Job 26

Despite our limited knowledge we human beings can still know an awesome God. God reveals himself to us through his word and also creation. Have you ever been able to go somewhere without city lights and at night look up into the sky and see all the many stars? What about a meteor shower? It is truly amazing.

In this chapter Job stops talking to his friends. He is at his boiling point with them as they think they know God’s ways and Job says, “Who do you think you are? “Are you the ones that have taught God, I don’t think so!”

God is Awesome!

It is also interesting to see Job, who was in very depressed state have this type of insight on the works of the Lord. In verse 7 he starts with, “God stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing.” This alone is amazing because the ancient Hebrew thought about the world was that it was flat and that the earth stood on pillars. Here Job is not necessarily saying it is round but that He knows that God is holding the earth up, there are no pillars. It is God and his power.

Job was able to grasp a glimpse of God’s infinite wisdom. When we read the creation account we know that God just had to speak it into existence. Job was standing before the infinite, all powerful, all knowing God. Even thought Job had some insight over his friends and even some of us, God is still beyond our measure. We are revealed different attributes about God, but we can put God in a box. We can only say what we know as the Bible describes God. 

Job knew that he could not fully grasp God because he ends this chapter with, “And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” It is interesting that Job knew he needed God as he was in pain and sorrow and was suffering. Job knew that God is in control and even though it was hard and he was so lowly, his hope was in God.

Job 23

Enough! This must have been going through Job’s mind while sitting through the verbal abuse of his friends. Could you imagine having a skin problem where your skin would be itching so bad that you had no relief. You are grieving over your 10 dead children and then you lost everything and what you call home is the city dump. Then on top of all that, your friends start trying to point the finger at you as the source for all of this calamity. 

I am amazed still that Job never hit his friends, became violent towards them, cursed them out, or any of the sort. Instead he just spoke truth. In this chapter Job changes his attention from Eliphaz to God. 

The Tough Question

In this chapter Job is asking God why does he seem like he is absent from my affairs. To be honest this is a question that I would think everyone has asked one time or another. Why is God allowing evil to exist? Why does bad things happen to good people? Job asked, “Why do you seem to disappear when I need you most, God?”  Some people may look at this and say, “How could you ask that?” But anyone who has ever gone through any type of sorrow would think this at some point. 

What Job is doing is being honest with his sorrow. He is in pain and is frustrated. But we can not stop here. In spite of Job’s pain, sorrow, and grief, his hope still remains in God. Remember in 13:15, Job said, “Though he may slay me, my hope is in him.” Job knew God is just and fair and that he would judge Job right and find no fault in him. Job knows that it is tough and that God is there but it just is hard.

Job’s Stands on the Solid Truth

In verses 10-12 Job says, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. My foot has held fast to his way and have not turned aside. I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured his words of his mouth more than my portion of food.” This is how he knew it was true. He knew that he is just. His hope was in the truth of what God has said.

Job states at first his feeling is that God is silent but God is not silent. Albert Mohler wrote a book called, “God is not Silent.” and he goes on to say that God speaks through the preaching of his Word. In order for us to know what God says we need to know his Word. Just like Job said, “I treasure his words more than my portion of food.

I love food, especially good food. I can’t imagine not eating it. The question is how is it with God’s Word? His word is food for my soul. I need it, daily. Could you say what Job said and trust in God. What better medicine for our sorrowful soul is the Word of God. When we think God is silent we must go to his word and we can be spoken to. Remember it was the still small voice that spoke to Elijah when he faced his deep depression (1st Kings 19).

So for the last few days, our baby, Adah has been waking up around 3:30am. I was fully aware that infants wake up throughout the night, but when she wakes up we have a routine. I go change her, Alyssa feeds her and then in my perfect plan, Adah and Alyssa and I would go back to sleep. But, this is not the case. Adah fights going back to sleep and it usually is an hour to two before she will go to sleep. 

I have been taking her to the living room and trying a few things to calm her down, such as talking to her, holding her in a few different positions, to just asking God to help. Some how as I became impatient due to lack of sleep it hit me like running into a brick wall. I am an infant totally dependant upon God and yet even though I cry and fuss God does not grow tired of me. Even though I am sinner and sin and sin, God has not given up on me. He remains patient and wants me to grow and be ever so dependent upon him. I went back in the room and laid down and just said thank you Jesus for not being impatient with me. 

So I realize that God is working on me ever so much with this child and I look forward to what he has for me next.

Job 21

If you can say anything about reading Job is that it makes you realize that sometimes we can say, “Life is unfair.” I think the older I get and the more life I live, I see this played out. Life based on my standards is unfair. 

Why do the wicked prosper? I would think that in junior high, why did the mean, arrogant boy get the pretty, sweet girl? Why do certain people that obviously are evil get away with certain things? Why is it that when a criminal gets caught for his horrendous acts and justice is served, we get happy? These are some questions that have gone through my mind in todays’ reading.

Job responds to Zophar

In Ray C. Stedman’s book on Job titled, “Let God be God,” he calls Zophar the Zealous because he responds to the emotions. Zophar becomes irritated at Job for rebuking him. In his mind, he is thinking, “Why is Job, the sinner, rebuking me?” He has no room in doing that. In Job 20, Zophar again thinks that Job is guilty and receiving his just dessert. Zophar’s philosophy is the wicked get punished while the righteous are rewarded and since Job is being punished he must be wicked.

Job has been arguing with him and his friends for these last few chapters over his innocence and how come he cannot suffer and still be righteous in the eyes of God. Many people are like Zophar today and in ch. 21 Job says some very insightful stuff which I think is so relevant today. 

The Wicked Prosper (Only for a Time)

In ch. 21 Job responds to his not so compassionate friend Zophar. He says in verses 7-13 an argument that is solid. “Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power then?” He continues by saying, “Why then is their offspring established and their descendants numerous?” If the wicked were to suffer for their sin, “Why do their houses stay safe from disaster, their flocks prosper? WHY? And yet these people who prosper push God away and say God Who?

Zophar was somewhat right about the wicked. He did say they will be cut off and receive justice (Job 20). In the end God will judge everyone and the wicked may have not suffered on this earth but they will in eternity. Their evil deeds will be exposed and they will be punished. What does that mean for us? It means Let God be God and handle it in his timing. So the wicked may prosper but it is only for a short time compared to eternity. We are not God and we should be thankful for his grace in our lives. We should trust him to bring about his will. We should seek him even when we feel mistreated or injustice take place. We need to realize this life and everything that we call ours, really his. We are just the stewards of it! 

God in a Box 

Have you ever thought this before? I know I have. As this may be shocking to think about it is true. Job goes on to respond to his friend by saying, “Can you teach God something (Job 21:22)?” He is saying, so do you know more than God? Who do you think you are? 

Have you ever done what Zophar or the other friends of Job have done. They limit and label God and put him in a box. They think they can teach God something in give some shed of light to him, but the truth is they are farther from knowing who he is. They don’t understand or desire him which means they are far from him. People reshape God to their thinking instead of reshaping their thinking around God! Be careful of this Christian, as you will start thinking that you know more than God and pride will enter into your heart.

Here is the Winter Retreat that we went to in March at Calvary Chapel Green Valley Lake. It was a blast and hope you look forward to our Summer Retreat in August.

 

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Here is this last Wednesday’s message from April 29th, 2009. It was given by Pastor Jonathan M. Lee and is from Acts 11:19-26. The study focuses on three effects of evangelism, 1) Fear 2) Fire 3) Fruit.

 

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