, he has some positive ideas. He stresses that God is great (chap. 36:26) and without error in judgment (chap. 34:12). Therefore, we dare not accuse Him of being unfair (chap. 35:16). Elihu also seems to imply that God brings us good out of evil (chap. 36:15, 16). Prof. August Pieper, an outstanding Lutheran theologian, summarized Elihu’s discourses with the statement, “God is good also when He smites. God is just also when we do not understand Him.”
Thursday, November 4, Job 38-39
Chap. 38:2 — How often don’t we, like Job, darken God’s counsel by blaming God and questioning His actions in our lives! In chapters 38 and 39 God gives us many examples of how His wisdom, as He reveals it in nature, is way beyond our understanding. Therefore, we should humbly not question God’s actions in our lives.
Chap. 38:7 — Verse 7 strongly suggest that God created the angels on one of the days of creation, perhaps on the first day. Before Adam and Eve fell into sin, some of these angels rebelled against God. (II Peter 2:4 and Jude 6)
Friday, November 5, Job 40-41
In both chapters, God again points out to Job His awesome wisdom in what He’s created for us in nature. That Job realized he was wrong in questioning God’s actions in his life can be seen already in vv. 4 and 5 of chapter 40.
Saturday, November 6, Job 42
In Chap. 42:2-6 we see a sincerely repentant Job admitting that God’s ways are not our ways. That’s because the Lord’s wisdom is greater than ours, His mercy is infinite, and His power is without bounds. Job now realized that we are never to question God’s actions in our lives. A fine hymn to conclude the book of Job is hymn number 429, “What God Ordains is Always Good.”