Summary: RECEIVE GOD'S WORD WITH UNDERSTANDING AND OBEY HIM.

MISSPOKEN

INTRODUCTION: THE BOOK OF JOB MAY BE THE EARLIEST BOOK IN THE BIBLE, DATING AROUND 2,000 B.C. JOB ASSERTS HIS INTEGRITY IN CHAPTER 31. HE ASKED GOD TO WEIGH HIM WITH ACCURATE SCALES. GOD ACCOMMODATES HIS REQUEST AND FINDS NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT.

SPIRITUAL INSIGHT:

JOB IS A STUDY OF CONTRAST. JOB 1:1 DESCRIBES ONE SIDE OF JOB. ANOTHER JOB APPEARS IN JOB 42: 5-6.

JOB 42:5-6 (THE BOOK-A PARAPHRASE-JOB SPEAKING) BUT NOW I SAY, I HEARD ABOUT YOU BEFORE, BUT NOW I HAVE SEEN YOU, AND I LOATHE MYSELF AND REPENT IN DUST AND ASHES. JOB NEEDED A CIRCUMCISION OF THE EAR. JEREMIAH 6:10 (NLT)

TO WHOM CAN I GIVE WARNING? WHO WILL LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK? THEIR EARS ARE CLOSED, AND THEY CANNOT HEAR. THEY SCORN THE WORD OF THE LORD. THEY DO NOT WANT TO LISTEN AT ALL.

JOB HEARD BUT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING AND ADMITS HIS SPIRITUAL INADEQUACY.

PROVERBS 2:1-3 (NASB) MY SON, IF YOU WILL RECEIVE MY WORDS AND TREASURE MY COMMANDMENTS WITHIN YOU, MAKE YOUR EAR ATTENTIVE TO WISDOM, INCLINE YOUR HEART TO UNDERSTANDING; FOR IF YOU CRY FOR DISCERNMENT, LIFT YOUR VOICE FOR UNDERSTANDING.

PROVERBS 18: 15 (NASB) THE MIND OF THE PRUDENT ACQUIRES KNOWLEDGE, AND THE EAR OF THE WISE SEEK KNOWLEDGE.

APPLICATION: RECEIVE HIS WORD WITH UNDERSTANDING AND TREASURE HIS COMMANDS!