For Christian Sisters

God Preached Creation

14 March 2021 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Fortieth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

A recap: The story of Job is about a morally pure, exemplary man whom God permits Satan to ruin, as —it would seem — a test of his faith. Satan believes Job will curse God once his gifts and blessings are removed, and that he only serves and obeys the Lord to gain his favors.

In the aftermath of the death of his children and servants and the loss of his herds and his health, three friends come to grieve with him. Following seven days and nights of silence, they begin to speak to comfort him and to sort out the mayhem. Each one believes Job has secret sins, and as he protests that he is innocent, contentious sparring is the result.

An onlooker, a younger man, offers to set all in order by his insights and wisdom. He presents many thoughts, but is silenced when God himself comes in a whirlwind to answer Job. What will he say? Why did God ruin Job, even permitting the death of his children? Was it only to win a bet with Satan?

Now, in the denouement, we see that Job needed to have his world turned upside down in order to understand the sovereignty of God as an article of faith, not in a superficial way, and that his standing with God could not depend on his own righteousness.

But could this not have been presented to his mind in a kinder manner? We could also ask: Was it absolutely necessary for Christ to be crucified? No, and Yes. Some accomplishments are very hard won.

Were Job alive today, he would need to hear the Gospel message, that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) But he lived during the time of the law (See this post).

How could the gospel be clearly understood before the death of Christ? It could not, and that is why we today are exalted from the standpoint of history. Nevertheless, people who lived before Christ could belong to God as we today can or do.

There was an age of preparation before Christ came when he was known or perceived through prophecies, promises, sacrifices and ordinances, yet even then man could understand God's acceptance as a matter of his grace and that any boasting or resting in ones own works would not open any kingdom doors. There are commonalities of the saints across all the ages. Those in the prior age who grasped them would be prepared to receive the Christ when he came.

As God preached Creation, Job began to understand that he could not earn nor produce a relationship with God and to see he was presumptuous and prideful.

Creation is the best tutor to humble man. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalm 33:6-9)

In Job 39 God continues to preach creation with a focus on the winged fowl and the beasts of the earth (Gen 1:21-24). He discourses on the wild goats and hinds (Job 39: 1-4), the wild ass (Job 39: 5-8), the unicorn (Job 39: 9-12), the peacock, (Job 39: 13), the ostrich, (Job 39: 13-18), the horse (Job 39: 19-25), and the hawk and the eagle (Job 39: 26-30).

Perhaps in considering the obstinacy, blindness, boldness and sheer wonder of these, Job will reflect upon how great God is and how insignificant is man.

Job 39:1-20 NIV Job is reminded that he is very young in years compared with God.

Enjoy reading all of Job 39. It is all true and wonderful.

The general remark may here be made, that all the notices in the Bible of the subjects of science — which are indeed mostly casual and incidental — are such as are confirmed by the investigations which science in the various departments makes. Of what other ancient book but the Bible can this remark be made? …Subsequent investigations have served to confirm the accuracy of these descriptions, and they may be taken now as a correct account even to the letter of the natural history of the different animals referred to. (ref)

The Error of Legalism

07 March 2021 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Thirty-ninth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Each of Job’s three friends and one young upstart have tried to convince him that he is in need of repentance— His devastation is so comprehensive that only God could have effected it! This proves that God is angry with Job which proves Job has done evil deeds.

But Job is not evil and God is not mad at Job. There is much fallacious logic in the Book of Job. It would be interesting to have philosophy students pore through it to find all the illogical arguments of Job’s detractors.

Job 38:1-3 NIV Now, in Job 38, God himself takes the stage, not to explain his actions, but to wake Job up from his misconceptions.

By these words, we perceive that God judges Job to be a man in need of correction, of deeper insight. Some commentators view his opening statement to be directed to Elihu: was not he the one darkening God's counsel? Yet it is clear that God is addressing Job. He has come to answer him by imparting wisdom, while not offering specific answers to his questions.

Job 38:4-7 NIV Since the Lord’s opening words are an obvious effort to lower Job in his self esteem, do they show that God considered Job his enemy or an evil man? No, he merely desires to correct his doctrinal error — his belief that he was due God’s favor and explanations based on his behavior, also known as the false doctrine or error of legalism or works righteousness.

Can a person pave his own road to eternal life? No? Why then did Christ state: …except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:20)?

Righteousness is a prerequisite to companionship with the Lord, is it not? Don’t good works prove our faith? Can we be saved without them?

True, our works show our faith, but if they are not enabled by oneness with God and not the works God has called us to do (Eph 2:10), then we are doing them in our own wisdom and strength, in isolation from God, we might say. If we believe these works are tickets to God’s favor and honor, then we have misjudged our powers and rights in this universe.

Though Job could not have known that God would require the sacrifice of his only Son as the means for men to receive his mercy, he could nevertheless understand that God as the Creator of all, and by his revelations to men of that time in history, could not — cannot be manipulated to respond and perform by man’s behavior. If that were true, who would be in control of the world? Who would be sovereign?

Yet, though we may not force his hand, we can enjoy him. We can walk with him and serve him. We can pray for his help and receive it. We can take pleasure in obeying his commands. We can put him first and wait patiently for his answers, by his help.

There is no fine line between doing good works to earn his help and doing good works by his help. There is a vast gulf, a huge divide, in the difference between self promotion and understanding God’s mercy. If Job would know God and the enjoyment of a relationship with him, then he must realize that he was not God’s puppet master. He needed to have a new vision of God and to consider his place in the scheme of things as the creature, not the One in charge.

Job 38:8-11 NIV Imagine the intelligence and strength of the Lord!

Job 38:12-15 NIV Imagine the brute rebellion of men who believe Evolution is the force behind Creation. Job was not presumptuous as they, yet it is said that overturning pride in a religious man who believes false doctrine can be more difficult than convincing an unbeliever.

Job 38:16-21 NIV Light shines by God’s design and illuminates the deeds of the wicked; God displays the beauty of the earth and hides wisdom from evil men.

Job 38:22-30 NIV Job is reminded that he is very young in years compared with God.

Reading God's questions to Job is humbling, yet uplifting. We are called to consider the greatness of the Lord. Do we normally do this on our own recognizance?

Job 38:31-41 NIV For a blog post, this is long enough. Enjoy reading the rest of Job 38.

Worldly wisdom

28 February 2021 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Thirty-eighth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

A clap of thunder! The storm that began in Job 36 has come nearer. It frightens Elihu.

Job 37:1-4 NIV

By the word of God divine instructions are conveyed to the mind through the ear, by his works through the eye; but, because those ordinary sights and sounds do not duly affect men, God is pleased sometimes to astonish men by the eye with his lightnings and by the ear with his thunder. It is very probable that at this time, when Elihu was speaking, it thundered and lightened, for he speaks of the phenomena as present; and, God being about to speak (ch. 38:1), these were, as afterwards on Mount Sinai, the proper prefaces to command attention and awe…
Thunder is called the voice of the Lord (Ps. 29:3, etc.), because by it God speaks to the children of men to fear before him, and it should put us in mind of that mighty word by which the world was at first made, which is called thunder. Ps. 104:7, At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away, namely, the waters, when God said, Let them be gathered into one place. - Matthew Henry

Job 37:5-8 NIV Elihu describes how the Lord can bring all activity to a halt by the weather.

To Elihu the weather in all its glory is the glory of God, and God stops people from their work so they can see it. … Is not the whole book of Job about men who have been stopped from their work? It is about an enormous work stoppage, an enormous inconvenience that has fallen out of the sky and forced five busy people to drop everything they were doing and to turn for a while to a more important task. (- Mason -ref)

Job 37:9-13 NIV God is in control of the weather to effect his purposes; at least, up until the present generation he was. Today, we have learned of HAARP and cloud seeding. Elihu wold not have known of these.

Job 37:14-20 NIV Though Elihu has forgotten, Job has considered the works of the Lord. Did he not say:
He stretches out the north over the void
and hangs the earth on nothing.
He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
and the cloud is not split open under them.
He covers the face of the full moon
and spreads over it his cloud. (Job 26:7-9)
and
the thunder of his power who can understand? (Job 26:14b)
A single-minded focus or personal agenda can prevent a full recollection of related conversation.

It was not that Job had no awe of the Almighty when he pled for answers. Yet he did address God directly and ask for a hearing:
Withdraw your hand far from me,
and let not dread of you terrify me.
Then call, and I will answer;
or let me speak, and you reply to me.
How many are my iniquities and my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
Why do you hide your face
and count me as your enemy? (Job 13:21-24)

Job 37:21-24 NIV Though Elihu seems to be centered on God, his real focus is on Job. He describes a supernatural type of disturbance in the heavenlies but does not believe that God would condescend to man’s cry for understanding of his ways. Elihu does not realize that God himself is drawing near. His ending statement is that God will not regard the one who is conceited, namely, Job.

But who is wise in their own conceit? Is it Job, or is it Elihu?

In his great wisdom, Elihu does not know that God desires close communion and friendship with his own. He desires a relationship and to converse with us.

Elihu’s wisdom is worldly, defining a foundation for a faith in a God, but not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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