GOD’S WAYS ARE UNPREDICTABLE

Passage: Job 12:1-25

Key verse: 10

NIV

Job

12 Then Job replied:

2 “Doubtless you are the only people who matter,
    and wisdom will die with you!(A)
3 But I have a mind as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know all these things?(B)

4 “I have become a laughingstock(C) to my friends,(D)
    though I called on God and he answered(E)—
    a mere laughingstock, though righteous and blameless!(F)
5 Those who are at ease have contempt(G) for misfortune
    as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.(H)
6 The tents of marauders are undisturbed,(I)
    and those who provoke God are secure(J)—
    those God has in his hand.[a]

7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you,(K)
    or the birds in the sky,(L) and they will tell you;(M)
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(N)
    that the hand of the Lord has done this?(O)
10 In his hand is the life(P) of every creature
    and the breath of all mankind.(Q)
11 Does not the ear test words
    as the tongue tastes food?(R)
12 Is not wisdom found among the aged?(S)
    Does not long life bring understanding?(T)

13 “To God belong wisdom(U) and power;(V)
    counsel and understanding are his.(W)
14 What he tears down(X) cannot be rebuilt;(Y)
    those he imprisons cannot be released.(Z)
15 If he holds back the waters,(AA) there is drought;(AB)
    if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.(AC)
16 To him belong strength and insight;(AD)
    both deceived and deceiver are his.(AE)
17 He leads rulers away stripped(AF)
    and makes fools of judges.(AG)
18 He takes off the shackles(AH) put on by kings
    and ties a loincloth[b] around their waist.(AI)
19 He leads priests away stripped(AJ)
    and overthrows officials long established.(AK)
20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(AL)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(AM)
    and disarms the mighty.(AN)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(AO)
    and brings utter darkness(AP) into the light.(AQ)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(AR)
    he enlarges nations,(AS) and disperses them.(AT)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(AU)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(AV)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(AW)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(AX)

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Footnotes
  1. Job 12:6 Or those whose god is in their own hand
  2. Job 12:18 Or shackles of kings / and ties a belt
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Job Replies: The Lord Has Done This

12 Then Job answered and said:

2 “No doubt you are the people,
    and wisdom will die with you.
3 But I have (A)understanding as well as you;
    I am not inferior to you.
    Who does not know (B)such things as these?
4 I am (C)a laughingstock to my friends;
    I, who (D)called to God and he answered me,
    a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
5 In the thought of one who is (E)at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
    it is ready for those whose feet slip.
6 (F)The tents of robbers are at peace,
    and those who provoke God are secure,
    who bring their god in their hand.[a]

7 “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
    the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
8 or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you;[b]
    and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
9 Who among all these does not know
    that (G)the hand of the Lord has done this?
10 In (H)his hand is the life of every living thing
    and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not (I)the ear test words
    as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is with (J)the aged,
    and understanding in length of days.

13 (K)“With God[c] are wisdom and might;
    he has counsel and understanding.
14 If he tears down, none can rebuild;
    if he (L)shuts a man in, none can open.
15 If he (M)withholds the waters, they dry up;
    if he (N)sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
16 With him are strength and (O)sound wisdom;
    the deceived and the deceiver are his.
17 He leads (P)counselors away stripped,
    and (Q)judges he makes fools.
18 He (R)looses the bonds of kings
    and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
19 He leads priests away stripped
    and overthrows the mighty.
20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    (S)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (T)pours contempt on princes
    and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (U)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
    and brings (V)deep darkness to light.
23 He (W)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, and (X)leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
    and (Y)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They (Z)grope in the dark without light,
    and he makes them (AA)stagger like a drunken man.

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Footnotes
  1. Job 12:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Job 12:8 Or or speak to the earth, and it will teach you
  3. Job 12:13 Hebrew him
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Tell me something I don’t already know! Job’s friends didn’t provide any wisdom or insight that he didn’t already have. Although Job was a righteous and blameless man, he had become a laughingstock to his friends. Job observes that it is easy to look down on the misfortunate. When we see someone struggling in life, we often attribute it to poor decisions, effort, or upbringing. We shouldn’t do that. Job realizes that the arguments of his friends are faulty. Sometimes the righteous do suffer and the wicked actually prosper in this world. Look at the marauders. They are living in peace! Look at those who provoke God. They are secure! Even the animals are wise enough to know that our lives are in God’s hands, and he does with them whatever he pleases.

Job credits God with all wisdom and power. Who can undo anything he does? He brings low the mighty and robs the elders of their wisdom. He humbles the kings and pours contempt on the nobles. He causes nations to rise and fall. He enlarges them and scatters them. His wisdom and ways are unfathomable to us. They are unpredictable and beyond our comprehension. Job knows that God has sovereignly allowed all the calamities in his life to happen. It was not due to sin, however. God had other reasons.

Prayer: Father, help us to always trust in your ways.

One Word: Our lives are in God’s hands