Day 11

In Chapter 29, Job was largely reminiscing on how good the past was and how he was well respected in the society. He also talks about the good he had done.

In Chapter 30, he now talks about how badly he is treated due to current circumstances.

30:26 — Says he hoped for good but evil came. Just imagine a well known and respectable person in the society, losing it all, and then seeing the person on the streets. The question would be, what happened? In fact, we may draw conclusions like -village people, blood money and karma is paying him back, he was spending lavishly and didn’t save, what goes around comes around and so on.

Also, how many times do we hope that things will turn out ok and yet, it just seems nothing ever goes well?

30:30 — Here Job says his skin is black and peels, and his body burns like fever 😢 What a condition to be in.

Chapter 31, stating different scenarios where he may have gone wrong or sins he may have committed to warrant all the sufferings, but still doesn’t see how and where he erred.

31:31 shows how Job took care of his household versus how he is being treated as seen in Chapter 19 vs 13–18.

He tells God to let him know how he had erred. He is ready to get answers as to why he is going through all of this. In vs 35 & 36, he is ready to bear whatever judgment comes from his wrongdoing.

35 Oh, that I had one to hear me! (Here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!) Oh, that I had the indictment written by my adversary!

36 Surely I would carry it on my shoulder; I would bind it on me as a crown;

He is prepared to take ownership/responsibility for anything he still has done wrong. Hmmm… How often do we look outside ourselves to blame others for our circumstances? Do we go to God for forgiveness, stating what we did, accepting responsibility and asking to be forgiven or do we say s/he made me do it yet ask for forgiveness? When my daughters have a misunderstanding and blame the other, I tell them to take responsibility for their role in whatever happened. The lesson from Job here is to learn to own our actions.

Today’s reading end with — “The words of Job are ended”. I am looking forward to what tomorrow’s reading holds.