For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.
Passage: Job 12:1-10
1 Then Job replied:
2 ‘Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
and wisdom will die with you!
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Who does not know all these things?
4 ‘I have become a laughing-stock to my friends,
though I called on God and he answered –
a mere laughing-stock, though righteous and blameless!
5 Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune
as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,
and those who provoke God are secure –
those whom God has in his hand. 7 ‘But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;
8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,
or let the fish in the sea inform you.
9 Which of all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In his hand is the life of every creature
and the breath of all mankind.
A. Find Out
- What does Job say about himself? v.2,3
- What has he become, despite what? v.4
- What does he imply about his friends? v.5
- What does he say about the wicked? v.6
- To whom does he appeal? v.7,8
- What do they know? v.9,10
B. Think:
- What is Job trying to say in verses 2 & 3?
- What point is he making in the remaining verses?
C. Comment:
Job recognises the ‘put-down’ of Zophar (11:2,3) and appeals for equality (v.2,3) and a right to be able to speak. Essentially he is saying in the following verses that the good and bad alike are in God’s hands and it doesn’t matter what they do, God is overseeing all of life. Note that this doesn’t say doing bad is all right, merely that such things go on while God is watching over it all.
He is aware that he has become a laughingstock (v.4), that people snigger behind their hands at what has happened to this ‘good man’. He’s called on the Lord in the past and the Lord has answered and he has remained righteous and blameless – yet these things happened! Those who are in a place of ease and comfort look down on the misfortunes of others (v.5a) and assume their misfortunes are because of sin (v.5b). Meanwhile the wicked – marauders, those against God who worship idols – seem to get away with it (v.6).
This, he implies, is obvious to the rest of the world – all living creatures know it (v.7,8) – that all this is within the sovereign activity of the Lord (v.9) for all life is within His hands (v.10). Although Job speaks rightly here, we need to understand that this does not mean that God makes wicked men wicked, merely that He watches them and allows them and even uses them (e.g. see Acts 2:23 etc.). Job thus argues that his misfortune is not a sign of his wickedness, of his punishment. He’s right!
D. Application:
- God is overall ALL of mankind.
- Things go wrong in this Fallen World and sometimes we suffer
Passage: Job 12:11-25
11 Does not the ear test words
as the tongue tastes food?
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?
Does not long life bring understanding?
13 ‘To God belong wisdom and power;
counsel and understanding are his.
14 What he tears down cannot be rebuilt;
those he imprisons cannot be released.
15 If he holds back the waters, there is drought;
if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.
16 To him belong strength and insight;
both deceived and deceiver are his.
17 He leads rulers away stripped
and makes fools of judges.
18 He takes off the shackles put on by kings
and ties a loincloth round their waist.
19 He leads priests away stripped
and overthrows officials long established.
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisors
and takes away the discernment of elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and disarms the mighty.
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness
and brings utter darkness into the light.
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;
he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;
he makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope in darkness with no light;
he makes them stagger like drunkards.
A. Find Out
- What questions does Job ask? v.11,12
- What belongs to God? v.13
- What 4 examples of God’s power does Job give? v.14,15
- List the things God does with people. v.16-21
- What further does He do, and with what effect? v.22-25
B. Think:
- Note the things that ‘belong’ to God. v.13,16a
- What point is Job making in all these verses?
C. Comment:
In verse 10 Job had declared, “In his hand is the life of every creature.” Our verses today detail that. Verses 11 & 12 recognise that we have the capacity to hear and understand and to gain wisdom with age, and thus learn that these things are true (implied).
He now declares that wisdom, power, counsel, and understanding are all things that belong to and thus come from God. In all that follows he details expressions of God’s power: His ability to tear down (v.14a) and to imprison people (v.14b) – both things that mankind cannot reverse – and God can cause droughts or floods (v.15). These are signs of His sovereign power.
But then he details ways that God sovereignly moves with mankind: He deals with both the deceived and the deceiver (v.16b), shows up (false) counsellors and (bad) judges (v.17), He releases the oppressed (v.18), He removes (bad) priests and leaders (v.19) and removes counsel, advice and wisdom from leaders (when a nation has gone astray, v.20) and deals with (bad) rulers (v.21).
God also makes clear the truth (v.22) and exalts (good) nations and pulls them down (when they turn away from Him, v.23), and He takes away the sanity of great kings in judgement (v.24,25 – see Nebuchadnezzar – Dan 4:28-).
In all of these examples, Job speaks the truth. When we read the Scriptures we see that God does do all the things that Job speaks of here.
D. Application:
- God is sovereign Lord – worship Him!
- God always does what is right – declare this truth always.