I Live Forever
Yahweh will keep his word, he will vindicate and comfort his people, his servants. But there is an unseen battle going on in the heavenlies and here on earth. That is what “this song” is all about.
As we ponder the vindication and comfort of Yahweh; allow me to read this seventh speech of Yahweh:
‘Indeed, I lift up My hand to heaven,
And say, as I live forever,
If I sharpen My flashing sword,
And My hand takes hold on judgment,
I will render vengeance on My adversaries,
And I will repay those who hate Me.
‘I will make My arrows drunk with blood,
And My sword will devour flesh,
With the blood of the slain and the captives,
From the long-haired leaders of the enemy.’
“O nations, cause His people to shout for joy;
For He will avenge the blood of His slaves,
And He will render vengeance on His adversaries,
And He will atone for His land and His people.” (Deut 32:40-43, LSB).
I am persuaded at this point in time, that the speeches in the book of Job were spoken over a period of forty-two days. So, I will be using a calendar template which assigns all the speeches in the book of Job to given days of the week.
It is fascinating to pursue an understanding of these speeches with this method. Because it allows each speaker time to speak; and those who hear, time to ponder.
At the very least, it enables us, who desire to understand the meaning of all that was said, to do so.
Day 2 – First speech of Eliphaz.
Day 11 – First speech of Zophar
I begin by giving attention to the first of his four speeches that day: Job 4:1-6
1 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, 2 “If one tries a word with you, will you become weary? But who can hold back from speaking?
3 “Behold, you have disciplined many,
And you have strengthened limp hands.
4 “Your words have helped the stumbling to stand,
And you have encouraged feeble knees. Legacy Standard Bible (Job 4:1–4). (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.
Allow me first to read Job chapter 11. It is 20 verses long.
1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said,
2 “Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a man of lips be in the right?
3 “Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you mock and none rebuke?
4 “You have said, ‘My learning is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’
5 “But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
6 And tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For sound wisdom ahas two sides.
Know then that God forgets a part of your iniquity.
7 “Can you find the depths of God?
Can you find the limits of the Almighty?
8 “They are high as the heavens, what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol, what can you know?
9 “Its measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10 “If He sweeps by or shuts up,
Or calls an assembly, who can turn Him around?
11 “For He knows worthless men,
And He sees wickedness, so will He not carefully consider it?
12 “aYet an empty headed man will obtain a heart of wisdom,
And the foal of a wild donkey is born a man.
13 “If you would set your heart right
And spread out your hand to Him,
14 If wickedness is in your hand, put it far away,
And do not let unrighteousness dwell in your tents;
15 Then, indeed, you could lift up your face without moral defect,
And you would be steadfast and not fear.
16 “For you would forget your trouble,
As waters that pass by, so you would remember it.
17 “And your lifetime would arise brighter than noonday;
Darkness would be like the morning.
18 “Then you would trust, because there is hope;
And you would search around and rest securely.
19 “You would lie down and none would make you tremble,
And many would entreat your favor.
20 “But the eyes of the wicked will come to an end,
And escape will perish from them;
And their hope is the expiring of their soul.” Legacy Standard Bible (Job 11:1–20). (2022). Three Sixteen Publishing.
Will A Man of Words Be Righteous? – Job 11:2
I will focus on two things only in order to explain what the writer has written. Zophar asks:
“Shall a multitude of words go unanswered, and a talkative man be acquitted? (Job 11:2, NASB).
The writer of Job writes a Hebrew word form, only one time in the entire book. It is translated “words”.
It first occurs in the Hebrew Bible as follows: “Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” (Exodus 4:10; NASB).
“I have never been eloquent” can be translated more literally: “I am not a man of words”. Further, “slow of tongue” contains the idea of “a heavy tongue”. Now this record of Moses being a “man of slow speech” can be matched here with the opposite. The man here in Job 11 is “a man of lips” or “a man of words”
That is the first thing I wanted to bring to your attention.
The second thing is the “form: that Eliphaz saw but couldn’t discern or understand, (see, Job 4:16). Because there seems to be a shoutout here to the book of Deuteronomy, which happens to be a book of many words. But more to the point we read: “Then the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form – only a voice.” (Deuteronomy 4:12, NASB).
This is how chapter eleven begins. I am persuaded that Job’s words do not add up to the “many words” of the writings of Moses, most of which are actually the Lord speaking to Moses, and then recording what he had heard.
I want to stop here. So please ponder these things.
Because the question has been established: “Will a man of words be righteous? Or, Will a man of words be acquitted?”
We have come to the end of today’s blog.
A daily blog dedicated to wisdom for life.
Thank you for reading and pondering!
Please join me again for another interesting episode about wisdom for Life.
Until he comes on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory,
may
“Yahweh bless you, and keep you;
Yahweh make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
Yahweh lift up His face on you,
And give you peace.’” (Num 6:24-27, LSB).