Job 16
Job now answers again.
16:1-5 The 'comfort' that he has been hearing has been of no benefit at all. Job responds that he would have been a better comforter if his friends had been in his place and he in theirs.

Job 17
Job continues his speech.
17:1-9 Righteous men would be astonished at what they saw looking at me.
17:10 But you friends are not affected by my grief.

16:6 We all know that if we speak with friends bout our problems they seem smaller. However Job did not find this - so we realise that the way that we listen to those with griefs affects the well being of the one afflicted.

ch. 17 - Job is in great despair. Notice how often he mentions the grave and death :2 13 14 16.

16:10 So Job sees his friends 'help' as a smack on the cheek! He sees them, also, as 'against' him. They truly had failed Job.

17:10 So Job, sinking further into despair, feels that none of his friends are wise enough to help him - he is 'wise', though, as Eliphaz had told him so (15:2)

Job maintains his innocence (16:17). He does this in the face of his friends' accusations that his condition is punishment for sin he must have committed. Job tells his friends that if he were in their place, he would comfort rather than condemn (16:2-5). This should be our position under such circumstances. Although Job is convinced that he is faultless, he is resigned to death (17:14,15). It seems that the faith in his maker does not extend to a reversal of his fortune. We must be careful not to limit the LORD's power, even when conditions look the blackest. For encouragement, we do well to review examples from the scriptures were the LORD reversed (seemingly) hopeless situations. One such example is the sudden, unexpected relief from the devastating three-year siege of Samaria (2Kin 7).
 

16:7  Having suffered at the hand of God Job says he is now suffering at the hand of his ‘comforters’.

17:3  Job, by using the idea of striking hands is saying that whilst his friend have come to speak with him they do not want to associate themselves with his problems.

17:1,13 Job, in his depression, sees death as the solution to his problems.

16:2 ‘Miserable comforters’ is the final straw in Job’s response. How often do we think we are helping with our words when we are really destroying the brother or sister we are trying to help!

16:1-14  Having made the point in verse 10 that his friends had smitten him he continues by speaking of how God has dealt with him. He sees no help from anywhere.

16:3 "what emboldens thee ..." indicates that Job did not think that Eliphaz was even qualified to comment!

Habakkuk's prophecy essentially has to do with Judah and the Babylonians.  However, it does have a double application which concerns the liberation of Israel in the end times (v.13).  Actually, Ch. 3 is a shiggaion psalm like that of Psalm 7.  The shigionoth (pl.) definition is obscure, but Louis Segond translates it in his French bible as complaintes meaning laments. We can consider them as mournful odes.  There is good reason to think that the judgement will be at Sinai (Mt. Paran v.3; Deut 33:2).  Those accepted by Christ (now immortalized saints) will make their way north (to Jerusalem) crushing, as they go, Gog and its confederates who have invaded the land (v.12; Eze 38).  One member of the confederacy is Ethiopia (actually, present-day Sudan) (Eze 38:5), the Cushan (Cush) mentioned in  v.7.  The image of Christ and the saints on the march from the south is also reflected in Isaiah (Isa 63:1).  The final destruction of Gog will be on the mountains of Jerusalem (Eze 39:4; Zech 12:9).  For a progression of these events, e-mail me for the brief overview The Return of Christ and End-time Prophecy.
 

3:1 The ‘prayer of Habakkuk is a response to what God said to him in chapter 2:2-20

3:19 ‘and he will make … high places’ quotes Psa 18:35 showing that Habakkuk had the same confidence that David had in his God at the end of his life, after all his trial.

3:2  ‘I have heard thy speech … revive thy work …’ shows that by this point in his ministry Habakkuk has come to at least accept that God will use the Chaldeans even if he still has not yet grasped fully the character of God and how He works. His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8) and e should understand this.

Transfiguration 2 Peter 1 Links

The transfiguration of Jesus is the basis for much of what Peter has to say in 2 Peter 1. There are a number of quotations from and allusion to the event.
Phrase or word 2 Peter Gospel
This is my beloved son 2 Peter 1:17 Matthew 17:5 in whom I am well pleased
Tabernacle 2 Peter 1:13,14 Matthew 17:4
Decease 2 Peter 1:15 Luke 9:31
the holy mount 2 Peter 1:18 Matthew 17:1
his majesty 2 Peter 1:16 Matthew 17:2
We heard 2 Peter 1:18 Matthew 17:6
Eyewitnesses 2 Peter 1:16 Matthew 17:3
Coming of our Lord 2 Peter 1:16 Matthew 17:9

2 Peter 2

2:7 There are a number of individuals who God calls 'just' in Scripture. Here is a list
Genesis 6:9 Noah
Matthew 1:19 Joseph [Mary's husband]
Mark 6:20 John the Baptist
Luke 1:6 Zacharias & Elizabeth
Luke 2:25 Simeon
Luke 23:50 Joseph of Arithamaea
Acts 10:22 Cornelius
Hebrews 11:4 Abel
1 Peter 3:18 Jesus
2 Peter 2:7 Lot

Being 'just' is an attribute that God confers upon an individual because of their faith Romans 3:2

1:20-21 Whilst it may be that we use this passage to prove that Scripture is inspired Peter had another reason for making this point. He says that there is a relationship between the inspiration of Scripture and it's interpretation. Because it is inspired we cannot interpret as we wish. Putting it another way the fact that Scripture is inspired means that we have to let it interpret itself by reference to it's different parts.

2:8-9 When Lot was in Sodom he was troubled by what he saw. He doubtless thought that there was no escape from the circumstances. Peter's language 'the Lord knoweth how to deliver …' is a wonderful comfort. The way in which He delivered Lot was doubtless most unexpected by Lot - but he was delivered.

1:17 'Honour' and 'Glory' are quoted from Proverbs 4:8,9
1:19 'until … arise' is quoted from Proverbs 4:18
The obtaining of wisdom - the focus of the early part of the chapter - guides us to the 'perfect day' Notice that Peter says that Scripture is 'more sure' than his being an eyewitness of the transfiguration. So Peter is telling us that wisdom that is obtained from the Word of God is more valuable than personal experience.

2:15 'wages of unrighteousness' quotes Numbers 22:7. Peter uses the same quotation (Acts 1:18) when speaking of Judas. Those he speaks of in this letter, therefore, must have seen that he was describing them as being like Judas who betrayed his Lord.

1:15 Peter's concern for how the brethren would be after his 'decease' echoes Moses (Deut 31:29) and Paul (Acts 20:29)

2:17 There are a number of similar ideas between 2 Peter and Jude. 'without water' is one. Here it is 'wells'. Jude has clouds (Jude 1:12)

1:4  Do we think that we have ‘escaped the corruption that is in the world’? We can only say that this is true in our lives if we have forsaken ‘lust’. Of course this is not just a sexual matter. How often have you wanted something that you did not need?

2:12  Korah and company questioned the authority of Moses – Num 16:3 – ‘speaking evil’. However they did not understand what God had ordained. In like manner the self willed amongst us run the risk of responding to situations inappropriately simply through not taken the time to know what is best, being self centered.

1:5  In saying ‘after my decease’ Peter is alluding to Moses’ last charge to Israel – Deut 31:29 Moses was warning Israel of the dangers of apostasy that would follow. Peter, likewise, is doing the same.

2:1    In reality the chapter division between chapters one and two is most unhelpful. At the end of the previous chapter Peter has emphasised the reliability of the prophets. Now he warns against ‘false prophets’. The two chapters are thematically connected.

2:7-8 shows Lot being vexed by the circumstances he was in, the two words translated vexed in these two verses are two different greek words.  The first in v7 means to be burdened down, to labour down, to wear down with toil, whereas the second vexed in v8 means to be tormented or tortured which shows how things had got worse for Lot and it tells us in v8 this greater torture was now day to day.  Even with this great and continous torment Lot was unable to get himself and his family out, he was too entangled in the city.  Lot is a great example of the progression and danger of being entangled in the world (Gen 13:10-12 14:12 19:1 v10 'lifted up his eyes' (Gen 3:6, 1John 2:16), journeyed east away from Bethel (house of God) and past Ai (the ruin) eastwards, then he 'dwelled in the cities of the plain', then 'pitched his tent towards Sodom', then ch14v12 he 'dwelt in Sodom' and finally ch19v1 he 'sat in the gate of Sodom'.  We must take action when we are affected by things around us, our vexing must lead to action before it is too late, to protect our loved ones and weak ones (Lot lost his wife and others in his family) Gen 42:1-2 ('why do ye look one upon another....get you down thither'), Josh 7:10,13 ('Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face?...Up sanctify the people'), Ezra 10:1,4 ('weeping and casting himself down...Arise...be of good courage and do it'). Joseph is example of how we need to deal with these situations Gen 39:10-12 notice Potiphar's wife spake to him 'day by day', she pressured him day by day, his response when she acted was v12 ''he left', 'and fled', 'got him out' (these phrases are repeated a number of times in this 39th chapter) .  Paul exhorts us to be of the same mind 1Cor 6:18, 1Cor 10:14, 1Tim 6:11, 2Tim 2:22.

2:4 The ‘angels that sinned’ speaks of the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram.

2:20 The way in which Peter speaks of those who were once enlightened and who turned from God is very much like Israel who were saved from Egypt and yet died in the wilderness because of unbelief.