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Desperate Times
Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, and do not punish me in Your burning anger. Psalm 38:1 NASB Do not rebuke – Have you ever prayed a prayer like this? Have you reached the point, long after the Lord has redeemed you, long after you recognize your sinful condition and your desperate need for…
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And in the End
And man wears away like rot, like a garment eaten by moths. Man born of woman, scant of days and sated with trouble, like a blossom he comes forth and withers, and flees like a shadow—he will not stay. Job 13:28-14:2 Robert Alter Wears away – Maybe you have to live a long time to…
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High Crimes and Misdemeanors
He shall surely dispute with you if in secret you are partial. Job 12:10 Robert Alter Partial – The story of Job can be quite personal. Yes, there are academic issues involved. Who was the author? When was it written? What is the theological implication? Those are all important questions, but if they become the…
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Judgment Day
“But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and there will be no escape for them; and their hope is to breathe their last.” Job 11:20 NASB To breathe their last – Take a guess. וְ֜תִקְוָתָ֗ם מַֽפַּח־נָֽפֶשׁ (transliterated: ve-tikvatam mapach-nephish). You’ll recognize the word translated “breath” (nephesh), remembering that its umbrella includes “soul, creature, person, appetite” and “mind.”…
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Duty Calls
Then you would trust, because there is hope; and you would look around and rest securely. Job 11:18 NASB Hope – Do you trust God? Perhaps you’re surprised by the question. “Of course, I trust God,” would be the typical answer, as if the question itself is almost rhetorical. But notice what Zophar says about…
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End Game (Ten Years Later)
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NASB 1995 Search – Thirty days of self-examination. Thirty days of drawing closer, of recognizing the grace of the Father, the mystery of His care and concern, the depths of our need. Thirty days to begin something…
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Before the Beginning
In the beginning God created heaven and earth Genesis 1:1 (Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, The Living Torah) God created – The Bible starts with creation. It does not start with the divine essence before creation. In fact, it says nothing about God’s essence before God created. Everything in the Bible is conditioned on the interaction between…
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The Cure for What Ails You
Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral blemish, and you would be firmly established and not fear. For you would forget your trouble; like waters that have passed by, you would remember it. Job 11:15-16 NASB Forget your trouble – Zophar may be the ultimate optimist. He’s probably related to Pollyanna too. His view is that once you align yourself, confess…
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The Via Negativa Again
[Zophar the Naamathite responded,] “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” Job 11:7 NASB Can you discover – Questioning is a sin, right? Have you heard that before? Have you been in a religious environment where raising issues is forbidden? Just believe what the authority tells you. …
