Job-"My Servant Spoke What Was Right"

By Mary Vee
From Job 3-39

From the Notes from Job

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I don't understand what has happened. For days I've sat in ashes trying to figure out what happened and what I should do.

My friends gave me their advice, but I knew they misunderstood. 

Then God spoke out of a storm. "What power or understanding or control do you have? Whom do you control or have authority over? What wisdom fills your heart? Will one of you correct the Almighty? Let the one who accused God answer!"

My hands shook then my whole body shook. I hardly knew what to say. "I am unworthy--how can I answer you?"

I could hardly breathe. 

God spoke again, "Brace yourself like a man and answer my questions." Then He reminded me of His power and control over everything. 

I answered, "I know that you can do all things. No plan of yours can be defeated. You asked, 'Who is this that clouds my advise without knowing what they are talking about?'" I closed my eyes. "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."

I then said to Him, "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you, therefore I hate myself and repent her in the dust and ashes."

God then said to my friend, Eliphaz, "I am angry with you and your two friends because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your foolishness. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."

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I didn't know what to say. 

I watched Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar do what the Lord told them. I prayed for their souls, and the Lord accepted my prayer.

To hear the Almighty say I had spoken what was right overwhelmed me more than anything else. I was tired. So very tired. I think my respect for the Almighty's power kept me from getting up and dancing for joy. I just felt so overwhelmed. 

Still, on the inside, there was a glimmer of joy. A joy that came from pleasing the Almighty. This is something I always want to do. At any cost.

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1. What did Job see when God spoke?
2. What did God tell job to do?
3. What didn't Job do after God spoke?
4. Who was God unhappy with? Why?

5. What did God tell those who did not please Him.

God had allowed this testing of Job to happen to prove to everyone what He expected from us. 

David Hears Goliath's Challenge

By Mary Vee
I Samuel 17

From David's Journal

My father sent a messenger to me this morning. I was working in the fields. "Come home, I have an errand for you." The messenger took over my job caring for the sheep and told me to hurry home. 


Father waited for me outside our home. He had a bundle in his hands. "David, I haven't seen your older brothers in forty days. Take this grain, and bread to them. Also take this cheese to their commander of thousands. Bring me something from your brothers to show me they are well. Now go, quickly."


"Yes, Father." I hurried off to the battlefield. It wasn't too far away. Still, Father was concerned and needed to hear my brothers were well. 


I crept close to the Valley of Elah, not knowing where the battle might have shifted, and searched for my brothers. Up ahead the Israelites stood in a line, ready for battle. King Saul stood in the middle. 


In order to be in the army, boys had to be a certain age. I was too young, but, I wanted to fight in the worse way. If only I could stand with our country's soldiers. Maybe I could sneak close and watch for a little while. I hurried to the supply person and left the food with him then ran to the battlefront.


The soldiers didn't look dirty, or have blood stains. It seemed they hadn't fought at all. How strange, forty days had passed. I crept closer to the battle line and found my brothers. Eliab, my oldest brother, glared at me. "David, what are you doing here?"


"I brought food from Father. it's back with the supply person."


"Fine, you delivered the food, now get back home." He pushed me behind him.


I opened my mouth to protest but stopped when some Philistine soldier started yelling at us. "...send a man to fight me. If he wins we will be your slaves. If I win, you shall be our slaves."


My brothers and all the Israelite army turn and ran from the battle line. Eliab grabbed my tunic and shoved me ahead of him. "Get back or that Philistine will think you want to fight him." He pushed me all the way back to his tent. 


Back at the camp, the soldiers paced. I couldn't believe my eyes. No one would fight? They talked about Goliath. They must have meant that Philistine soldier. So what if he's big? We have the Lord! 


The soldiers walked around the camp like scared little kids. They said, "King Saul says he will give riches to the man who volunteers to fight Goliath. He will even give his daughter in marriage and free his family's house from any taxes if he wins. Still, I'm not going to volunteer."


I couldn't believe my ears. These are soldiers of Israel, the chosen nation of God. They were afraid? I pushed my way into the conversation. "What is the matter with you? Who wouldn't want to fight and take away the shame of Israel brought about by this heathen Philistine."


The men shook their heads. "If you want to take him on, you can have all the reward from Saul."


Eliab yanked me back out of the crowd. "What are you doing here, David? Who's taking care of the sheep that you abandoned? You're so selfish for leaving Father's sheep unattended to come see the battle. Go on. Get back to the sheep where you belong."


That's it. Big brother or not, he went too far. "What have I done now. Didn't I speak only a word? What's your problem, Eliab?"


I walked over to another group of soldiers and asked them my question, "Who wouldn't want to fight and take away the shame of Israel brought about by this heathen Philistine? Someone must go fight him."


The second group answered the same way. No one wanted to get up and fight the giant and save the shame of the Israelites.


What was the matter with these men? We have but one life to live for God.


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1. What was David doing when his father called him?
2. Where did his father send him and what did he ask him to do?
3. What was going on when David arrived?
4. What did Eliab do when he saw David there?
5. What did the Israelite soldiers do when Goliath spoke?
6. What did David do back at the camp?
7. Why was Eliab mad at David?


Photo courtesy of Christian Religious resources

Goliath, The Philistine

By Mary Vee
I Samuel 17

From Eliab's (David's Older Brother) Journal

Our commander and king, Saul called us to war against the Philistines. He has led us to battle for years, fighting those who lived in the land that God had given to us.


He allowed us to take a break for a few days to rest. Now we're refreshed and quite ready for a battle. This morning we armed ourselves with battle gear, replenished our ammunition, sharpened blades, and rallied to a cause against the Philistines. We were ready to fight.


As the oldest of eight brothers, I wanted to tell my father I had fought in a victorious battle against our enemy. I couldn't wait. Maybe someday Israel will be the sole inhabitants of this land.


Two of my brothers were also in the army. Oh, and my littlest brother, David came to the battlefield occasionally to play his harp for king Saul then he returned to the sheep. David's not old enough to fight. I must admit, though, the squirt sure knows how to calm king Saul's anger with his music. 


One morning we marched to the mountain across from the Philistines, with the Valley of Elah between us. We set up our battle line and prepared to fight. But the Philistines did not march against us. Instead they sent one lone soldier named Goliath.


Goliath stood at the edge of the tree line. I'd never seen such a giant of a man before. He stood about nine feet tall, wore a helmet made of bronze, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He wore bronze armor on his legs and carried a javelin of bronze on his back.


His spear impressed me the most. It was like a weaver's beam, the iron head weighed fifteen pounds, unbelievable. His armor bearer walked ahead of him and stopped when he did. 


The Philistine soldier shouted to us: "Why should two armies wage a battle? There you all stand ready to fight on your mountain, and we stand over here. I have a better idea. I stand here ready to fight one Israelite soldier. Let the two of us fight for the armies. If your soldier kills me, the Philistines will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you and all the Israelites will become our slaves."


He raised his spear in the air and shouted. "My name is Goliath. I challenge the ranks of Israel to send a man to fight me."


I looked at the soldier next to me. His eyes grew as wide as mine. No way did I want to fight that man. Not only would I die, but the entire Israelite nation would be doomed to slavery because of me.


Saul order us to stand down. He called a meeting of his captains. That night Goliath and his armor bearer walked to the same spot again and challenged our army to send one man to fight him. 


He made fun of us and called us cowards. I guess we were. So much depended on one man. Day and night Goliath walked out to the same place and offered his challenge...and his ridicules. Seriously, no one knew what to do. We sat in or tents, afraid to show our faces.


On the fortieth day, my little brother, David, showed up with bread and cheese sent from my father. I pulled him away from the battlefield. Dad would kill me if that squirt wandered in range of Goliath and somehow got killed. Little brothers, sheesh. 


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1.  What army did Saul and the Israelites prepare to fight?
2.  Where was the battlefield?
3.  What did David do when he wasn't playing music to help Saul?
4.  Who came out to talk with the Israelites?
5.  What was his idea?
6.  What did the Israelites do?
7.  Why was David's older brother concerned when David brought food?