got-wisdomFriday, January 26, 2017

Daily reading assignment: Job 7-8

Poor Job continues his soliloquy in chapter 7 expressing his despondency over all he had suffered and lost. So low is his spirit, he despairs of life and reasons that only death might give him relief from his sorrows.

Contrasting his life to others, Job reasoned laborers look forward to their wages at the end of a day (7:1-2), but for him there was no end to his sorrows apart from death (7:3-5).  Reflecting on the brevity of life, Job grieved his days, though brief, were filled with sorrow (7:6-10). Acknowledging the omniscience of God (7:12-19), Job confessed God watched over him (7:12) and his dreams in the night ever reminded him God’s eye was upon him (7:13-14).

jobs-despairAssuming all he had suffered was a consequence of sin (7:20), Job 7 closes with the man seeking forgiveness before death should claim his life (7:21).

Job 8 opens with the rebuke of another of Job’s friends, Bildad the Shuhite (8:1). Believing the sorrows that had come upon Job and his family were a result of sin, Bildad challenged Job’s defense of his innocence (8:2-4) reasoning God is just and advising Job if he was “pure and upright” God would quickly deliver him out of trouble and bless him (8:5-7).

Reflecting on the testimonies of generations that had gone before (8:8-10), Bildad encouraged Job to ponder the justice and judgments of God upon the wicked.

What about you and me? From whence do we acquire godly wisdom and discernment? Certainly our elders have wisdom obtained in life that is worth hearing and weighing, but do we not have a richer, more certain fount of wisdom and understanding?

Indeed! We have an opportunity of wisdom and discernment Job did not have…God’s Word, Law, Commandments and Precepts!psalm-119-100

Psalm 119:97-100 – “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98  Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
99  I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.”

Copyright 2017 – Travis D. Smith