81 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered , 2 "How long will you say these things , And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind ? 3 "Does God pervert justice ? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right ? 4 " If your sons sinned against Him, Then He delivered them into the power of their transgression . 5 "If you would seek God And implore the compassion of the Almighty , 6 If you are pure and upright , Surely now He would rouse Himself for you And restore your righteous estate . 7 "Though your beginning was insignificant , Yet your end will increase greatly .
8 "Please inquire of past generations , And consider the things searched out by their fathers . 9 "For we are only of yesterday and know nothing , Because our days on earth are as a shadow . 10 "Will they not teach you and tell you, And bring forth words from their minds ? 11 "Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh ? Can the rushes grow without water ? 12 "While it is still green and not cut down , Yet it withers before any other plant . 13 "So are the paths of all who forget God ; And the hope of the godless will perish , 14 Whose confidence is fragile , And whose trust a spider's web . 15 "He trusts in his house , but it does not stand ; He holds fast to it, but it does not endure . 16 "He thrives before the sun , And his shoots spread out over his garden . 17 "His roots wrap around a rock pile , He grasps a house of stones . 18 "If he is removed from his place , Then it will deny him, saying, ' I never saw you.' 19 "Behold , this is the joy of His way ; And out of the dust others will spring .
20 "Lo , God will not reject a man of integrity , Nor will He support e the evildoers . 21 "He will yet fill your mouth with laughter And your lips with shouting . 22 "Those who hate you will be clothed with shame , And the tent of the wicked will be no longer."
91 Then Job answered , 2 "In truth I know that this is so ; But how can a man be in the right before God ? 3 "If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4 " Wise in heart and mighty in strength , Who has defied e Him without harm ? 5 " It is God who removes the mountains , they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger ; 6 Who shakes the earth out of its place , And its pillars tremble ; 7 Who commands the sun not to shine , And sets a seal upon the stars ; 8 Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea ; 9 Who makes the Bear , Orion and the Pleiades , And the chambers of the south ; 10 Who does great things , unfathomable e e , And wondrous works without e number . 11 "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. 12 "Were He to snatch away , who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ' What are You doing ?' 13 "God will not turn back His anger ; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab .
14 "How then e can I answer Him, And choose my words before Him? 15 "For though I were right , I could not answer ; I would have to implore the mercy of my judge . 16 "If I called and He answered me, I could not believe that He was listening to my voice . 17 "For He bruises me with a tempest And multiplies my wounds without cause . 18 "He will not allow me to get my breath , But saturates me with bitterness . 19 "If it is a matter of power , behold , He is the strong one ! And if it is a matter of justice , who can summon Him? 20 " Though I am righteous , my mouth will condemn me; Though I am guiltless , He will declare me guilty . 21 "I am guiltless ; I do not take notice of myself ; I despise my life .
22 "It is all one ; therefore e I say , 'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked .' 23 "If the scourge kills suddenly , He mocks the despair of the innocent . 24 "The earth is given into the hand of the wicked ; He covers the faces of its judges . If it is not He, then who is it?
25 "Now my days are swifter than a runner ; They flee away , they see no good . 26 "They slip by like reed boats , Like an eagle that swoops on its prey . 27 "Though I say , 'I will forget my complaint , I will leave off my sad countenance and be cheerful ,' 28 I am afraid of all my pains , I know that You will not acquit me. 29 "I am accounted wicked , Why then should I toil in vain ? 30 "If I should wash myself with snow And cleanse my hands with lye , 31 Yet You would plunge me into the pit , And my own clothes would abhor me. 32 "For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together . 33 "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both . 34 "Let Him remove His rod from me, And let not dread of Him terrify me. 35 "Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.
101 " I loathe my own life ; I will give full e vent to my complaint ; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul . 2 "I will say to God , ' Do not condemn me; Let me know why e You contend with me. 3 'Is it right for You indeed to oppress , To reject the labor of Your hands , And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked ? 4 'Have You eyes of flesh ? Or do You see as a man sees ? 5 'Are Your days as the days of a mortal , Or Your years as man's years , 6 That You should seek for my guilt And search after my sin ? 7 'According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty , Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand .
8 ' Your hands fashioned and made me altogether e , And would You destroy me? 9 'Remember now , that You have made me as clay ; And would You turn me into dust again ? 10 'Did You not pour me out like milk And curdle me like cheese ; 11 Clothe me with skin and flesh , And knit me together with bones and sinews ? 12 'You have granted me life and lovingkindness ; And Your care has preserved my spirit . 13 'Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart ; I know that this is within You:
14 If I sin , then You would take note of me, And would not acquit me of my guilt . 15 'If I am wicked , woe to me! And if I am righteous , I dare not lift up my head . I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery . 16 'Should my head be lifted up, You would hunt me like a lion ; And again You would show Your power against me. 17 'You renew Your witnesses against me And increase Your anger toward me; Hardship after hardship is with me. 18 ' Why then have You brought me out of the womb ? Would that I had died and no eye had seen me! 19 'I should have been as though I had not been , Carried from womb to tomb .' 20 "Would He not let my few days alone ? Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer 21 Before I go - and I shall not return - To the land of darkness and deep shadow , 22 The land of utter gloom as darkness itself, Of deep shadow without order , And which shines as the darkness ."
26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying , "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza ." (This is a desert road. ) 27 So he got up and went ; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch , a court official of Candace , queen of the Ethiopians , who was in charge of all her treasure ; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship , 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot , and was reading the prophet Isaiah . 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip , "Go up and join this chariot ." 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet , and said , "Do you understand what you are reading ?" 31 And he said , "Well , how could I, unless e someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this : " HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER ; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT , SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH . 33 " IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY ; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION ? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH ." 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said , "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this ? Of himself or of someone else ?" 35 Then Philip opened his mouth , and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water ; and the eunuch said , "Look ! Water ! What prevents me from being baptized ?" 37 [And Philip said , "If you believe with all your heart , you may ." And he answered and said , "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop ; and they both went down into the water , Philip as well as the eunuch , and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water , the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away ; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing . 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus , and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea .
(Read Acts 8:26-40)
Philip was directed to go to a desert. Sometimes God opens a door of opportunity to his ministers in very unlikely places. We should study to do good to those we come into company with by travelling. We should not be so shy of all strangers as some affect to be. As to those of whom we know nothing else, we know this, that they have souls. It is wisdom for men of business to redeem time for holy duties; to fill up every minute with something which will turn to a good account. In reading the word of God, we should often pause, to inquire of whom and of what the sacred writers spake; but especially our thoughts should be employed about the Redeemer. The Ethiopian was convinced by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, of the exact fulfilment of the Scripture, was made to understand the nature of the Messiah's kingdom and salvation, and desired to be numbered among the disciples of Christ. Those who seek the truth, and employ their time in searching the Scriptures, will be sure to reap advantages. The avowal of the Ethiopian must be understood as expressing simple reliance on Christ for salvation, and unreserved devotion to Him. Let us not be satisfied till we get faith, as the Ethiopian did, by diligent study of the Holy Scriptures, and the teaching of the Spirit of God; let us not be satisfied till we get it fixed as a principle in our hearts. As soon as he was baptized, the Spirit of God took Philip from him, so that he saw him no more; but this tended to confirm his faith. When the inquirer after salvation becomes acquainted with Jesus and his gospel, he will go on his way rejoicing, and will fill up his station in society, and discharge his duties, from other motives, and in another manner than heretofore. Though baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, with water, it is not enough without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Lord, grant this to every one of us; then shall we go on our way rejoicing.
