John Piper explains Elihu’s view of suffering in Job 36:6–15 The helpful thing in these verses is that Elihu makes clear that there is such a thing as a righteous person who still has sin that needs to be revealed and rooted out. To call a person righteous does not mean that the person is … More A Righteous Sinner?
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger comments on Job 35: In the opening words of chapter 35, Elihu continues to speak to Job, asking him to think about his charge that God has not vindicated him. “Then Elihu said: `Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I will be cleared by God.’ Yet you ask him, ‘What … More Proceed with caution
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger comments on the first half of Job 34 Since Job has been insisting that he is righteous, how about considering God’s righteousness first? That will put Job’s situation, as well as the false understanding of God’s retributive justice on the part of his friends, in their proper perspectives. In verse 10, Elihu … More Consider God’s Righteousness
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger on Job 30: Men who are regarded like dogs by polite society, now look down on Job. His present predicament and degree of suffering is almost beyond words. But what is worse, Job feels as though he’s been abandoned by God. In verses 16-23, Job cries out, “and now my life ebbs away; … More Riddlebarger: Cut Job some slack.
The consequences of Israel’s disobedience in Joel’s day were hitting hard- for both man and animal. A combination of locusts and drought had destroyed the crops. Everyone was suffering. Additionally, the shortage of food had affected the cycle of temple sacrifices and festivals (Joel 1:16). The hungry cattle lowed pitifully, and the starving sheep bleated … More Would God’s people be as wise as the animals they tended?
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger comments on Job 29, our Bible reading for today: Chapter 29 of Job is very poignant, given what Job once enjoyed in light of his current suffering. Job’s opening comments about the days in which he enjoyed God’s favor reiterate what was said of Job in the book’s prologue. “Job continued his … More Pain, Providence and Promises
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger helps us understand Job 25-26: In Job 25, we have the very short and final speech from Bildad, along with Job’s response. After three increasingly heated exchanges, Job and his friends have clearly run out of steam. But like trains passing on parallel tracks, Job and Eliphaz have been speaking past each … More Trains passing on parallel tracks
In Job 24, we see that Job does not understand how God can allow the strong to exploit the weak? When will judgment come? Why? When? How? Kim Riddlebarger comments in a sermon on this section of Job: None of this fits with Job’s hope in a coming redeemer. It is not until we come … More Thinking out loud
But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. Job 23:10 Job knows that God can find him anywhere, even when it appeared that he couldn’t find God. Deep down, Job knows the truth. The truth has just been obscured by the trials and tribulations … More As a refiner purifies gold
In Job 22:5, Eliphaz, one of Job’s “friends” says to him “Is not your evil abundant? There is no end to your iniquities.” Hmmm, probably not the best example for us to follow when visiting a friend who is suffering! Can we learn something from Job’s friends about how to help the hurting? John Piper’s … More How can you help a hurting friend?
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 