Job 13:10-12

10 He will surely [yakach] reprove [yakach] you, if ye do secretly [cether] accept [nasa'] persons [paniym].

11 Shall not his excellency [sa'eth] make you afraid [ba`ath]? and his dread [pachad] fall [naphal] upon you?

12 Your remembrances [zikrown] are like [mashal] unto ashes ['epher], your bodies [gab] to bodies [gab] of clay [chomer]. KJV-Interlinear

10 'He will surely reprove you, If you secretly show partiality. 11 'Will not His majesty terrify you, And the dread of Him fall on you? 12 'Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. NASB

Maxims, parables, proverbs can be bodies of truth, and when applied to life, serve as a great teaching aid for life. But when they are combined with distortions, then they become servants of bias.

And so it is with the common sayings of Job's three friends. They have been taking their long known beliefs and applying them in a fashion, which is convenient for their argument. They are not matching their sayings with truth.

They have presented the idea that the situation in which Job finds himself, is so absurd that he must be guilty of something. They truly believe that bad things of this magnitude, just don't happen to good people.

But Job is challenging their views as being less than authentic integrity.

They can look to their own lives and see the truth, and Job implies that since they are all very nearly the same age, what person has lived many decades and not seen turmoil in their lives?

Now, I have inserted the idea that these four men are of similar age. We do not know how old any of them are, but we do know that they all have been around the block, so they must have experienced many different things in their individual lives.

We can look to our own current generations, and common sense suggests that anyone who is of middle age and up, has not lived a perfect life. No one has. So, the arguments of these men suggest that they are looking at life through preconceived, biased, or prejudiced ideas. Job states that fact.

Job knows the facts of his own life. Job hears their arguments and accusations. Job knows that these men have most probably had problems of their own in life, therefore their arguments, their proverbs, their convenient sayings, are distortions of truth.

Their intent is to be seen as wise when in fact they are not wise. They raise questions of serious concern, when there are no facts to indicate that a concern even exists. And so through their proverbs and sayings, they manufacture a case against Job and prosecute him when there is no basis for such an action.

In our day we call this politics, or the manipulation of due process in a manner designed to get rid of ones opponents. In short, the entire process of law or truth is abused in order to get ahead. In short then, the foundation of truth is tainted as the foundation fabric of society is slowly destroyed.

In fact all sin, all self-righteousness, all manner of compromise of Gods mandates and principles, are applications of wickedness.

And so Job states flat out, that when this kind of thinking becomes prevalent in society, then the fear of God, the reverence and awe, which should be afforded toward God, evaporates, and humanity no longer respects any authority or higher power.

And when authority is rejected, then the foundations of society are no better than their inscriptions on clay columns.

Back in Jobs day, when builders constructed something, they would commonly inscribe their name as the builder, in their work. When the inscriptions were placed in mortar, they would sooner or later vanish as the mortar eventually wore away over time.

Sayings, even if they are founded in truth, but are mixed with improper applications, become lies, and thus their value is no better for the soul, than ashes of burned food have value as food for the body.

Only good food, properly prepared has value. When the cook burns the meal to a crisp, then its value, disappears.

When knowledge or wisdom is presented or used improperly, then its value becomes worthless. Worthless knowledge, does not contribute to ones growth. When one does not grow, then one shrivels up and dies.

If you go through life pursuing valueless things, then you end life with nothing.

Possessing nothing at the end of your life, means that you move on to the next life with nothing.

We already know that tangible possessions of this world do not follow you into the next life. We should also know that valueless knowledge of this life, likewise will not follow you into the next life. Just as the inscriptions in mortar vanish, so too, empty sayings will vanish at the end of ones life.

The only thing of value in existence is Bible doctrine. Doctrine, is Gods perpetual asset, and possessing that, gives you a possession for all of eternity.

But, Bible doctrine can only be possessed by means of learning and applying it in a legitimate manner. The manner in which the Bible prescribes. Trying to deviate from the Bible, and pursue some alternate course of clich s and sayings, or self-defined standards is not equivalent to, nor will it produce, legitimate spiritual growth.

There is only one God. There is only one Savior. There is only one means of salvation. There is only one doctrine. There is only one spiritual life. God has defined them all for us, and any deviation will result in His reprimand of our infraction.

And so Jobs first point in these verses, is our last point of study. God is perfect righteousness and justice. The spiritual life has to be pursued in the right way, without compromise, or distortion, or substituted standards.

To pursue the spiritual life appropriately will yield blessings. To pursue the spiritual life in some alternate fashion, will yield punishments, in the final outcome of life.

Our overall mandate is to love God. God is truth, therefore we are to love truth.

Anyone who rejects God, rejects truth. And anything less than truth is a lie, and therefore rejection of truth indicates a love or preference for lies.

Now is the time to post a prayer.