Good morning! The friends who kept watch with Job in compassion for seven days and nights have turned against him because he dares to question the wisdom of God. In the last several days we have gone from Eliphaz’s “God’s ways are inscrutable” to Bildad’s “your children must have done something wrong”. Today with Job 11-14 we begin with Zophar suggesting that Job himself has done something to deserve the kind of punishment he’s received.
Category: Daily Bible
Job 8-10
Good morning! I had occasion to visit with one of our group members yesterday, and she shared her impression of Job: “What a whiner! He goes on and on about his own righteousness, and how nobody in the whole world understands him!” Job does seem melodramatic sometimes, but let’s keep in mind that this is a philosophical argument set within a story. Each party to the story has a strong interest in making sure their perspective is represented as adamantly as possible. Today in Job 8-10 we have the counsel of another friend, followed by Job’s response.
Job 4-7
Good morning! Today we start our second day in the book of Job with chapters 4-7, and we read the first exchange between Job and his friends. Remember that yesterday, when calamity befell Job, these three friends showed up and sat with him in silence for seven days to console him. However, today “console” turns to “counsel”, and Job’s companion Eliphaz tries to persuade him that a secret sin is the cause for his calamity.
Job 1-3
Good morning! Today with Job 1-3 we start a section of poetic and wisdom books in the Hebrew Bible. These are less concerned with history or law, but rather ask the question of what “good life” looks like, and how human beings might pursue that wisdom. The book of Job focuses most directly on why bad things happen to good people. If God has the power to stop undeserved suffering, why do Job’s afflictions continue? Job refuses to consent to the idea that he must have done some secret sin that causes his suffering, and he also refuses to believe that God visits evil on people willy-nilly. He trusts that God has an answer, and he laments that God’s wisdom is hidden from him even though he’s undergoing such pain. This is a philosophical book, and the situation it presents in Job’s life may as well be a metaphor for any unjust suffering. Most of the book is poetry, with a prose introduction and epilogue. The poetic heart of the book is its rawest and most real. The prose story of Job’s life which bookends the poetry help to give a context and “container” within which to manage the deeply resonant emotions and truth of the middle. I’ll be very curious to read your impressions as we work through the book together.
Esther 9-10
Good morning! Oh how I wish that the book of Esther had ended with chapter 8! However, after the turn of events yesterday that lead to Haman’s death and Mordecai’s ascension to the king’s closest advisor, we have a little more than a chapter of “epilogue” to this book. It shows the victorious Jews under Mordecai pressing their advantage against their neighbors, wreaking vengeance on anybody they feel threatened by. As a consequence, this lovely book about triumph over enemies leaves us with a bad taste in our mouths.
Esther 5-8
Good morning! Much of the Esther narrative is told in the Hebrew festival of Purim, which celebrates deliverance from genocidal enemies like Haman. Purim parties often use child-friendly means to engage readers in acting the story out, inviting responses such as cheers (for Mordecai), hisses (Haman) and love-sighs (Esther). Today in Esther 5-8 we read the most familiar and dramatic part of this provocative book.
Esther 1-4
Good morning! Today in Esther (chapters 1-4) we discover a lovely book that acts as a hinge between the previous “history” books, and that of the “wisdom” genre coming up. There is a historical connection to Esther, since it is set in the time of the Persian king Ahasuerus, after his predecessor Darius let those Jews who wanted start returning to Judah. But there is wisdom here also about what “the good life” looks like. It celebrates the power of Jews, women and eunuchs to shape their circumstances even in a deeply patriarchal, non-Jewish culture. The book also offers wisdom on the importance of individual commitment, and reveals a temptation to over-react when seeking to right wrongs—more on that at the end of Esther.
Nehemiah 11-13
Good morning! Today’s last three chapters of Nehemiah (11-13) describe the way of life in Jerusalem under Nehemiah’s governance. They give us an impression of who was in (priests and Levites) and who was out (non-Jews).
Nehemiah 8-10
Good morning! When I was in college I once participated in a 24-hour reading of Homer’s Odysseus, designed to heighten awareness of the classic work and help more people come to appreciate it. Something like that (on a much grander scale) takes place in today’s passage, Nehemiah 8-10. Public recitation, interpretation and recommitment to the Torah are central themes here. Nehemiah parallels the renewals of covenant under Josiah and Hezekiah, but Nehemiah adds elements of purity and temple support that make this “revival” unique.
Nehemiah 5-7
Good morning! Now that Nehemiah has repaired the walls and gates of Jerusalem, he discovers in chapters 5-7 that managing people has its own troubles. He advocates on behalf of the poor, declares the righteousness of his own conduct, and defends against those who would ensnare him or take him out.
Pastor Oby Ballinger 