"Only Life Changes"

“Job Asserts His Integrity”

¶ I made a covenant with mine eyes;
¶ How then should I look upon a virgin?
¶ For what is the portion from God above,
¶ And the heritage from the Almighty on high?
¶ Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,
¶ And disaster to the workers of iniquity?
¶ Doth not he see my ways,
¶ And number all my steps?
¶ If I have walked with falsehood,
¶ And my foot hath hasted to deceit
¶ (Let me be weighed in an even balance,
¶ That God may know mine integrity);
¶ If my step hath turned out of the way,
¶ And my heart walked after mine eyes,
¶ And if any spot hath cleaved to my hands:
¶ Then let me sow, and let another eat;
¶ Yea, let the produce of my field be rooted out.
¶ If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman,
¶ And I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door;
¶ Then let my wife grind unto another,
¶ And let others bow down upon her.
¶ For that were a heinous crime;
¶ Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges:
¶ For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction,
¶ And would root out all mine increase.
¶ If I have despised the cause of my man-servant or of my maid-servant,
¶ When they contended with me;
¶ What then shall I do when God riseth up?
¶ And when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?
¶ Did not he that made me in the womb make him?
¶ And did not one fashion us in the womb?
¶ If I have withheld the poor from their desire,
¶ Or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
¶ Or have eaten my morsel alone,
¶ And the fatherless hath not eaten thereof
¶ (Nay, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,
¶ And her have I guided from my mother’s womb);
¶ If I have seen any perish for want of clothing,
¶ Or that the needy had no covering;
¶ If his loins have not blessed me,
¶ And if he hath not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
¶ If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,
¶ Because I saw my help in the gate:
¶ Then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder-blade,
¶ And mine arm be broken from the bone.
¶ For calamity from God is a terror to me,
¶ And by reason of his majesty I can do nothing.
¶ If I have made gold my hope,
¶ And have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
¶ If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,
¶ And because my hand had gotten much;
¶ If I have beheld the sun when it shined,
¶ Or the moon walking in brightness,
¶ And my heart hath been secretly enticed,
¶ And my mouth hath kissed my hand:
¶ This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges;
¶ For I should have denied the God that is above.
¶ If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me,
¶ Or lifted up myself when evil found him
¶ (Yea, I have not suffered my mouth to sin
¶ By asking his life with a curse);
¶ If the men of my tent have not said,
¶ Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?
¶ (The sojourner hath not lodged in the street;
¶ But I have opened my doors to the traveller);
¶ If like Adam I have covered my transgressions,
¶ By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
¶ Because I feared the great multitude,
¶ And the contempt of families terrified me,
¶ So that I kept silence, and went not out of the door—
¶ Oh that I had one to hear me!
¶ (Lo, here is my signature, let the Almighty answer me)
¶ And that I had the indictment which mine adversary hath written!
¶ Surely I would carry it upon my shoulder;
¶ I would bind it unto me as a crown:
¶ I would declare unto him the number of my steps;
¶ As a prince would I go near unto him.
¶ If my land crieth out against me,
¶ And the furrows thereof weep together;
¶ If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money,
¶ Or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:
¶ Let thistles grow instead of wheat,
¶ And cockle instead of barley.
¶ The words of Job are ended.

I made a covenant with mine ________.
Job’s only fear was of___________ .
Job had been ___ to the LORD.
Why did Job want his adversary to write down his complaints?
Who had Job given an accounting to of himself?

“Job’s Present State Is Humiliating”
“But now those who are younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the dogs of my flock. Indeed, what good was the strength of their hands to me? Vigor had perished from them. From poverty and famine they are gaunt, They who gnaw at the dry ground by night in waste and desolation, Who pluck saltweed by the bushes, And whose food is the root of the broom shrub. They are driven from the community; They shout against them as against a thief, So that they live on the slopes of ravines, In holes in the ground and among the rocks. Among the bushes they cry out; Under the weeds they are gathered together. Worthless fellows, even those without a name, They were cast out from the land. “And now I have become their taunt, And I have become a byword to them. They loathe me and stand aloof from me, And they do not refrain from spitting in my face. Because He has undone my bowstring and afflicted me, They have cast off the bridle before me. On the right hand their mob arises; They push aside my feet and pile up their ways of destruction against me. They break up my path, They promote my destruction; No one restrains them. As through a wide gap they come, Amid the storm they roll on. Sudden terrors are turned upon me. They chase away my dignity like the wind, And my prosperity has passed away like a cloud. “And now my soul is poured out within me; Days of misery have seized me. At night it pierces my bones within me, And my gnawing pains do not rest. By a great force my garment is distorted; It ties me up like the collar of my coat. He has thrown me into the mire, And I have become like dust and ashes. I cry out to You for help, but You do not answer me; I stand up, and You turn Your attention against me. You have become cruel to me; With the strength of Your hand You persecute me. You lift me up to the wind and make me ride it; And You dissolve me in a storm. For I know that You will bring me to death, And to the house of meeting for all living. “Yet does one in a heap of ruins not reach out with his hand, Or in his disaster does he not cry out for help? Have I not wept for the one whose life is hard? Was my soul not grieved for the needy? When I expected good, evil came; When I waited for light, darkness came. I am seething within and cannot rest; Days of misery confront me. I go about mourning without comfort; I stand up in the assembly and cry out for help. I have become a brother to jackals, And a companion of ostriches. My skin turns black on me, And my bones burn with fever. Therefore my harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the sound of those who weep.

“Job’s Past Was Glorious”
Job again took up his discourse and said, “Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me; When His lamp shone over my head, And by His light I walked through darkness; Just as I was in the days of my youth, When the protection of God was over my tent; When the Almighty was still with me, And my children were around me; When my steps were bathed in cream, And the rock poured out streams of oil for me! When I went out to the gate of the city, When I took my seat in the public square, The young men saw me and hid themselves, And the old men arose and stood. The leaders stopped talking. And put their hands on their mouths; The voices of the prominent people were hushed, And their tongues stuck to their palates. For when an ear heard, it called me blessed, And when an eye saw, it testified in support of me, Because I saved the poor who cried for help, And the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one who was about to perish came upon me, And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a headband. I was eyes to those who were blind, And feet to those who could not walk. I was a father to the poor, And I investigated the case which I did not know. I broke the jaws of the wicked. And rescued the prey from his teeth. Then I thought, ‘I will die with my family, And I will multiply my days as the sand. My root is spread out to the waters, And dew lies on my branch all night. My glory is ever new with me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’ “To me they listened and waited, And they kept silent for my advice. After my words they did not speak again, And my speech dropped on them. They waited for me as for the rain, And opened their mouths as for the late rain. I smiled at them when they did not believe, And they did not look at my kindness ungraciously. I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And lived as a king among the troops, As one who comforted the mourners.

“Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures”
“Certainly there is a mine for silver And a place for refining gold. Iron is taken from the dust, And copper is smelted from rock. Man puts an end to darkness, And to the farthest limit he searches out. The rock in gloom and deep shadow. He sinks a shaft away from inhabited areas, “Forgotten by the foot;” They hang and swing, away from people. From the earth comes food, And underneath, it is turned over like fire. Its rocks are the source of sapphires, And its dust contains gold. No bird of prey knows the path, Nor has the falcon’s eye caught sight of it. The proud animals have not trodden it, Nor has the lion passed over it. He puts his hand on the flint; He overturns the mountains at the base. He carves out channels through the rocks, And his eye sees anything precious. He dams up the streams from flowing, And brings to light what is hidden.

“The Search for Wisdom Is Harder”
“But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mankind does not know its value, Nor is it found in the land of the living. The ocean depth says, ‘It is not in me’; And the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ Pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it, Nor can silver be weighed as its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx, or sapphire. Gold or glass cannot equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for articles of pure gold. Coral and crystal are not to be mentioned; And the acquisition of wisdom is more valuable than pearls. The topaz of Cush cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. Where then does wisdom come from? And where is this place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of every living creature, And concealed from the birds of the sky. Abaddon and Death say, ‘With our ears we have heard a report of it.’ “God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth; He sees everything under the heavens. When He imparted weight to the wind, And assessed the waters by measure, When He made a limit for the rain, And a course for the thunderbolt, Then He saw it and declared it; He established it and also searched it out. And to mankind He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

“Job Affirms His Righteousness”
Job again took up his discourse and said, “As God lives, who has taken away my right, And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul, For as long as life is in me, And the breath of God is in my nostrils, My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit. Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Until I die, I will not give up my integrity. I have kept hold of my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not rebuke any of my days.

“The State of the Godless”
“May my enemy be as the wicked, And my opponent as the criminal. For what is the hope of the godless when he makes an end of life, When God requires his life? Will God hear his cry? When distress comes upon him? Or will he take pleasure in the Almighty? Will he call on God at all times? I will instruct you in the power of God; What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. Behold, all of you have seen it; Why then do you talk of nothing? “This is the portion of a wicked person from God, And the inheritance which tyrants receive from the Almighty: Though his sons are many, they are destined for the sword; And his descendants will not be satisfied with bread. His survivors will be buried because of the plague, And their widows will not be able to weep. Though he piles up silver like dust, And prepares garments as plentiful as the clay, He may prepare it, but the righteous will wear it And the innocent will divide the silver. He has built his house like the spider’s web, Or a hut which the watchman has made. He lies down rich, but never again; He opens his eyes, and it no longer exists. Terrors overtake him like a flood; A storm steals him away in the night. The east wind carries him away, and he is gone; For it sweeps him away from his place. For it will hurl at him without mercy; He will certainly try to flee from its power. People will clap their hands at him, And will whistle at him from their places.

‘Job Chapter 26’

Then Job replied: “How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble! What advice you have offered to one without wisdom! And what great insight you have displayed! Who has helped you utter these words? And whose spirit spoke from your mouth?
“The Greatness Of God”
“The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. The realm of the dead is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; he suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke. By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces. By his breath the skies became fair; his hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

1. What had driven Bildad to some of these accusations?
2. Who had Bildad been used of in accusing Job?
3. Even hell is within the view of __.
4. Where did Bildad think God was?
5. What is verse 7 saying about what God had done?
6. Who releases the rain to the earth?
7. How is the throne of God in heaven hidden from the human eye?
8. God set the bounds of the _.
9. What causes things in heaven to tremble?
10. Who formed the crooked serpent?
11. What did Job ask Bildad in verse 2 of chapter 26?
12. What had Bildad said about Job?

‘Job Chapter 25’

Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: “Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. Can his forces be numbered? On whom does his light not rise? How then can a mortal be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less a mortal, who is but a maggot— a human being, who is only a worm!”

1. Who spoke in the first and second verse, here?
2. What two things was Bildad saying in this chapter?
3. When is the only time there will be real peace on the earth?
4. How many chariots do many Scriptures say God has?
5. When is the first specific mention of armed guards of God on the earth?
6. Every __ _________is the answer to “upon whom doth not his light shine?”
7. What is the Light within the believers?
8. It is the _ of man that is born in sin.
9. What does “justified” mean?
10. What are the moon and the stars?
11. Who is the source of all Light?
12. What did he call man in verse 6?
13. What had Bildad forgotten?

‘Job Chapter 24’

“Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days? There are those who move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen. They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge. They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding. Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children. They gather fodder in the fields and glean in the vineyards of the wicked. Lacking clothes, they spend the night naked; they have nothing to cover themselves in the cold. They are drenched by mountain rains and hug the rocks for lack of shelter. The fatherless child is snatched from the breast; the infant of the poor is seized for a debt. Lacking clothes, they go about naked; they carry the sheaves, but still go hungry. They crush olives among the terraces ; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst. The groans of the dying rise from the city, and the souls of the wounded cry out for help. But God charges no one with wrongdoing. “There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths. When daylight is gone, the murderer rises up, kills the poor and needy, and in the night steals forth like a thief. The eye of the adulterer watches for dusk; he thinks, ‘No eye will see me,’ and he keeps his face concealed. In the dark, thieves break into houses, but by day they shut themselves in; they want nothing to do with the light. For all of them, midnight is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness. “Yet they are foam on the surface of the water; their portion of the land is cursed, so that no one goes to the vineyards. As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. The womb forgets them, the worm feasts on them; the wicked are no longer remembered but are broken like a tree. They prey on the barren and childless woman, and to the widow they show no kindness. But God drags away the mighty by his power; though they become established, they have no assurance of life. He may let them rest in a feeling of security, but his eyes are on their ways. For a little while they are exalted, and then they are gone; they are brought low and gathered up like all others; they are cut off like heads of grain. “If this is not so, who can prove me false and reduce my words to nothing?”

1. What was Job saying in verse 1?
2. God may allow the evil one to continue for a while, but there is a day of __.
3. What were some of the sins that these evil people committed, that Job listed in verses 2, 3, and 4?
4. These were not accusations against _.
5. What were the evil men compared to in verse 5?
6. How were they alike?
7. What was one specific group this could be speaking of?
8. What did the robbers do, besides rob the strangers passing through the land?
9. Who were the naked, in verse 7?
10. Where did these marauding tribes hide?
11. What had these wicked people taken for pledge, that was forbidden by God?
12. The oppressors were making wine with what?
13. It appeared, that this type of sin was going unnoticed by __.
14. What Light had these evil men rejected?
15. When did the murderer choose to kill?
16. Why did he choose that particular time?
17. When did the thief choose to steal?
18. What was one of the worst sins, besides murder, the evil committed?
19. How did the robbers know which house to rob?
20. What would, probably, happen to a burglar, if he was caught?
21. What was verse 18 speaking of?
22. How certain was it that the murderer would be punished of God?
23. What was meant by the womb forgetting him, in verse 20?
24. Who did the evil man torment?
25. _ _ were on these wicked men.

‘Job Chapter 23’

Then Job replied: “Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say to me. Would he vigorously oppose me? No, he would not press charges against me. There the upright can establish their innocence before him, and there I would be delivered forever from my judge. “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store. That is why I am terrified before him; when I think of all this, I fear him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

1. What did Job say in verse 2?
2. Why was Job’s complaint bitter?
3. Who did it appear Job was seeking?
4. If he had been able to find Him, the trial would not have been __.
5. What was Job sure would happen if he could get an audience with God?
6. What was “arguments”, in verse 4, speaking of?
7. What was Job assured he would understand, if he could hear from God?
8. In verse 6, God, would __ Job.
9. What does the author wish that we would have when we stand before our Judge?
10. Why did Job want his judgement to come now?
11. What was Job’s original complaint?
12. What was difficult for Job to comprehend?
13. What must we continue to remember in these lessons about Job?
14. Why did Job believe he could not reach out and touch God?
15. If Job did not falter, who would it witness to?
16. Job believed when God tried him, he would come out as _.
17. Job had walked on the and path.
18. Where must Christians walk?
19. A Christian is a in and a _ of Jesus Christ.
20. How do we know that Job thought more of the Word of God, than he did physical food?
21. In verse 14, it was as if Job was saying what?
22. Job was troubled at God’s _.
23. What was verse 16 saying?
24. What were Job’s two complaints in verse 17?

‘Job Chapter 22’

Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: “Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise person benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless? “Is it for your piety that he rebukes you and brings charges against you? Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your relatives for no reason; you stripped people of their clothing, leaving them naked. You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land— an honored man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you, why it is so dark you cannot see, and why a flood of water covers you. “Is not God in the heights of heaven? And see how lofty are the highest stars! Yet you say, ‘What does God know? Does he judge through such darkness? Thick clouds veil him, so he does not see us as he goes about in the vaulted heavens.’ Will you keep to the old path that the wicked have trod? They were carried off before their time, their foundations washed away by a flood. They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. The righteous see their ruin and rejoice; the innocent mock them, saying, ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’ “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored: If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you. Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God. You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows. What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways. When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast. He will deliver even one who is not innocent, who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands.”

1. God does not look to man to __ Him.
2. The only thing man has to give to God, is his and his ______.
3. What was Job’s friend insinuating in verse 3?
4. What did Job know about himself, that was the opposite of what Eliphaz said?
5. What did Eliphaz keep on telling Job about the problems he was having?
6. How do many ministries today remind us of what Eliphaz is doing to Job here?
7. What 2 sins did Eliphaz specifically mention in verse 6?
8. Had Job really done this?
9. What 2 additional sins did he mention in verse 7?
10. Who was the mighty man, in verse 8, supposed to be?
11. Which of the accusations that Eliphaz made were the most offensive to Job?
12. Job did fear God, but not for the __ Eliphaz mentioned.
13. The darkness that seemed to surround Job was from __ and not from _.
14. Where did Eliphaz say that God is?
15. What does omnipresent mean?
16. Can God judge through the dark cloud?
17. are a covering to Him.
18. Where did Eliphaz believe that God walked?
19. What did Eliphaz believe about the path that Job was walking?
20. Why does the author say that the flood, in verse 16, is not necessarily speaking of the flood of Noah?
21. Who survived Noah’s flood?
22. The question, in verse 17, was of __ men.
23. In verse 18, Eliphaz was trying to prove what?
24. The righteous see the __ prosper, and that discourages them.
25. In the end, the __ would consume the wicked.
26. What suggestion was Eliphaz making to Job in verses 21 and 22.
27. What did Eliphaz promise Job, if he would repent?
28. In verse 24, Eliphaz was speaking that _ automatically went with being in right standing with God.
29. What does “silver” mean spiritually?
30. What was Eliphaz saying in verse 29?
31. What did Eliphaz say prophetically unknowingly?