Psalm 107: The psalmist calls the redeemed to praise God. In a series of vivid images he contrasts the lost state with the release that redemption brings. exercising His power over nature, God will remake our barren earth and revitalize our barren lives.

Psalm 116: the psalmist announces his intent to praise God and report his rescue from a life threatening situation. In repayment for God's goodness to him, the psalmist vows to praise God for His compassionate concern for the life and death of His saints.

Psalm 118: The psalm is sung as a joyful people join in the procession at festival time. God is praised for His enduring love and His help in triumphing over Israels enemies is recounted. these victories foreshadow the messianic triumph to come at history's end

Psalms of a Nation Restored

Psalm 78: Asaph's psalm fulfills each generations obligation to share its knowledge of God with the next. Because one generation forgot God they violated His covenant and suffered defeat. So Asaph catalogs the wonderful things God has done in revealing Himself to Israel. He hurled plagues against Egypt. He discipled and fed the wilderness generation. He punished and forgave. Yet Israel rebelled and turned to idolatry. Later, God beat back His peoples enemies and chose David to shepherd His people. How great the sin of man and how much greater the grace of God.

The meaning of Restoration

Should the people continue to fast on the dates that were set aside many years earlier during the exile to commemorate the destruction of Solomon's temple? That is the question at hand. However, God was never really interested in the rituals before the fall He was more interested in the heart of the people. Were the people sorry about the sins they had done or sorry for the disaster. the issue was and still is today, of whether their and our faith is real. Our motive counts more then the actions we do. We are to be today what we will be when Jesus comes. Don't ever forget that. With all that said, the people continue the work on the rebuilding of the temple. When it is done, they celebrate with great joy.

God Appears

Now that all this talk is over...God appears. He poses two series of questions to Job. Who is big enough to have the knowledge of the universe. If he then questions the Lord command of the universe then is he greater? Man has a limited authority over evil and nature and they must not try in any way to be greater in knowledge then God. God unfortunately does not explain why Job is suffering. But God never tells Job he is a sinner or even rebukes Job. The strength that we must find in difficult situations does not come from the knowledge of why these things are happening to us but from the knowledge that God loves us and we are ultimately in His hands.

Job responds to God in humility. He realizes how small he really is compared to God and says that he despises himself and will no longer challenge God. God then rebukes Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar. He is not rebuking them because they were telling the truth, but only for the prayers from thier friend Job.

The end result is years into the future and shows us that Job was divinely blessed. He becomes twice as wealthy, his friends are with him, his family is restored by having 10 more children and he lived so long that he saw his great, great, great, great grandchildren! See if we just stay faithful it will come. But, ultimately it may not come in our lifetime. We may have to wait until the everlasting life we will get in heaven!

Elihu Now Speaks to Job and His Friends

Elihu has waited all this time until these older men have spoken and he can see they are done speaking for he is much younger. Elihu quotes many of the things job has said during this course of conversation, but the one thing he never odes is accuse job of sin. As a matter of fact he does the opposite. He actually sees that God may use suffering to redeem us. he says that pain could be used to help man to redirect his heart to God. In Jobs case he has proved to stay stead fast to God even in his pain. He tells Job that the attacks from his friends have failed and that he does not need to torment himself with fears and thoughts that the God he trusts is unjust. He the lifts up God high and exalts his majesty. There will always be questions of why or how to God, but as I have said before. If we stay steadfast and committed to God our trust in Him will be on solid ground.

Bildad has More to Say

Bildad thinks that God has established order in this world and universe. But as he shines brighter then any created thing in this world and that man in comparison is a "worm". So when Job professes to be pure it is meaningless.

Job strikes back and tell him that we can not squeeze God into our little minds and ideas of what and who He is. He is everything and all things. But he does reaffirm the one thing that the Friends have been saying. that God does eventually punish the wicked. Especially those who bear false witness and accusations. this chapter concludes with the thought that if we had a god that was just as wise as we are, where would be be?

Eliphaz has More to Say

Eliphaz ask how can any mans meaningless life benefit God? What does this imply. That God does not have this relationship with us. he is just out there to be the strong arm of the law. He stresses to Job to repent so that all this will stop and Job can basically get an "Get out of jail" card and use it. job moans and complains that if he could only talk to god and ask what is going on. All four men believe that if Job is really righteous then God is acting out of character of what they believe. The questions at hand for these men and throughout all time are things like...
Why and how can the wicked keep getting richer and poor pooer?
Why does God permit the wicked any rest?
Why is there poverty and oppression?
Once again, God has a mystery about Him and what He does, but we must remain steadfast and firm in our convictions.

Bildad and Zophar Speak

Bildad who is the one out of the three who is somewhat sensitive to Jobs feelings is now angry that Job does not like the advice that he is given. He then just basically hits Job over the head with a bunch of things that happen to the wicked. I think in hopes that Job will surrender and say that he is wicked.

Job cries out in this humiliation. But he remains steadfast in his commitment that he is innocent Now with this all his friends completely refuse to give him any pity. But Job remains to be faithful to God. He know that one day he will be vindicated by God and he will then understand what is going on. He then warns them that with all this false accusation running around they ought to be careful. Those type of sin do not go un-punished wither. I want to be more like Job the more I read. He has fixed hi sites on eternity and this brief life we have will pass by so quickly but the everlasting life will be there for us forever.

Now Zophar is disturbed by the fact that he believes that the wicked joy only lasts but a moment and their grief a lifetime. At this job confesses to having fear in his mind about his afflictions. And he mentions that sometimes God will store up punishment for the sons of man. In all of this thought the reality of what is happening to Job is challenging the belief system among him and his friends. God sometimes will not give us the answer we want to hear or even an answer. Our job is to just sit and listen and be faithful no matter what the circumstances are.

Eliphaz Speaks Again

Eliphaz now goes for Job again but this time you can tell he is ticked off. He asks Job a bunch of questions that are more snotty then anything else. He then gives this speech about how those who are only after wealth ignore God and are wicked. He basically is accusing Job of all of this. the problem is his opinion of God is one that has no love or compassion. He shows that God only deals out punishment. period!

Job strikes back telling Eliphaz that he is a miserable friend. That he himself is not corrupt, wicked and has not stuck at God, but just the opposite. God has struck himself and he does not know why. However, Job sounds like a broken man. he figures that God will not help him in his lifetime, so he will have to wait for vindication when he dies. Job does not expect God to explain to him what is going on and neither should we. When God makes a decision for our lives, we must hold on to that and not ask questions. Job was a man of integrity and I would hope that if I am faced with a situation just half of what he went through that i could hold on to my integrity!

Zophar: God's Wisdom Hidden

Zophar, Jobs third friend now wants to say his peace on this subject. He lectures job about being pure in Gods sight. If they were in court and God could take the stand, he would tell him of all of Jobs sins. Another words, if God punishes, then there is sin. And Jobs punishment is great so there must be a huge sin that job is not telling anyone about. He tells him to repent, pray and everything will be OK. Job must heave just felt like yuck at this point. Not one friend has give him a tiny bit of comfort, just blame and sermons and lectures!

Job know all the things that his friends have told him. But it seems to Job that what his friends have done is smeared Jobs name jut to make themselves and God look good. job says if only he could face God in court he would be vindicated. then he asks God to please stop tormenting Him and give him a chance to defend himself. this brings home the one thing we have to remember. When we are hurting and in pain God is not against us, but right there walking on our side.

Bildad: God is Just

Now Job's 2nd friend, Bildad, joins in the blame game. He tells him that the death of his children was proof positive that they were sinners. OK, well, I agree they were sinners, but so is Bildad. so that is not an answer. He is basically saying...Job you sinned and this is all your fault!

Job agrees that God does not reject the blameless, but how can a mortal be righteous before God? He tells him that it is God who is tormenting him not his sin. He then turns to God and asks Him why? What is it that I have done? It would be better if I were never born!

God is just, but sometimes life is still unfair! We should never pretend to God that all is OK. Admit a sin, thank Him for what He does give and be real with God. After all, he does know your heart!

Eliphaz: Believe Your own teachings

At this point Jobs friend, Eliphaz and him have a little bickering match. Eliphaz feels that Job is being over dramatic. He feels that the wicked people in life are destroyed not the upright and good. i think he has forgotten that all human beings sin. No matter who you are. He tells Job that he should talk to God and ask God to heal him.

However, Job is upset. He wants an ear to talk to. he is in pain and all he wants is his friends to support him and be there for him.. Instead he gets a lecture. Job is not asking for money or anything like that, just devotion. But all he gets is some advice that is so obviously not fitting for him in this situation.

We have to remember no matter what sin our friend is in, they need us to comfort them first before we start giving the lectures of well, the sin you are in is leading you to this point....

Job and the Problem of Suffering

Shall we accept the good from God and not trouble?

Here we see Job as this righteous man that loves and obeys God.. He has a huge family with tons of wealth to go with it. God calls of few of his angels and Satan comes along for the ride. God points out to Satan to look at how righteous he is. Satan provokes God and say that if he has all his riches taken away, then maybe he would denounce God. So God allows him to do so. Job still stays true to God. Then God once again calls his angels and Satan appears before Him. God once again calls attention to Job and how righteous he is. Satan again provokes God and says if this mans health were taken away, he would not praise You. God allows it. Job is now covered with sores, his wealth is gone, his children are dead and now he sits for 7 days with 3 of his friends in silence before he speaks. His words are still not sinful against God. We must take from this that even though we may fail to understand what God has in store for us or what His purpose is for us, we must stay faithful, because His love is constant and faithful to us.

Shadrach, Meshach & Abendnego

Nebuchadnezzar calls all of Babylons leaders to follow him in a dedication of a towering idol. Everyone bows down to worship the idol except for Daniel's 2 friends, Shadrach, Meshach, Abendnego. The king of course is enraged but he give the 3 men a second chance. Of course they do not comply. the king has them tied up and hurled into a blazing fire. He is stunned when he sees four men walking around in a fire, so he calls for them to come out. When the 3 men come out nothing on them is harmed or burned and there is no smell of fire. Nebuchadnezzar sees once again the power of God and makes a decree that no one is to say anything negative against the God of these 3 men. These 3 men served God faithfully not in hopes of gaining something but in hopes of giving something back to God. We should do the same.

Lament for Egypt

Ezekiel fulfilled his commitment as the watchman. He did what he was suppose to do. He warned Judah. God will judge each of them individually. The disaster that Ezekiel predicted has come and now the great city of Jerusalem has fallen. Ezekiel has even condemned the other nations neighboring Jerusalem.

But he then turns back to the convenient that God made with Abraham. Unfortunately the people think that their promise means that they do not have to turn away from a sinful lifestyle. But God has every intentions of making Canaan a wasteland. The promised land will not be claimed by the wicked. For those of us who are believers, we have to make sure we are witnesses to those around us. We can not be responsible fro them being condemned because they did not hear the word from us.

A Vision of Ezekiel

Ezekiel continues with the prediction of the restoration of the Jews. He is given this strange vision of dry bones coming to life which show that new life will be restored into the Jews. Even the Lord can make the dead (hard of heart) come back to life (repent). He then explains the reunification of the people under the Messianic King. God will unite these people and they will eventually have an allegiance in Jesus Christ.

He then describes a foreign invasion into the Holy Land which God will intervene. God's people have been restored to their land and live in peace when armies attack from the north. His predictions of God crushing the enemy has now come true. God uses nature to crush them and bring them into the hands of the Israelites. His commitment to them is now fulfilled. The nations will recognize Gods hand in this battle and Israel will finally know God.

The Exiled Nation

Ezekiel has done his job so far warning the people. He warns once again that each person will be judged according to his ways. Ezekiel prophesied that Jerusalem would fall and it did. the Jews think still that the promised land will be theirs, but as we know from yesterdays reading, it will not for a long time. When the Jews see this they finally realize Ezekiel is not against them things change.

Each of the people are responsible for his or her own action, but Ezekiel show that the leaders are just as responsible for the tone they set for the society. He tells them that God will hold the leaders accountable for where they have brought the people. Leadership is an awesome responsibility, but it better be done with your eyes securely set on the Lord because if the people fail you will be held accountable.

Ezekiel tells the people that God will institute His covenant of peace. He will remove the foreign oppressors, represented by Edom. God will judge Edom! The pagan shrines in these armies must go. Gods people have been scattered because they have been idolaters and unclean. But their return will show them exactly how wonderful, holy and loving God can be. There will be a cleansing, but it will turn out that the people will increase and the knowledge of God and His word will spread!