About this episode
In Job 8 Bildad, the next youngest in age, of Job's friends speaks. He together with Eliphaz contends that Job suffers because he has sinned. What is needed from Job is repentance. God will not allow you to suffer if you are upright. The fact that your suffering persists is proof of your guilt. Don't question the Almighty about your suffering - our experience is too limited to rightly judge - just acknowledge your guilt. He, like Eliphaz, musters his arguments from his understanding of nature. Job you must relent, change your way, confess to God and you will be restored.
In Micah 3 the rulers and prophets are denounced for their corruption, contempt for God's people, callousness to the poor and total self-interest. Yahweh's face would be hidden from these godless religious leaders. These leaders prophesied of a peace that was not possible given the deplorable state they had brought upon their nation. The consequence of the nation's refusal to receive the Word of God would, verse 6, be a withdrawal of the inspired prophetic guidance - "the sun would go down over the prophets". We notice the parallels of Hebrew poetry - the expression is repeated to be reinforced in different words to say the same thing, "I am filled with power, with the spirit of Yahweh and with justice and might" (v 6 ESV). In this verse, the spirit of Yahweh is power, and is also the same as might. I This occurred from about BC 444 until the ministry of John the Baptist around 21 AD. There would be for them (verse 7) "no answer from God". By way of contrast to this the prophet Micah was "the inspired Word of Yahweh" to the kingdom of Judah (verse 8). And Micah would forthrightly denounce their transgressions, in order that God may save a remnant of them. The prophet's message was that their violence had filled up the cup of LORD's patience. God's exhausted patience the reason "Zion would be ploughed as a field" (verse 15). This message shook king Hezekiah to the core (see Jeremiah 26verses18-19). The prophecy was fulfilled by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD. Chapter 4 says that, nonetheless, Zion (meaning "conspicuous"), Jerusalem's aspirational future glorious state would be realised at Christ's coming kingdom. Read verses 1-5 aloud, and pause and ponder - compare with Isaiah 2verses1-4. Verses 6-13 tell us that at that future time Yahweh will restore Zion (Jerusalem). The prophet calls the nation Jacob, after the father of the nation. Micah shows us that Jacob's personal life finds echoes in the nation's history - "her that halters" loops back to when Jacob's thigh was dislocated to teach him dependence on his God (Genesis 32). Likewise, the Almighty's affliction of the nation was designed to bring her finally in faith to her Maker. And through restored Zion Yahweh will bring all nations of the earth into subjection to Zion's glorious king.
Hebrews 13 begins, "Let brotherly love (Greek "philadelphus" the love among brothers) continue". And this is the mess
