111 Then Zophar, the Naamathite, answered, 2 “Shouldn’t the multitude of words be answered?
Should a man full of talk be justified? 3 Should your boastings make men hold their peace?
When you mock, shall no man make you ashamed? 4 For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure.
I am clean in your eyes.’ 5 But oh that God would speak,
and open his lips against you, 6 that he would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For true wisdom has two sides.
Know therefore that God exacts of you less than your iniquity deserves.
7 “Can you fathom the mystery of God?
Or can you probe the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are high as heaven. What can you do?
They are deeper than Sheol. What can you know? 9 Its measure is longer than the earth,
and broader than the sea. 10 If he passes by, or confines,
or convenes a court, then who can oppose him? 11 For he knows false men.
He sees iniquity also, even though he doesn’t consider it. 12 An empty-headed man becomes wise
when a man is born as a wild donkey’s colt.
13 “If you set your heart aright,
stretch out your hands toward him. 14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away.
Don’t let unrighteousness dwell in your tents. 15 Surely then you shall lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you shall be steadfast, and shall not fear: 16 for you shall forget your misery.
You shall remember it as waters that are passed away. 17 Life shall be clearer than the noonday.
Though there is darkness, it shall be as the morning. 18 You shall be secure, because there is hope.
Yes, you shall search, and shall take your rest in safety. 19 Also you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid.
Yes, many shall court your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail.
They shall have no way to flee.
Their hope shall be the giving up of the spirit.”
121 Then Job answered, 2 “No doubt, but you are the people,
and wisdom shall die with you. 3 But I have understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Yes, who doesn’t know such things as these? 4 I am like one who is a joke to his neighbor,
I, who called on God, and he answered.
The just, the blameless man is a joke. 5 In the thought of him who is at ease there is contempt for misfortune.
It is ready for them whose foot slips.
6 The tents of robbers prosper.
Those who provoke God are secure,
who carry their God in their hands. 7 “But ask the animals, now, and they shall teach you;
the birds of the sky, and they shall tell you. 8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you.
The fish of the sea shall declare to you. 9 Who doesn’t know that in all these,
the hand of Yahweh has done this, 10 in whose hand is the life of every living thing,
and the breath of all mankind? 11 Doesn’t the ear try words,
even as the palate tastes its food?
12 With aged men is wisdom,
in length of days understanding. 13 “With God is wisdom and might.
He has counsel and understanding. 14 Behold, he breaks down, and it can’t be built again.
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release. 15 Behold, he withholds the waters, and they dry up.
Again, he sends them out, and they overturn the earth. 16 With him is strength and wisdom.
The deceived and the deceiver are his. 17 He leads counselors away stripped.
He makes judges fools. 18 He loosens the bond of kings.
He binds their waist with a belt. 19 He leads priests away stripped,
and overthrows the mighty. 20 He removes the speech of those who are trusted,
and takes away the understanding of the elders. 21 He pours contempt on princes,
and loosens the belt of the strong. 22 He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
and brings out to light the shadow of death. 23 He increases the nations, and he destroys them.
He enlarges the nations, and he leads them captive. 24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth,
and causes them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way. 25 They grope in the dark without light.
He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
131 “Behold, my eye has seen all this.
My ear has heard and understood it. 2 What you know, I know also.
I am not inferior to you. 3 “Surely I would speak to the Almighty.
I desire to reason with God. 4 But you are forgers of lies.
You are all physicians of no value. 5 Oh that you would be completely silent!
Then you would be wise. 6 Hear now my reasoning.
Listen to the pleadings of my lips. 7 Will you speak unrighteously for God,
and talk deceitfully for him? 8 Will you show partiality to him?
Will you contend for God? 9 Is it good that he should search you out?
Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him? 10 He will surely reprove you
if you secretly show partiality. 11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid,
And his dread fall on you? 12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Be silent, leave me alone, that I may speak.
Let come on me what will. 14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth,
and put my life in my hand? 15 Behold, he will kill me.
I have no hope.
Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him. 16 This also shall be my salvation,
that a godless man shall not come before him. 17 Hear diligently my speech.
Let my declaration be in your ears. 18 See now, I have set my cause in order.
I know that I am righteous. 19 Who is he who will contend with me?
For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit. 20 “Only don’t do two things to me;
then I will not hide myself from your face: 21 withdraw your hand far from me;
and don’t let your terror make me afraid. 22 Then call, and I will answer;
or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my disobedience and my sin. 24 Why hide you your face,
and hold me for your enemy? 25 Will you harass a driven leaf?
Will you pursue the dry stubble? 26 For you write bitter things against me,
and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth: 27 You also put my feet in the stocks,
and mark all my paths.
You set a bound to the soles of my feet, 28 though I am decaying like a rotten thing,
like a garment that is moth-eaten.
91 But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he traveled, it happened that he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. 4 He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [1] 6 But [2] rise up, and enter into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. 8 Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. 9 He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.” 11 The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah [3] for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” 17 Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. 19 He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.
20 Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God. 21 All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”
(Read Acts 9:1-9)
So ill informed was Saul, that he thought he ought to do all he could against the name of Christ, and that he did God service thereby; he seemed to breathe in this as in his element. Let us not despair of renewing grace for the conversion of the greatest sinners, nor let such despair of the pardoning mercy of God for the greatest sin. It is a signal token of Divine favour, if God, by the inward working of his grace, or the outward events of his providence, stops us from prosecuting or executing sinful purposes. Saul saw that Just One, 14; 26:13. How near to us is the unseen world! It is but for God to draw aside the veil, and objects are presented to the view, compared with which, whatever is most admired on earth is mean and contemptible. Saul submitted without reserve, desirous to know what the Lord Jesus would have him to do. Christ's discoveries of himself to poor souls are humbling; they lay them very low, in mean thoughts of themselves. For three days Saul took no food, and it pleased God to leave him for that time without relief. His sins were now set in order before him; he was in the dark concerning his own spiritual state, and wounded in spirit for sin. When a sinner is brought to a proper sense of his own state and conduct, he will cast himself wholly on the mercy of the Saviour, asking what he would have him to do. God will direct the humbled sinner, and though he does not often bring transgressors to joy and peace in believing, without sorrows and distress of conscience, under which the soul is deeply engaged as to eternal things, yet happy are those who sow in tears, for they shall reap in joy.
(Read Acts 9:10-22)
A good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet with those words, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any who were brought to that. Behold, the proud Pharisee, the unmerciful oppressor, the daring blasphemer, prayeth! And thus it is even now, and with the proud infidel, or the abandoned sinner. What happy tidings are these to all who understand the nature and power of prayer, of such prayer as the humbled sinner presents for the blessings of free salvation! Now he began to pray after another manner than he had done; before, he said his prayers, now, he prayed them. Regenerating grace sets people on praying; you may as well find a living man without breath, as a living Christian without prayer. Yet even eminent disciples, like Ananias, sometimes stagger at the commands of the Lord. But it is the Lord's glory to surpass our scanty expectations, and show that those are vessels of his mercy whom we are apt to consider as objects of his vengeance. The teaching of the Holy Spirit takes away the scales of ignorance and pride from the understanding; then the sinner becomes a new creature, and endeavours to recommend the anointed Saviour, the Son of God, to his former companions.
