Job 12 - Introduction

TODAY'S ENGLISH VERSION

Job

1-2 Yes, you are the voice of the people.

When you die, wisdom will die with you.

3 But I have as much sense as you have;

I am in no way inferior to you;
everyone knows all that you have said.

4 Even my friends laugh at me now,

they laugh, although I am righteous and blameless;
but there was a time when God answered my prayers.

5 You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me;

you hit a man who is about to fall.

6 But thieves and godless men live in peace,

though their only god is their own strength.

7 Even birds and animals have a lot they could teach you;
8 ask the creatures of earth and sea for their wisdom.
9 All of them know that the Lord's hand made them.
10 It is God who directs the lives of his creatures;

every man's life is in his power.

11 But just as your tongue enjoys tasting food,

your ears enjoy listening to words.

1213 Old men have wisdom,

but God has wisdom and power.

Old men have insight;

God has insight and power to act.

14 When God tears down, who can rebuild,

and who can free the man God imprisons?

15 Drought comes when God withholds rain;

floods come when he turns water loose.

14 God is strong and always victorious,

both cheater and cheated are under God's control.

17 He destroys the wisdom of rulers,

and makes leaders act like fools.

18 He dethrones kings and makes them prisoners;
19

he humbles priests and men of power.

20 He silences men who are trusted,

and takes the wisdom of old men away.

21 He disgraces those in power,

and puts an end to the strength of rulers.

22 He sends light to places dark as death.
23 He makes nations strong and great,

but then he defeats and destroys them.

24 He makes their leaders foolish,

and lets them wander, confused and lost;

25 they grope in the dark and stagger like drunkards.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 12:1-25

226.

This is Job's longest speech (i.e., Job 12:1, Job 14:22). What is the purpose of this speech?

227.

Job and his friends all agreed on one truthwhat is it?

228.

The attitude of Job is much like the present day Buddhist influence in America. What is it?

229.

Name the three themes covered in this speech.

230.

Job is bitingly sarcastic in verse two. Show how.

231.

Why does Job assert his ability to understand? Cf. Job 11:20.

232.

Job expected sympathy. What did he get? Why?

233.

Job believed he was a just and blameless man. Wasn-'t this false pride on his part? Discuss.

234.

Do we share the attitude today expressed in verse five?

235.

Give your interpretation of verse six.

236.

To whom does Job address the words of verses seven through 12?

237.

Why does Job refer to the beasts and the birds? What do they teach us?

238.

Only in verse nine do we have the name Jehovah. Why is it used?

239.

In what sense is the soul or life of every man in the hand of God?

240.

How does the reference to the palate and food relate to the words of Job's friends?

241.

How does Job 12:12 relate to the subject at hand?

242.

Why does Job assert the absolute power and wisdom of God? Cf. Job 12:13.

243.

Job cannot discern any moral dimension in the violence God manifests in this universe. What is missing in the understanding of Job?