Job 26

“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?” (v14).  Job didn’t really understand his own life, and he had a few misperceptions about God.  However, more than his “comforters,” Job recognized the awesome, terrifying greatness of the Almighty.  To quiet his know-it-all accusers, Job reminded them that only God knows “the boundary between light and darkness” (v10), and only God

...

Psalm 84

“My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God” (v2).  The psalmist expressed his deep conviction that living in God’s presence, walking in close fellowship with our Creator, is better than any other kind of life.  The psalmist had tasted the beauty and peace (“lovely”, v1) of knowing God, and he had found strength even in weakness (v5).  He found God to be the source of all good things: favor and honor, protectio

...

Romans 6

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead … we too might walk in newness of life” (v4).  Paul didn’t want the believers in Rome to think that receiving God’s grace meant that they had permission to keep living in sinful ways.  The whole point of salvation, symbolized in baptism, is that we are “dead” to our old sinful life and, by the power of Christ’s resurrection, are reborn to live according to His r

...

Job 24-25

“Behold…the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food for their children…They lie all night naked, without clothing, and have no covering in the cold” (24:5-7).  Job saw that the wealthy often took advantage of the poor, seizing their fields and even snatching children away from their mothers (v9).  Job lamented that the wicked seemed to prosper; however, “they are exalted a little while, and then are gone” (v24). God cares, He sees, and He will ac

...

Job 23

“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him!” (v3).  Job wanted to see God and present “his case” before the Creator.  He had great faith that if he could find God, “He would pay attention to me … I would be acquitted” (v7).  But at present, “I do not perceive him” (v8).  Job was in a fog of suffering.  Despite this, he believed that God saw everything and would ultimately be fair. 

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (v10).  Our o

...

Job 22

“If you return to the Almighty you will be built up …(v23).  Much of Eliphaz’s advice and comments were true; the problem was that they didn’t really apply to Job.  It is true that when we agree with the Almighty, very often peace and good things are the result (v21).  However, Job was a righteous man, beloved by God, when suffering and loss struck him.  Eliphaz knew a lot about God and His ways, about the Lord being our “gold and precious silver” (v25), yet he was of litt

...

Job 21

“Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?” (v7). Job dared to ask very difficult questions, despite the constant criticism and mocking from his companions (v3).  He wondered why people who rebelled against God seemed to “spend their days in prosperity” (v13), multiplying riches, singing and dancing, and living to an old age.   The injustice of this frustrated Job.  Not believing in God’s judgment, their philosophy was apparently “Eat and drink, for

...

Job 20

“This is the wicked man's portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God” (v29).  Job’s friend Zophar stubbornly clung to his views on how life treats wicked people and righteous people, despite the evidence of Job’s story.  Zophar said that everyone knew (v4) that sinful people have short, miserable lives, and any wealth they earn gets taken away.  This satisfied the human expectation of justice, but it ignored the real suffering of innocent people, like Job.  Zoph

...

Psalm 83

“O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!” (v1). Threatened by their enemies, God’s people called out to Him for direct, miraculous intervention. They knew from history that their ancestors (like Deborah and Barak against Sisera, (v9-10) had faced terrible battles and been victorious through God’s power. In this new challenge – many nations allied together against Israel, v6-8 – they asked again for God to make their enemies “like chaff before

...

Romans 5

“We also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (v11). Paul says we can also rejoice in “the hope of the glory of God” (v1) and “our sufferings” (v3). All this rejoicing is because we are secure in the present: our relationship with God has been repaired by Christ, and the Spirit has poured God’s love into our hearts (v5). And, despite suffering, our future is good: we won’t face God’s wrath (v9), and we will partici

...

Job 18-19

"How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?” (19:2).  Job’s “comforters” continued to accuse him of wrongdoing (ch 18), adding frustration and anger on top of his sorrow. Rather than support him, Job’s friends and family avoided him, not wanting to be near him in his grief or get involved in his troubles.  “My close friends have forgotten me … All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me” (v14-19).  Job was left alone

...

Job 17

“Where then is my hope? Who will see my hope?” (v15).  At his lowest point, Job thought (wrongly) that all the good parts of his life were history; the future was only dark. “My days are past; my plans are broken off, the desires of my heart” (v11). He couldn’t make any new plans without some assurance that things would change; he was stuck.  Without a sure knowledge of life beyond death, he despaired: “my spirit is broken” (v1).

“If I make my bed in darkness …” (v13).  Our

...

Job 16

“Surely now God has worn me out …” (v7).  Job acknowledged God’s sovereignty over the world, so he thought his suffering was directly caused by God.  “I was at ease, and He broke me apart” (v12).  Job’s “miserable comforters” (v2) and their “windy words” did nothing to console him; their insistence that he had brought tragedy upon himself only made him angrier.  He felt mistreated, yet he clung to God.

“Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me

...

Job 15

“What do you know that we do not know?” (v9).  The dramatic argument continued, with Job’s accusers sure that he was recklessly defying the wisdom of elders (v10), and Job himself sure of his own innocence. Eliphaz said that Job’s sin was obvious, because a wicked man always fails in life: “he will not be rich, and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the earth” (v29).  Yet life does not always follow a logical path. 

“What is man, that he can be

...

Psalm 82

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute” (v3).  The psalmist depicts God judging other “gods” (human rulers, who were given divine titles in the ancient world) in light of how they treat the weak and vulnerable.  He condemns them for using their power unfairly: “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?” (v2).  God announces the responsibility of those with power and money: “Rescue the we

...