JOB LESSON 12
We will begin this lesson in Job 12:1 "And Job answered and
said," Job 12:2 "No doubt but ye [are] the people, and wisdom shall
die with you."
This was the first sarcastic remark that Job had made. He had
been treated so poorly by his friends, and especially by Zophar, that
I am not surprised. He said, that these three friends thought they
were wise. He said he supposed that all of the wise people of the
earth would die, when they died. This was really how ridiculous they
had been to him.
Job 12:3 " But I have understanding as well as you; I [am] not
inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?"
Job suddenly spoke of himself as having as much wisdom as any of
his friends. He was not morally or intellectually, inferior to any of
them. They had no right to presume that he was of less stature with
God than they were.
Job 12:4 "I am [as] one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon
God, and he answereth him: the just upright [man is] laughed to
scorn."
They had accused him of mocking God, and he had not. They were
the ones who had mocked Job. They mocked Job, and he had always been
true to God. He had lived as near the perfect life in God's sight, as
he knew how. He had always been upright in his dealings with God and
man.
Job 12:5 "He that is ready to slip with [his] feet [is as] a lamp
despised in the thought of him that is at ease."
Job had fallen into misfortune by none of his own doing. They
believed, because he had fallen that God was punishing Job. They
despised Job for no reason at all.
Job 12:6 "The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that
provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly]."
It, sometimes, appears to Godly people that those who are living
as robbers, and thieves are prospering. Job attributed their
prosperity to the hand of God. It appeared to Job, that the houses of
the robbers were prospering.
Job 12:7 "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and
the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:"
Job is using the beasts and the fowls to prove that the hand of
God is in control of everything. If the beasts and birds could speak
they would proclaim God Ruler of them all.
Job 12:8 "Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the
fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee."
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He
created fish, also. He is Creator God. It should not be strange to
anyone, that the Creator of all the earth would be ruler over His
creation.
Job 12:9 "Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD
hath wrought this?"
Somewhere, behind all of the happenings upon the earth, is the
Hand of God. Job knew that God had allowed his persecution. He did not
know why, but he knew God had to give permission for these terrible
things to happen to him. He was fully aware of who God is, and what
His power is.
Job 12:10 "In whose hand [is] the soul of every living thing, and
the breath of all mankind."
The entire of humanity and, in fact, all living things on the
earth, and even the earth itself is in the Hand of the LORD. Even the
very breath we breath is a gift from God. God breathed the breath of
life in us giving us the power to live.
Job 12:11 "Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his
meat?"
This is speaking of the senses of man being in tune with God, as
well.
Job 12:12 "With the ancient [is] wisdom; and in length of days
understanding."
This was a profound statement from Job. The older people have
learned much that they know from the school of experience. The older
people are wiser, because of the things they have faced in their lives
and found a way to overcome. Understanding comes from accumulating
learning.
Job 12:13 "With him [is] wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and
understanding."
This is speaking of God. He is the source of all wisdom and
strength. God's wisdom and understanding never change. It is God who
makes it possible for us to understand. It is His strength that makes
it possible for us to do all things.
Job 12:14 "Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built
again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening."
God builds up, and God tears down. This was never more evident
than in the nation of Israel. God made Israel great. He made Solomon
the richest man who had ever lived. He became unfaithful to God and
God took the kingdom away from his family. Israel fell and was taken
into captivity, because of their unfaithfulness.
Job 12:15 "Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up:
also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth."
All of nature is at God's command. He brings great drouths, and
brings floods as he did in the time of Noah. God used the flood in
Noah's time to destroy the people of the earth, because of their great
evil.
Job 12:16 "With him [is] strength and wisdom: the deceived and
the deceiver [are] his."
God not only plans the events of the earth, but He has the power
within Himself to see that it is done. God rules people, as well as
nature. He is the Creator of them all. The person who is deceived was
made by God. The deceiver was created by God, as well. All mankind is
God's creation. Only those who believe are His sons.
Job 12:17 "He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the
judges fools."
The wise counsellors are earthly men, and they are still in the
control of God. He can build them up, or tear them down as He desires.
The judges of the earth must remember that they will someday stand
before the Judge of all the world. He judges in righteousness.
Job 12:18 "He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins
with a girdle." Job 12:19 "He leadeth princes away spoiled, and
overthroweth the mighty."
Kings are king, because God ordained it. When a king becomes
evil, God may send another king to put him into captivity. It is God
who looses him to greatness, or binds him as a common criminal. We saw
this very thing in our study of Israel's captivity in Babylon. God led
the king of Babylon to take the king of Israel. Later on, God had
another king to overthrow the king of Babylon.
Job 12:20 "He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh
away the understanding of the aged."
Sometimes, God will take a powerful statesman and make him unable
to speak. The aged are, sometimes, turned into people with no
understanding. The Alzheimers disease does this to many of the
elderly.
Job 12:21 "He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the
strength of the mighty."
The king of Babylon was thought of as one of the mightiest men of
the world, until the handwriting appeared on the wall condemning him,
and the city of Babylon. This, of course, was the hand of God.
Job 12:22 "He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and
bringeth out to light the shadow of death."
There are no things, planned by men, that God does not know.
They may have planned it in some secret place, but God knows all of
their plans. Even plots to kill someone are known of God. Death was
defeated for all believers, when Jesus rose from the grave. In that
sense, death was defeated by the Light {Jesus Christ}.
Job 12:23 "He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he
enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them [again]."
Israel became almost three million people, while they were slaves
in Egypt. Just over seventy people went into Egypt, and almost three
million came out. This same three million were reduced to just a
remnant by God for their unfaithfulness.
Job 12:24 "He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of
the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness [where there is]
no way."
When the leader of the people is filled with confusion and
wanders in the wilderness, they wander around as sheep without a
shepherd.
Job 12:25 "They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh
them to stagger like [a] drunken [man]."
Those who walk in darkness have no direction in their lives. John
11:10 "But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is
no light in him."
Job 12 Questions
1. What was the first sarcastic remark that Job had made?
2. Who did he make the statement to?
3. In verse 3, how did he compare himself to them?
4. Job said, he was as one ___________ of his neighbor.
5. They had accused him of __________ God.
6. Job had fallen into __________ by none of his own doing.
7. It, sometimes, appears to Godly people, that those who are living
as robbers, and thieves are ___________.
8. What was Job using the beasts and the fowl, in verse 7, to prove?
9. In the _________ God created the heavens and the earth.
10. It should not be strange to anyone, that the _________ of all the
earth would rule over His ___________.
11. Somewhere , behind all the happenings upon the earth, is the hand
of _______.
12. Even the very breath we breath is a ________ from God.
13. Verse 11 is speaking of what?
14. How have the older people become wise?
15. What does understanding come from?
16. Who is the source of wisdom and strength?
17. ____ builds up, and ______ tears down.
18. What is a good example of that?
19. What is a good example of God bringing a flood?
20. All mankind is God's ________.
21. Only those who ________ are His sons.
22. What must earthly judges keep in mind?
23. What is a modern disease, that takes away the understanding of the
elderly?
24. When did the king of Babylon fall?
25. When was death defeated for all believers?
26. What was a good example of God increasing the nations?
27. When the leader of the people is filled with confusion, the people
wander as ________ without a _________.
Home