Category: Uncategorized

Numbers 7

Numbers 7

Numbers 7:1 On the day when Moses had finished setting up the Tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils,

Numbers 7:2 the leaders of Israel, heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the leaders of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached

Numbers 7:3 and brought their offerings in the sight of Yahveh, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the leaders, and for each one an ox. They brought them to the face of the tabernacle.

Numbers 7:4 Then Yahveh said to Moses,

Numbers 7:5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the conference tent, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.”

Numbers 7:6 So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.

Numbers 7:7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service.

Numbers 7:8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron, the priest.

Numbers 7:9 But to the sons of Kohath, he gave none because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder.

Numbers 7:10 And the leaders offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed, and the leaders offered their offering in the sight of the altar.

Numbers 7:11 And Yahveh said to Moses, “They will offer their offerings, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

Numbers 7:12 The first day’s offering was made by Nachshon, the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah.

Numbers 7:13 And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:14 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:15 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:16 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:17 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nachshon the son of Amminadab.

Numbers 7:18 On the second day, Nethanel, the son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, made an offering.

Numbers 7:19 He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:20 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:21 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:22 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:23 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

Numbers 7:24 On the third day, Eliab, the son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun:

Numbers 7:25 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:26 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:27 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:28 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:29 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab, the son of Helon.

Numbers 7:30 On the fourth day, Elitsur, the son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben:

Numbers 7:31 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:32 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:33 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:34 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:35 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elitsur the son of Shedeur.

Numbers 7:36 On the fifth day, Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon:

Numbers 7:37 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:38 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:39 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:40 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:41 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai.

Numbers 7:42 On the sixth day, Elyasaph, the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad:

Numbers 7:43 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:44 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:45 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:46 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:47 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elyasaph, the son of Deuel.

Numbers 7:48 On the seventh day, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of Ephraim:

Numbers 7:49 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:50 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:51 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:52 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:53 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama, the son of Ammihud.

Numbers 7:54 On the eighth day, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh:

Numbers 7:55 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:56 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:57 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:58 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:59 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur.

Numbers 7:60 On the ninth day, Abidan, the son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin:

Numbers 7:61 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:62 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:63 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:64 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:65 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan, the son of Gideoni.

Numbers 7:66 On the tenth day, Achiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan:

Numbers 7:67 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:68 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:69 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:70 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:71 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Achiezer, the son of Ammishaddai.

Numbers 7:72 On the eleventh day, Pagiel, the son of Ochran, the leader of the people of Asher:

Numbers 7:73 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:74 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:75 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:76 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:77 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

Numbers 7:78 On the twelfth day, Achira, the son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali:

Numbers 7:79 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a tribute offering;

Numbers 7:80 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;

Numbers 7:81 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for an ascending offering;

Numbers 7:82 one male goat for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:83 and for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Achira, the son of Enan.

Numbers 7:84 This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed from the leaders of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes,

Numbers 7:85 each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary,

Numbers 7:86 the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels;

Numbers 7:87 all the animals for the ascending offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their tribute offering; and twelve male goats for a failure offering;

Numbers 7:88 and all the animals for the sacrifice of offering for healthy relationships twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

Numbers 7:89 And when Moses went into the conference tent to speak with Yahveh, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the reminder, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.

Numbers 7 quotes:

“As the time for departure draws very close, a peculiar procession of wagons and oxen forms in the midst of Israel’s camp. Once they are in place, a twelve-day series of presentations takes place at the central tent of meeting. What is this? An advance party gathering to move out as forerunners for the people? A preparatory deposition of supplies in the central store? No. Before beginning their perilous journey through the wilderness, and as a finishing touch on the worship of the tabernacle that will travel in their midst, God’s people willingly offer up some of the prize pieces in their inventory: twelve silver plates, twelve golden dishes, six covered wagons, twelve loadcarrying oxen, and so on and on. What a crazy approach to survival!”

Boyce Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed. Westminster John Knox Press 2008. p. 128.

“Numbers 7, which is the longest chapter in the Bible apart from Psalm 119, describes a unique event in the history of Israel. During a twelve-day festival, gifts were brought to be used in the work at the Tent of Meeting (4). Each day a different tribe’s gifts were presented by its designated leader; there was no variation whatever either in the gifts they offered or in the literary formula used to describe their offerings. Those who brought such gifts for the dedication of the altar (11) were the same men who had been responsible for the census (1:5-16; cf. 2:3-31). A list of all the gifts is provided (7:84-88), and a concluding verse focuses on the place where Moses met with God (89).”

Brown Raymond. The Message of Numbers : Journey to the Promised Land. InterVarsity Press 2002. p, 60.

“When a believer comes into the church service he may think he is just one of hundreds. But this is not the way God thinks. The worshiper is one of one to God, regardless of who he is. The Lord personally receives service from each individual. There is one obvious lesson here: the leaders are to offer, but each individual is to do his part. And in verses 84 to 88 we have a careful record of what was offered for the dedication of the altar. When we think about the altar in the tabernacle, it should remind us of Calvary’s cross. The altar is where the sacrifice was made by the priest; the cross is where the sacrifice was made by the Lord. Because of this, the center of all worship is the altar forever.”

Gutzke, Manford George. Plain Talk on Leviticus and Numbers. Zondervan Pub. House., 1981. p. 74.

“Each of the twelve tribes of Israel present God with certain things, and exactly the same list of presents is given twelve times over. But God s ways are not as our ways even in writing a book; and whereas a human writer might have condensed this account into a few lines, as one has observed, “there is no hasty promiscuous jumbling of names and offerings when God records the gifts of His children.” He prizes even the smallest gift or slightest service, and carefully records all.”

Saxe, Grace. Studies in Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Grace Saxe, 1921. p. 28.

“Describing the organization of the camp and the tasks of the Levites in Numbers 1 – 6 before recording the gifts of the princes and the appointment of the Levites (Num. 7 – 8) enables the reader to appreciate the significance of these events.

Wenham, Gordon J.. Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 4) (p. 104). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Numbers 7 links:

36 bulls
72 goats
72 lambs
72 rams
a supporting walk
a voice from above
considerate and practical
golden gifts
silver gifts

The NUMBERS shelf in Jeff’s library

Leviticus 17

Leviticus 17

Leviticus 17:1 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Leviticus 17:2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, this is the thing that Yahveh has commanded when he said,

Leviticus 17:3 that if any one from the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp,

Leviticus 17:4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the conference tent to offer it as a gift to Yahveh in the face of the tabernacle of Yahveh, that man will be recognized as guilty of bloodshed. He has shed blood, and that man will be eliminated from among his people.

Leviticus 17:5 This is so that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the face of the field, that they may bring them to Yahveh, to the priest at the entrance of the conference tent, and sacrifice them as sacrifices for healthy relationships to Yahveh.

Leviticus 17:6 And the priest will throw the blood on the altar of Yahveh at the entrance of the conference tent and burn the fat for a pacifying aroma to Yahveh.

Leviticus 17:7 So they will no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they lust. This will be a permanent prescription for them throughout their generations.

Leviticus 17:8 “And you will say to them, any one from the house of Israel, or from the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them, who offers an ascending offering or sacrifice

Leviticus 17:9 and does not bring it to the entrance of the conference tent to offer it to Yahveh, that man will be eliminated from his people.

Leviticus 17:10 “If any one from the house of Israel or from the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that throat who eats blood and will eliminate him from among his people.

Leviticus 17:11 Because the throat within the skin is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to provide reconciliation for your throats, because it is the blood that provides reconciliation for the throat.

Leviticus 17:12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, no throat among you will eat blood, neither will any foreign guest who is a temporary resident among you eat blood.

Leviticus 17:13 “Any one also from the people of Israel, or from the foreign guests who are temporary residents among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten will pour out its blood and cover it with land.

Leviticus 17:14 Because the throat within everyone’s skin is its blood: its blood is its throat. Therefore, I have said to the people of Israel, you will not eat the blood of any creature, because the throat within everyone’s skin is its blood. Whoever eats it will be eliminated.

Leviticus 17:15 And every throat who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a temporary resident, will wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be contaminated until the evening; then he will be clean.

Leviticus 17:16 But if he does not wash them or bathe his body, he will be responsible for his violation.”

Leviticus 17 quotes:

“Leviticus 17—20 deals with four special areas of life that must be respected and kept holy: the sanctity of blood, or life (chap. 17); the sanctity of sex (chap. 18); the sanctity of the law (chap. 19); and the sanctity of judgment (chap. 20).”

Wiersbe, Warren W. Leviticus : Becoming “Set Apart” for God. First edition, David C Cook, 2015. p. 77

“We really. don’t want to know about such things, “TMI” (too much information) is probably the response of many. Blood, however, is important; for blood and life are intimately connected. In ancient Israel, blood was considered the_ source of power for animals, including humans.”

March, W. Eugene. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Abingdon Press, 2012. p. 60.

“Leviticus 17:1-9 reminded Israel that the central sanctuary is the only place where sacrifices were to be brought. Those who sacrificed elsewhere were to be cut off from the people (17:3-4). Israel had been sacrificing in open fields (17:5). Some of the people had been bringing offerings to idols (17:7). Such actions had to stop (17:8-9).”

House, Paul R. Leviticus/Numbers. Broadman & Holman, 1999. p. 37

Leviticus 17 links:

given for you
only one place for sacrifice
respect for animal life
singular devotion

LEVITICUS in Jeff’s library

Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12

Leviticus 12:1 Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Leviticus 12:2 “Speak to the people of Israel, and this is what you should say, if a woman conceives and gives birth to[1] a male child, then she will be contaminated seven days. As at the time of her menstruation, she will be contaminated.

Leviticus 12:3 And on the eighth day the foreskin of his penis will be circumcised.

Leviticus 12:4 Then she will stay for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. She will not touch anything sacred, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying are completed.

Leviticus 12:5 But if she gives birth to a female child, then she will be contaminated two weeks, as in her menstruation. And she will stay in the blood of her purifying for sixty-six days.

Leviticus 12:6 “And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she will bring to the priest at the entrance of the conference tent a lamb a year old for an ascending offering and a pigeon or a turtledove for a failure offering,

Leviticus 12:7 and he will offer it to Yahveh’s face and provide reconciliation for her. Then she will be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the instruction for her who gives birth to a child, either male or female.

Leviticus 12:8 And if she cannot afford a lamb, then she will take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for an ascending offering and the other for a failure offering. And the priest will provide reconciliation for her, and she will be clean.”

[1] יָלַד  = give birth to. Leviticus 12:2, 5, 7; 22:27; 25:45.

Leviticus 12 quotes:

In giving birth to a baby, the mother experienced bleeding (Lev. 12:4—5, 7), as well as the secretion of other bodily fluids (see chap. 15), and this made her ceremonially unclean. The theme of Leviticus 12 is not personal holiness but ritual purification for the mother, without which she could not return to normal life in her home.”

Wiersbe, Warren W. Leviticus : Becoming “Set Apart” for God. First edition, David C Cook, 2015. p. 52.

“Therefore, nothing in Leviticus 12 should be interpreted to teach that human sexuality is “dirty,” that pregnancy is defiling, or that babies are impure. God created humans “male and female” (Gen. 1:27), and when God declared His creation to be “very good” (v. 31), that declaration included sex. He commanded our first parents to “be fruitful, and multiply” (v. 28); in spite of contemporary negative attitudes toward babies, Scripture presents children as blessings from God (Ps. 113:9; 127:3-5; 128:3; Prov. 17:6; Matt. 19:14). If for some reason a pregnancy was unwanted, the Jews would never consider aborting the baby.”

Wiersbe, p. 53.

“God wished to instruct his people that sin is caused not only by one’s environment but is the result of internal pollution as well. Chapter 11 spoke about uncleanness from external contact with certain creatures. But chapters 12-15 speak about man’s uncleanness resulting from internal sources. Chapter 12 deals with defilement following childbirth, chapters 13 and 14 with uncleanness caused by skin diseases, and chapter 15 with pollution associated with reproduction.”

Lenz, Mark J. Leviticus. Northwestern Pub. House, 1988. p. 102.

Leviticus 12 links:

LEVITICUS in Jeff’s library

devotion and normal
she will be clean

Resources for preaching Conditionalism

Jefferson Vann is a former missionary with the Advent Christian General Conference who now serves as Pastor of Piney Grove Advent Christian Church in Delco, North Carolina. He is the author of 46 books, including the two series mentioned below.

Conditional Immortality is the belief that eternal life is a blessing reserved only for the saved. Conditionalists hold that unbelievers will be raised at the return of Christ, judged and appropriately punished for their sins, and will die the second death in a place called Gehenna. We do not believe that God created all human beings with an immortal part that even he cannot destroy. When people die, they do not continue to live in a disembodied state. They actually die, ceasing to function until raised to life again consciously. This intermediate state is called “sleep” in the Bible. The Resurrection will wake all the dead, but only the saved will experience permanent life. The lost will literally perish.

Does your pastor preach conditionalism? Here are some resources that would help your pastor understand, preach, and teach the doctrines of conditionalism more clearly.

An Advent Christian Systematic Theology is a four-volume work that answers many typical questions about God, human nature, Christ, sin, salvation, and ultimate destiny.

Each volume is available in paperback (print-on-demand) and is currently being sold by Amazon for $15.

The 4-volume set is $60.

The Afterlife Archives is a series of five books that focus on conditionalism’s doctrines. These doctrines include God’s exclusive immortality, humanity’s potential for immortality, the unconscious sleep of the dead during the intermediate state, the resurrection to eternal life for the saved, and the resurrection to condemnation and the second death for the lost.

The set of all five paperback books in the Afterlife Archives series is currently available for $17.95. These prices may change on October 31st, 2025, but they will stay in effect for those who wish to bless their pastors with these resources during Pastor Appreciation Month (October).

Click on the pictures above to purchase the books.

DAYS OF A HIRED MAN

DAYS OF A HIRED MAN

Job 7:1-10 NET

1 “Does not humanity have hard service on earth? Are not their days also like the days of a hired man? 2 Like a servant longing for the evening shadow, and like a hired man looking for his wages, 3 thus I have been made to inherit months of futility, and nights of sorrow have been appointed to me. 4 If I lie down, I say, ‘When will I arise?’, and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns. 5 My body is clothed with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and festering. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle and they come to an end without hope. 7 Remember that my life is but a breath, that my eyes will never again see happiness. 8 The eye of him who sees me now will see me no more; your eyes will look for me, but I will be gone. 9 As a cloud is dispersed and then disappears, so the one who goes down to the grave does not come up again.10 He returns no more to his house, nor does his place of residence know him any more.

We are now well into our reading of Job, and we are discovering that it differs from the other books we’ve read in the Old Testament in many ways. The other books mainly focus on the historical progress of God’s people, from the patriarchs to the establishment and history of Israel. However, Job doesn’t mention Israel at all. Job may have been a patriarch, but there is no effort within the book to establish any historical or ethnic connection with the Hebrew people.

So, why is the book of Job in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible? One reason is that the Old Testament was written to answer questions that God’s people had about life. Some questions didn’t relate to which nation they belonged to. These questions were about the meaning of life, the purpose of living, and how to handle life’s challenges. So, in addition to the Torah and the historical books, a collection of wisdom literature was inspired by the Holy Spirit to address these questions.

Some wisdom literature was created to help people make wise decisions in life. The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes focus on this topic. The Song of Songs—often called the Song of Solomon—highlights the beauty and joy of human love and courtship. God wanted His people to understand that human love is not evil. It is a gift from God and should be celebrated and enjoyed within proper boundaries. Proper relationships with the opposite sex are part of God’s wisdom.

Many people have written books, poems, and stories that fall into the category of wisdom literature. Most of this literature is now gone, lost over time. However, some books and documents have been preserved. The Holy Spirit guided the writing and preservation of the Old Testament wisdom literature so that we can all benefit from it.

Most of the wisdom literature addresses what is known as conventional wisdom. This can be summarized as the belief that doing what is morally right will lead to God’s blessing of health and prosperity. Psalm 1 illustrates this by describing the wise person as a tree planted by the water, thriving and bearing fruit. In contrast, the wicked are the opposite of the wise; they will not endure because they have chosen to walk the path that leads to destruction.

With all these teachings that express conventional wisdom, the LORD saw it necessary to provide another kind of wisdom literature. We needed to understand that although it is generally true that the righteous will be blessed and successful in life, it is also true that sometimes the righteous will not experience that blessing. God has a message for those who suffer. Conventional wisdom offers only one answer to that question: you suffer because you made a mistake, you did something wrong, you committed a sin.

In the book of Job, his so-called friends were experts on the subject of conventional wisdom. They delivered long, drawn-out arguments trying to convince Job that he needed to repent and regain God’s favor. To them, the calamities Job suffered, the pain he experienced, and the losses he faced all pointed to some hidden sin he must have committed. We need to be careful when we read Job because sometimes we are reading those arguments, and the Holy Spirit wants us to see that their arguments are flawed.

The book of Job offers another view on the problem of suffering. In Job’s case, he was suffering not because God was angry with him, but because God was proud of him. Satan received permission to hurt Job because he believed that if Job endured enough pain, he would curse God.

The LORD eventually intervenes and rescues Job, but the main point of Job is not about the rescue. God is sovereign over our lives and has every right to allow us to suffer certain things, even if we are His obedient children. This serves as a helpful exception to the usual understanding of God’s justice.

There are also examples of this exception in the New Testament. One example is recorded in John chapter 9. The disciples encounter a man who was born blind. They ask Jesus who committed the sin that caused this man to suffer the fate of blindness at birth. Did his parents do something wrong, or would he do something wrong during his life, and would God punish him for it before he does it? Jesus told them that suffering was not caused by sin. It was allowed because God wanted to perform a miracle in his life. All suffering is caused by the existence of evil in this world, but it cannot always be traced to a particular evil.

Before he suffered, Job was a textbook example of conventional wisdom. He was a good man, obedient to God and considerate of others. God blessed him with great wealth, excellent health, and high honor. He considered himself a free man. However, through a series of unfortunate events, Job lost all his wealth, health, and honor. Today’s text describes how Job felt about that major reversal. He now saw himself as a hired hand, with someone else calling the shots, and Job did not like that at all.

In this section, Job lists several complaints. His description of the days of the hired man is important because it highlights what it truly means to face hardship. Let’s examine each of those complaints one by one.

Job complains about the WORK of a hired man (1-3a).

After years of living as a wealthy landowner, Job is now experiencing what it’s like to be part of the other half. He used to have an army of servants doing the hard work for him; now, it’s just him. So, he describes human life as “hard service,” and the Hebrew word he uses is the same one often translated as “army.” I know a little about what it means to be a soldier in the army, and it can sometimes be grueling work. One of the things that makes it tough is that you’re not doing what you want to do. You’re under someone else’s command—sometimes a lot of people. It can also be useless work.

Tennessee Ernie Ford sang a song about the work of a hired man. It was called “Sixteen Tons.”

“Some people say a man is made out of mud
A poor man’s made out of muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that’s weak and a back that’s strong

You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store.”

All of us want to do what is right and succeed. But we all go through times in life when we ask the same questions Job asks here: Why does it have to be so hard? Why does so much of our effort just lead to more effort tomorrow?

Let’s take a moment to step back and understand what’s happening. This is the Bible—God’s word to us. It tells us that God knows what we are going through and how tough it can get. He understands our nature. He remembers that we are made of dust. He sees our sweat. He hears our moaning. His message to us is not, “Quit your complaining; you deserve what you get.” His message is “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He told the Israelites, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Job also complains about the REST of a hired man (3b-4).

He talks about his nights, but he does not spend them resting. He spends them sorrowing. He says, “The night stretches on, and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns.” The time he is supposed to rest is full of restlessness. He is consumed by sorrow over his past loss and anxiety about his fears of the future.

God wants His people to rest. He commanded the Israelites to take one full day off each week. They had been slaves, and He understood that they might want to keep working. But He told them to stop what they were doing regularly and trust Him. Why do we struggle so much with resting in the Lord’s presence? God wants us to take our burdens off our backs and give them to Him. Yet, we often want to keep carrying those burdens ourselves.

Job complains about the BODY of a hired man (5)

He says his body is covered with worms and dirty scabs; my skin is broken and oozing. He had spent many years being the picture of health, and now he is the picture of death. Satan was not satisfied with stealing all of Job’s possessions and family. He wanted to steal his health too.

Jesus said that false shepherds are thieves and that all they want to do is steal and kill and destroy, but he came that people might have an abundant life.

We don’t have to go through the same health problems Job faced to see that our bodies often push back against us. As we get older, things tend to stop functioning as they should. We need extra devices to help with weak eyesight, hearing, and even heart issues.

The New Testament tells us that we will receive a new body when Jesus returns. That new body will not grow old or wear out; it is designed for eternity. Job didn’t know all the details about this new body, but he did understand the coming resurrection. He said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God” (19:25-26). The only way that could happen is if God raises him from the dead. Job knew that his current mortal body would be replaced by Job 2.0. 

The message is that although our bodies may someday fail us, our God never will. He has a replacement body for us, one that is indestructible and created to glorify Him forever.

Job complains about the END of a hired man  (6-10).

He knows his days are numbered, and it is not a very big number. He is heading for his grave. Someone else will live in his house because he will not be going back there.

Some people teach that death is not real. They believe your body dies, but you keep on living forever somewhere else. That was not what Job believed. His complaint was genuine because death is a fact. The Apostle Paul says that the penalty for sinning is death, and all of us have to pay that bill. The good news is not that death is an illusion. The gospel good news is that a new resurrection life awaits those who put their faith in Christ.

Job experienced a sudden, drastic upheaval in his life. He confronted his mortality, and it didn’t happen gradually. Go outside and look at the clouds, and if you keep watching, they will disperse and disappear. Job’s message is that this is our destiny. Conventional wisdom says that the goal in life is to be wise and successful. Job said that won’t last. We need to understand this. Only by facing our mortality can we learn to look up to God and receive the gift of His grace.

Jesus Christ revealed the promise of resurrection, life, and immortality through the gospel. Job grapples with his mortality, and rightly so—it’s a common struggle for all of us. Yet, we can also cling to his hope of a Redeemer who will come to reclaim us from the grave.

“Many still mourn
And many still weep
For those that they love
Who have fallen asleep
But we have this hope
Though our hearts may still ache
Just one shout from above
And they all will awake

And in the reunion of joy
We will see
Death will be swallowed
In sweet victory

Where is the sting
Tell me, where is the bite
When the grave robber comes
Like a thief in the night
Where is the victory
Where is the prize
When the grave robber comes
And death finally dies”[1]

[1] “Grave Robber” by Petra.