2026.08.11 Hopewell @Home ▫ Job 12:13–25

Read Job 12:13–25

Questions from the Scripture text: What are with God (Job 12:13a)? What does He have (verse 13b)? What does Job 12:14 imply about His works? What does Job 12:15 give as examples? What are with Him (Job 12:16a)? Who are His (verse 16b)? What does He do to whom in Job 12:17? And in Job 12:18? And in Job 12:19? And in Job 12:20? And in Job 12:21? What can/does He reveal (Job 12:22)? What can/does He do with nations (Job 12:23)? What does He do to whom in Job 12:24? With what effect (Job 12:25)? 

How can Job endure his friends’ folly? Job 12:13–25 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Job endures his friends’ folly as something that comes in the providence of God. 

Legalism is a failing enterprise. The friends’ counsel (that if Job repents well enough, his fortunes will change) amounts to the idea that Job can overcome God’s recent providence by doing good. But Job knows too well that man cannot overcome God (Job 12:14). Man is nothing before droughts and floods, which themselves are nothing before God (Job 12:15). 

So how is it that the friends could fall for such deception and folly? This comes in the providence of God, to whom the deceiver belongs (Job 12:16), and Who annuls the wisdom of man (Job 12:17). Job’s catastrophes (Job 12:18-19, Job 12:21) and his friends’ bad counsel and poor discernment (Job 12:20) come in the providence of God. 

If Job is to find the light of the gospel in the darkness through which he is going, it must come from the Lord Himself (Job 12:22). If Job’s fortunes are to be recovered, it must come from the Lord Himself (Job 12:23). The sovereign Lord over all is his only hope. He raises up, and He tears down (Job 12:24-25). And Job knows that even his friends’ bad counsel comes in His providence. Dear reader, let Him be your only hope as well.

What difficult circumstances are you in? What failings of friends have you experienced? What do you need to remember about such things? If you are going to have help, from where must it come? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, if You break something down, it cannot rebuilt. And, if You imprison a man there can be no release. So, forgive us for when we have the idea that we can repent well enough to force good from Your hand. What arrogance about ourselves, and a wickedly small idea of You! Forgive us, and help us have Your grace alone as our hope, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP107DE “To Those Who Sail the Seas” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace!”