How does Job 36:13 relate to Proverbs' teachings on wisdom and folly? The Verse in Focus Job 36:13: “The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when He binds them, they do not cry for help.” Key Words to Notice • “godless in heart” – literally, those whose inner life is without fear of God • “harbor resentment” – they nurture anger instead of surrendering it • “even when He binds them” – God’s loving discipline or providential restraint • “do not cry for help” – stubborn refusal to seek God despite suffering Parallels with Proverbs on Folly • Proverbs 1:7 – “Fools despise wisdom and discipline.” • Proverbs 19:3 – “A man’s own folly ruins his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.” • Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.” • Proverbs 14:9 – “Fools mock the guilt offering.” – Like Job 36:13, fools treat conviction lightly and cling to their sin. • Proverbs 29:1 – “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.” – Echoes the warning that persistent hard-heartedness ends in destruction. Proverbs on Wisdom’s Response • Proverbs 1:23 – “Turn at my rebuke; behold, I will pour out my spirit on you.” • Proverbs 3:11-12 – “Do not despise the LORD’s discipline… for the LORD disciplines the one He loves.” • Proverbs 9:8-9 – “Rebuke a wise man and he will love you… he will become wiser still.” – The wise welcome God’s “binding” and cry out for His help, the opposite of Job 36:13. • Proverbs 28:13 – “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” What the Connection Teaches Us Today • Job 36:13 personifies folly: a heart that resents God’s corrective hand and refuses to pray. • Proverbs supplies the fuller portrait: – Folly = self-rule, anger, closed ears, eventual ruin. – Wisdom = fear of the LORD, humility, receptivity to correction, ultimate blessing. • Together, these texts urge us to examine our reactions to hardship: – Are we harboring resentment like the “godless in heart”? – Or will we heed Proverbs, accept discipline, cry out for help, and walk the wise path that leads to life? |
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