You should read the Bible every day, unless you are too busy. Then you ought to read it twice a day!
January
My Summaries of Daily Bible Readings
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January 1 (Genesis)
(The Account of Creation) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." 1st day -" separated light (day) from darkness (night)," 2nd day -" separated waters of the earth and heaven and inserted the sky," 3rd day -" separated land from sea and produced all plant life," 4th day - "created sun, moon, and stars," 5th day - " created water and sky creatures," 6th day - "created all animals and (humans, in God's image)," and on the 7th day - God called it "holy" and rested.
While immersed in a perfect environment, enjoying unrestricted fellowship with God, and in spite of their innocence, Adam and Eve birthed original sin by disobeying the one and only rule given to them. Humans were banished from the Garden of Eden to protect them from becoming eternally and hopelessly lost, but in the midst of His judgment God promised an ultimate victory of good over evil.
Note that God punished Adam and Eve, but "cursed" only the serpent and the ground.
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January 2 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
God accepted Abel's sacrifice and rejected Cain's. Cain became very angry, but refused God's advice and committed the world's first murder (against his own brother). God banished him and his family line was wiped out later in the flood. One of Cain's descendants named Jubal was the inventor of the harp and flute.
People first began to worship God by name at the time of Adam's grandson (through Seth) Enosh. Three notable descendants are mentioned here: Enoch who did not die, Methuselah who lived the longest of all, and Noah whose family was saved in the boat that he built according to God's instructions. Humankind's evil became so rampant that God decided to wipe out everything on the earth including all the people except the 8 members of Noah's family, one pair of each kind of animal (apparently, including the pests), some animals for a post-flood sacrifice, and enough food to sustain every one for a year. Surely Noah warned the disbelievers during the 100 years it took to build the boat. (II Peter 2:5)
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January 3 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
God declared that Noah was the only righteous man on Earth. Noah followed all of God's instructions in preparation for the flood. Unexpectedly to the unbelievers, the underground waters erupted and torrential rains began to fall the very day that 600 year-old Noah, his wife, sons, and daughters-in-law entered the ark with the animals. It rained for 40 days/nights until the highest mountain peaks were covered and every breathing creature outside the ark had died. A year after the rains began God told Noah to leave the ark. God reiterated His first instructions to man: to spread out and populate the world. God changed the human diet from vegetarian to omnivore (compare Gen 1:29 & 9:3) and shortened his/her lifespan. Then God placed the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant and to comfort everyone who would be fearful of death by rain.
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The reading ends with a list of Noah's descendants and the cursing of his grandson Canaan for his disrespectful behavior concerning Noah's shameful drunkenness.
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January 4 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
(The Tower of Babel) God intended for humans to spread out across the land, but many of Noah's descendants united to build a great city. Realizing the power that lay in their united ambition, God divided them up by reprogramming their brains to each speak a unique language so that they could no longer communicate with each other and thus discontinue their building program.
This section lists the family tree of Abram who was called by God to leave the polytheistic city of Ur to travel to an unknown destination. Upon his arrival in Canaan God promised the land to Abram. He responded by building the first altar mentioned in Scripture. He relocated to Egypt to avoid starvation. Then he and Lot separated when they returned because their herds were too crowded. God repeated His promise so Abram built another altar. Abram defeated the armies of 4 kings with only 318 men from his household to rescue captive Lot. Abram paid the first Scripture-recorded tithe to the king and priest Melchizedek.
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January 5 (Genesis)
Abram feared that without a son, one of his servants would become his heir. God covenanted to provide Abram a son and innumerable descendants. Then He foretold of their coming 400 years of slavery in and eventual deliverance from Egypt and their return to Canaan. God credited Abram with righteousness for believing this promise, but later Abram tried to rush God's plan by conceiving Ishmael (the patriarch of the Ishmaelites) with his wife's Egyptian servant, Hagar. Family strife ensued, but God promised to bless Hagar with many descendants.
God covenanted again with 99 year-old Abram, revealed his name as "El-Shaddai" which translated means "God Almighty," and changed Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's was changed to Sarah. In addition to obedience, now the terms of the generational covenant included circumcision. God stated that His covenant would be confirmed through Isaac (a patriarch of the Israelites, who had not yet even been conceived).
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January 6 (Genesis)
The LORD reappeared to Abraham on His way to inspect the city of Sodom. During the visit He repeated the promise that now 90 year-old Sarah would still give birth. She denied that she laughed in disbelief. Abraham's pleading for mercy demonstrated the power of humble intercession to save his nephew from impending doom. Lot was saved, but Sodom was horrifically destroyed. Then he, like his uncle's previously foolish act that produced another one of Israel's sworn enemies (the Ishmaelites), Lot's incest produced more nemeses: namely the Moabites and the Ammonites.
In fear for his life, Abraham deceived King Abimelech by identifying Sarah as his sister. God intervened successfully by warning the king not to touch her. Here we find the first recording of the term "prophet" in Scripture (Gen. 20:7).
Finally, Isaac was born to 100 year-old Abraham and 90-91-year-old Sarah, who at this point was laughing in belief.
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January 7 (Genesis)
Because of family strife, Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael, his first born son away to live in the wilderness ... God was with the boy... and they settled in Paran. Abraham made a treaty with Abimelech to settle a dispute over a well. Then God tested Abraham's faith by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac, the promised son. He passed the test and Isaac's life was spared. Following this, Sarah, the only woman in Scripture whose age at death is recorded, died at 127. Abraham purchased land that he already owned (as promised by God) from the Hittites so that he could bury Sarah.
Finally, we read the account of Abraham's servant traveling far away to Aram-naharaim to find Isaac a suitable wife from Abraham's family because he did not want his son to marry a Canaanite. With God's help, Rebekah was discovered. She agreed to marry Isaac. This meant that within twenty-four hours Rebekah's life changed from doing family chores to becoming a wife to a far away stranger. This meant that she would immediately leave her family apparently never to see them again.
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January 8 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
Today we began by reading the genealogical records of the descendants of Abraham, (hostile) Ishmael, and Isaac. Then after Isaac prayed that God would grant his barren wife a conception. After much prenatal discomfort, God informed Rebecca that she was the mother of fighting twins (the first occurrence of twins to be found in Scripture) and that they would form rival nations. Rebecca must have doubted because it appears that the discovery of a second child was quite a surprising revelation. (Gen. 25:26) By the way, this event occurred in time about as many years before the birth of Christ as we are now after Christ's resurrection.
Abraham died when Jacob and Esau were about 15 years old, but not before producing many more antagonistic siblings and then banishing them from Isaac's inherited homestead. (No wonder why the current state of Israel suffers so many neighboring enemies!) Isaac (note: the younger was named first) and Ishmael buried 175 year-old Abraham in the same cave as he had buried Sarah 38 years earlier.
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January 9 (Genesis)
We read how Jacob (the younger twin) through trickery ended up with the birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau. Father Issac also used deception to avoid the potential of being murdered and in turn received a chastisment and then a blessing from King Abimelech. Issac suffered much drama over the digging and ownership of four different wells. This ended with the fifth well that he named Rehoboth which means "open space" to mark the occasion where they found enough room to settle down and prosper. Today's reading ends with the unfolding of Rebekah's plan for Jacob to secure the birthright. In her attempt to avert family violence that would rob her of both sons, she actually caused just that to happen. Esau left in a rage to marry pagan wives and Jacob left to Rebekah's former hometown far away presumably never to have seen him again.
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January 10 (Genesis)
We read how God reaffirmed to fleeing Jacob His commitment to fulfill His promise to Abraham, how the trickster got tricked, and how Jacob quickly gained eleven sons. Esau spited his parents by marrying a Canaanite woman and one of Ishmael's daughters. Meanwhile, Jacob spent the night at Bethel and had a dream that he was at the base of a stairway to heaven. He heard God promise to protect him, bring him back to that location, and to multiply his descendants. When he awoke, Jacob built and anointed a memorial from the stone on which he had laid his head and renamed the location to mean "House of God." Jacob finally arrived at Haran and met his mother's family. After agreeing to and working for seven years before marrying Rachel, he was shocked to awake the next morning to find that his uncle Laban had tricked him into marrying Leah instead. So to gain Rachel (and have both sisters) he had to agree to serve uncle Laban another seven years. (That may have been Laban's plan all along.) Because of Rachel's barrenness there began a contest of conceptions between the sisters that resulted in Jacob gaining two more wives. Ultimately, Rachel bore him his favorite son, Joseph.
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January 11 (Genesis)
Laban lost his daughters and all his grandchildren from them in one day (as quickly as he had lost his sister Rebekah many years before). After Joseph was born Jacob desired to return home to Canaan. But because Jacob's hard work caused Laban's wealth to increase Laban convinced him to stay by promising to pay him with all the spotted sheep. Laban cheated him ten times, but God blessed Jacob because of this and because of his strong work ethic Jacob's wealth increased as well, to the dismay felt by Laban's sons. Finally, obeying God's instruction to leave, Jacob took all he owned and fled while Laban and his sons were out of town. Laban found out and hotly pursued him, but God warned Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob.
During the packing up their things Rachel stole her father's idols. Answering Laban's accusations of theft, Jacob, ignorant of Rachel's actions, may have inadvertently cursed his favorite wife (compare Gen. 31:31,34 and 35:19).
Jacob and Laban parted with a treaty (not to harm each other Gen. 31:53). This verse has been largely misunderstood and misapplied by many as an act of friendship when, in fact, it is a promise not to attack one another.
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January 12 (Genesis)
After Uncle Laban headed back to his home and as Jacob began to move onward to his homeland angels of God met with and encouraged him. He sent messengers ahead of his clan to assess the intensity of Esau's formerly bitter anger over Jacob's theft of his birthright blessing. The messengers' report that Esau was coming with an army of 400 men put Jacob in a panic. He divided his family and sent many animals ahead to appease what Jacob assumed was Esau's desire for revenge. Before Esau arrived Jacob moved his family across the river then returned to his camp alone to find that he had to wrestle a man who was revealed later to be God, who changed his name from Jacob (trickster) to Israel (prince). Later, Esau did arrive, but on friendly terms.
On the way back home Jacob foolishly settled in Shechem where his family got entangled in a lot of drama and violence. Finally, returning to Bethel God confirmed his name change and Rachel died giving birth to his youngest son, Benjamin.
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January 13 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
Because the land could not support both families and all their livestock, Esau moved his entire clan and all his possessions away from Jacob in Canaan to the land of Edom where the original nomadic pagans settled into various established kingdoms. A genealogical record of Esau's descendants, with a focus on the leaders and kings is listed.
Finally, the reading ends with a list of the names of Israel's twelve sons.
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Nothing good is ever said about Edom in Scripture.
Dr. C. Ryrie in his introduction to the Book of Obadiah wrote, "The Edomites. Descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin, the Edomites were in constant conflict with Israel, the descendants of Jacob. They rejected Moses' request to pass through their land (Numbers 20:14-20), they opposed King Saul (1 Sam. 14:47), they fought against David (1 Kings 11:15-16; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Chronicles. 18:12), opposed Solomon (1 Kings 11:14-25), and Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles. 20:22), and rebelled against Jehoram (2 Chronicles. 21:8)... Herod the Great was an Edomite."
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January 14 (Genesis and 1 Chronicles)
Finally, Jacob (Israel) settled returned to the land of his father in Canaan. When Joseph was seventeen years old Jacob showed his favoritism toward him over his other brothers by giving him a beautiful robe. Then their jealousy of him was augmented by his dreams that appeared to predict his future superiority over them. In response, they found an opportunity to sell him to traders who in turn sold him in Egypt. The brothers deceived Jacob into believing that a wild beast had killed Joseph, but they never actually said it.
Then Judah married a Canaanite woman and his daughter-in-law, Tamar proved to be more righteous than he when she schemed a plan that would give her what he had promised, but refused to deliver.
Meanwhile back in Egypt, Joseph was framed by his master's lustful wife and subsequently imprisoned. But the Lord's favor on Joseph gave him success and caused the prison warden to promote Joseph to an administrative position.
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January 15 (Genesis)
Finally, after 13 years of slavery and imprisonment for more than a couple of years in a dungeon, Joseph gets to breathe fresh air for the first time now as second in command over all of Egypt. It started with Joseph correctly interpreting the dreams of two prisoners and the subsequent short memory of the one with a good outcome that kept Joseph in the dark for a couple more years. (I wonder if after the quickness of their dreams' fulfillment, Joseph struggled over the delay of his.) Then within one hour he was promoted from "slave of the captain of the guard" to "second in command of Pharaoh's court" and ruler over all of Egypt for interpreting Pharaoh's dream of the coming feast and famine.
Joseph immediately went out to "inspect" the entire land. The joy of his new found blessing was great enough to overcome all his years of suffering. Then as predicted, the 7 years of abundance in Egypt was followed by 7 years of famine "throughout the world" (reaching even beyond Egypt to Joseph's family back in Canaan).
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January 16 (Genesis)
Wow! This reading is chock full of amazing events: Joseph's new found palace lifestyle helps him to forget his former sufferings. Jacob sends his sons away to buy grain from the son that he thinks is dead, but saves Rachel's remaining son from any potential harm. Joseph concealed his identity and was able to have the manipulative advantage over his brothers. The ten older brothers admitted that they had treated younger Joseph wrong and believed that God was paying them back for it. Ruben and Judah finally developed a sense of responsibility as they guaranteed Benjamin's safety. Simeon spent 2 years in prison while waiting for the brothers to bring him as proof of their integrity. Joseph appeared (to his brothers) to have psychic powers because he knew things that a stranger should not have known. Jacob revealed his favoritism for Rachel's sons. And the brothers think that Egypt's wealthy governor wants to steal their little donkeys (Gen. 43:18).
Finally, Joseph revealed his identity and sent for his father to come live there for the remaining 5 years of famine.
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Joseph may have chosen Simeon to be held in prison because Joseph knew that he was a violent man and would survive prison life better than the rest.
Another view is that Joseph knew, as did Jacob, that it was best to separate Simeon from his partner/brother Levi. Herbert Lockyer, 1958, p315.
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January 17 (Genesis)
The Egyptians were actually delighted for the Israelis to come live with them and presented them with the "best of all the land and food." (Genesis 45:16-20). And then, of course, they were excited again to see them leave around 430 years later! Jacob was happy to be going down to Egypt to see Joseph, but he must have been a little nervous about being in Egypt because God assured him that he would be safe and that Joseph would be with him when he passed away. (Jacob must have thought, "Receiving that message 17 years earlier sure would have been very much appreciated.") Joseph coached his father on Egyptian protocol before meeting Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh twice before moving to Goshen where the Israeli population subsequently exploded. The famine empowered Joseph into enslaving all the Egyptians in the land except the priests. This population must have included his former Egyptian master, Potiphar and his wife. Oh, to have been a fly-on-the-wall at that meeting!
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January 18 (Genesis)
Jacob's deathbed blessings over his (and Joseph's sons whom he adopted) which may be why there is no "Tribe of Joseph" named until Rev. 7:8) contained many prophecies. Tucked within his blessing of Dan (of whose tribal name was blotted out for incessant and unrepentant idolatry and left out of the list in Rev. 7) contains the first time in Scripture where the word "salvation" is used (Gen. 49:18). In Judah's blessing he predicted the coming of the Eternal King. Leah, the unloved, but first wife of Jacob finally received her due honor when Jacob instructed his sons to bury him beside her body (rather than Rachel's). After Jacob's death the brothers crafted another lie to avert Joseph's potential revenge on them, but he demonstrated to them the most genuine (and first overt) act of forgiveness between humans in Scripture.
Then the story fast-forwarded to the event of Joseph's death where he foretold of the Hebrew people's eventual return to Canaan with instructions that someone in that future generation to bring his bones with them.
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January 19 (Job)
The true account of Job's testing begins (as confirmed by God -Ezekiel 14:14,20; The Apostle Paul Romans. 11:35; I Corinthians 3:19; and the Lord's brother -James 5:11). The description of Job's circumstances suggests that this account took place sometime after the Tower of Babel (2,166-2,000BC, but some scholars place it as late as 600BC).
The book of Job affirms the existence of Satan. While not residing there, he has the ability to approach the throne of God to accuse the faithful. He is intelligent, powerful, and mobile. Elsewhere in Scripture we learn that he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, but "Greater is He that is within us..."
Ignorant of the heavenly drama between God and Satan, Job's life of joy and prosperity is suddenly invaded with two events of testing through horrific tragedies, but he maintained his integrity before God. He expressed his depression and confessed his fear of this happening. Then Eliphaz unsuccessfully tried to diagnose and fix his problem.
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Reasons for choosing an early date:
1. Job's age,
2. The fact that his wealth is measured in livestock rather than in land, gold, or coins,
3. The lack of medicine,
4. Job's priestly functions,
5. The patriarchal condition of the family,
6. No mention of God's covenant given to the patriarchs, the Exodus, or the Law of Moses, and
7. The nomadic status of previously unsettled people groups.
(See MacArthur Bible Commentary, p563).
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January 20 (Job)
Job's "friend" Eliphaz assumed that since God often blesses the good and curses the evil, Job needed to repent of some hidden sin. On the surface it appears that he is wise to the ways of God, but his (and his other companions') over arching theme is that if Job were indeed righteous then God would have prevented his suffering. While Job admits his imperfection, he maintains his innocence of any grievous sin.
King David and Jesus noted that often the wicked seem to prosper, so it is not wise to form an ideology on what is in God's control as if the common observation (that God does bless the righteous with a plethora of gifts both spiritual and physical and punishes the wicked though the consequences of their sins and eventual damnation) was a universal law that must be applied whenever anyone is trying to determine the cause of any and all suffering.
Note: Whenever someone quotes from the book of Job I always look to see who is being quoted before accepting it.
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January 21 (Job)
After Job defended himself from Eliphaz's accusations and cried out to God for mercy, Bildad chimed in with the challenge that Job is questioning God's character and assumed that Job's punishment is justified because "his children must have sinned." Again, Bildad is correct in most of what he says, but his application is skewed. In Job's response we read a powerful pro-life message of God's careful work in the womb (Job 10:8-12).
Then Zophar added insult to injury by saying that Job's "punishment" is too lenient and tells Job to get right with God. Job wanted relief and thought that a mediator could convince God to lighten up.
Right or wrong, if Job had not express his innermost thoughts, we may be tempted to discount the severity of his pain. Even though I know that God is sovereign, at times I also have challenged God by asking, "Why me, Lord?"
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January 22 (Job)
Job's 4th speech counters Zophar's premise that repentance would bring Job immediate relief. (v.14:14) makes one of the earliest references to the "resurrection."
Job acknowledged the total sovereignty of God over all creation. Job wants a court hearing with God to complain about the severity of his afflictions. (Remember that even God called Job "blameless." (1:8)).
Job longed for the relief that death could bring, yet without committing suicide.
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Job's Living Death
1. Painful boils from head to toe (2:7, 13; 30:17)
2. Severe itching/irritation (2:7,8)
3. Great grief (2:13)
4. Lost appetite (3:24; 6:6,7)
5. Agonizing discomfort (3:24)
6. Insomnia (7:4)
7. Worm and dust infested flesh (7:5)
8. Continual oozing of boils (7:5)
9. Hallucinations (7:14)
10. Decaying skin (13:28)
11. Shriveled up (16:8, 17:7; 19:20)
12. Severe halitosis (19:17)
13. Teeth fell out (19:20)
14. Relentless pain (30:17)
15. Skin turned black (30:30)
16. Raging fever (30:30)
17. Dramatic weight loss (33:21)
From The MacArthur Study Bible, by John MacArthur (Nashville Word Publishing, 1997) 704. Copyright 1993 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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January 23 (Job)
Eliphaz called Job a "windbag" who was irreverently attacking God through his prayers. He rightly stated that "all have sinned," however we know that this is NOT the reason for Job's suffering. Job criticized his "comforters" for only "blowing hot air," and wished for a mediator to relieve him from what he perceived as an undeserved torment. He made a reference to the murder of Able by calling on the earth to cry out on behalf of his shed blood. He stated that his advocate was in heaven. Job said that he needed someone to mediate between he and God. Job claimed that God had closed his friends" minds to understanding. He expressed that they offered no comfort to him.
Then Bildad responded to Job claiming that he had disrespected is friends. He claimed that only the wicked suffer misfortunes like Job's.
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January 24 (Job)
Today's reading is rich with original quotes that continue to endure. 1-"by the skin of my teeth" (19:20), 2-"chiseled in Stone." (19:23-24), and 3-"But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, ..." (19:25). And if the time of this event occurred just after the "Tower of Babel," then this is the first mention of the tambourine in Scripture (21:12).
Job told his friends to mind their own business and warned that they should fear their own coming punishment. He claimed that God wronged him and hemmed him in so that there was almost no hope for his escape. He made another reference to life after death where he expects to see God with his own eyes (19:26-27). Zophar reiterates his belief that among other consequences, the wicked suffer a short lifespan as God's judgment against their selfishness.
After stating that his complaint was with God, not people, Job asked Zophar why then do the wicked prosper in comfort, peace, and get to live long lives. He called all his friends "liars."
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January 25 (Job)
Eliphaz continues to hammer Job mercilessly with suppositions of evil acts and reiterates his belief that ALL suffering is the result of an individual's sin.
Job's reply was not to Eliphaz but an expression of wonder to God with a declaration of His divine justice. He desires to have his day in court with God. He is confident that God will be fair and that this time of testing will result in his purification because he has remained faithful to God's commands through it all. Job asked why is it that only the righteous ones are tested through suffering while the wicked are permitted to enjoy the fruits of their evil. Then he ends his reply with an acknowledgment that in the end God will bring justice.
Then Bildad bolsters Eliphaz's argument against Job's stated innocence by contrasting the sinful pitiful state of man with the absolute purity and power of God.
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January 26 (Job)
Job told his "friends" that their words have been no help to him. He already knows and admires God's greatness. He made accurate statements that would not be scientifically verified for another 3,000 years, supporting the "divine authorship of Scripture." (MacArthur, 2005, p585).
Job expounded on the existence, benefit, and source of wisdom. It could fit very well into the book of Proverbs. "The fear of the Lord is true wisdom..."(28:28).
This portion ends with Job lamenting the loss of the joys of his earlier years filled with prosperity and companionship.
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January 27 (Job)
Job changed from recollecting the good old days to focus on his current loses and reaffirms his integrity (purer than any man of which I ever knew). He feels abandoned by God (30:20). (Even Jesus too cried, "... Why have You forsaken Me?"). He stated that God continues to create [beyond the first 6 days of creation] when babies are conceived in the womb (31:15). Job challenged anyone to prove his sin against God, man, or even the ground and affirms it with a self-imposed curse if it is true.
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January 28 (Job)
While Job waits for God's reply and his "friends" finally give up, Elihu, the punk of the group speaks up. He is angry with the whole group because Job's friends failed to convict Job and Job refuses to admit to his supposed crimes. His argument is the same as the others, but in addition, he misquoted Job and put words into his mouth that came from his "friends." He accused Job of being arrogant. His overarching theme leans more heavily on "God's discipline" rather than "God's punishment," but he also speaks in error by misrepresenting the true character of God.
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January 29 (Job)
In today's reading Elihu finished up his speeches. It is a little ironic that he accused Job of being arrogant yet he claimed, "I am telling you nothing but the truth, for I am a man of great knowledge." (36:4). His theme is less about "punishment for past sins" and more about "seeing God in his suffering and worship Him because there is some benefit to it." (Job 33:24-26).
He touted the erroneous paradigm that causing man to suffer is God's way of getting the wicked man's attention so that once he repented all his years would then be prosperous and pleasant (36:11).
Elihu did point Job and the reader to God more than the others, but he too is unaware of the real heavenly drama. However, he is correct in saying that Job's despair of God's decisions was sinful; as Job also did admit (42:6).
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January 30 (Job)
Finally, God spoke! Before He corrected Job's friends He set Job straight, but there is no indication that He ever revealed to Job the heavenly drama behind the reason for his suffering, only that God's wisdom is so great that Job (and we also) should rest in His trustworthiness. So now Job finally got his "day in court," but after God challenged Job's inflated self assessment, Job quickly admitted that he has said too much already when he criticized God and would now become silent.
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January 31 (Job)
Today we finish the book of Job. God challenged Job's insolence and presumption that "God had been unfair." Satan's allegation that Job only loved God for His blessings and protection was nullified. Job humbled himself before God's divine sovereignty and power. Job's friends were chastised for having misrepresented God and for blaming Job's supposed actions as the cause for his suffering. God affirmed that a blood sacrifice, prayer and mediation are essential for receiving forgiveness. Job's fortunes were restored and his wife had to give birth to TEN MORE KIDS, (20 children in total!)
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