Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2022
This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles. The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but I have divided it so that we will spend half the year in the OT, and half the year in the NT.
Bible Readings: Job 19-24
This is a lengthy reading, and if you are busy and can only read a couple of chapters, read Job's speeches, chapters 19, 21, and 23-24. Job's friends' speeches tend to repeat, only becoming more intense.
Background:
The second cycle ends and the third begins. Job's speeches reveal increasing anger - he says shocking things about God here. We are in the heart and soul of the book of Job, the part most people skip over. It is stunning the things that Job says, not just to his friends, but to God. What is even more amazing is that God ministers to Job in the end. He does not zap Job with lightning bolts! God's grace is truly amazing.
Daily Devotional: "Faithless Truth"
ob is a hard book to read devotionally and it has some unique challenges for those of us who believe that every word of the Bible is true. In the chapters we read today, Job is ranting against the God he now believes has mistreated him. Driven by his own misunderstandings of God, aided and abetted by the bad advice and judgmental approach of his "friends", Job has now become caustic, bitter and hopeless.
And that is the problem. Much of what he says is true, based on what the Bible reveals about God. But the way he applies that truth, the conclusions he draws from it are poisoned by his own bitterness.
The reader has to be careful when reading Job and his friends. Everything recorded here is an accurate reflection of the feelings and declarations of Job at this time as he struggles to make sense of his tragedy. But sometimes it is his deception and misunderstanding that is accurately recorded. The Word of God accurately records Job's misunderstandings. So, the reader must look through this passage and sort the truths that Job holds to from the lies he has succumbed to. How do we do that? Generally, the safest answer is to simply hold the truth that comes from the rest of the Word and recognize the other parts for what they are - the poisoned truth of a bitter mind.
Look at the things Job says about God. "His hand is heavy despite my groaning." In a certain sense, that is true - God permitted Satan to do terrible things to Job. But he had a greater purpose and God was still at work. In the end, it was his plan to bring greater blessing to Job than he had before (though he would always miss his children even when more had been born.) Job saw no hope and had come to feel that God was against him. But that is never true for the believer, even when it seems like it might be true.
In verse 7, he reasons that if somehow he could find God and explain the injustice of the situation, God would relent and stop oppressing him. What a sad misinterpretation of events. God's goodness was still in effect and he needed no coaching from Job.
In Job 23:8-9 Job bemoans that he cannot find God and that God is far off. Every one of us will feel that way at times, wondering where God is and why he is not responding to our pleas. But when we cannot walk by sight we must walk by faith, holding on to the goodness of God even when our circumstances and our hearts give contrary information.
That is the root of Job's issue. He has now stopped believing in the good and loving God he worshiped before this tragedy. Now God was, to him, distant and cruel, hidden and unattainable, unjust and uncaring. He had allowed the circumstances of his life and the bad advice of his friends to turn his heart cold and to cause him to lose sight of this fact - no matter how things look, God is love and he will never leave us or forsake us.
No matter what is happening in your life, hold on to that. Never let life's circumstances cause you to believe lies about God's character, as Job did here. The good news, as we will see in future chapters, is that God's love prevailed and he corrected Job's views of God and restored him to joy. There is always hope when the God of heaven is at work.
And that is the problem. Much of what he says is true, based on what the Bible reveals about God. But the way he applies that truth, the conclusions he draws from it are poisoned by his own bitterness.
The reader has to be careful when reading Job and his friends. Everything recorded here is an accurate reflection of the feelings and declarations of Job at this time as he struggles to make sense of his tragedy. But sometimes it is his deception and misunderstanding that is accurately recorded. The Word of God accurately records Job's misunderstandings. So, the reader must look through this passage and sort the truths that Job holds to from the lies he has succumbed to. How do we do that? Generally, the safest answer is to simply hold the truth that comes from the rest of the Word and recognize the other parts for what they are - the poisoned truth of a bitter mind.
Look at the things Job says about God. "His hand is heavy despite my groaning." In a certain sense, that is true - God permitted Satan to do terrible things to Job. But he had a greater purpose and God was still at work. In the end, it was his plan to bring greater blessing to Job than he had before (though he would always miss his children even when more had been born.) Job saw no hope and had come to feel that God was against him. But that is never true for the believer, even when it seems like it might be true.
In verse 7, he reasons that if somehow he could find God and explain the injustice of the situation, God would relent and stop oppressing him. What a sad misinterpretation of events. God's goodness was still in effect and he needed no coaching from Job.
In Job 23:8-9 Job bemoans that he cannot find God and that God is far off. Every one of us will feel that way at times, wondering where God is and why he is not responding to our pleas. But when we cannot walk by sight we must walk by faith, holding on to the goodness of God even when our circumstances and our hearts give contrary information.
That is the root of Job's issue. He has now stopped believing in the good and loving God he worshiped before this tragedy. Now God was, to him, distant and cruel, hidden and unattainable, unjust and uncaring. He had allowed the circumstances of his life and the bad advice of his friends to turn his heart cold and to cause him to lose sight of this fact - no matter how things look, God is love and he will never leave us or forsake us.
No matter what is happening in your life, hold on to that. Never let life's circumstances cause you to believe lies about God's character, as Job did here. The good news, as we will see in future chapters, is that God's love prevailed and he corrected Job's views of God and restored him to joy. There is always hope when the God of heaven is at work.
Father, thank you for your goodness. Help me to remember and live in faith in your goodness even when I cannot see it and cannot feel it.
Consider God's Word:
We are called to live by faith, not by sight.
Imagine a tragedy or challenge in your life (maybe you don't have to imagine). What would it look like to walk through that in strong faith?
Imagine a tragedy or challenge in your life (maybe you don't have to imagine). What would it look like to walk through that in strong faith?
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