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Texts -- Job 13:1-28 (NET)

Context
Job Pleads His Cause to God
13:1 “Indeed , my eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. 13:2 What you know , I know also ; I am not inferior to you! 13:3 But I wish to speak to the Almighty , and I desire to argue my case with God . 13:4 But you , however , are inventors of lies ; all of you are worthless physicians ! 13:5 If only you would keep completely silent ! For you, that would be wisdom . 13:6 “Listen now to my argument , and be attentive to my lips ’ contentions . 13:7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? 13:8 Will you show him partiality ? partiality ? Will you argue the case for God ? 13:9 Would it turn out well if he would examine you? Or as one deceives a man would you deceive him? 13:10 He would certainly rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality ! partiality ! 13:11 Would not his splendor terrify you and the fear he inspires fall on you? 13:12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes ; your defenses are defenses of clay . 13:13 “Refrain from talking with me so that I may speak ; then let come to me what may. 13:14 Why do I put myself in peril , and take my life in my hands ? 13:15 Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face ! 13:16 Moreover , this will become my deliverance , for no godless person would come before him. 13:17 Listen carefully to my words ; let your ears be attentive to my explanation . 13:18 See now , I have prepared my case ; I know that I am right . 13:19 Who will contend with me ? If anyone can, I will be silent and die . 13:20 Only in two things spare me , O God , and then I will not hide from your face : 13:21 Remove your hand far from me and stop making me afraid with your terror . 13:22 Then call , and I will answer , or I will speak , and you respond to me. 13:23 How many are my iniquities and sins ? Show me my transgression and my sin . 13:24 Why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy ? 13:25 Do you wish to torment a windblown leaf and chase after dry chaff ? 13:26 For you write down bitter things against me and cause me to inherit the sins of my youth . 13:27 And you put my feet in the stocks and you watch all my movements ; you put marks on the soles of my feet . 13:28 So I waste away like something rotten , like a garment eaten by moths .

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  • [Job 13:22] I Will

Sermon Illustrations

Wisdom of Trusting God Through Trial; Suffering and Adversity; Job 13:1-15; Why Me?

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • What this book is all about has been the subject of considerable debate. Many people think God gave it to us to provide His answer to the age-old problem of suffering. In particular, many believe it is in the Bible to help us...
  • I. Prologue chs. 1-2A. Job's character 1:1-5B. Job's calamities 1:6-2:101. The first test 1:6-222. The second test 2:1-10C. Job's comforters 2:11-13II. The dialogue concerning the basis of the divine-human relationship 3:1-42...
  • The writer composed the prologue and epilogue of this book in prose narrative and the main body (3:1-42:6) in poetry. The prologue and epilogue form a frame around the main emphasis of the revelation, the poetic section, and ...
  • Uz (1:1) was probably southeast of the Dead Sea (cf. vv. 3, 14, 19; 42:12).15Some scholars place it in Bashan south of Damascus, but the writer of Lamentations (probably Jeremiah) associated the land of Uz with Edom (Lam. 4:2...
  • Much of Job's suffering was intellectual. He asked, "Why?"frequently in this soliloquy (vv. 11, 12, 20, 23) and in the dialogue that follows (7:20, 21; 9:29; 13:24; 21:4; 24:1)."My groaning comes at the sight of my food"(v. 2...
  • The two soliloquies of Job (chs. 3 and 29-31) enclose three cycles of dialogue between Job and his three friends. Each cycle consists of speeches by Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar in that order interspersed with Job's reply to e...
  • In these chapters Job again rebutted his friends and their view of God. He also challenged God and brooded over death. Half of this section is dialogue with his friends (12:1-13:19) and half is prayer to God (13:20-14:22). Jo...
  • Verse 2 is irony; his companions were not as wise as they thought. Job pointed out that much of what they had said about God was common knowledge (cf. 5:9-10; 8:13-19; 11:7-9). Nonetheless their conclusion, that the basis of ...
  • As in his replies to Eliphaz (7:12-21) and Bildad (9:28-33; 10:2-19), Job also addressed God in this reply to Zophar (13:20-14:22).Job asked God to stop afflicting him and to stop terrifying him (13:20-21). He also requested ...
  • In this melancholic lament Job bewailed the brevity of life (vv. 1-6), the finality of death (vv. 7-17), and the absence of hope (vv. 18-22)."Born of woman"(v. 1) reflects man's frailty since woman who bears him is frail. Ver...
  • Specifically Eliphaz accused Job of speaking irreverently (vv. 1-6) and of pretending to be wiser and purer than he was (vv. 7-16). For a second time one of his friends said Job was full of hot air (vv. 2-3; cf. 8:2). The eas...
  • Perhaps Eliphaz wanted to scare Job into repenting with these words. As before, Eliphaz's authority was his own observations (v. 17; cf. 4:8). To this he added the wisdom of their ancestors (vv. 18-19; cf. 8:8). Probably vers...
  • As was common in ancient Near Eastern judicial cases, Job concluded his summary defense with an oath of innocence. He did so in the form of a negative confession complete with self-imprecations.127He concluded with a challeng...
  • Elihu began by voicing his respect for Job's three friends (vv. 6-10). They were older than he, and for this reason he said he had refrained from speaking until now. However he had become convinced that advancing age does not...
  • Elihu reminded the three older counselors that Job had claimed to be innocent of transgressions (cf. 13:18, 23; 14:17; 23:11; 27:2, 6). Then he sided with them and agreed that Job was guilty of sin for which God could punish ...
  • Finally God spoke to Job and gave revelation that Job had been demanding for so long (cf. 13:22; 31:35). There was now no need for the middle-man that Job had requested who could mediate between them (cf. 9:33; 16:19). Yahweh...
  • God's first speech began and ended with a challenge to Job. Job had found fault with God for allowing him to suffer when he was godly. He had said he wished he could meet God in court to face Him with His injustice and to hea...
  • Earlier in the book Job had hesitated to confront God (9:14). Gradually he became more confident and demanded an audience with God (13:22a). Still later he spoke almost as God's equal boasting that he would approach God as a ...
  • The psalmist cried out to God to act for His people. He pictured God as asleep and in need of arousing (cf. Mark 4:38). Yahweh could not be angry since His people had not sinned. Israel had come to the end of her rope and was...
  • 3:19 Jeremiah prayed that the Lord would remember his affliction and bitterness (cf. Job 13:15).3:20-21 He himself remembered something that gave him hope.3:22 The prophet remembered that the Lord's loyal love (Heb. hesed) ne...
  • 3:13-14 Nebuchadnezzar reacted to the news of the three Jews' response angrily (cf. 2:12; 3:19). He evidently took their disobedience as a personal affront as well as an act of insubordination. Nevertheless he controlled hims...
  • 2:1 Habakkuk compared himself to a sentinel on a city wall watching the horizon for the approach of a horseman. He purposed to watch and wait expectantly for the Lord to reply to this second question, as He had the first, so ...
  • 5:10 One could use just about any one of the Hebrew prophets as an example of patient endurance in suffering (cf. 1:4).5:11 Job was not always patient, but he did determine to endure whatever might befall him as he waited for...
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