91.2 Job's Obedience Questioned

(Job 1:8-12)

"Did you notice my servant Job?" the Lord asked. "There is no one on earth as faithful and good as he is. He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil."

Satan replied, "Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? You have always  protected him and his family and everything he owns. You bless everything he does, and you have given him enough cattle to fill the whole country. But now suppose you take away everything he has- he will curse you to your face!"

"All right," the Lord said to Satan, "everything he has is your power, but you must not hurt Job himself." So Satan left.

91.1 Job Was Wealthy And Pious

(Job 1:1-5)

There was a man named Job, living in the land of Uz, who worshiped God and was faithful to him. He was a good man, careful not to do anything evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, one thousand heads of cattle, and five hundred donkeys. He also had a large number of servants and was the richest man in the East.

Job's sons used to take turns giving a feast, to which all the others would come, and they always invited their three sisters to join them. The morning after each feast, Job would get up early and offer sacrifices for each of his children in order to purify them. He always did this because he thought that one of them might have sinned by insulting God unintentionally.

90.4 I Seek The Protection Of The Lord

(Psalm 141)

I call to you, Lord, help me now! Listen to me when I call you.

Receive my prayer as incense, my uplifted hands as an evening sacrifice.

Lord, place a guard at my mouth, a sentry at the door of my lips.

Keep me from wanting to do wrong and from joining evil men in their wickedness.

May I never take part in their feasts.

A good man may punish me and rebuke me in kindness, but I will never accept honor from evil men, because I am always praying against their evil deeds.

When their rulers are thrown down from rocky cliffs, the people will admit that my words were true.

Like wood that is split and chopped into bits, so their bones are scattered at the edge of the grave.

But I keep trusting in you, my Sovereign Lord. I seek your protection, don't let me die!

Protect me from the traps they have set for me, from the snares of those evildoers.

May the wicked fall into their own traps while I go by unharmed.

90.3 Seek Good And Not Evil

(Amos 5:4-15)

The Lord says to the people of Israel, "Come to me, and you will live. Do not go to Beersheba to worship. Do not try to find me at Bethel- Bethel will come to nothing. Do not go to Gilgal- her people are doomed to exile."

Go to the Lord, and you will live. If you do not go, he will sweep down like fire on the people of Israel. The fire will burn up the people of Bethel, and no one will be able to put it out. You are doomed, you that twist justice and cheat people out of their rights!

The Lord made the stars, the Pleiades and Orion.

He turns darkness into daylight and day into night.

He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the earth.

His name is the Lord.

He brings destruction on the mighty and their strongholds.

You people hate anyone who challenges injustice and speaks the whole truth in court.

You have oppressed the poor and robbed then of their grain. And so you will not live in the fine stone houses you build or drink wine from the beautiful vineyards you plant, I know how terrible your sins are and how many crimes you have committed. You persecute good men, take bribes, and prevent the poor from getting justice in the courts. And so, keeping quiet in such evil times is the smart thing to do!

Make it your aim to do what is right, not what is evil, so that you may live.  Then the Lord God Almighty really will be with you, as you claim he is. Hate what is evil, love what is right, and see that justice prevails in the courts. Perhaps the Lord will be merciful to the people of this nation who are still left alive.

90.2 Leaders Seek The Lord

(1 Chronicles 22:17-19)

David commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon. He said, "The Lord your God has been with you and given you peace on all sides. He let me conquer all the people who used to live in this land, and they are now subject to you and to the Lord. Now serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. Start building the Temple, so that you can place in it the Covenant Box of the Lord and all the other sacred objects used in worshiping him."