My breath is corrupt

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 17:1–9, “My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me. Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation? Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me? For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them. He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail. He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret. Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow. Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.”

It isn’t too hard to maintain our faith when we understand what is happening but Job didn’t understand his situation. His body seemed to be decaying from within and his breath was full of the stench. Death seemed to be waiting for him. His friends refused to understand his situation, preferring to take perverse delight in his situation because he had been much better than they were. He had never tried to flatter his friends but had been willing to tell them the truth because he wasn’t a hypocrite and now they were enjoying his strife.

My prayer is pure

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 16:17–22, “Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.”

Job wasn’t ready to admit that he had done something specific to deserve his currents torments. He wasn’t praying to the Lord and trying to hide secrets from the Lord at the same time. His friends were accusing him of terrible things but he just wanted to speak to the Lord. He wanted to be able to plead his own case with the Lord as he had prayed for so many other people in his life. Job knew that he would soon die and be forgotten but he wanted to set the record straight before he was consigned to eternity.

My grief is not asswaged

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 16:6–16, “Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;”

Job hoped that he would be able to find comfort from speaking to his friends but this didn’t happen. He couldn’t even find comfort from speaking to the Lord. The pain continued and there was no relief from his troubles. Not only did the Lord seem to cause him more grief, his enemies attacked him without mercy. The Lord had given him over to the ungodly and they took advantage of his pain and anguish. He wept in his sorrow but things just seemed to get worse day by day.

What emboldeneth thee?

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 16:1–5, “Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.”

Job replied to Eliphaz and told him that he was not doing anything to comfort Job at all. When was he going to stoop? Job wondered if his friends were only speaking because they saw that he was in trouble and felt as though they could get away with saying these things to him for that reason. If things were the other way around, Job would be helpful rather than destruction towards his friends.

And have not hid it

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 15:17–35, “I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare; Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it: Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor. A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him. He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword. He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle. For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty. He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers: Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks. And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps. He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth. He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away. Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence. It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green. He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive. For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery. They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.”

Eliphaz continued his argument and asked Job is he had access to some special wisdom other than the conventional wisdom of the day. Was there some secret society, with special knowledge, that no one else had heard about? Everybody knew, in those days, that wicked people suffer and good people have good things in their lives. Even wicked people live in fear of being found out and punished, didn’t they? God would never let good people have a bad reward for their good behaviour. Even if a person doesn’t believe the dictates of conventional wisdom, he will never be able to escape God’s Divine Justice.

Should a wise man utter vain knowledge?

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 15:1–16, “Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good? Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God. For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty. Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee. Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills? Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself? What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us? With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father. Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee? Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at, That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?”

Job’s friends listened to him but they still wanted to add their own opinions. In fact, they were not listening to his words but just waiting for him to stop talking so that they could talk. Eliphaz took the first opportunity to speak again. He accused Job of speaking rubbish, just blowing hot air. He asked Job if he was around at the beginning when the Lord made everything. Did Job know where everything came from or did he invent wisdom? What did Job know that his friends didn’t know. They knew that Job deserved to suffer but Job seemed to think that he had some special knowledge. All men are bad and Job was no different.

Thou numberest my steps

http://youtu.be/NK8VWcw8BOM “The Science is in!”

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand

http://www.booksthataregood.com/Reference_Books.php

http://twitter.com/#!/jamesmcnaught 

(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Job 14:16–22, “For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin? My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity. And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place. The waters wear the stones: thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man. Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them. But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.”

The Lord knew all that there was to know about Job, He knew how far Job walked each day and how many times Job sinned. Even the rocks, which seem so solid, are worn away by water so what hope does a man have before the Lord? Everyone knows pain and it increases with time.