In this thought-provoking episode, we examine Job’s response to the accusations of wickedness by Eliphaz. The discussion navigates through Job’s heartfelt plea for divine engagement and his poignant recognition of God’s sovereignty. The narrative challenges listeners to consider their relationship with God, prompting reflections on faith, righteousness, and the perplexing presence of suffering in a world where the wicked seem to thrive. Through profound personal reflections, we are invited to embrace Job’s example of holding fast to faith even when the answers remain elusive.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Alan J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
Today in Job chapters 23 and 24, Job responds to Eliphaz’s accusation that he was exceedingly wicked. Job’s response covers two chapters. Let’s listen in to Faith Comes By Hearing’s reading of Job 23 and 24.
Job 23 Then Job answered and said, Today also my complaint is bitter. My hand is heavy on account of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat. I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, he would pay attention to me. There an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him. On the left hand, when he is working, I do not behold him. He turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. Therefore, I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face. Why are not times of judgment kept by the Almighty? And why do those who know Him never see His days? Some move landmarks. They seize flocks and pasture them. They drive away the donkey of the fatherless. They take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They thrust the poor off the road. The poor of the earth all hide themselves. Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go out to their toil, seeking game. The wasteland yields food for their children. They gather their fodder in the field and they glean the vineyard of the wicked man. They lie all night naked without clothing and have no covering in the cold. They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock for lack of shelter. There are those who snatch the fatherless child from the breast, and they take a pledge against the poor. They go about naked without clothing. Hungry, they carry the sheaves. Among the olive rows of the wicked, they make oil. They tread the wine presses, but suffer thirst. From out of the city the dying groan, and the soul of the wounded cries for help. Yet God charges no one with wrong. There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief. The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, ìNo eye will see me,î and he veils his face. In the dark they dig through houses. By day they shut themselves up. They do not know the light. For deep darkness is mourning to all of them. For they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness. You say, swift are they on the face of the waters. Their portion is cursed in the land. No treader turns toward their vineyards. Drought and heat snatch away the snow waters. So does Sheol those who have sinned. The womb forgets them, the worm finds them sweet, they are no longer remembered, so wickedness is broken like a tree. They wrong the barren childless woman and do no good to the widow. Yet God prolongs the life of the mighty by his power. They rise up when they despair of life. He gives them security and they are supported and his eyes are upon their ways. They are exalted a little while and then are gone. They are brought low and gathered up like all others. They are cut off like the heads of grain. If it is not so, who will prove me a liar and show that there is nothing in what I say?
In 1984, at 29 years old, I read Job chapter 23 on one day, didn’t make any notes in my personal Bible reading journal. The next day I read Job chapters 24 through 28. I’ll save those notes for another recording. Thirteen years later, in 1997, at 42 years old, I read Job 22 through 28 on the same day, and again, those notes pertain to later chapters, so I’ll save that journal entry till then. In 2015, I read Job 22 and 23 on one day, and 24 and 25 on the other day. Concerning chapter 23, I wrote, Job skips replying to Eliphaz, and again appeals directly to God. He affirms his innocence. I continue to write, Job argues the wicked prosper on earth, and God’s judgment and punishment are not evident. True, many do prosper without God. I have been in Las Vegas all week. Prosperity without God. In previous recordings, we’ve discussed whether the wicked prosper or the wicked will suffer. So I’m going to skip that portion today in chapter 24 and focus our attention on chapter 23. Job once again longs to take his case directly to God. Let’s look at verses 2 and following. Today my complaint is bitter. My hand is heavy on account of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat. I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know what he would answer me and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, he would pay attention to me. There, an upright man could argue with him, and I would be acquitted forever by my judge. What assurance Job shows. He knows what he has done and what he has not done, regardless of what his friends think. Verses 10 through 12 give us a glimpse into Job’s character. but he knows the ways that I take. When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. If you were to describe your relationship with God, would you use those terms? Can you say, When he has tried me, I shall come out as gold? Can you say, My foot has held fast to his steps? Can you say, I have kept his way and have not turned aside? Can you say, I have not departed from the commandments of his lips? I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food. Job is very sure of his relationship with his God. Are you? He also understands a little bit about God’s character. Let’s start with verse 13. But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind. Therefore I am terrified at his presence, when I consider I am in dread of him. God has made my heart faint. the Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced because of the darkness, nor because thick darkness covers my face. Yes, Job seems to have an intimate understanding and an intimate relationship with God. Do you? Do you understand He is unchangeable? Do you understand that what He desires, He will do? Do you understand that He will complete what He appoints for you? Do you have a healthy respect, a healthy fear, of God Almighty. May our practical application be to have a heart like Job, to understand our relationship with Almighty God like Job did, to have such a relationship that we know we can come to God with our arguments, because we know we have kept His ways and not turned aside, we have not departed from His commandments, and we have treasured the words of His mouth. After today’s recording, maybe you can have a moment of contemplation where you can ponder your relationship with Almighty God. Let’s pray. Father, thank you that as we look for you, you say we can find you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Thank you for such promises. Though you give us access to your throne, May we have a healthy respect, a healthy spiritual fear of you. And yet, thank you for the invitation to make our arguments before you, to lay our petitions at your feet. As Job, may we come to you knowing that we’ve done all we can to follow in your footsteps. We’ve done all we can to keep your ways and your commandments. We come humbly to the throne of God. Thank you for giving us access And thank you for promising to hear our petitions. You are God Almighty. We humble ourselves before you. Amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. All of the Ad Bible radio programs are available to you in writing. We transcribed all of Ad Bible into an 11-book series called Day by Day Through the Bible, and we did it in a unique way by authors of the Bible. You can get the complete set or a book at a time at our website, EzraProject.net. For example, there are the writings of Moses, the writings of Solomon, the writings of the minor prophets and the writings of the major prophets, the writings of the Old Testament historical books, and the writings of Old Testament leaders. Covering the New Testament, we have the writings of Matthew and Luke, the writings of John, the writings of Paul, and the writings of Mark, Peter, James, Jude, and Hebrews. So this 11-book series covers all 66 books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. So if the radio program was on 1 Samuel, you would find the written version in day by day through the Bible of the writings of Old Testament historical books. If the radio program is covering Daniel or Jonah, you would find all the minor prophets in the writings of the minor prophets. But say you’re studying the gospel of John in your own personal quiet time. You can find our coverage of John’s gospel in the writings of John, which includes not just his gospel, but other writings like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Revelation. Or you are going to be reading one of Paul’s epistles. You could find them all in the writings of Paul. Our Day by Day through the Bible series is a tremendous resource as you read and study any book of the Bible. It will deepen your understanding of God’s Word and enhance your personal quiet time because each book breaks down the passage with comments from my personal Bible reading journals, offers life applications, and prayers related to the passage. If you want more from your time in God’s Word, visit EzraProject.net and try one of our day-by-day through the Bible devotional books. Any of the 11 books are a great place to start. Or get the full set to use wherever you are in the Bible today or wherever you are heading in your Bible reading. I know you’re going to enjoy it.
