The Nugget:
Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
My Comment:
What is your favorite meal? Years ago I used to enjoy having a mushroom omelet dinner. Sometimes it would come with pancakes and sausage. I wonder what Job’s favorite meal was. He probably ate well. He was one of the richest men of his day. Yet Job said he was more interested in the words from the mouth of God than in his necessary food. We all need to get closer to that ideal. The more we read and memorize Scripture, the more we will enjoy it. There have been some very good books written about how to enjoy the Bible, and how to study it. But the first step to growing spiritually is to regularly read the Bible for ourselves. Some parts of the Bible will be easy to understand. Other parts will take some extra effort, and even then we won’t fully understand it all. We can all surely start or continue our reading and study of the Bible. The goal is to get to the place where Job was, when in the midst of all his suffering and the criticisms of his well-meaning friends, Job still loved God’s Word and valued it as highly as his daily food.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 511 for Job 23:12.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 567 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Job 23:12.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Job 23:12. Neither. Jb 1:1, 8. 4:6. 24:13. Is 38:3. Jn *6:66-69. *8:31. Ac *14:22. He +*10:38, 39. 1 J *2:19. gone back. Ps 44:18. Ga +*4:9, 10n. from the commandment. Jb 33:9. 1 K 9:4. +**13:9n. I have esteemed. Heb. hid, or, laid up. T#1083. Jb *22:22. Ezr 8:12. Ps **1:2. +**19:7, 9, 10. **+119:11, 14, 20, 47, **103, 127, 143. Pr *2:1, 10. 10:21. Je **15:16. Ezk 3:3. Jn 4:32, 34. Ro 7:22. 1 P **2:2. Re 10:9. the words of his mouth. Jb 6:10. Ps 40:8. Is 40:8. Lk +*8:15. Jn 15:7. Ac +**17:11. Col +*3:16. more than. Ge *24:33. Ezr 10:6. necessary food. or, appointed portion. FS171E9, Ge +47:22. ver. 14. Jb 14:5, 13. Ezr 10:6. Pr 30:8. 31:15. Mt 6:11. Lk +*12:42, 46.
psm 28.7 the lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusted
in him, and i am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will i praise him.
job 23.12 neither have i gone back from the commandment of his
lips; i have esteemed the words of his mouth more than necessary
food.
several encouraging cross references on this great verse in the bible.
1. psm 1.1-2 blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of
the scornful. vs 2 but his delight is in the law of the lord; and in his law
doth he meditate day and night.
2. psm 119.97 o how i love thy law! it is my meditation all the day
3. prov 8.34 blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at
my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
4. jer 15.16 thy words were found, and i did eat them; and thy word
was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for i am called by
thy name.
5. matt 4.4 but he answered and said, it is written, man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
god.
6. jn 8.31-32 then said jesus to those jews which believed on him
if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed: vs 32
and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
7. acts 14.22 confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them
to continue in the faith and that we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of god.
8. heb 10.38-39 but we are not of them who draw back unto predition; but
of them that believe to the saving of the soul, vs 39 now the just shall live by
faith but, if any man draw back,my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
9 1 jn 2.19 they went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had
been of us they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out,
that they might be made manifest that they were not of us.
10. psm 119.11 thy word have i hid in mine heart that i might not sin
against thee.
blessed is the man that hears the word of the lord daily, and comes
before him with eagerness for some fresh spiritual revelations. oh that
we might ” esteem” his words more than our”necessary food” and so
“eat them”. let us read the word not as some informal information, but
as a personal letter from the lord. if an example of holiness and victory
gleams b4 you, appropriate it in your own life. if a promise is discovered,
put it to the test. if a frest truth grips your heart, enjoy it and pass it on.
soon we have such as relish for the word of god, that we will exclaim, as
david did, “oh i how i love thy law!! it is my meditation all the day”
heb 13.15 by him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to god
continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.