Job 23 – 24

Verse 23:2 has Job starting to rebuke his friends for their misguided ideas:

Job: So once again you are telling me my complaint amounts to rebellion,
        that the heavy hand I feel upon me is smothering my groans?

Everyone always tried to voice their opinion when things are bad, not taking into account what is really happening. They assume that since their view and beliefs say it must be, that an objective view is often impossible. God says “judge not lest ye be judged” (Misquote of Matthew 7:1 KJV) but we still tend to judge situations without knowing the full story.

Verse 24:5 seems to be reflecting today’s environment:

Look at how the poor are forced to live!
        Like wild donkeys in the desert,
    They spend all their energy scrounging for food,
        hoping the desert provides enough to feed their children!

The whole of chapter 24 seems to talk about society in the world today, it’s almost creepy. We tend to keep the poor down more than try to lift them up. Look at how this started in the New Deal and one had to work for their handouts, now one does not have to do anything more than place their hand out to survive. Unfortunately, the system no longer shows how hard work can make significant gains, it shows a system gamed into keeping you down. This removes the desire to work and only play the lottery.

Our prayers then focus not on blessing others, but winning the big game so you can THEN bless others. If you do not forget to bless others first, then blessings MAY come our way. I don’t want this to become a give to win, but rather a give to learn to manage money, if others come first then we must live to win for others. It then naturally falls into place. When we can be trusted with a little then we can be trusted with more.

Verse 24:10 again makes me think of today:

They force the poor to wander naked, no clothing to be had,
        carrying the very bundles of grain they long to eat.

Think of how many the “uber-rich” could feed and house if they just sacrificed a small percentage of their wealth? Instead they live for themselves and ignore the poor altogether assuming their taxes are helping. What they do not see is the truly poor that have benefits reduced since a large number are gaming the system.

I am sorry for taking today’s reading into a rant on our social ills, but we see this over and over again. There is one thing the OT surely has taught us is the history keeps repeating itself. This is why the Bible is such a relevant document. Many argue that we have evolved past it, but at its root man’s nature has not changed from the Garden, we have just become more sophisticated at how we sin. The only read difference is Baal and Satan has replaced worshiping them, to worshiping the dollar.