Job 31:38-40 (NIV)
38 “if my land cries out against me
and all its furrows are wet with tears,
39 if I have devoured its yield without payment
or broken the spirit of its tenants,
40 then let briers come up instead of wheat
and weeds instead of barley.”
The words of Job are ended.
- NKJV used the word thistle in places of briers:
40 Then let thistles grow instead of wheat,
And weeds instead of barley.” (NKJV)
Bible Study
There are lots of wonderful moments that I have while reading the Bible. One of those times is when I can hear words used that indicate the person is quoting another part of the bible. It feels important or special to me, to make that connection. Just like I am studying scripture now, they also studied, memorized, & read the words of God.
Thorns, Thistles, Briers
I saw a hint of that here in Job, you can tell that Job was familiar with the book of Genesis. The reference to producing thorns & thistle, reminds me of:
Genesis 3:18(NIV)
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
And “land cries out against me”, in verse 38, sounds like the story of Cain.
Genesis 4:10(NIV)
10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
The other neat point about these verses is that Job has just said “Let the Lord Almighty answer me (v35), and then he uses language & terms that reference points of history in Genesis when God was speaking to Adam & Cain. They were guilty of sins, & God spoke to them. Job was asking for honesty, come tell what I have done wrong, if there is anything. Job is not hiding from God as Adam & Cain tried to do.
Praying His word
This is also a wonderful example of what we often say & hear in Christian circles: “Pray the word of God”. Job has done just that, he has made that connection. He prayed, ‘Let the Almighty answer me” and then he quotes samples of times that God has spoken to guilty men on earth.
- Note also that this is the last statement of Job. Elihu continue speaking for 6 chapters. Then chapter 38 The Lord speaks. Job gets his prayers answered.
How beautiful inspired is the word of God.
Holy Bible: New International Version. (2001). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. All Rights Reserved. BibleGateway. (n.d.). Retrieved August 09, 2017, from https://www.biblegateway.com/