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“Summaries, Job 42-Psalm 119:32”
Categories: Bulletin Articles
Job 42 concludes the book. It begins with Job’s reply to God. He acknowledges that in questioning God, his mouth was outrunning his understanding. From now on, he will be content to listen to God, and he repents of questioning Him.
In response, God accuses Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar of not speaking the truth as Job has done. He tells them to make a burnt offering and get Job to intercede for them, which Job successfully does. After he does so, God blesses Job, giving him twice as much as he had had before and 10 more children to replace the ones who had died. At the end of the book, Job dies in honored old age.
Psalm 117 is the shortest psalm in Psalms, as well as being the shortest chapter in the Bible. It urges everyone to praise God because of His steadfast love (the Hebrew word hesed, which is untranslatable but means something like, “God continuing to love us because He promised He would) and faithfulness.
Psalm 118 is a processional psalm with significant Messianic overtones. It begins with different Israelite groups (probably arranged by group) being called upon to praise God. The primary singer of the psalm then declares that God has rescued him from his enemies, so he will never be afraid of anyone as long as God is with him. His enemies pressed him hard, but he defeated them. Likely, different groups are singing the content of 118:15-16. The primary again affirms that God has protected him, and then has a discussion in song with the people who are supposed to open the gate for him (vs. 19 and 21 are the primary singer; vs. 20 and 22-27 are the chorus). The psalm concludes with both singer and chorus praising God.
Several verses from this psalm are quoted in the New Testament. 118:22 is quoted widely by Jesus and others, and the crowds are singing 118:26 during the triumphal entry. They may, in fact, have sung all of 118:22-27 as Jesus was going through the gates of Jerusalem.
Psalm 119:1-32 is the opening of the longest psalm in the book and longest chapter in the Bible. This section, and indeed the entire psalm, exalts the word of God. The content of the psalm is organized acrostically (each line in the first eight verses begins with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet; each line in the second eight verses begins with the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and so on), so the content can be repetitive.
The first section highlights the importance of seeking God’s law wholeheartedly. The second points out the significance of the word to the young. The third asks for God’s blessing because the psalmist has been devoted to the word. The fourth promises renewed attention to the word if God will rescue the psalmist.
