Job 5.1-7:
“Cry for help, but will anyone answer you?
Which of the angels will help you?
2 Surely resentment destroys the fool,
and jealousy kills the simple.
3 I have seen that fools may be successful for the moment,
but then comes sudden disaster.
4 Their children are abandoned far from help;
they are crushed in court with no one to defend them.
5 The hungry devour their harvest,
even when it is guarded by brambles.
The thirsty pant after their wealth.
6 But evil does not spring from the soil,
and trouble does not sprout from the earth.
7 People are born for trouble
as readily as sparks fly up from a fire."
Some pretty strong words here by Eliphaz. I'm not sure that there's too much that I want to comment on, but maybe one of you have something that really grabs your attention and you feel is worth commenting on. If so, share away! =) The only question I would have, I guess, would be what does he mean in verse 7 exactly? Does he mean that people are born to CAUSE trouble or EXPERIENCE trouble?
Job 5.8-16:
8 “If I were you, I would go to God
and present my case to him.
9 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut."
and present my case to him.
9 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.
10 He gives rain for the earth
and water for the fields.
11 He gives prosperity to the poor
and protects those who suffer.
12 He frustrates the plans of schemers
so the work of their hands will not succeed.
13 He traps the wise in their own cleverness
so their cunning schemes are thwarted.
14 They find it is dark in the daytime,
and they grope at noon as if it were night.
15 He rescues the poor from the cutting words of the strong,
and rescues them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 And so at last the poor have hope,
and the snapping jaws of the wicked are shut."
Man! What credentials God has in Eliphaz's eyes! Pretty sweet huh? It's times like this whenever I read other people's perception of God's provision and deeds that really spur me toward drawing closer to Him and presenting myself before Him, trusting and hoping that He will take care of me. =)
Job 5.17-27:
Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin.
18 For though he wounds, he also bandages.
He strikes, but his hands also heal.
19 From six disasters he will rescue you;
even in the seventh, he will keep you from evil.
20 He will save you from death in time of famine,
from the power of the sword in time of war.
21 You will be safe from slander
and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine;
wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field,
and its wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your home is safe.
When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing.
25 You will have many children;
your descendants will be as plentiful as grass!
26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age,
like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!
27 “We have studied life and found all this to be true.
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”
Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself.”
To me, verses 17-18 echo Hebrews 12.5-11:
“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”
7 As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. 9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn't we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?
10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way."
It's pretty sweet to think about how a lot of these things are true for those who follow Jesus. I'm not saying that here in the physical realm these things will ALWAYS, 100% come true, but in the bigger picture and grand scheme of things, we have an AWESOME God who's looking out for us and who always wants what's best for us! =)
"Father I pray that we would trust You more today. May we embrace hardship, keeping our focus on You and looking forward to the positive result that can and will come from it. May we be a living testimony to all that You can do in a person's life. We love You so much! It's in Jesus name that I pray, amen!"
Verse seven also stuck out to mo pat. It's hard to believe that this guy gets in trouble later. Everything he's saying is right on the money. All that he says is encouragement to those going through some tough times. He's basically saying that God loves you and will pull through for you if you let him.
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