Tuesday, May 25, 2021

Zacchaeus French translation

For whatever reason, my kiddos have been asking me to sing their lullabies in different languages. It usually takes some googling, but "Zacchaeus but in French" got nothing useful. Still, I have a music degree and took French for a two-semesters-in-eight-weeks intensive course in college (and, most importantly, I know how to Google how to conjugate verbs), so I gave it a shot. A bit of it is wordy, but it'll do for now. Et voila!

Zacchaeus, il fut tres petit
oui, tres petit fut il
il est monté dans l'arbe érable 
donc il pourrait verra le Messie

Mais alors qu'il passe devant
la Sauveur regarda levé 
et il disait, <<Zacchaeus, descendre!
donc j'irai a ton maison aujourd'hui,
donc j'irai a ton maison aujourd'hui!>>

Job 24

Summary: Job continues, wondering aloud why he doesn't see God intervene as wicked men take advantage of the already poor and disadvantaged for their own greed. He puts words in his friends' mouths, "But God gets em in the end, ho ho!" and then dares them to prove his statement wrong. 

Response: Hello, still relevant to the 21st century commentary. Lord, help me to see the needs of Your people and to be Your hand. 

Monday, May 24, 2021

Job 23

Summary: Job's response to friends 3.1 really isn't at Eliphaz at all. Instead, he insists on meeting God. He trusts and follows God and will accept His judgement, but just needs to hear it from the Big Man Himself. 

Response: And, I mean, it doesn't come off as "can I speak to your manager" at all. I wouldn't be surprised if The Good Place's later seasons plucked the "this is wrong, ask around" element of their plot from something like this. Lord, when things don't make sense, help me to return to You. 

Friday, May 7, 2021

Job 22

Summary: Friend speeches part 3.1: Eliphaz tells Job to stop thinking God can't see his sin. He warns that those who go against God in this way are like those caught up and washed away in a great flood. Finally, he tells Job that, if he'd only turn away from whatever sin there was, God would restore him to his status and wealth. 

Response: If there's one thing I feel God talking to me about this book, it's this: most of the time, you are not Job. You are the friends. You judge and mock and talk out of your ear and do more harm than good. Your advice is not as useful as your sympathy. 

Thursday, May 6, 2021

Job 21

Summary: Job responds to all three friends, with a fatal flaw in their reasoning: wicked people live great lives all the time and die happy all the time. 

Response: dicaprio_pointing.jpeg

But seriously, we've been circling this idea quite a bit. Good job, Job! (How have I not made this happen yet?) So does that mean we can just leave social justice stuff alone, if it's God's place to judge the wickedly powerful on His own time? I'd say no. The marginalized still need help and recognition, with or without the condemnation of the cruel, privileged and, yes, wicked.

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Job 20

Summary: Job's third friend, Zophar, speaks again. He rattles on and on about how the wicked, while rich for a short time, quickly find themselves losing everything and coming to a swift end. 

Response: "Yeah but" is a common saying in our house. My kids and I get cases of the yeahbut all the time. I think it's warranted here, though. It is comforting to think of the wicked as having to literally vomit money away, but that's rarely the case these days. And this is definitely not Job's situation. Lord, am I this friend so quick to condemn on Your behalf? Help me to spread Your mercy, not Your judgement. 

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Job 19:13-29

Summary: Job feels abandoned by everyone: his friends and family, those he loves and works with, and even God Himself. But, Job still has faith that, even if he doesn't survive, he can still see God and be at peace with Him at some point. 

Response: I mean, Job treads the line here still. He still wants a resolution, still doesn't want to just curse God and die. Lord, thank You for not giving up on me.