Bildad doesn’t offer much in this very brief reply. Essentially, he replies to Job by saying – you are mistaken if you think anyone can stand before God innocent, everyone and all of creation is impure before Him. A half-truth when presented as the whole-truth is an untruth. Bildad sees no mercy, no grace, no covenant lovingkindness in God. The… Read more →
Covid-19
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 24
Chapter 24 is the second part of Job’s reply to Eliphaz. Here, Job replies directly to Eliphaz’s claim that the wicked do not prosper. Essentially, Job says – “really! Look around, I can give a long list of examples of the wicked who seem to prosper in this life and go to their death with no apparent consequences.” When reading… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 23
Job opens his reply to Eliphaz’s strong, false accusations with a declared confidence in his standing before God. Job dos not claim here to know precisely why God is doing this in his life. He just knows that if he could speak to God and hear His Word on the matter, He would not accuse Job as Eliphaz has. At… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 22
Our fourth week of lockdown in New Zealand begins. Most everyone I speak to, including myself, is finding this long. Another week feels like an eternity at this point. Eliphaz pulls out the most accusatory speech towards Job yet. He accuses Job of great evil. Acts of wickedness that would only be seen in the life of those who reject… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 21
Job’s reply here to Zophar is quite simple – you’ve got to be kidding me… Look around… The wicked don’t suffer like this… They prosper and go to their grave in peace… Your words are completely false, they don’t stand up to the most simple and basic observations of life. As we’ve seen before, Job’s words here are an expansion… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 20
Zophar continues to sound like an expert health, wealth and prosperity preacher. Zophar seems to pick up from Job’s words that Job isn’t taking him seriously or listening his perspective (3). He then proceeds to tell Job what is supposedly so obvious that everyone knows it, but Job (4). Verse 5 sums up Zophar’s thesis – “the exulting of the… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 19
If I were planning this series down to the day, I would have planned for this chapter to fall on Easter Sunday. Yet we come to it on Easter Monday – as it is called here in New Zealand. Through the first 22 verses of his reply, Job continues to describe and lament his plight. His “counsellors” have continued to… Read more →
The Misery of Job and the Mercy of God by John Piper
I highly recommend taking the time, even this Easter Sunday to watch and listen to John Piper’s retelling of the Job story. You can download and read the book free here. You can watch the film here. (This is what I am particularly recommending. 45 minutes well spent for your soul!) Here are the words to Piper’s poem which he… Read more →
Pondering Job in a Pandemic – Chapter 18
Today is Easter Sunday and a most unusual Easter Sunday at that. it is also day 18 of our national lockdown in New Zealand. As a result this will be the third Sunday when we will meet as a church online rather than in one another’s physical presence. As far as I know this will be the first Easter Sunday… Read more →
Psalm 22:21-31 – Easter Sunday – Quotes from Calvin
Quotes from Calvin: He does not pray in a doubting manner; but he promises himself the assistance which the eye of sense did not as yet perceive. The cause is only put instead of the effect; for our deliverance is the consequence or effect of God’s hearing us. If it is asked how this can be applied to Christ, whom… Read more →