[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SUNDAY MAY 29

[Donnie Parrett]

DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SUNDAY MAY 29

DAILY BIBLE READING

Job 25-27 New King James Version
Bildad: How Can Man Be Righteous?
25 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered and said:

2 "Dominion and fear belong to Him;
He makes peace in His high places.
3 [a]Is there any number to His armies?
Upon whom does His light not rise?
4 How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?
5 If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
6 How much less man, who is a maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm?"

Job: Man's Frailty and God's Majesty
26 But Job answered and said:

2 "How have you helped him who is without power?
How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
3 How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
And how have you declared sound advice to many?
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose spirit came from you?

5 "The dead tremble,
Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.
6 Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.
7 He stretches out the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
Yet the clouds [b]are not broken under it.
9 He covers the face of His throne,
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
At the boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble,
And are [c]astonished at His rebuke.
12 He stirs up the sea with His power,
And by His understanding He breaks up [d]the storm.
13 By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
14 Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?"

Job Maintains His Integrity
27 Moreover Job continued his discourse, and said:

2 "As God lives, who has taken away my justice,
And the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter,
3 As long as my breath is in me,
And the breath of God in my nostrils,
4 My lips will not speak wickedness,
Nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 Far be it from me
That I should say you are right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go;
My heart shall not [e]reproach me as long as I live.

7 "May my enemy be like the wicked,
And he who rises up against me like the unrighteous.
8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite,
Though he may gain much,
If God takes away his life?
9 Will God hear his cry
When trouble comes upon him?
10 Will he delight himself in the Almighty?
Will he always call on God?

11 "I will teach you [f]about the hand of God;
What is with the Almighty I will not conceal.
12 Surely all of you have seen it;
Why then do you behave with complete nonsense?

13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God,
And the heritage of oppressors, received from the Almighty:
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword;
And his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.
15 Those who survive him shall be buried in death,
And their[g] widows shall not weep,
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust,
And piles up clothing like clay-
17 He may pile it up, but the just will wear it,
And the innocent will divide the silver.
18 He builds his house like a [h]moth,
Like a [i]booth which a watchman makes.
19 The rich man will lie down,
[j]But not be gathered up;
He opens his eyes,
And he is no more.
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood;
A tempest steals him away in the night.
21 The east wind carries him away, and he is gone;
It sweeps him out of his place.
22 It hurls against him and does not spare;
He flees desperately from its [k]power.
23 Men shall clap their hands at him,
And shall hiss him out of his place.

Footnotes
Job 25:3 Can His armies be counted?
Job 26:8 do not break
Job 26:11 amazed
Job 26:12 Heb. rahab
Job 27:6 reprove
Job 27:11 Or by
Job 27:15 Lit. his
Job 27:18 So with MT, Vg.; LXX, Syr. spider (cf. 8:14); Tg. decay
Job 27:18 Temporary shelter
Job 27:19 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr. But shall not add (i.e., do it again);
Vg. But take away nothing
Job 27:22 Lit. hand