Job 6-23
There were ever so many questions asked by job and his friends in their talks tether; but few of the questions were answered in the talks; each man could answer them in his own thoughts. Perhaps you would like to try to answer some of their questions:
“Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
“Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?” Chapter 6:5, 6.
“Can a rush grow up without mire?”
“Can the flag (a water plant) grow without water?” Chapter 8:11.
“How should man be just with God?” Chapter 9:2.
This last question could never be answered except that God forgives sin and counts those who, trust Him just, because Another took the punishment for them, One question Job asked, he answered right away; he said: “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” Chapter 14:4.
One question Job asked he answered in a later talk, he asked,
“If a man die shall he live again?” Chapter 14:11.
Afterward he spoke of living again after death, he said,
“But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And at last He will stand up upon the earth:
And after my skin, even this body is destroyed,
Yet from out of my flesh shall I see God” Chapter 19:25, 26. (N, T.).
Those words show that Job believed his soul would live again after death and he would then see the Lord; many since who wait to see the Lord have repeated and enjoyed those words of Job.
Job’s friends seemed to think of God only as One who punished sin, and because Job had so much sorrow they thought he must have sinned greatly, which was not true. At first, the leader, Eliphaz, had spoken of Job’s help to others but in his last talk he said that Job’s wickedness was great, saying he had taken what was not his and had not helped the hungry or the poor. Chapter 22:5-10. Zophar even said that Job had not been punished as much as his iniquity (sins) deserved. Chapter 11:6.
Others also seemed to scorn Job and because of the dreadful sores, even his relatives and servants did not care to come near or help him. (Chapter 19:14-20).
Even if Job had done wrong, he was in such sorrow that his friends and relatives should have treated him kindly. Perhaps the manner of the men was even more unkind than their words. So their very wisest words could not comfort him: and at last Job said, “Have pity upon me O ye my friends: for the hand of God hath touched me.” Chapter 19:21. Yet we read that the men said much more to him.
What did Job say “are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle?” Ans. Chapter 7:6.
What wish of Job was fulfilled by the Book of Job? Ans. Chapter 19:23.
ML 05/05/1940