The War of Nine Kings
A WAR fought near the Dead Sea nearly 4,000 years ago is the focus of this week’s study.
A WAR fought near the Dead Sea nearly 4,000 years ago is the focus of this week’s study.
GOD BEGINS a new phase of His plan to redeem humanity in this week’s study, as Abram is called from his homeland to journey south into Canaan.
BEFORE WE pick up the story of Abraham, some context: When God divided the nations after the Tower of Babel incident, He placed them under the supervision of “sons of God,” angelic beings who were charged with carrying out His will while supervising His creation.
LEVIATHAN AND BEHEMOTH are featured this week as God uses them to illustrate the difference between Him and Job. While these creatures are described as possessing almost unimaginable power, they are as pets to our Lord, who made them just as He made us.
GOD ARRIVES on the scene to respond to Job’s complaints, and boy, does He bring the thunder. Literally.
ELIHU CONTINUES his rebuke of Job, refuting the older man’s arguments and then encouraging him to repent.
JOB DELIVERS his closing argument, recalling the days when his life was blessed, a respected member of the community, contrasting it with his current situation as one who’s mocked and despised. He asserts his innocence again, and issues another plea for a hearing.
A DRAGON in the Bible? Yes! And we see it here in the Book of Job. What’s more, we see a connection between this primordial enemy of God and the spirits of the Nephilim.
JOB’S FRIENDS grow increasingly accusatory as we go through the book. This week, we hear the final speeches of Zophar and Eliphaz, who have gone from gently reminding Job that God punishes the wicked to accusing their miserable, suffering friend of mistreating the poor, widowed, and homeless!
JOB’S UNDERSTANDING of the afterlife was a reflection of the culture around him. But even with that, Job knew that his Redeemer lived, “and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”
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