#647 Of Course You Know

“No doubt you are the people,

and wisdom will die with you.

3 But I have understanding as well as you;

I am not inferior to you.

Who does not know such things as these?

4 I am a laughingstock to my friends;

I, who called to God and he answered me,

a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.

5 In the thought of one who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune;

it is ready for those whose feet slip.

6 The tents of robbers are at peace,

and those who provoke God are secure,

who bring their god in their hand.[a]

7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;

the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;

8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[b]

and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

9 Who among all these does not know

that the hand of the Lord has done this?

10 In his hand is the life of every living thing

and the breath of all mankind.

11 Does not the ear test words

as the palate tastes food?

12 Wisdom is with the aged,

and understanding in length of days.

13 “With God[c] are wisdom and might;

he has counsel and understanding.

14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;

if he shuts a man in, none can open.

15 If he withholds the waters, they dry up;

if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land.

16 With him are strength and sound wisdom;

the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17 He leads counselors away stripped,

and judges he makes fools.

18 He looses the bonds of kings

and binds a waistcloth on their hips.

19 He leads priests away stripped

and overthrows the mighty.

20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted

and takes away the discernment of the elders.

21 He pours contempt on princes

and loosens the belt of the strong.

22 He uncovers the deeps out of darkness

and brings deep darkness to light.

23 He makes nations great, and he destroys them;

he enlarges nations, and leads them away.

24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth

and makes them wander in a trackless waste.

25 They grope in the dark without light,

and he makes them stagger like a drunken man. Job 12 ESV

You are the men, obviously, there are no boils on your skin and you fall asleep quickly, without struggle. So yes, please tell me, enlighten me with your memorized responses, the wisdom that will be no more after you are gone, tell me another cliché. He knows all the things they are going to say, for they are the things that he would say to them if he had facts that justified the position. If a man was guilty, though they have not established that, then yes, he should be told to repent. He is still trying to figure this out, I have a relationship with God, and have set my heart to do right, to walk before Him, He answered me, so why do these men sit here and scorn me? I have received rewards before, that in contemplation, looking back, they did not reflect my best. The reward you receive after giving up, for growing weary in well doing, if you are honest at all, it is only a measure of politic, empty. If you are not honest, then you don't wonder, you heard there was such a thing as this trophy and you could not think of anyone more deserving. Job's friends are well, and look at the language of verses 5 and 6, they are a beautiful representation of our delusion. If I am well, then it is because I deserve it, and if you are not then it is because you are contemptible. There is a whole other level of wisdom here that they have not yet approached. What if Job is in their model, yet not more guilty of any sin than they, and what if even less, a blameless man? It doesn't fit their narrative.

He appeals to nature, and says look, no one, nothing denies the hand of God in all of this, for whether the devil or man or a mosquito, all are created and allowed by God. But I hear your words and they don't fit; if the truth is sweet in my mouth and I have come to love it, then why are your words so bitter? 

He moves on to lift up the greatness of God, who is like Him, who is left standing, much less comes to stand at all? There is no equal in wisdom or in strength, and though years may or should bring wisdom, what is it against the infinite, eternal, Holy God? I took comfort in my comforts, I was wealthy, ruled over much, shared your wisdom, sat at your table sipping tea, passing around the pipe while solving the world's problems. I was confident in my relationship with God, what I thought and now I am uncertain, shaken. I know God is still above all, but I don't understand this, and your explanations don't characterize the truth. 

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,[a] and set on fire by hell.[b] 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[c] these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
Wisdom from Above

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3 ESV