November - Reading 12

Good afternoon -

Our Scriptures for today are:

John 10:11-21

1 John 2:18-23

Job 11

Ezekiel 31-32

May God bless this reading of His Word.

 

Good evening -

Today's reading marks the end of the prophecies against other nations in Ezekiel. The passages concerning Egypt were quite extensive. Going by the dates provided by the prophet, there were seven oracles in all. These seven prophecies spanned over a time from January 7, 587 BC to April 27, 586 BC.

In the Gospel of John Christ continues the analogy of the Shepherd and sheep. This analogy shows a mutual knowledge between the two. I was intrigued by the statement regarding the "other sheep" in verse 16 and found this in the Geneva Study Bible:

In 1John we find the author speaking of the final hour in verse 18. This term demonstrates the watchfulness that we as Christians must maintain. Neither prophecy nor revelation has revealed any other era to come before Christ's return. We are indeed in the "last hour."

May God bless you

- Clint

 

Job

Sunday School 6/11/06

Job 11:1-6 Zophar

Zophar is the third and possibly the youngest to speak. His name is unknown elsewhere but in the Septuagint he is mentioned in Genesis 36:11 and 1Chronicles 1:36. Our inability to identify his name gives no clue to his identity or his character. Naamah, his home, is the name of a village west of Judah but as the other friends are from outside of Palestine, this is probably not the same village. Naamah was also the name of a sister to Tubal Cain in Genesis 4:22 but there is no connection found between her and the name of the village.

Zophar’s speech begins harshly as he feels a strong need to defend not God but his own logic. Job in his defenses has corrupted what Zophar is sure to be true and he appeals to Job to return to reason.

In verses 11:2-4 Zophar attempts to summarize Job’s position. He feels that Job is only giving lip service to his own righteousness and Zophar will not stand for it. He is completely unable to sympathize with Job’s problem and thinks that the condition speaks for itself. Obviously Job has done a great evil or he would not be suffering so!

Zophar is impatient with God for being so patient with Job. He should show up and put him in his place. Since He is not doing so, Zophar takes it upon himself to set the score right. Zophar contends that God must have actually forgiven some of Job’s shortcomings as he really deserves more than he is getting. Zophar makes no attempt to back his claim up with fact, he merely asserts it as fact.

Job 11:13-20

In verse 13 Zophar takes the debate to an even more personal level. He is stating that if Job – EVEN Job – were to stretch out his hand to God with a repentant attitude, he would be forgiven. Like Bildad he contends that the blessings would be so great that Job would barely remember his present conditions. His speech ends with if Job does not repent his fate is sealed. He will be counted as those who have lost their sight and can only hope for a swift death.

Zophar’s speech has no compassion and no sympathy for the suffering Job.

Job responds in chapter 13 much as you would expect. He is hurt, angry, and on the defensive. His friends have offered him little comfort and have only served to further his suffering. By lacking compassion they have furthered the cause of the adversary. By viewing Job as a theological proposition rather than a suffering man, they have become tools of the devil in trying to separate a man, and all of mankind, from God. Job, however, holds the course and once again appeals to God directly for answers.

 

Our Scriptures for 11/13 are:

John 10:22-42

1 John 2:24-29

Job 12

Ezekiel 33-34

 

Our Scriptures for 11/13 are:

John 10:22-42

1 John 2:24-29

Job 12

Ezekiel 33-34

 

Our Scriptures for 11/13 are:

John 10:22-42

1 John 2:24-29

Job 12

Ezekiel 33-34

 

Our Scriptures for 11/13 are:

John 10:22-42

1 John 2:24-29

Job 12

Ezekiel 33-34

 

Our Scriptures for 11/13 are:

John 10:22-42

1 John 2:24-29

Job 12

Ezekiel 33-34