May 16 - Evening
"Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:
'If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?' "
- Job 4:1-6
'If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? But who can keep from speaking? Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed. Should not your piety be your confidence and your blameless ways your hope?' "
- Job 4:1-6
Friend #1: Eliphaz, from Teman in Edom
Three friends, and then a fourth, come to comfort and counsel Job through his grief. But, they are quickly offended by Job’s crude honesty and his rejection of 'common sense' theology. Job aggressively attacks everything that is sacred and ignores any social standards that seem to stand in the way of his answer. Job is in pursuit of the truth and he will not compromise by slowing down to accommodate friendship, religion, reputation or his own theology or personal feelings. Everything is going to be examined and challenged in order to find the truth. This is not a discussion that the typical Christian, churchmen or clergy can stomach.
The first friend, Eliphaz, who is from Teman, a major city in Edom, begins by picking up on Job’s harsh tone by basically asking:
“Will you get mad at me, too, if I say something? Even so, who can sit here and listen to you go on and on without saying something!”
Eliphaz’s basic argument throughout the Book of Job is that no human is righteous before God, so consider yourself lucky God hasn’t crushed you already!
Eliphaz opens by pointing out to Job that when things were going good Job always had a word or a way to help people who were struggling, but now that Job has a problem Job gets discouraged and dismayed. Why is that? Eliphaz asks Job,
“Should not you be confident in your own useful words and your own ability to help since you were so wise and helpful before?”
Below are the basic theological positions of the three friends (All are true statements, but dangerously misleading if not balance with the whole nature of reality and the full character of God):
• Eliphaz - no human being is righteous before God
• Bildad – God never perverts justice
• Zophar – God punishes every evildoer.
Telones (Gr) – Publican (Eng) – the Greek word telones is a tax collector. Telos means “tax”, “custom” and “toll”. A telones was responsible to collect the taxes from an assigned district.
Do I hide behind Christian clichés and shallow theology?
Do I "live by faith" which really means "I don't think because I'm too lazy to be challenged or study?"
I will honesty address the issues I do not understand.
I will not shy away from questions and attitudes that make me uncomfortable.
Do I "live by faith" which really means "I don't think because I'm too lazy to be challenged or study?"
I will honesty address the issues I do not understand.
I will not shy away from questions and attitudes that make me uncomfortable.
Bible Reading Descriptions Here
Personal
Success in what you do
Church
Commitment to the truth of scripture
Nation
Food
World
Eritrea
Someone to Quote
"A genuine Christian is the best evidence of the genuineness of Christianity."
Something to Ponder
In the Old Testament God could deliver people from their enemies and rescue them from difficult situations. In the gospels Jesus could save people from demons and restore dead bodies back to life. These are examples and demonstrations of God’s ability, desire and past acts of salvation. But, the greatest act of salvation had not yet been performed. This work would be accomplished by God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord could deliver Noah and his family from the flood, but they and their families would return to build the city of Babel. The angel of the Lord could strike down the armies of Egypt and Assyria, but Israel still returned to live in rebellion toward God. Jesus could raise a man back to life but without going to the cross that man would only live to be taken by death another day. God had delivered people from the Flood, from Egypt, from the Assyrians, from demons, and from death – but mankind still remained under the wrath of God because of sin.
Here’s a Fact
Solomon’s authorship of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs has been challenged because of the Aramaic words used and because some scholars claim the author borrowed Persian words from the days of the Babylonian exile 400 years after Solomon. But, recent scholarship has discovered that the “Persian” words such as pardes (“park” or “orchard” in Ecc 2:5 and SS 4:13) and appiryon (“carriage” in SS 3:9) are very ancient and some actually go back to Sanskrit origins in 1500-1200 BC. This is understandable if Solomon’s commercial trading and sailing exploits to the East are considered to have involved new vocabulary (1 Kings 5; 9:26-28; 10:22). The Aramaic influence in the Hebrew language began earlier than previously thought.
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Proverb
"The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice."
- Proverbs 16:10
- Proverbs 16:10
Coach’s Corner
The things you do not need should be the measure of your wealth, instead of the things you surround yourself with.
2 Kings 10
New International Version (NIV)
Ahab’s Family Killed
10 Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”
Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
9 The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”
They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”
14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.
15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”
“I am,” Jehonadab answered.
“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.
Servants of Baal Killed
18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”
25 As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
28 So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29 However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.
34 As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
New International Version (NIV)
Ahab’s Family Killed
10 Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said, 2 “You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3 choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4 But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”
5 So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servants and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”
6 Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8 When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”
Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
9 The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10 Know, then, that not a word the Lord has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he announced through his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.
12 Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13 he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”
They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah, and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.”
14 “Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.
15 After he left there, he came upon Jehonadab son of Rekab, who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”
“I am,” Jehonadab answered.
“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.” So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16 Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
17 When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.
Servants of Baal Killed
18 Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19 Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20 Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21 Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22 And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23 Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24 So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”
25 As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26 They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27 They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the temple of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
28 So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29 However, he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
30 The Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33 east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroer by the Arnon Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.
34 As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
35 Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36 The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
Psalm 13
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3
Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
___
Psalm 28
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 28
Of David.
1
To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
3
Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
4
Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.
5
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
6
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
8
The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9
Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.
____
Psalm 55
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 55
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;
2
hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3
because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger.
4
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5
Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
6
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
7
I would flee far away and stay in the desert;
8
I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
9
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10
Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.
11
Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.
12
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.
13
But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,
14
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
15
Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.
16
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
17
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
18
He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
19
God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
20
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21
His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.
22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
23
But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 13
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
2
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3
Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4
and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6
I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
___
Psalm 28
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 28
Of David.
1
To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
3
Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
4
Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve.
5
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
6
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.
8
The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9
Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.
____
Psalm 55
New International Version (NIV)
Psalm 55
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1
Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea;
2
hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3
because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger.
4
My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5
Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
6
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
7
I would flee far away and stay in the desert;
8
I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”
9
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10
Day and night they prowl about on its walls; malice and abuse are within it.
11
Destructive forces are at work in the city; threats and lies never leave its streets.
12
If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide.
13
But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,
14
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.
15
Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them.
16
As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me.
17
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
18
He rescues me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
19
God, who is enthroned from of old, who does not change— he will hear them and humble them, because they have no fear of God.
20
My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21
His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.
22
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
23
But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay; the bloodthirsty and deceitful will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.