Have people lied to you?

September 11, 2017

The Egyptian campaign (Dan 11:25-11:28)

“He shall stir up

His power,

His determination,

Against the king of the south,

With a great army.

The king of the south

Shall wage war

With a much greater,

Stronger army.

But he shall not stand.

Plots shall be devised

Against him,

By those who eat

Of the royal rations.

They shall break him.

His army shall be swept away.

Many shall fall slain.

The two kings,

Their minds bent

On evil,

Shall sit

At one table.

They shall exchange lies.

But it shall not succeed.

There remains an end

At the time appointed.

He shall return

To his land

With great wealth.

But his heart shall be set

Against the holy covenant.

He shall work his will.

He shall return

To his own land.

King Antiochus IV determined to fight against the king of the south, in Egypt with a great army around 169 BCE. However, the king of the south, King Ptolemy VI (186-145 BCE), had a better stronger army. Nevertheless, King Antiochus IV prevailed, because there was some failure among the troops of King Ptolemy VI, as plots were devised by those who ate his royal rations. Many were killed. They seem to have come to some sort of agreement, but each was too devious to make it work. King Antiochus IV returned with great wealth. He apparently stopped off in Jerusalem and sacked it in 169 BCE, since his heart was against the holy covenant. There he worked his will before he returned to his own land.

July 10, 2015

Job attacks his friends (Job 13:1-13:12)

“Look!

M eye has seen all this.

My ear has heard and understood it.

What you know,

I also know.

I am not inferior to you.

But I would speak to the Almighty Shaddai.

I desire to argue my case with God.

As for you,

You whitewash with lies.

All of you are worthless physicians.

If you would only keep silent,

That would be your wisdom!

Hear now my reasoning!

Listen to the pleadings of my lips!

Will you speak falsely for God?

Will you speak deceitfully for him?

Will you show partiality toward him?

Will you plead the case for God?

Will it be well with you when he searches you out?

Can you deceive God?

As one person deceives another?

God will surely rebuke you,

If in secret you show partiality.

Will not his majesty terrify you?

Will the dread of him fall upon you?

Your maxims are proverbs of ashes.

Your defenses are defenses of clay.”

Once again, Job made a strong defense of himself. He had eyes and ears. He was not inferior to his friends as they had made him out to be. He wanted to argue his case before the almighty Shaddai, but all he had were his friends. He turned on them saying that they were liars and worthless physicians. They would have shown their wisdom by keeping silent. He wanted them to listen to him. Why did they speak falsely and deceitfully for God? Did they think that they could deceive God like any other person? Are they not afraid of this majesty? Their thoughts are like proverbs of ashes and clay. Job had finally turned on them in earnest.