Daily Scripture Reading Job 26:11 - 28:6

Humans like to be in the majority. It is very hard to hold to a belief when most, if not all, our acquaintances have a different opinion. Even when we see something with our own eyes, it is easy to deny we saw what we saw when the majority of people around us tell us we did not see what we saw.

Job had lost everything. He knew he had not sinned; thus, he knew he was not being punished for sin. However, his friends unanimously declared he was suffering because of sin. Job’s response to the unanimity of his friends illustrates the attitude we need to have when we know we are right.

After Bildad stated that man is a worm and cannot be right with God, Job began describing God’s power. Abaddon cannot hide from God. God hung the earth in space and controls the waters and clouds.

Today, we continue reading Job’s description of God, which is found in the 18th section of Job.

Job 26:11 The pillars of heaven tremble

And are astonished at His rebuke.

The pronoun “His” refers to God.

Job 26:12 He quieted the sea with His power,

And by His understanding He crushed Rahab.

Job 26:13 By His breath the heavens are made beautiful;

His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.

Job 26:14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;

And how only with a whisper of a word do we hear of Him!

But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”

Look at the word “fringes”. Job said his description of God is a mere fringe of the extent of God’s power.

Job 27:1 ¶ Then Job continued to lift up his discourse and said,

Job 27:2 “As God lives, who has removed my justice,

And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,

Verses 2-4 are one long sentence. In verse 2, Job used the phrase “As God lives” to indicate that what he was about to say is as certain as the fact that God lives.

Notice the words “removed my justice” and “embittered my soul”. As he had multiple times throughout his dialogue with his friends, Job insisted God was the One who was afflicting him. Furthermore, Job believed God’s treatment of him was unjust.

Job 27:3 For as long as breath is in me,

And the spirit from God is in my nostrils,

Job 27:4 My lips certainly will not speak unrighteousness,

Nor will my tongue utter deceit.

Job declared he would never speak unrighteousness nor deceit. Again, Job insisted this was as certain as the fact the God exists.

Job 27:5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right;

Till I breathe my last I will not remove my integrity from me.

The first two chapters of Job tell us Job was not suffering because he had sinned. Job knew that. Despite the many attempts of his friends to convince him he had sinned and earned his pain, Job declared he would never admit his friends were right. Job was willing to stand his ground despite being outnumbered.

Humans like to be in the majority. It is very hard to hold to a belief when most, if not all, our acquaintances have a different opinion. However, God rewards those who stand on the truth when they are outnumbered.

One of the best examples of this is Joshua and Caleb. They were two of the spies Moses sent to spy on the Promised Land. When the other ten spies convinced the Israelites they could not conquer the land, Joshua and Caleb disagreed with the majority and insisted they could. God rewarded Joshua and Caleb for their stance because they were the only men from that generation who entered the Promised Land.

When we know the truth, we should not allow the majority to convince us to take a stand we know is false. We must have the attitude of Job and be willing to insist on the truth despite the opposition we face.

Job 27:6 I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.

My heart does not reproach any of my days.

Job 27:7 ¶ “May my enemy be as the wicked

And the one who rises against me as the unjust.

Job 27:8 For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,

When God requires his soul?

Job’s implied answer was that the godless has no hope.

Beginning with this verse, Job began arguing that wicked people do not prosper.

Job 27:9 Will God hear his cry

When distress comes upon him?

Job 27:10 Will he take delight in the Almighty?

Will he call on God at all times?

Job 27:11 I will instruct you in the power of God;

What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.

Job 27:12 Behold, all of you have seen it;

Why then do you speak with utter vanity?

Job 27:13 ¶ “This is the portion of a wicked man from God,

And the inheritance which the ruthless receive from the Almighty.

The art of Hebrew poetry is repetition. The following verses contain many different examples of the wicked man’s portion from God, according to Job.

Job 27:14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;

And his offspring will not be satisfied with bread.

Job 27:15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague,

And their widows will not be able to weep.

Job 27:16 Though he piles up silver like dust

And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,

Job 27:17 He may prepare it, but the righteous will wear it,

And the innocent will divide the silver.

Job 27:18 He has built his house like the moth,

Or as a hut which the watchman has made.

Job 27:19 He lies down rich, but never again;

He opens his eyes, and it is no longer.

Job 27:20 Terrors overtake him like many waters;

A tempest steals him away in the night.

Job 27:21 The east wind carries him away, and he goes,

And it whirls him away from his place.

Job 27:22 For it will hurl at him without sparing;

He will surely try to flee from its power.

Job 27:23 Men will clap their hands at him

And will hiss him from his place.

In the following verses, Job described the materials that come out of the earth.

Job 28:1 ¶ “Surely there is a mine for silver,

And a place where they refine for gold.

Silver and gold come from the earth.

Job 28:2 Iron is taken from the dust,

And copper is smelted from rock.

Iron and copper come from the earth.

Job 28:3 Man puts an end to darkness,

And to the farthest limit he searches out

The rock in thick darkness and shadow of death.

Job 28:4 He sinks a shaft far from habitation,

Forgotten by the foot;

They hang and swing to and fro far from men.

Job 28:5 The earth, from it comes food,

And underneath it is overturned as fire.

The earth produces food.

Job 28:6 Its rocks are the source of sapphires,

And its dust contains gold.

The earth produces sapphires and gold.

Tomorrow, we will see that Job listed the materials that come out of the earth to point out that wisdom does not come from the earth.

Humans like to be in the majority. It is very hard to hold to a belief when most, if not all, our acquaintances have a different opinion. However, God rewards those who stand on the truth when they are outnumbered.

One of the best examples of this is Joshua and Caleb. When the other ten spies convinced the Israelites they could not conquer the land, Joshua and Caleb disagreed with the majority and insisted they could. God rewarded Joshua and Caleb for their stance and they were the only men from that generation who entered the Promised Land.

When we know the truth, we should not allow the majority to convince us to concede to something we know is false. We must have the attitude of Job and be willing to insist on the truth when we know we are right.

What is a circumstance when you knew you were right, but everyone around you disagreed with you?

What did you do right in that situation?

What did you do wrong in that situation?

What do you need to do differently the next time the majority tries to get you to concede to something you know is not true?

Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to Bible Mountain dotcom, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold nor given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.

“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”