Job 13 ~ Behold, My Eye has seen all this, My Ear has heard and understood it.

Jackson Browne just might have seen with the eyes of Job

Job 13

“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
my ear has heard and understood it. (!!!!)

2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty,
and I desire to argue my case with God.

(Rather like Jacob, who was a blessing wrestler)

4 As for you, you whitewash with lies;
worthless physicians are you all.


(We are the elbows-out-generation, even our CNN has subtitles. God just did not put in subtitles, He expects us, like Cornelius to ponder HIM.

Luke 6:29
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

I was once mocked in a Christian school falsely, asked for my coat to see if I would hand that over. You think that if I'd handed over my coat I'd have earned a new Christian??? Nope. However, I was soooo shocked I began to pray for a woman who'd mock a Scripture. And she returned, after Christmas, to say her mother, her parents-in-law, and her husband bought her coats for Christmas. She said her husband, upon being 'grilled', her own word, had felt compelled to buy her a coat. I'd have to say, from her words and her tone, this was something for her to remember for a long time. We don't resort to prayer, we are thrilled to run to Him in prayer and rejoice in refuge.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Who are we following? Jesus Christ the LORD. The risen Lord. Jesus Himself knew what was in man. And He came to save the World. Only GOD can save the World.

Jesus was asked foolish questions and He responded meekly? No, Jesus did reply kindly in almost all circumstances, however HE didn't roll over when HE knew HE should not.

We seem to have a vision of meek Jesus submitting. Jesus fought the good fight. He dealt with people constantly giving false judgements for various reasons. Jesus didn't submit, Jesus was fighting the good fight to the end, know HE gave His life for undeserving people, when HE could have called down angels to serve Him. 

Proverbs 25:11
Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a ruling rightly given.

Jesus is represented as Wisdom in Proverbs laughing at the beauty and joy of creation. Wisdom.

Matthew 10:16
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

With a huge remembrance, Jesus said mercy is given to the merciful.

I happen to like a shrewd retort now and then. And Job has a rather memorable one. I think Jesus Himself enjoys this.

Job 12
Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,
and wisdom will die with you.


And rather like Jacob, the Blessings Wrestler, he continues with this:

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.

(Jesus was even mocked by Nicodemus.

John 3:3-4
3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night ......and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

This is not the policy of most people in dealing with Signs from God. Jesus got rather snappy with Nicodemus. 

John 3:8-12
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?


Certainly, Jesus loved and helped the Woman from Syria asking HIM for crumbs from His table. Jesus would not have helped her if she had drawn a false humility. Today, remember with me in gratitude, God sees us transparently, searching not for teeth gritted humility, but a willingness to contend with briar burr patches with HIM helping us.

A lot of situations require not, sigh, more prayer, but Joyfully more prayer. God has saved the World. HE does not seem to mind Jacob frankly wanting HIS attention and blessings, although to contend with HIM is not comfortable. Jesus Christ the LORD never requires a false halo.

Psalm 81
Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!

Mark 10:32
They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe)



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;
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?

(If you've ever sat and waited upon a Hurricane to arrive, you don't sit peacefully, the beasts, the birds, the fish are all agitated. Creation waits with anticipation for the Revealing of the Sons of Men. We all should be observant and grateful for the beauty God laughed with delight to create. )


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.

(Wisdom Jesus Spoke of.

Luke 7:33-35
33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

If we spend time looking to His Words to see truth. (Like Thomas Jefferson who John Addams proclaimed to be alive in Heaven as they both passed on July 4th after creating a new nation conceived of in Freedom. Like being able to pray in public. ) If we are spending our time leaning to the Word - we know our destination. If we spend time debunking the Word, Him, the Church, Christians - we are learning of that destination too.)


13 “With God 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.

(Apply this to natural disaster - not New Orleans and not Haiti - these things were HIM creating awareness of need, dire need.

Nahum 1:9.
What do you plot against the LORD? He will make a complete end; trouble will not rise up a second time.)


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.

(See Psalm 107)


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.

(Jesus washes the disciples feet.)


19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows the mighty.

(See the History of Pontius Pilate and Herod. See the end of Herodias. Prisoner Paul boldly proclaims this. Read of  the end of Festus, Agrippa and Bernice. The opposers of Chrisitianity did not turn out so well.)

20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
and takes away the discernment of the elders.

(See Luke 1. In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. This righteous priest trusted his own righteousness before the Angel Gabriel who stands before God. And forgot to catch hold of the horns of safety on the alter before he doubted God's Word.)

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.


(We are not called to grope in the dark, but to call upon a God living and active, not allowing a world to pour contempt on HIS goodness with a sly call for false halos.  Look for the right solution, to the right situation. We deal with HIM, and ask His blessings upon our interactions. Asking His opinion in our thoughts, asking His Mercy.)

Isaiah 9:2 
 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light


1 Corinthians 15:57
 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

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