Job 12 - 14

Introduction

A. W. Tozer: What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

Chapter 12 is in response to Zophar’s speech.

He addressed the wisdom of His friends

Job 12:1–12 KJV 1900

And Job answered and said, No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these? I am as one mocked of his neighbour, Who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: The just upright man is laughed to scorn. He that is ready to slip with his feet Is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind. Doth not the ear try words? And the mouth taste his meat? With the ancient is wisdom; And in length of days understanding.

Sarcasm - Job 12:2–3“No doubt but ye are the people, And wisdom shall die with you. But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: Yea, who knoweth not such things as these?”

No doubt you are the people - People of wisdom

When you die, whatever will we do becasue wisdom will die with you.

His point in sarcasm was to say that they are not the only ones with wisdom. He has wisdom also. Therefore, his wisdom is not inferior to their wisdom. And what he says should carry weight, as well.

Reality - Job 12:4–6 “I am as one mocked of his neighbour, Who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: The just upright man is laughed to scorn. He that is ready to slip with his feet Is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, And they that provoke God are secure; Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.”

He is mocked

Yet, he is right with God.

The upright man is laughed to scorn.

The wicked prosper. If the wicked do prosper then their theology crumbles.

God is in control.

Simpleness of his friends - Job 12:7–10 “But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; And the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: And the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these That the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind.”

Creation knows more than you know. Just ask them.

This probably came from an instructional poem.

Job 11:12 “For vain man would be wise, Though man be born like a wild ass’s colt.”

God’s creation knows that the righteous suffers and the wicked prospers.

His point is, everyone knows this but you! What does this say about you?

Truisms - Job 12:11–12 “Doth not the ear try words? And the mouth taste his meat? With the ancient is wisdom; And in length of days understanding.”

Job 34:3 “For the ear trieth words, As the mouth tasteth meat.”

Probably a proverb during this time.

I have heard and tasted your words and it has been found lacking.

Does not wisdom come with age and long life? What happened to you?

He addresses his understanding of God

Job 12:13–25 KJV 1900

With him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: Also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth. With him is strength and wisdom: The deceived and the deceiver are his. He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, And maketh the judges fools. He looseth the bond of kings, And girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled, And overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes, And weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

Describes God’s wisdom - Job 12:13–15 “With him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: Also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.”

Four terms of wisdom - God has wisdom to plan the best course of action and the might and power to carry out that course.

He is addressing the attributes of God - He is wisdom and strength.

The attributes - speaks of the whole of God is: wisdom and strength.

What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released. God’s power is irresistible and irreversible. What God chooses to do cannot be altered.

Even though we are beginning to see Job arise from his tailspin. He is still struggling with God’s purpose.

Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”

He describes God’s influence - Job 12:16 “With him is strength and wisdom: The deceived and the deceiver are his.”

He mentions God’s activity in the affairs of the world - Job 12:17–25 “He leadeth counsellers away spoiled, And maketh the judges fools. He looseth the bond of kings, And girdeth their loins with a girdle. He leadeth princes away spoiled, And overthroweth the mighty. He removeth away the speech of the trusty, And taketh away the understanding of the aged. He poureth contempt upon princes, And weakeneth the strength of the mighty. He discovereth deep things out of darkness, And bringeth out to light the shadow of death. He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: He enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, And causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. They grope in the dark without light, And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.”

God is so powerful that kings, princes and priests are beholden to God’s directives.

He challenges his friends

Job 13:1–12 KJV 1900

Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, Ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Will ye speak wickedly for God? And talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? Will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly accept persons. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? And his dread fall upon you? Your remembrances are like unto ashes, Your bodies to bodies of clay.

I wish you had not spoken - Job 13:1–6 “Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, Ye are all physicians of no value. O that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your wisdom. Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.”

Job 13:1–2 “Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it. What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.”

Although his friends treated him like a sinner of sinners, Job understood God;s intervention into the affairs of men.

Job 13:3–4 “Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, Ye are all physicians of no value.”

He no longer saw value in talking with his friends about his problems.

Job 13:5 “O that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it should be your wisdom.”

They were silent for the first week, They should have stayed silent.

He chastises his friends - Job 13:6–12 “Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips. Will ye speak wickedly for God? And talk deceitfully for him? Will ye accept his person? Will ye contend for God? Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly accept persons. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? And his dread fall upon you? Your remembrances are like unto ashes, Your bodies to bodies of clay.”

Be careful speaking for God - Job 13:7 “Will ye speak wickedly for God? And talk deceitfully for him?”

They were his men to prosecute Job - Job 13:8 “Will ye accept his person? Will ye contend for God?”

Job turns the argument around - Job 13:9 “Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?”

Matthew 7:3–5 “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”

He will rebuke your partiality - Job 13:10–11 “He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly accept persons. Shall not his excellency make you afraid? And his dread fall upon you?”

This is exactly what happened - Job 42:8 “Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.”

Proverbs of ashes - Job 13:12 “Your remembrances are like unto ashes, Your bodies to bodies of clay.”

Job’s confidence in God

Job 13:13–19 “Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in mine hand? Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shall be my salvation: For an hypocrite shall not come before him. Hear diligently my speech, And my declaration with your ears. Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. Who is he that will plead with me? For now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.”

Job prepares to speak to God - Job 13:13–14 “Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will. Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in mine hand?”

Be quiet

He was willing to take the consequences of his words.

The reason he was willing to put his life in his hands was so that he could authenticate his innocence.

Job’s resolve to commit himself to God - Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him.”

Job’s Hope - Job 13:16 “He also shall be my salvation: For an hypocrite shall not come before him.”

Scolded his friends to listen to him - Job 13:17 “Hear diligently my speech, And my declaration with your ears.”

This is the third time in chapter 13, he tells his friends to listen:

Job 13:6 “Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.”

Job 13:13 “Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, And let come on me what will.”

Job 13:17 “Hear diligently my speech, And my declaration with your ears.”

Job’s confidence in his innocence - Job 13:18–19 “Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. Who is he that will plead with me? For now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.”

“Who is he that will plead with me” - Who will bring charges against me?

Job addresses God

Job 13:20–27 “Only do not two things unto me: Then will I not hide myself from thee. Withdraw thine hand far from me: And let not thy dread make me afraid. Then call thou, and I will answer: Or let me speak, and answer thou me. How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy? Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And lookest narrowly unto all my paths; Thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.”

Job wants to talk to God but before he does, he requests 2 things - Job 13:20–21 “Only do not two things unto me: Then will I not hide myself from thee. Withdraw thine hand far from me: And let not thy dread make me afraid.”

Withdraw thine hand

Let not thy dread make me afraid.

Job 9:33 “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, That might lay his hand upon us both.”

Job wanted a heavenly court - Job 13:22 “Then call thou, and I will answer: Or let me speak, and answer thou me.”

Job’s question to God - Job 13:23 “How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.”

Job wondered why God was hiding from him - Job 13:24–25 “Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy? Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?”

Job felt that without God’s presence he was worthless and helpless.

He accuses God of keeping a record of youthful sins - Job 13:26 “For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.”

Job felt like a prisoner - Job 13:27 “Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And lookest narrowly unto all my paths; Thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.”

Hope

Some time ago, the powers that be decided to build a hydroelectric dam across a valley in Maine where a small town had been situated for many years. The people were to be relocated and the town submerged under water. During the time between the initial decision to begin the project and the completion of the dam, this well-kept town began to fall into disrepair. One resident explained: “Where there is no hope for the future, there is no work in the present.”

Ephesians 1:6, 12, Ephesians 1:14 “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”