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May 26 + Daily readings & notes

DAY 146

DAILY READINGS

Job 24-28 & Psalm 141

DAILY NOTES

Job 24
  • The "wicked" are those who take advantage of the poor and helpless.
  • Removing landmarks (vs. 2) has to do with expanding territory, taking someone else's land.
  • Job seems to alternately describe the work of the wicked and the plight of the poor
  • Verse 12 is interesting.  These in need cry for help, Job says. But "God pays no attention to their prayer."  
    • That seems pretty straight forward.  Other translations, however read Verse 12 like this: Yet God does not charge them with wrong.  So, Job puts the focus back on the wicked.  
    • Which do you read?
Job 26
  • Did you sense Job's sarcasm?  His friends have not been much help at all.  It almost feels like they're more concerned with being right.
Job 27
  • Job maintains that he has held fast his righteousness (vs. 6).
Job 28
  • Verses 12 & 23 seem to be the focal points of this chapter.
Psalm 141
  • A prayer for protection against evil.  
  • Part of the prayer is that his heart would not be turned to evil (vs. 4).  There's a prayer for us to pray!

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Job is great book to use to discuss the art of translation.  There are many phrases in Job that do not translate very well.  You can tell by how the translation of some verses seems to produce different ideas.  We used one example in today's notes.  Another would be 12:22.  

If you use a study Bible, you may see a note from time to time about a particular word.  The note should say something like the original Hebrew is uncertain.  That means that the English word you read is a guess.  Maybe a good guess.  Maybe even a right guess, but, still, a guess.

That makes studying scripture all the more intriguing.  

And I hope you're finding your reading of God's Word exciting!

Stay blessed...john

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