Today marks the halfway point for our four week lockdown here in New Zealand. There are, of course, rumours the lockdown could be extended. There are, of course, calls for it to be lifted early. The one thing, I think, most of us know is that we really have no idea what the next weeks or even months will be… Read more →

In this middle portion of Job’s reply to his three “friends” he continues firstly by reiterating in no uncertain terms, that their “counsel” has been less than helpful. Job says they have, in fact, misrepresented God and would have shown themselves to be wise if they had stayed silent! Since they didn’t, Job says they will be held to account… Read more →

Chapter 12 is the beginning of a three chapter reply to all that Job’s friends have said thus far. Job begins with a bit of a jab towards his counsellors – “no doubt you are the people, and wisdom will die with you” – you think you have all the answers?! Clearly Job is distraught and frustrated. His friends haven’t… Read more →

Zophar, the third of Job’s friends speaks. His speech is the shortest thus far of the friends. His main point is similar to what has been said thus far to Job by his other friends. Job’s words and claim that his suffering is not connected to specific or particular sin needs to be answered. Job cannot be right, but he… Read more →

Job 10 is the second half of Job’s response to Bildad. If we hadn’t been told in chapter 1, Job did not charge God with wrong, we might think he is doing just that in this chapter. Chapter 10 echoes much of what Job said in chapter 3. In the middle of the chapter, 8-13, Job poetically describes the wonder… Read more →

There are glorious things to behold in Job 9… Essentially, Job begins his reply to Bildad (as was mentioned yesterday) by agreeing with his claim that “God will not reject a blameless man…” by asking the rhetorical question in verse 1, “…how can a man be in the right before God?”. The expected answer in the context here is –… Read more →

There are those who think Nehemiah (Knee High Miah) is the shortest man in the Bible, but then they’ve never met Bildad the Shuhite (Shoe Hight). 🙂 Bildad is Job’s second “friend” or “counsellor” to speak. In one sense it’s almost like he didn’t listen to a word Job said in response to Eliphaz, he continues with Eliphaz’s main point.… Read more →

Job 7 is a hard chapter to read. This is still Job’s response to Eliphaz, but in this portion Job speaks more to God than to Eliphaz. What he says probably makes many of us uncomfortable. From what we know from ancient Jewish sources, it made them uncomfortable too. To some extent, Job is expanding on what he said back… Read more →

Chapter 6 is the first half of Job’s first reply to one of his friends. Clearly this is Job’s reply to chapters 4 & 5, his reply to Eliphaz. The opening of his reply is a cry of pain, vexation, sorrow. Even a cry to God to end all of this by crushing Job fully – to end Job’s suffering… Read more →

Eliphaz is still speaking here… Proverbs 10:19 tells us “When words are many, transgression is not lacking…” Job’s counsellors will prove this to be true time and time again! Yet, more often than not, not because they have nothing true to say, but the truth they say is incomplete and poorly timed. Eliphaz’s simple point in the second part of… Read more →