Grace to You :: Unleashing God's Truth, One Verse at a Time MacArthur Daily Bible (8-10-2013)

August 10

Reading for Today:

Job 11:112:25 Psalm 94:1-11 Notes:

Proverbs 22:24-25 Romans 10:1-21

Job 12:24 you are the people, and wisdom will die with you! Job responded with cutting sarcasm directed at his know-it-all friends (v. 2) and then reminded them that he understood the principles of which they had spoken (v. 3), but they were irrelevant to his situation. On top of that, he despaired at the pain of becoming a derision to his friends, though he was innocent (v. 4).

Psalm 94:1 to whom vengeance belongs. Vengeance from God is not in the sense of uncontrolled vindictiveness, but in the sense of just retribution by the eternal Judge for trespasses against His law. shine forth. Make an appearance. He may even be asking for a theophany (Pss. 50:2; 80:1).

Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of the law. Although the Greek word translated end can mean either fulfillment or termination, this is not a reference to Christs having perfectly fulfilled the law through His teaching (Matt. 5:17, 18) or through His sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21). Instead, as the second half of the verse shows, Paul means that belief in Christ as Lord and Savior ends the sinners futile quest for righteousness through his imperfect attempts to save himself by efforts to obey the law (3:2022; Is. 64:6; Col. 2:13, 14).

Romans 10:9 confessthe Lord Jesus. Not a simple acknowledgment that He is God and the Lord of the universe, since even demons acknowledge that to be true (James 2:19). This is the deep personal conviction, without reservation, that Jesus is that persons own master or sovereign. This phrase includes repenting from sin, trusting in Jesus for salvation, and submitting to Him as Lord. This is the volitional element of faith. God has raised Him from the dead. Christs resurrection was

the supreme validation of His ministry (John 2:1821). Belief in it is necessary for salvation because it proved that Christ is who He claimed to be and that the Father had accepted His sacrifice in the place of sinners (4:24; Acts 13:32, 33; 1 Pet. 1:3, 4).Without the resurrection, there is no salvation (1 Cor. 15:1417).

DAY 10: How was Zophars argument right and wrong regarding Jobs situation?

In Job 11:120, Zophar the Naamathite stepped in to interrogate Job. He chose to pound Job with the same law of retaliation. Job must repent, he said, not understanding the reality. He was indignant at Jobs protests of innocence. And he moved the allegations against Job to a new level. Not only was Job guilty and unrepentant, he was also an empty talker (vv. 2,3). In fact, Jobs long-winded defense of his innocence and Gods apparent injustice was sin worthy of rebuke, in Zophars mind.

In v. 4, Zophar claimed that Job had said, I am clean in your eyes. Job never claimed sinlessness; in fact, he acknowledged that he had sinned (7:21; 13:26). But he still maintained his innocence of any great transgression or attitude of unrepentance, affirming his sincerity and integrity as a man of faith and obedience to God. This claim infuriated Zophar (v. 5).

Zophar was correct that Job would have been much wiser if he had only known the unknowable secrets of God (v. 6). In this case, the scene in heaven between God and Satan would have clarified everything. But Job couldnt know the secret wisdom of God (vv. 79). Zophar should have applied his point to himself. If Gods wisdom was so deep, high, long, and broad, how was it that he could understand it and have all the answers? Like his friends, Zophar thought he understood God and reverted to the same law of retaliation, the sowing and reaping principle, to again indict Job. He implied that Job was wicked (vv. 10, 11) and thought he was wise, though actually he was out of control as if he were a wild donkey man (v. 12).

Zophar set out 4 steps of Jobs repentance in vv. 13, 14: 1) devote your heart to God; 2) stretch your hands to Him in prayer for forgiveness; 3) put your sin far away; and 4) dont allow any sin in your tent. If Job did these things, he would be blessed (vv. 1519). If Job didnt repent, he would die (v. 20). Zophar was right that the life of faith in God is based on penitence and obedience. He was right that God blesses His people with hope, security, and peace. But, like his friends, he was wrong in not understanding that God allows unpredictable and seemingly unfair suffering for reasons not known to us. He was wrong in presuming that the answer for Job was repentance.

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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