In The Word
Read: Job 25-27
Bildad Says Mankind Is Inferior
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite responded,
2 “Dominion and awe belong to Him
Who makes peace in His heights.
3 Is there any number to His troops?
And upon whom does His light not rise?
4 How then can mankind be righteous with God?
Or how can anyone who is born of woman be pure?
5 If even the moon has no brightness
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
6 How much less man, that maggot,
And a son of man, that worm!”
Job Rebukes Bildad
26 Then Job responded,
2 “What a help you are to the weak!
You have saved the arm without strength!
3 What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly provided!
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit was expressed through you?
The Greatness of God
5 “The departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
6 Sheol is naked before Him,
And Abaddon has no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
9 He obscures the face of the full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has inscribed a circle on the surface of the waters
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
12 With His power He quieted the sea,
And by His understanding He shattered Rahab.
13 By His breath the heavens are cleared;
His hand has pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty thunder, who can understand?”
Job Affirms His Righteousness
27 Job again took up his discourse and said,
2 “As God lives, who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
3 For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,
4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
5 Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Until I die, I will not give up my integrity.
6 I have kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not rebuke any of my days.
The State of the Godless
7 “May my enemy be as the wicked,
And my opponent as the criminal.
8 For what is the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life,
When God requires his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
When distress comes upon him?
10 Or will he take pleasure in the Almighty?
Will he call on God at all times?
11 I will instruct you in the power of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Behold, all of you have seen it;
Why then do you talk of nothing?
13 “This is the portion of a wicked person from God,
And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty:
14 Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword;
And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread.
15 His survivors will be buried because of the plague,
And their widows will not be able to weep.
16 Though he piles up silver like dust,
And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay,
17 He may prepare it, but the righteous will wear it
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He has built his house like the spider’s web,
Or a hut which the watchman has made.
19 He lies down rich, but never again;
He opens his eyes, and it no longer exists.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A storm steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
For it sweeps him away from his place.
22 For it will hurl at him without mercy;
He will certainly try to flee from its power.
23 People will clap their hands at him,
And will whistle at him from their places.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Our lives are to display the power and blessings of God so that the world will know He is real. We tell people about God when the opportunity arises, and we demonstrate it constantly by applying God’s Word in our daily lives. Job said it this way, “I will instruct you in the power of God; what is with the Almighty I will not conceal (Job 27:11).”
Just because God’s power and blessings are with us does not mean trouble will not come our way. In fact, God says that difficult situations and people will come our way because not only do we live in a fallen world full of sin, but we also have an enemy who wants to harm us. So, both the blessings of God from our obedience and the challenges that we face are opportunities to declare God to those who witness our lives. As we have been reading, Job experienced great trouble from the wrath of Satan, yet Job continued to declare God’s power and goodness, refusing to renounce his faith or to curse God.
We have the power of God within us to overcome every challenge that comes our way and remain strong. “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us (Ephesians 3:20).” Are you facing a difficulty that looks overwhelming? Tap into God’s power that was strong enough to create the earth and universe, and bring Yeshua back to life!