by Paul Apple | Jun 6, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WORTHLESS COUNSEL FAILS TO DRAW OUT RELEVANT APPLICATIONS FROM THE AWESOME POWER OF THE MAJESTIC GOD INTRODUCTION: Francis Andersen: The speech is in two parts. – First there is a sarcastic response to Bildad’s dismal last speech (verses 2–4). –...
by Paul Apple | Jun 6, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INSIGNIFICANT MAN SHOULD FORGET ABOUT SEEKING VINDICATION AND PURITY FROM THE MAJESTIC GOD WHO REIGNS ABOVE INTRODUCTION: John Hartley: Thus Bildad, in quoting from the hymns of the congregation, impugns Job’s speculation that a human being could even...
by Paul Apple | Jun 5, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DON’T DENY THAT GOD AFFLICTS THE RIGHTEOUS SINCE WE CAN SEE THAT GOD ALLOWS THE WICKED TO PROSPER FOR NOW INTRODUCTION: John Hartley: Now he puts forth multiple examples of civil injustice (24:13, 9, 4–8, 10–11) and criminal injustice (24:12–17). God’s...
by Paul Apple | Jun 3, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL INTEGRITY FORTIFIES FAITH IN GOD’S SOVEREIGN WORKING DESPITE THE FRUSTRATION OF PERPLEXING SUFFERING INTRODUCTION: John Hartley: In his first speech of the third cycle Job ignores the friends. With great confidence he focuses his...
by Paul Apple | Jun 2, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CALL TO REPENTANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF A RESTORED RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD INTRODUCTION: David Clines: The function of the speech seems to be ultimately to encourage Job to believe in a future restoration to his wealth and status. But before he offers...
by Paul Apple | Jun 1, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE OBSERVABLE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED REFUTES THE RIGID APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF RETRIBUTIONINTRODUCTION:John Hartley: On this occasion Job addresses his remarks entirely to the friends. In the style of a wisdom disputation he challenges their...
by Paul Apple | May 31, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE HORRIBLE FATE OF THE WICKED, WHILE TRUE, BEARS NO APPLICATION TO THE RIGHTEOUS IN THEIR SUFFERINGINTRODUCTION:Tremper Longman: Zophar concludes the second cycle of the friends’ arguments with his second speech of the debate. He is offended at what he...
by Paul Apple | May 29, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CERTAINTY OF FINAL VINDICATION EASES THE PAIN OF PRESENT REJECTION AND PUTS FALSE ACCUSERS IN ULTIMATE JEOPARDYINTRODUCTION:Francis Andersen: In this speech Job’s audacious faith reaches its climax in the famous words, I know that my Redeemer lives (verse...
by Paul Apple | May 27, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE DESTINY OF THE WICKED CANNOT BE THE DESTINY OF THE RIGHTEOUSINTRODUCTION:David Clines: The strophes may be outlined thus:2–4 (3 lines) address to Job5–7 (3 lines) the end of the wicked8–10 (3 lines) he is trapped11–14 (4 lines) he is brought to the...
by Paul Apple | May 26, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPONDENCY SETS IN AS THE TIME FOR VINDICATION EVAPORATESINTRODUCTION:David Clines: The structure of this fifth speech of Job is not so clear as in other speeches. As often, the direction of address is a helpful clue to structure.We may then perhaps display...
by Paul Apple | May 25, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE REBUKE FOR IMPIETY ESCALATES TO A FULL-SCALE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE DEMISE OF THE WICKEDINTRODUCTION:Francis Andersen: As Job becomes more vehement, his friends become more severe. At first Eliphaz was gentle and courteous (4:2). Now his politeness...
by Paul Apple | May 23, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE TROUBLESOME CONDITION OF HUMAN MORTALITY COMPOUNDED BY PERPLEXING DIVINE OPPOSITION LEAVES MANKIND IN DESPAIR WITH NO RELIEFINTRODUCTION:Roy Zuck: In a sudden shift of mood, Job turned from confidence that he could win his court case against God to a...
by Paul Apple | May 21, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WORTHLESS COUNSEL FAILS TO PLUMB THE DEPTHS OF THE WISDOM BEHIND GOD’S STRANGE WORKSINTRODUCTION:David Clines: The importance of this speech of Job, standing at the threshold between the first and second cycles, is marked by its length. It is the longest of...
by Paul Apple | May 20, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SUFFERING MUST INDICATE SECRET SINS THAT DEMAND REPENTANCE BECAUSE GOD KNOWS ALL IN HIS SECRET WISDOMINTRODUCTION:David Clines: The three-strophe structure corresponds to the content of the speech: in vv 2–6 Zophar reproaches Job for his claim to innocence;...
by Paul Apple | May 19, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DESPAIR OVER INABILITY TO RESOLVE UNDESERVED SUFFERING RAISES 3 TROUBLING FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONSINTRODUCTION:Elmer Smick: In these chapters Job’s words move from extolling God (9:1–13)—perhaps as a display of theological acumen to impress the counselors—to...
by Paul Apple | May 17, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE RIGID TRADITIONALIST REMAINS ROOTED IN RETRIBUTION THEOLOGYINTRODUCTION:Thomas Constable: Bildad agreed with Eliphaz that God was paying Job back for some sin he had committed, and he believed God would show Job mercy if he confessed that sin. However,...
by Paul Apple | May 16, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JOB ATTACKS HIS COUNSELORS AND HIS GOD VIA LAMENTING AND COMPLAINING ABOUT HIS UNDESERVED SUFFERINGINTRODUCTION:David Clines: In form the speech as a whole belongs to the appeal (often called the lament). In chap. 7, which is directed solely toward God, it...
by Paul Apple | May 13, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INSENSITIVE COUNSELORS WRONGLY APPLY THEIR LIMITED THEOLOGY IN HURTFUL WAYS (LIMITING GOD’S GOVERNANCE OF HIS UNIVERSE)INTRODUCTION:John Hartley: In the first cycle the friends clearly state their positions. Eliphaz posits that no human being is righteous...
by Paul Apple | May 11, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WHEN TRANQUILITY ERUPTS INTO UNRELENTING TURMOIL OUR TROUBLED SPIRIT CAN STRENUOUSLY COMPLAININTRODUCTION:David Clines: In this speech we are suddenly plunged out of the epic grandeur and deliberateness of the prologue into the dramatic turmoil of the...
by Paul Apple | May 10, 2022 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: SATAN’S INTENSIFIED ATTACKS FAIL TO CAUSE JOB TO FAILINTRODUCTION:Robert Alden: They started as friends, but before the debates were over, Job used less-than-friendly words to describe them. Throughout this commentary these three will be called “friends”...
