171 “My spirit is consumed.
My days are extinct,
And the grave is ready for me. 2 Surely there are mockers with me.
My eye dwells on their provocation. 3 “Now give a pledge, be collateral for me with yourself.
Who is there who will strike hands with me? 4 For you have hidden their heart from understanding,
Therefore you shall not exalt them. 5 He who denounces his friends for a prey,
Even the eyes of his children shall fail. 6 “But he has made me a byword of the people.
They spit in my face. 7 My eye also is dim by reason of sorrow.
All my members are as a shadow. 8 Upright men shall be astonished at this.
The innocent shall stir up himself against the godless. 9 Yet shall the righteous hold on his way.
He who has clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, come on now again;
I shall not find a wise man among you. 11 My days are past, my plans are broken off,
as are the thoughts of my heart. 12 They change the night into day,
saying ‘The light is near’ in the presence of darkness. 13 If I look for Sheol as my house,
if I have spread my couch in the darkness, 14 If I have said to corruption, ‘You are my father;’
to the worm, ‘My mother,’ and ‘my sister;’ 15 where then is my hope?
as for my hope, who shall see it? 16 Shall it go down with me to the gates of Sheol,
or descend together into the dust?”
181 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, 2 “How long will you hunt for words?
Consider, and afterwards we will speak. 3 Why are we counted as animals,
which have become unclean in your sight? 4 You who tear yourself in your anger,
shall the earth be forsaken for you?
Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?
5 “Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
The spark of his fire shall not shine. 6 The light shall be dark in his tent.
His lamp above him shall be put out. 7 The steps of his strength shall be shortened.
His own counsel shall cast him down. 8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
and he wanders into its mesh. 9 A snare will take him by the heel.
A trap will catch him. 10 A noose is hidden for him in the ground,
a trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side,
and shall chase him at his heels. 12 His strength shall be famished.
Calamity shall be ready at his side. 13 The members of his body shall be devoured.
The firstborn of death shall devour his members. 14 He shall be rooted out of his tent where he trusts.
He shall be brought to the king of terrors. 15 There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his.
Sulfur shall be scattered on his habitation. 16 His roots shall be dried up beneath.
Above shall his branch be cut off. 17 His memory shall perish from the earth.
He shall have no name in the street. 18 He shall be driven from light into darkness,
and chased out of the world. 19 He shall have neither son nor grandson among his people,
nor any remaining where he sojourned. 20 Those who come after shall be astonished at his day,
as those who went before were frightened. 21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous.
This is the place of him who doesn’t know God.”
191 Then Job answered, 2 “How long will you torment me,
and crush me with words? 3 You have reproached me ten times.
You aren’t ashamed that you attack me. 4 If it is true that I have erred,
my error remains with myself. 5 If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me,
and plead against me my reproach; 6 know now that God has subverted me,
and has surrounded me with his net. 7 “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard.
I cry for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass,
and has set darkness in my paths. 9 He has stripped me of my glory,
and taken the crown from my head. 10 He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone.
My hope he has plucked up like a tree. 11 He has also kindled his wrath against me.
He counts me among his adversaries. 12 His troops come on together,
build a siege ramp against me,
and encamp around my tent. 13 “He has put my brothers far from me.
My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me. 14 My relatives have gone away.
My familiar friends have forgotten me. 15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger.
I am an alien in their sight. 16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer.
I beg him with my mouth. 17 My breath is offensive to my wife.
I am loathsome to the children of my own mother. 18 Even young children despise me.
If I arise, they speak against me. 19 All my familiar friends abhor me.
They whom I loved have turned against me. 20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh.
I have escaped by the skin of my teeth. 21 “Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends;
for the hand of God has touched me. 22 Why do you persecute me as God,
and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 “Oh that my words were now written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book! 24 That with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever! 25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives.
In the end, he will stand upon the earth. 26 After my skin is destroyed,
then in my flesh shall I see God, 27 Whom I, even I, shall see on my side.
My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger.
“My heart is consumed within me. 28 If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’
because the root of the matter is found in me, 29 be afraid of the sword,
for wrath brings the punishments of the sword,
that you may know there is a judgment.”
101 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God. 3 At about the ninth hour of the day [1], he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?”
He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is surnamed Peter. 6 He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. [2]” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually. 8 Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon. 10 He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, 12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” 16 This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven. 17 Now while Peter was very perplexed in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate, 18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodging there.
19 While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three [3] men seek you. 20 But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” 21 Peter went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say.” 23 So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
(Read Acts 10:1-8)
Hitherto none had been baptized into the Christian church but Jews, Samaritans, and those converts who had been circumcised and observed the ceremonial law; but now the Gentiles were to be called to partake all the privileges of God's people, without first becoming Jews. Pure and undefiled religion is sometimes found where we least expect it. Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both in works of charity and of piety, neither will excuse from the other. Doubtless Cornelius had true faith in God's word, as far as he understood it, though not as yet clear faith in Christ. This was the work of the Spirit of God, through the mediation of Jesus, even before Cornelius knew him, as is the case with us all when we, who before were dead in sin, are made alive. Through Christ also his prayers and alms were accepted, which otherwise would have been rejected. Without dispute or delay Cornelius was obedient to the heavenly vision. In the affairs of our souls, let us not lose time.
(Read Acts 10:9-18)
The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clean which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the law of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it. God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasion we have to make use of it.
(Read Acts 10:19-33)
When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexed with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas. Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken as kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join us in religious exercises. Cornelius declared the direction God gave him to send for Peter. We are right in our aims in attending a gospel ministry, when we do it with regard to the Divine appointment requiring us to make use of that ordinance. How seldom ministers are called to speak to such companies, however small, in which it may be said that they are all present in the sight of God, to hear all things that are commanded of God! But these were ready to hear what Peter was commanded of God to say.
