Job 40:6-42:17

God’s question is valid.

Yesterday’s reading had Job on the ropes and God has no intention of letting off any of the pressure.  God asked, “Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right?” (Job 40:8)  This question knocked me into the ropes.  I thought about all the times I tried to justify my actions, based on my works, like I had a dog in the fight.  The truth is, this is God’s creation, His rules, not mine, and to play by any other set of rules is disrespectful.

Next, God challenged Job to display his own power, and then God spoke the words dripping with sarcasm in verse 14; “The even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you.”

Through the next two chapters God just pummels Job with the truth of God’s ultimate power and authority.  In these chapters Job’s pride is broken and is now right where God needs him to be so that the restoration can now take place.  The pity party is over, Job now understands. Job’s response is simple, “I had only heard about you before,
 but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:5-6)

After God is done speaking to Job, He turns his attention to Job’s three friends commanding them to submit an offering for speaking inaccurately of God. I find it interesting that the offering is accepted through Job’s prayer for his friends.  Through Job’s humility and forgiveness of his friends, Job is restored and blessed, obtaining more than he originally had.

As much as we would like to believe the world revolves around us, it doesn’t. We are not our own.  We will go through hardships, don’t despair for God is faithful and He will see you through.

Be Blessed.

After all of the dialogue back and forth between Job and his three friends God finally addresses Job from the whirlwind or storm (Job 38:1). He doesn’t praise Job for being faithful; Or tells him about Satan’s challenge (Job 2:1-7); Or offers consolation or pity. Instead He first points out His authority and then challenges Job with a series of questions that demand answers (Job 38:2-3). The questions are no doubt simple for God to answer. However Job is humbled to the point of being speechless (Job 40:4-5); which underscores the insignificance of man’s knowledge and wisdom compared to that of an omniscient (all knowing) God.  This dialogue humbly reminds me of Psalms 8:3-4 “I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?”

Job 35:1-36:21

Elihu continues a powerful discourse. Yet at the same time raises question that most of us have thought sometime in our life. Questions like : “If I sin does it affect God?” or “If I do Good is it only for humans?”  Elihu makes it clear that God is all powerful and knows everything and we really can’t get a handle on WHo he is or what He is doing.  A child may not understand everything a parent does, and may interpret it wrong. They might complain about given vegetable instead of candy.  Seems like if they were given candy,  the parents would show that they love them more….how ridiculous  yet we speculate why God does things all the time.  The Answer to the tough questions is to think about how great God is!  He even mentions and explains the hydrologic cycle in this passage  (Not bad for one of the oldest books in the Bible).  Take time today (or tomorrow since I’m writing this late) and think about the “systems” God put in place. We see a watch and we know it was manufactured, but we look past a world that is miles above a simple watch. Elihu said it best “We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though He is just and righteous, He doesn’t destroy us.  We don’t get what we deserve and that is a good thing! Everything else is gravy

Job 32:1-34:37

From out of the bullpen an upstart chimes in to throw in his two cents, uninvited no less.  Elihu who identifies himself as the son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram was not identified as one of Job's friends makes his own introduction and says he is angry, not only at Job but at his three friends who now have g;one silent.  He says that he is young and because of his age he has held his tongue waiting for wisdom from the elders. (31:6) But then in verse 9 says, "Sometimes the elders are not wise. Sometimes the aged do not understand justice."

I find myself torn by how I feel about this youngster.  On the positive side Elihu makes no false accusations against Job but reiterates what Job has said, and explains his disagreement.  Elihu than goes on to explain God's mercy and promise of restoration. All good things.
He turns the heat on Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Job's friends, for not refuting Job or answering his arguments.

On the negative side, even though Elihu has some very valid points, how he enters into the conversation is disturbing and could cause an offense.  A rule of thumb for me has been,; People won't care. how much you know, until they know how much you care.  No one knew Elihu's heart, only that he was angry.

Spoiler alert:  At the conclusion of the book of Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar are accused by God of speaking inaccurately of Job and of God and are required to give Job an offering.  Interestingly enough Elihu is not mentioned in any punishments.

Bless someone today and be blessed.

As we start to read these passages, we see Job recognizing the world around him. He sees the youth becoming more disrespectful. He sees them treating him as an outcast. They won't even come near him except to spit on him. He say that it is they who are the outcasts and that God has humbled Job before them.

I think we can all relate to this feeling as we see the very same attitudes of our youth and the world as a whole towards us. They mock us and torment us. They do this because of our faith.

But take a look at Job's faith as he continues to cry to God yet without answers to his prayers. But his faith is unwavering. He has made a commitment to God that he would not even look at another woman with his eyes to keep from the lusts of the flesh. He has made this a part of his life and claims to have always held true to this commitment because he boldly states, "Look what I have done".

He asks others to judge his actions, to see if he has not been faithful to his beliefs in God. He uses sound reasoning to proclaim his innocence through his faith. At one point he says that if he has lusted after another woman then let a man take his own wife. This was a statement of justice.

Job valued justice and lived by it. He saw how he lived and acted towards others and understood that God would be justified to treat him exactly the same. This understanding helped Job live a righteous life. But that life was hard for him. He was held in contempt by those around him. They thought him foolish in his beliefs.

Job was a man after God's heart.

Although he believed, he suffered. Although he honored God in all things, he himself was dishonored by man. Although he gave all glory to God, he himself was left in ruin. Although he was treated unfairly, spit on, abused in all ways, he never treated others the same way because he knew that some day he would have to face God and give account for his life. Job believed that God would grant him mercy because of his faith. But he stilled cried out to God.

How often do we feel like Job in our own lives? Have we humbled ourselves to the point of allowing others to spit on us without retaliation? Do we turn our eyes away from lustful things? Do we seek the righteousness of God in our lives or seek our own gratification?

May the God Who sees the truth in our lives reveal them to us, that we may turn from wickedness to Him in all of our life. Amen.

     Yesterday, we saw Larry point out how "Eliphaz in 4:3-4, praised Job for encouraging people and strengthening those who are weak, and supporting those who were falling, and encouraging those with shaky knees; and then ripped him to pieces calling him wicked and sinful?"  It's even worse when you look back to what Eliphaz said in Job 22:5-9.  He basically accuses Job of doing the exact opposite of what Job really did.  In Job 29, we begin to get insight into what Job was really like and why God looked so favorably upon him.  James 2:14-18 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."(ESV)  We see in Job 29 that Job didn't just have faith in God but that there was fruit coming from his life showing that he had that faith.  No wonder God thought so highly of him.
     The other thing we see is the fruit of his wisdom.  This is why he spends the whole of chapter 28 talking about how precious wisdom is.  This is why there is a whole book in the Bible saying the same thing (Proverbs).  And what does wisdom boil down to?  Job says it in 28:28, "Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom."(ESV)  If we have a fear of the Lord, a true humility without self-rightoues pride, we will have wisdom.  We will not be quick to speak like we know it all.  Isn't that what Job's friends have been like?  But then Job also said, "and to turn away from evil is understanding."(ESV)  That means that if we have a fear of the Lord and we get how incredible He is, we wouldn't waste our time with evil.  May we seek to have a fear and humility before the Lord and have fruit come forth from our lives showing that our faith is real.  And may God get all the glory and attention because our fear shows He's the great one, not us.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. (Job 22:1 to 25:6)

These past few days of Job have been a roller coaster of great advise, misguided criticism, ugly accusations, and just plain ignorance because they do not understand what God is doing.  (Pretty easy to say when we get to see the whole picture).

Right out of the gate in this reading, Eliphaz accuses Job of being wicked and sinful (22:4-5), and then flows into a litany of possible reasons for Job’s circumstances.  Then he tries to cheer him up with the “if you do this and if you do that” routine.  As the saying goes:  “with friends like these – who needs enemies”.  This is a time for us to reflect on our own dealings with others in despair.  Are we so quick to point out possible deficiencies with condemning overtones, without empathy and care?  I shudder at the thought of some of my past episodes in this area.

Did Eliphaz not know of Job’s great standing with God?  (Job 1:8).  He was blameless Eliphaz – God said so……and this certainly would have been evident by all in the area, and in the way Job conducted his life and his affairs.  You cannot hide these traits.  Why would Eliphaz in 4:3-4, praise Job for encouraging people and strengthening those who are weak, and supporting those who were falling, and encouraging those with shaky knees; and then rip him to pieces calling him wicked and sinful?  Is this supposed to make Job feel better?  Do we see this type of trait in people today?  Some would feel that it strengthens their position, or gives them power over another.  Others are jealous of the achievements of those who are successful, and gloat at their demise.  And then, there are those who are truly concerned for others and their plight.   Ready and willing to do whatever it takes to help their brother or sister in their times of need.  Praise God that we at Grace are a people that protect those weaknesses, allowing people to heal and grow in the Lord.

In despair, Job asks why the wicked are not punished, and gives many examples of their worldly success, but he does allude to God’s ultimate power in verses 24:18-25.  The key here is worldly – “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul” Mark 8:36.

Have a blessed day - Larry

Job 19:1-21:34

Oh how the battle rages!  Job racked in pain, feeling abandoned by God, condemned by his friends, and alienated from his family, allows his words to lash out toward God.  In fact accusing God of wronging him; Job doesn’t know God’s plan, all he knows is his own pain. 

I witnessed a similar battle just over three years ago.  My father’s battle with cancer was the under-card of this heavyweight fight.  The main event was like Job’s, the war of words and accusations.  My father loved the Lord and truly trusted in Him.  But there were times albeit few that my Dad would indulge in what he called his “pity parties.”  They wouldn’t last long and ended much like Job’s ended, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives…”(19:25).  Looking back I was blessed to witness the battle within my father between the old man and the new man, and to see the new man triumph. 

As Job did not know God’s plan, neither did Zolphar and rather than be an encourager he literally kicked his friend Job to the curb.  We don’t always know what God is doing, thus we don’t always have the correct answer. The accusations and condemning words are like bullets from a gun, once fired you can’t take them back. Before offering an opinion based on emotion, let us stop and pray and ask the one who does have the answers for a little help as the one thing God has promised never to deny us is wisdom, we simply have to ask.
One last note, God is faithful.  Even it our darkest times he is there, let Him take you by the hand and lead you out of darkness. 

May you be a blessing to someone today.


 

Today ‘s reading includes a second response from both Eliphaz (Job 15:1-35)  and Bildad (Job 18:18-21). In the face of accusation Job continues to defend himself. Those who should be providing the most comfort are doing just the opposite. As a matter of fact Job refers to them as “miserable comforters” blowing hot air (Job 16:2-3). He strikes me as someone in total despair (Job 17:1, 11, 13, 16). It makes me assess how we are viewed by other believers who find themselves in total despair. I am proud to say the as a church family we are more encouragers and grief relievers (Job 16:5-6). How do you think we measure up?

So….the blog today is about waiting patiently for the blogger ….not really but it is about us, who are bound by time, trying to interpret a God who is not . Job’s response is one of understanding what he believes about God mixed with his own limited understand of God’s intension and timing.   He does realize that God is in control from conception to death and that  God knows everything and we don’t even breathe unless God determined it.  Most of us would not encourage his sarcastic response to his “friend”; But, when you look at the dialogue, you realize that Job believed that God would communicate personally to him. He did feel like his friend was out of touch with God.  Even so, Job, like many today, felt like God’s hand might be against him.  Job didn’t understand why things were happening to him. His best guess was sin.   I will say this, that God is more concerned about our character than our circumstances. When things come into our life, we may want to evaluate were we are regarding sin, but like Job, we need to seek God for answers and see what He may want to develop in us.   Passages like this should enrage you about sin/Satan and the fact that we live in a fallen world.  At the same time it should encourage you that God is in control. By the time we finish Job you will have some answers to your questions.  If this passage doesn’t make you start to question some things, I would reread.  So I leave you with this thought….are you seeking to speak to the creator of all things, including you, about things on your heart or things that you don’t understand.  Are you expecting an answer?