June 5, 2007

Job 14-16
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1. Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
2. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?
4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6. Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.
7. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
9. Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
10. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11. As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
12. So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
13. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14. If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
15. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.
16. For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.
18. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.
19. The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.
20. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

1. Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,
2. Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?
3. Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?
4. Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.
5. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.
6. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.
7. Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?
8. Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?
9. What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?
10. With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.
11. Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?
12. Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,
13. That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?
14. What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
15. Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
16. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?
17. I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;
18. Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:
19. Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.
20. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.
21. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.
22. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.
23. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.
24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.
25. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.
26. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:
27. Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.
28. And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.
29. He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.
30. He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.
31. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.
32. It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.
33. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.
34. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.
35. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

1. Then Job answered and said,
2. I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4. I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6. Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7. But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9. He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10. They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11. God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13. His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14. He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16. My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17. Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18. O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19. Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22. When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

Thought for the day:
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In Job 14, Job continues his defense against the accusations of Zophar. Having spoken quite boldly at the end of chapter 13, his mood seems to change as he begins to feel sorry for himself. He opens with a discussion of the brevity of life (1-6), and the finality of death (7-13). Regardless of his mood, both of these topics are important both for the believer and the nonbeliever alike. Life is indeed short. Job's illustration of the flower which blossoms for a brief time before it is cut down is repeated several times throughout the Scriptures. He also points out that his days are numbered by God (5), and that his death is sure. We all need to understand that death is coming for each of us should the Lord delay His return. No matter how well we take care of ourselves, how few risks we take, and how often we go to the doctor, death is still going to arrive. The Bible tells us that it is

"appointed unto man once to die" (Heb 9:27)

Pastor Dr. Mark J Montgomery