Job Chapter 12 - Falling Down Flat on the Ground with Eyes Open

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Transcript

 Welcome to the InAllWisdom Podcast,

A Daily Podcast dedicated to wisdom for life.

I am Jim Donnelly, your host.

Stay tuned to this episode about wisdom for life.

I have completed a commentary on

The book of Ecclesiastes, all 222 verses.

My book title is:

Ecclesiastes Amplified: A Collection of Wise Words 

We have set the publication date for 2025.

In the meantime, I am working on 

the book of Job, 

all forty-two chapters, all 1070 verses.

My book title prompts 

a different approach to understanding

the book of Job: 

My book title is: 

Job True Story – Well Written:

Subtitled: A Story About a Mighty God Who Does Not Distance Himself from Human Suffering 

Job is forty-two chapters long. A daily Podcast will allow me to read through the entire book of Job every month. Some days I will read connecting chapters, because they belong together. And a nice surprise is that each day of the month whether the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 16th will represent a chapter in Job. So, on the 25th of any month, you can expect a Podcast on Job chapter 25.  

So, each Podcast will start with a reading from a chapter in the book of Job. I am taking this trek through Job for you and with you. Because most people on planet earth have never heard the true story of Job. 

Reading a chapter a day, will help them. It will also help many of you who know the book of Job but have never read it all. When reading along in the book of Job it is often very hard to figure out who is speaking, and harder still sometimes, to understand what they said.

Lastly, for each month of this Podcast I will choose a different version of the English Bible from which to read. This method will help us all to understand better what has been written for us. 

Today’s Podcast is from Job Chapter 12:1-2

The title: Falling Down Flat on the Ground with Eyes Open

The background of “Falling Down” involves two significant Events. The first is the Lord’s visit to the building site of the Tower of Babel, a time prior to the Patriarchs of 2100 BC. The second is the Lord’s presence and activity during the Prophetic Events that took place on the Plains of Moab in 1400 BC. 

Stay tuned to this podcast; we are just getting started in Job chapter six, another pivotal chapter in the book of Job.

Allow me first to read Job chapter 12. It is 25 verses long. 

Today I am reading from The New Jerusalem Bible. 

The Book of JOB    Chapter Twelve

Job spoke next. He said: 2 Doubtless, you are the voice of the people, and when you die, wisdom will die with you! 3 But I have a brain, as well as you, I am in no way inferior to you, and who, in any case, does not know all that? 4 Anyone becomes a laughing-stock to his friends if he cries to God and expects an answer. People laugh at anyone who has integrity and is upright. 5 ‘Add insult to injury,’ think the prosperous, ‘strike the fellow now that he is staggering!’ 6 And yet the tents of brigands are left in peace: those who provoke God dwell secure and so does anyone who makes a god of his fist! 7 You have only to ask the cattle, for them to instruct you, and the birds of the sky, for them to inform you. 8 The creeping things of earth will give you lessons, and the fish of the sea provide you an explanation: 9 there is not one such creature but will know that the hand of God has arranged things like this! 10 In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of every human being! 11 Can the ear not distinguish the value of what is said, just as the palate can tell one food from another? 12 Wisdom is found in the old, and discretion comes with great age. 13 But in him there is wisdom, and power too, and good counsel no less than discretion. 14 What he destroys, no one can rebuild; whom he imprisons, no one can release. 15 Is there a drought? He has withheld the waters. Do they play havoc on earth? He has let them loose. 16 In him is strength, in him resourcefulness, beguiler and beguiled alike are his. 17 He robs a country’s counsellors of their wits, turns judges into fools. 18 He undoes the belts of kings and knots a rope round their waists. 19 He makes priests walk barefoot, and overthrows the powers that are established. 20 He strikes the most assured of speakers dumb and robs old people of their discretion. 21 He pours contempt on the nobly born, and unbuckles the belt of the strong. 22 He unveils the depths of darkness, brings shadow dark as death to the light. 23 He builds nations up, then ruins them, he makes peoples expand, then suppresses them. 24 He strips a country’s leaders of their judgement, and leaves them to wander in a trackless waste, 25 to grope about in unlit darkness, lurching to and fro as though drunk.” The New Jerusalem Bible (Job 12:1-25). (1985). Doubleday.

And now, for today’s Podcast titled:

Falling Down [flat on the ground] with Eyes Open – Job 12:1-2

“Truly then you are the people, and with you wisdom will die! (Job 12:2, NASB).

The first half of verse two is a shout out to Genesis 11; and in combination with the second half, prompts a reflection upon Psalm 82.

A literal translation of 12:2a, yields: “Truly, you are a people! 

These words “a people” transports the minds of the original readers and hearers to a city construction site. It was the Lord’s visit to the building site of the Tower of Babel, and it is recorded in the book of Genesis as follows: The Lord said, “Behold, a people, one, and there is one lip [speech, language] to them. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. ‘Come, let Us go down and there confuse their lip [speech, language], so that they will not understand the lip [speech, language] of their neighbor. 

So, the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore, its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the lip [speech, language] of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (see, Genesis 11:6-9, NASB). That confusing of the lip of a people, then scattering them took place at a time prior to the Patriarchs of 2100 BC. 

Next, when we join Job 12:2a with 12:2b we read and hear the usage of the 2nd person, masculine plural pronoun, “You” as follows: “You are a people “and “with you wisdom will die! (Job 12:2b, NASB). 

The early audience of the book of Job, was familiar with Psalm 82, whose key lyrics are in the song that the Lord gave to Moses, promising that the words of “this song” would be in the mouth of His people, on their lips as a witness, (see, Deuteronomy 31:21).  

The original readers and hearers of the written story of Job would have read and heard words they sang from the song of Moses and Psalm 82. 

Here is the section of Psalm 82 which helps us to understand who Job’s words were targeting.  

“They do not know, nor do they understand; They Walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High. Nevertheless, you will die like men and fall like any one of the princes.’  Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations.’ (Psalm 82:5-8, NASB),

Job 12:3 contains the next words that Job speaks:

“But I have intelligence as well as you, 

I am not inferior to you. (Job 12:3, NASB). 

“Falling from you” is normally explained as a statement between peers. One peer says to another: “I am not inferior to you”.

That translation works. What’s more, the Hebrew can be literally translated “I am not falling from you”[i] Which is the idea: “I too am falling”. And the Hebrew behind that translation takes the reader or listener back to a time and place within Job’s lifetime.

That setting includes the Lord’s presence and activity during the Prophetic Events that took place on the Plains of Moab around 1400 BC.

The early readers and hearers of the written book of Job would have been transported in their minds to this scene first:

        “When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. He took up his discourse and said, ‘The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, 

And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened; the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down [flat on the ground, see Endnote], yet having his eyes uncovered,’” (see Numbers 24:1-4).  

The second scene is this one:

            Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!                    “Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.” Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak’? “And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” He took up his discourse and said, 

‘The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered. I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly. One from Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy the remnant from the city.’” (Numbers 24:10-19, NASB). 

I will leave you now so you can ponder these things on your own. There is much more to follow. And as we take this trek through all forty-two chapters of Job, you can already see that it is deeper and wider than you ever imagined. We are at the 28% marker. Please press on. It is like a marathon. You haven’t hit the wall yet.  

For some of you, one verse at a time is enough. Training for a marathon takes a long time. In Job sometimes one verse is quite a workout.

For other who know the book better, for sure you can take on sections of a chapter. That for you is a good workout.

To take an entire chapter on, now that is an intense workout.

Without the work, one word at a time, one verse at a time, one chapter at time; you cannot come to a knowledge and understanding of the book of Job. Isn’t that what Wisdom says: 

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And I find knowledge and discretion. 

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way 

And the perverted mouth, I hate. Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; 

I am understanding, power is mine. By me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. 

By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly.  love those who love me; 

And those who diligently seek me will find me. Riches and honor are with me, 

Enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, 

And my yield better than choicest silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, 

In the midst of the paths of justice, To endow those who love me with wealth, 

That I may fill their treasuries.” (Proverbs 8:12-21, NASB). 

We have come to the end of today’s InAllWisdom Podcast. 

A Daily Podcast dedicated 

to wisdom for life. Thank you for listening!

Please join with me again for another interesting episode about Wisdom for Life as He works in us for His good pleasure. 

Until He COMES ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory, “The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; 

The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace. “

[i] “Literally ‘I am not falling from you’ (lōʾ-nōpēl ʾānōkî mikkem), that is, fallen under them in terms of his intelligence.” Longman, T., III, ed. (2012). Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Job (p. 193). Baker Academic.

Endnote added: “The prophecy of Balaam, Beor’s son, the prophecy of the man whose eye is opened, who sees a vision from the Almighty, falling flat on the ground with eyes uncovered,”

Awabdy, M. A. (2023). Numbers (B. T. Arnold, Ed.; p. 380). Baker Academic: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.