Job 2

"Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him." v.11

Read chapter 2

This verse can help gives us a clue to when Job took place as many would say between the Tower of Babel and Abraham, so in Genesis.  How we can get this is from some details of who these friends were.  Teman was the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, to whose family this Eliphaz is probably to be referred (Genesis 36:4; Genesis 36:10-11).  Shuah was the name of a son of Abraham, by Keturah, and also of an Arabian tribe, descended from him, Genesis 25:2.

Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar appear to be Job's closest friends.  Much of the comfort of this life lies in friendship with the prudent and virtuous. Coming to mourn with him, they vented grief which they really felt. Coming to comfort him, they sat down with him.  But is their wisdom we will soon read about godly wisdom?  Keep your eyes and mind peeled to compare their words with Job's words and with God's words at the end of this book.  What is the difference between advice from your Christian friends and advice from your nonChristian friends?

Job 1

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.  And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?'  So Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.'" vv.6-7

Read chapter 1

Crazy to think that even after Satan fell from an exalted position as a cherubim to the devil that he still meets in the presence of God.  Scarier even that Satan roams the earth.  This wasn't just back in the day but still roams the earth today until he will be locked up and destroyed forever.  It's always a little confusing when God, who is omniscience, asks Satan where he came from.  I guess it's similar to a policeman giving a thief a chance to confess even though it's clear from video cameras that they stole the item.  God gives Satan a chance to say what he's up to.  Satan is the father of lies, so every time he speaks it's a lie. So even here he probably is only giving a half truth not saying what he was up to as he was walking about the earth.  Why also does God let him roam the earth and be free instead of binding and destroying him now?  Why does God allow Satan to try people?  Hard questions and things to grasp or understand.  What are you thoughts?  How can you see Satan roaming the earth today?

Isaiah 66

"The sound of noise from the city!  A voice from the temple!...And I will also take some of them for priests and Levites,” says the Lord." v.6,21

Read chapter 66
This chapter is clearly talking about the future Kingdom and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's cool to see that there will be a temple during this time, not just a place for God to dwell in as in the past for the earth is His footstool.  It will be the center of activity of the world, where offerings will be given.  Notice there's even priest and Levities too in the future order.  Commentators differ in opinion as to whether the ministers of the sanctuary are to be taken from the restored exiles or from the nations but it will no longer be of birth buy of whom the Lord "will also take."  What do you think being a priest or Levite in the future glory of God will look like?  Would this be a position you would desire?  Why or why not?  What questions come up as you read this chapter of what's to happen during the beginning of this new time?

Isaiah 65

“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’
To a nation that was not called by My name...It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear." vv.1,24

Read chapter 65

How cool that God is there before we realize it!  He's there before we start seeking Him, He's there before we call His name, He's listening to our hearts and minds before we understand them ourselves.

This chapter is a glorious picture of the future order, the Judgment and the New Heavens and New Earth!  And it's not just for Israel, God's chosen people, but for those that did not ask or seek Him through a covenant but knew there had to be something more.  Pictures of how those forsook God and turned to idols will be shamed.  Pictures of living far beyond years that we can't grasp, of wild beast dwelling with other beasts, no weeping, no hurt.

The Lord knows what you need before you ask.  The Lord listens and responds to your prayers.  Are you seeking after the One you do not know?  Are you still seeking the One you do know?

Isaiah 64

"In these ways we continue;
And we need to be saved.

6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away." vv.5-6

Read chapter 64

Our righteousness are filthy rags!  Did you get that?  Our good works are disgusting like rags for menstruous cleaning or leprous man clothes as referred to in the Law of Israel.  All our works have so great an imperfection compared to the Holy God.  Rags themselves cannot even cover our bodies, so neither good works cannot cover our sin.  We need a Savior; despite any of our own good deeds we still need to be saved (v5).  Our sin takes us away like the wind from God to remote places farther from His Holiness.  But praise that through the Lord Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection no one can be too far from God that He cannot find us, or sin so evil that He will not forgive us as we admit we need Him as our One and Only Savior. 

What sin has taken you in the wind?  Do you depend on righteousness to justify salvation?  Is it hard to hear that even your good deeds are as filthy rags?  

Isaiah 63

"O Lord, why have You made us stray from Your ways,
And hardened our heart from Your fear?
Return for Your servants’ sake,
The tribes of Your inheritance." v.17

Read chapter 63

This is a question still asked by many today: "why has the Lord made us stray from His ways and hardened our hearts"?  Isaiah identifies himself with his people, and speaks for them. "Have their sins led God to abandon them, and to harden their hearts as He hardened Pharaoh’s? (Comp. Romans 9:17-22.) Are they given over as to a reprobate mind? Against that thought he finds refuge, where only men can find it, in prayer, and in pleading God’s promise and the “election of grace,” to which He at least remains faithful, though men are faithless. Conscious that they have no power without Him to return to Him, they can ask Him to return to them" (Elliott's Commentary).

2 Timothy 2:13 is the great promise and characteristic of God that if we are faithless God remains faithful.  It's hard to understand why God would harden someone's heart but like in the case of Pharaoh, he hardened his own heart before God chose to do so.  We point the finger at God when really it's out of our free will that we stray from God's ways and choose not to fear Him and God allows us in that.  When have you blamed God for something that was ultimately your choosing?

Isaiah 62

"The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name." v.2

Read chapter 62
Here we read of the assurance of Zion's salvation.  That Jerusalem will no longer be desolate and a reproach to the rest of the world.  The nations (Gentiles) will see Israel's righteousness.  The God of Israel being the King of kings and choosing His dwelling place in Zion.  This city is going to be called by a new name.  A name is more than just a title but also describes character.  If someone says "I'm going to make a new name for myself" it doesn't mean he's going to go to court to get his name on his birth certificate changed, it means he's going to change the character of what someone thinks when they hear his name.  For example, John Doe was know as the craziest partier in high school but when he entered college he decided he didn't want to be known as that so he was going to start anew and make a new name for himself.  
We don't know what this new name will be for Jerusalem (as we already see so many names in scripture for this one city), but it will not be by man's choosing but by God's.  The same will be true of us, maybe not literally or maybe so, but that we will no longer have our sinful nature in the Kingdom and will be characterized by who God intended us to be.  What is a new name you want to make for yourself today?