May the Name of the Lord Be Praised, Alan Wolff
WHY THIS MEANINGLESS TALK?
Passage: Job 27:1~23  
Key verse: 11
Job’s Final Word to His Friends
27 And Job continued his discourse:(A)
2 “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice,(B)
the Almighty,(C) who has made my life bitter,(D)
3 as long as I have life within me,
the breath of God(E) in my nostrils,
4 my lips will not say anything wicked,
and my tongue will not utter lies.(F)
5 I will never admit you are in the right;
till I die, I will not deny my integrity.(G)
6 I will maintain my innocence(H) and never let go of it;
my conscience(I) will not reproach me as long as I live.(J)
7 “May my enemy be like the wicked,(K)
my adversary(L) like the unjust!
8 For what hope have the godless(M) when they are cut off,
when God takes away their life?(N)
9 Does God listen to their cry
when distress comes upon them?(O)
10 Will they find delight in the Almighty?(P)
Will they call on God at all times?
11 “I will teach you about the power of God;
the ways(Q) of the Almighty I will not conceal.(R)
12 You have all seen this yourselves.
Why then this meaningless talk?
13 “Here is the fate God allots to the wicked,
the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty:(S)
14 However many his children,(T) their fate is the sword;(U)
his offspring will never have enough to eat.(V)
15 The plague will bury those who survive him,
and their widows will not weep for them.(W)
16 Though he heaps up silver like dust(X)
and clothes like piles of clay,(Y)
17 what he lays up(Z) the righteous will wear,(AA)
and the innocent will divide his silver.(AB)
18 The house(AC) he builds is like a moth’s cocoon,(AD)
like a hut(AE) made by a watchman.
19 He lies down wealthy, but will do so no more;(AF)
when he opens his eyes, all is gone.(AG)
20 Terrors(AH) overtake him like a flood;(AI)
a tempest snatches him away in the night.(AJ)
21 The east wind(AK) carries him off, and he is gone;(AL)
it sweeps him out of his place.(AM)
22 It hurls itself against him without mercy(AN)
as he flees headlong(AO) from its power.(AP)
23 It claps its hands(AQ) in derision
and hisses him out of his place.”(AR)
Cross references
- Job 27:1 : Job 29:1
- Job 27:2 : S Job 6:29; S 9:24; Isa 45:9; 49:4, 14
- Job 27:2 : Job 23:16
- Job 27:2 : S 1Sa 1:10; S Job 7:19; S 10:1
- Job 27:3 : S Ge 2:7; Job 32:8; 33:4; 34:14; S Ps 144:4
- Job 27:4 : S Job 6:28; S 12:16; S 16:17
- Job 27:5 : S Job 2:9; S 10:7; S 32:2
- Job 27:6 : Job 29:14; Ps 119:121; 132:9; Isa 59:17; 61:10
- Job 27:6 : S Ac 23:1; Ro 2:15
- Job 27:6 : S Job 2:3; S 10:7; S 23:10; S 34:17
- Job 27:7 : S Job 8:22
- Job 27:7 : Job 31:35
- Job 27:8 : S Job 8:13
- Job 27:8 : S Nu 16:22; S Job 8:22; S 11:20; Lk 12:20
- Job 27:9 : S Dt 1:45; S 1Sa 8:18; S Job 15:31
- Job 27:10 : S Job 22:26
- Job 27:11 : Job 36:23
- Job 27:11 : ver 13
- Job 27:13 : S Job 16:19; S 20:29
- Job 27:14 : S Job 5:4
- Job 27:14 : S Job 15:22; S La 2:22
- Job 27:14 : S Job 4:11
- Job 27:15 : Ps 78:64
- Job 27:16 : S 1Ki 10:27
- Job 27:16 : Zec 9:3
- Job 27:17 : Ps 39:6; 49:10; Ecc 2:26
- Job 27:17 : S Job 7:8; Pr 13:22; 28:8; Ecc 2:26
- Job 27:17 : Ex 3:22; S Job 3:15
- Job 27:18 : S Job 8:22
- Job 27:18 : S Job 8:14
- Job 27:18 : Isa 1:8; 24:20
- Job 27:19 : S Job 3:13; S 7:8
- Job 27:19 : S Job 14:20
- Job 27:20 : S Job 6:4
- Job 27:20 : S Job 15:21
- Job 27:20 : S Job 20:8
- Job 27:21 : Job 38:24; Jer 13:24; 22:22
- Job 27:21 : Job 30:22
- Job 27:21 : S Job 7:10
- Job 27:22 : Jer 13:14; Eze 5:11; 24:14
- Job 27:22 : 2Ki 7:15
- Job 27:22 : S Job 11:20
- Job 27:23 : S Nu 24:10; Na 3:19
- Job 27:23 : S Job 7:10
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
The wicked are those who never delight in God or call on him; they are ruthless toward their fellow man. They appear to be wealthy and successful, but in the end, terror will overtake them like a flood.
Prayer: Lord, protect me from speaking meaningless talk. Help me instead to teach others your word and about your power and glory.
One Word: Teach about the power of God