Sun.’s Devo - Job Defends Himself to Eliphaz

Read: Job 4:1-7:21; 1 Corinthians 14:18-40; Psalm 37:30-40; Proverbs 21:27 Job’s friend, Eliphaz spoke first. He reminds him of all he has done for others who were misfortunate, but now that misfortune has come to him, he is terrified. He points out that his experience has showed him that you reap what you sow. Then he gives this dramatic revelation he got in the middle of the night: Who was man that he thought he could be innocent before God. Even the angels sinned so how much less are we who are made of dust. It is fools that are one day successful and suddenly see disaster. He advised Job to present himself before God’s court and let Him correct him. He will rescue him if he is humble and repents. Job answers Eliphaz and stands up for his right to be sad and mourn. What Job needed from them was compassion and comfort, but what he got was judgment and answers. Job says, “One should be kind to a fainting friend, but you accuse me without any fear of the Almighty.” He finally tells them to stop assuming that he is guilty because he has done nothing wrong. Then Job goes into the truth about life. Life is a struggle. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation.” Job just wants the right to be able to talk it out. He is expressing the depths of his loss. He ends with a prayer of anguish to God. In Corinthians Paul lets them know that he speaks in tongues much in his quiet time at home. He is speaking to God and He understands his tongues even when Paul can’t. But in church, he is speaking for the sake of people ,so he speaks in a language they can understand and agree with. On the day of Pentecost, tongues were given to the Jews to be a sign to the unbelievers that what they were saying was of God, since the foreigners knew they couldn’t know their language. But prophesy is for the believers. Prophesy reveals things about a person that no-one could know and is given to the believer to expose their hearts. When they meet together one has a psalm, another a teaching, another brings a revelation and another has the interpretation. It is a thread that brings edification to all. It is all to be done in way that has order and self-control. Apparently, their services were getting a little wild and everyone wanted to speak at the same time. So Paul was encouraging them to take turns and let everyone have the chance to give their part, but after two or three prophesies they could stop and let that sink in. Corinth was a Greek city where women were worshipped. This thought moved into the church and the women had become out of order so Paul had to tell them to listen and let the men speak. He was trying to teach them God’s order with man and women. This was a letter just to them in Corinth, but we now use it to shut down women’s voices that need to be heard. Lord, help us to do everything in your order and way. May we bring comfort to those who are in affliction.