Job 31-32
Job continues in looking at his life in Job 31 and lists out fourteen sins that he has remained righteous to and in the way the passage is written, it is supposed to reflect his righteous life. Job challenges others and God to judge him on these topics. It seems as if Job is still searching for what he might have done wrong and he still cannot find a reason that he might be labeled as "wicked" and why God would have abandoned him.
Towards the end of the chapter, he affixes his signature. He is laying out his defense and now he calls upon the Lord to provide a document indicting him for his behavior. If there is one, he will wear it around his neck. Job is pretty bold in his proclamations, and treads on thin ice in this boldness, at least in the standards of the ancients.
To add a final statement, he bears witness that if found guilty even the land will rise up against him.
A new character arrives in Job 32, which raises some eyebrows as many commentators wonder if the stories of Elihu is a late addition to the Book of Job, as the speeches of Elihu seem to break the coherence of the book overall. However, Elihu is here so let's deal with his presence.
At first, Job might think he has someone on his side as Elihu arrives and speaks. He criticizes the friends of Job for failing to speak from wisdom and failing to address Job's situation. He has sat quietly, knowing his place a young man but now he cannot. Elihu seems to imply he has divine inspiration on his side, but we will see that perhaps he does not.
Psalm 86-87
The psalmist lifts up a prayer for help, but it is a rather sophisticated prayer. It opens with a general request for help, then shifts into a prayer of adoration in verse 5. This again shifts to supplication in verse 11. Finally in verse 14 we get a sense for the prayer request but then quickly turns to a plea for help.
The psalmist in Psalm 86 is devoted and faithful who turns to God in trust and hope. The example lays out a guide for our prayers as well. Prayers that seek assistance yet are rooted in the trust of God.
The City of Zion is exalted in Psalm 87 for Zion is the blessed city of God. Yet it is not just for Israel but that faithful in every nation know that Zion is the Lord's. It is the seat of God's blessing in the world.
Backlogged Posts
2 Chronicles 3-5
A rather detailed account of the temple and its construction takes place in 2 Chronicles 3-4 and for the most part corresponds with the account in 1 Kings. The only major piece omitted has to do with Solomon's home that he built at the same time, a home that dwarfed the temple.
Once completed, it is time to bring the Ark to its new home in 2 Chronicles 5. Again, all of Israel gathers and the Levites bring the Ark to the temple, placing it in the center of the temple, in the Holy of Holies. As a sign of blessing, the temple fills with a cloud representing the presence of God. God is pleased.
Galatians 5
Why is the question. If you believe in Christ and it is your faith in Christ that brings salvation then why would you turn to other behaviors seeking something less? The Law and its practices do not offer salvation, so why pursue those practices? That is Paul's point as he opens the fifth chapter, if you accept circumcise as a means to fulfilling the Law and Covenant then you are in truth seeking something other than Jesus. And why would you do that?
Who could have possibly tripped up the community, they had been running the race so well but now, if they follow these other teachers, will be back at the starting line. For Paul one can only truly embrace the freedom that comes from God's grace in Jesus Christ, if you fully holds to Christ. This means one turns away from the flesh, turns away from the temptations of this world, turns away from the behavior of this world. A follower of Christ turns to love and the fruit of that love.
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