Through the ESV Bible in a Year with Jackie Hill Perry

Episode: August 28 (Job 24–26; Psalm 54; Luke 18)
Date: August 28, 2025

Brief Overview

In this episode, the daily readings travel through three powerful scriptures: Job 24–26, Psalm 54, and Luke 18. The selections wrestle with the injustice suffered by the innocent, God’s sovereignty and purity, earnest pleas for deliverance, and Jesus’ teachings on prayer, humility, salvation, and faith. The readings collectively emphasize the tension between human suffering and divine justice, the posture God desires in prayer, and the radical nature of faith required to follow Christ.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Job 24–26: Questions of Justice and the Majesty of God

• Job’s Lament (00:01–06:30):
  • Job laments the prevalence of injustice—landmarks are moved, orphans and widows are exploited, and the poor are abused. Despite their suffering, those inflicting harm seem to prosper.
  • Job accuses God of allowing such things:

    “Yet God charges no one with wrong.” (02:30)

  • He describes the wrongdoings committed in darkness—murder, exploitation, and secrecy—and how the wicked seem to escape judgment for a time.
• Bildad’s Response (06:31–07:40):
  • Affirming divine dominion and power, Bildad responds with a humility regarding human righteousness:

    “How then can man be in the right before God? ... Man who is a maggot, and the son of man who was a worm.” (07:17)

• Job’s Reply and Praise (07:41–10:44):
  • Job responds with irony about purported “help”—then erupts in praise for God’s creation, sovereignty, and mystery:

    “He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing... Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power—who can understand?” (09:30–10:44)

2. Psalm 54: A Plea for Deliverance

• David’s Prayer for Help (10:45–12:05):
  • Set during David’s persecution (“When the Ziphites went and told Saul”), the psalm is a plea for God’s intervention:

    “O God, save me by your name and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer, give ear to the words of my mouth.” (10:53)

  • David’s faith remains central:

    “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.” (11:28)

  • He expresses confidence in the Lord’s faithfulness to deliver.

3. Luke 18: Parables and Encounters on Faith, Humility, and Salvation

• The Persistent Widow (12:06–14:00):
  • Jesus tells a parable to teach persistence in prayer:

    “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? ... He will give justice to them speedily.” (13:19)

  • The closing challenge:

    “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (13:42)

• The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (14:01–16:10):
  • Jesus contrasts self-righteousness and humility in prayer:

    “God, I thank you that I am not like other men …” (Pharisee)
    “But the tax collector, standing far off ... beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’” (15:46)

  • The point:

    “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (16:00)

• Welcoming Children (16:11–17:10):
  • Jesus rebukes the disciples and welcomes children:

    “Let the children come to me … for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” (16:35)

  • He emphasizes receiving the kingdom with childlike dependence.
• The Rich Ruler and the Challenge of Discipleship (17:11–20:04):
  • A rich ruler asks about eternal life. Jesus underscores radical generosity and detachment:

    “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have … and come, follow me.” (18:34)

  • The difficulty for the rich:

    “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person…” (19:00)

  • Disciples’ sacrifice affirmed:

    “There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers … who will not receive many times more in this time, and … eternal life.” (19:54)

• Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection (20:05–21:10):
  • Jesus predicts his suffering, death, and resurrection—though the disciples do not understand:

    “But they understood none of these things … this saying was hidden from them.” (21:00)

• Healing the Blind Beggar (21:11–22:52):
  • Outside Jericho, a blind man persistently calls for Jesus’ mercy. Jesus heals him, affirming faith’s role:

    “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” (22:37)

  • The response:

    “And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” (22:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Job on Injustice (02:30):
  “Yet God charges no one with wrong.”
• Bildad on Human Righteousness (07:17):
  “How then can man be in the right before God?"
• Job on Divine Mystery (09:30–10:44):
  “Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways … who can understand?”
• David’s Declaration (11:28):
  “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”
• Jesus on Prayer and Justice (13:19):
  “Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?”
• Jesus on Humility (16:00):
  “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
• Jesus’ Call to the Rich Ruler (18:34):
  “Sell all that you have ... and come, follow me.”
• Jesus on Salvation (19:00):
  “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
• Healing the Blind Man (22:37):
  “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Job 24–26: Lament and Praise — 00:01–10:44
• Psalm 54: Prayer for Deliverance — 10:45–12:05
• Luke 18: Parables and Miracles — 12:06–22:52
  • Persistent Widow: 12:06–14:00
  • Pharisee & Tax Collector: 14:01–16:10
  • Welcoming Children: 16:11–17:10
  • The Rich Ruler: 17:11–20:04
  • Jesus Predicts His Death: 20:05–21:10
  • Healing in Jericho: 21:11–22:52

Summary

This episode skillfully weaves together ancient cries for justice, personal pleas for divine intervention, and the radical teachings of Jesus on prayer, humility, discipleship, and faith. Each passage invites listeners to grapple with the tension between what we see and what God promises, ultimately pointing to the necessity of a humble, persistent, and trusting heart before God.