Journaling: Job 17-20

Slander (Def. = false accusations that damage another’s reputation): 1) can cause its victim to lose hope for living (if he “dwells” on it) (17:1-2, 11-16), 2) can retard/inhibit justice (17:3-4), 3) will bring a curse on the children of those who do it (17:5), 4) can make other people despise us (17:6), 5) can severely affect the physical health of its victims (17:7), 6) will incite the “upright” (or “righteous”) to take action (17:8-9), 7) reveals the stupidity/foolishness of those who do it (17:10 w/18:3). The curse of stupidity is: 1) you don’t think you are stupid (18:1-4), 2) you lack precision or the ability to see other possible explanations (18:5-10, 20 [“west…east” = Everybody sees you are guilty/evil], 21 = No other explanation than you are unrighteous/do not know God), 3) you think you know what you don’t have the evidence/witnesses to know/prove (19:4 “my error remains with myself” = No witnesses; Bildad’s evidence is circumstantial yet he remains confident in his condemnation – 18:11-19 [All part of Job’s experiences] w/19:5 “you…make my disgrace an argument against me” = “B/C I have been disgraced, you think I must therefore be guilty of sin”),. Suffering disgrace, abandonment from friends and loved ones – even deficiency and disaster: 1) is not reason enough to condemn that person as wicked without ourselves being condemned (19:1-5, 28 [“the root of the matter is found in him” = We can judge what we cannot see or without proof in the actions], 29), 2) is one of the ways God can test the righteous (19:6-12 = Disgrace, 13-19 = Abandonment, 20 = Deficiency and disaster; 2Ti 3:12; 1Co 4:9-13; Mat 27:27-44 w/Phi 2:5-8), 3) should illicit mercy and compassion from our friends when there is no evidence of wrongdoing (19:21-22), 4) never causes the (truly) righteous to doubt God’s righteousness and salvation (19:23-27). Job believed in a future: 1) salvation/savior for the righteous (19:25), 2) resurrection (19:26-27). Only the fool thinks the wicked never enjoy long-lasting: 1) happiness or “joy” (20:1-9), 2) financial or physical prosperity (20:10-21), 3) security or safety (20:22-29 in contrast to the wise observance of Job – 21:1-13 w/34).