Reading for Today:

• Job 15:1 Chapter 15 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, –16:22
• Psalms 94:20-23 20 Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, Which frameth mischief by statute? 21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn the innocent blood. 22 But Jehovah hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge. 23 And he hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own wickedness; Jehovah our God will cut them off.
• Proverbs 22:28-29 28 Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set. 29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.
• Romans 11:19-36 19 Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21 for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. 23 And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural `branches', be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; 26 and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 And this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins. 28 As touching the gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. 30 For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 31 even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy. 32 For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him `be' the glory for ever. Amen.

Notes:

Job 15:14–16 A strong statement with regard to the sinfulness of man (Rom. 3:23) that attacked Job’s claim to righteousness. Verse 15 refers to holy angels who fell and brought impurity into the heavens (Rev. 12:1–4). The truth is accurate, that all men are sinners—but irrelevant in Job’s case, because his suffering was not due to any sin.

Romans 11:20 20 Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: unbelief…faith. Branches were broken off and others grafted in based solely on the issue of faith, not race, ethnicity, social or intellectual background, or external morality. Salvation is ever and always by faith alone (1:16, 17; Eph. 2:8, 9). fear. (See 1 Cor. 10:12; 2 Cor. 13:5.) God will judge the apostate church (Rev. 2:15, 16; 3:16) just as surely as He judged apostate Israel.

Romans 11:22 22 Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. consider the goodness and severity. All of God’s attributes work in harmony. There is no conflict between His goodness and love, and His justice and wrath. Those who accept His gracious offer of salvation experience His goodness (2:4); those who reject it experience His severity (2:5). those who fell. The unbelieving Jews described in vv.12–21. “Fell” translates a Greek word meaning “to fall so as to be completely ruined.” Those who reject God’s offer of salvation bring upon themselves utter spiritual ruin. if you continue. Genuine saving faith always perseveres ( John 8:31 31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews that had believed him, If ye abide in my word, `then' are ye truly my disciples; ; 15:5, 6; Col. 1:22, 23; Heb.3:12–14; 4:11; 1 John 2:19 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but `they went out', that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. ). cut off. From the same Greek root word translated “severity” earlier in the verse. God will deal swiftly and severely with those who reject Him.

Romans 11:33 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! wisdom. (See Ps. 104:24; Dan. 2:20; Eph. 3:10; Rev. 7:12.) knowledge. God’s omniscience (1 Sam. 2:3; 1 Kin. 8:39; Ps. 44:21; 147:5). judgments. God’s purposes or decrees, which are beyond human understanding (Ps. 36:6). ways. The methods God chooses to accomplish His purposes ( Job 5:9 9 Who doeth great things and unsearchable, Marvellous things without number: ; 9:10; 26:14).

DAY 12: How did Job’s friends fail him?

“I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all!” ( Job 16:1 Chapter 16 1 Then Job answered and said, ). Job’s friends had come to comfort him. In spite of 7 blissful days of silence at the outset, their mission had failed miserably, and their comfort had turned into more torment for Job. What started out as Eliphaz’s sincere efforts to help Job understand his dilemma had turned into rancor and sarcasm. In the end, their haranguing had heightened the frustrations of all parties involved. If the matter were reversed and Job was comforter to his friends, he would never treat them as they have treated him. He would have strengthened and comforted them.

“He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth” (v. 9). “I was at ease, but He has shattered me” (v. 12).These poignant thoughts from Job lamented his suffering as severe judgment from God, who had worn him out, withered his strength, and chewed him up by severe scrutiny (“sharpens His gaze,” v. 9). Job refers to God as “my Adversary,” who had shattered, shaken, shot at, and sliced him (vv. 12–14).

He had no one to turn to in his sorrow, except God (v. 19), who was silent and had not vindicated him. “My friends scorn me” (v. 20), when they should have comforted him. “Oh, that one might plead for a man with God” (v. 21). The pleading would be for a verdict of innocence on behalf of a friend or neighbor in a court setting before the judge/king. God anticipated the need of an advocate, and He has provided One in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1 Chapter 2 1 My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: , 2).

From The MacArthur Daily Bible Copyright © 2003. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Bibles, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, TN 37214, www.thomasnelson.com.

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