For Christian Sisters

Searching for treasure

23 December 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Twenty-ninth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

In Chapter 28 Job describes how man has found precious stones, ores and minerals by methods and labor, but he, a rancher and farmer by trade and truth seeker by temperament, has mined for wisdom.

Job 28:1-4 NIV He begins by reflecting on the pursuit of ‘gold diggers’. They explore and persevere, bearing light in dark places, to dig out and extract valuable metals and then to refine them.

Job 28:5-11 NIV Though the earth appears to be a field of grain, beneath it lie fiery treasures, sapphires to gold. Man by his intelligence and sweat carves out and dotes on what birds and beasts never see nor need.

Job 28:12-19 NIV Yet for all his mining sense and skill, man does not understand how or where to search for wisdom nor does he appreciate its importance. It is not found anywhere in the earth or sea, and cannot be purchased by gold and silver, though its worth is far more than any precious jewel, coral or pearl.

Job 28:20-27 NIV In these verses, Job speaks of wisdom that is hidden, that only God understands and can reveal.

Because of Job’s specific knowledge of crafts and natural wonders, some commentators have supposed Solomon to be the author of the book, however, Thomas Coke, one of the founders of the Methodist Church in the United States, wrote:

The sapphire was mentioned before, and, being itself a Hebrew word, there can be no doubt about the meaning of it; but for the other words, whether we translate them rightly is a controverted point among the learned; and the obscurity of the text in this, as well as in other places, affords no inconsiderable argument of the antiquity of the book. (ref)

Job saw the majesty of God but could not perceive that it testified to his wisdom in Christ; that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting our sins against us (2 Cor 5:19). Even though this was established in the beginning, it was not yet in view. (1 Cor 2:7; Eph 1:4)

Treasuring Christ is true wisdom that can prevent us from foolish seeking after gold and silver. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)

Job knew only that fear of God and being upright were wisdom and understanding: emotion and action, attitude and practice, as then, so today.
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:27)

And with this Job suggests that his friends should have been satisfied, and not have pretended to dive into the secrets of God, and condemned him for a hypocrite, by misinterpreting the designs of Divine Providence. - ibid, Thomas Coke (1747-1814)

Job could not fathom what we today take for granted: Christ in us, our hope of glory, the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints (Col 1:26-27) Yet, if we take this for granted without cherishing it, then we have no fear of God and we do evil. We do not know as much as Job did millennia ago.

The Son of Man

15 November 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Twenty-sixth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

Job 25 is the book’s shortest chapter with only six verses. It is Bildad’s third speech and the last we hear from the three friends.

Bildad will draw comparisons between God and man to instruct Job about his puny importance in the scheme of things. He believes Job has offended God, by maintaining his innocence.

Job 25:1-2 NIV God is ruler and master over all, in control of each sphere: fearsome. And the wise fear him.

Job 25:3 NIV He is served by myriads of angelic hosts, but no matter how many or which of numberless creatures, all are under his daily watch from the rising of the sun to the evening stars and moon.

Job 25:4 NIV Considering the immense greatness of God, and considering the fall of Adam so that there is now a pall over creation, what is Job’s claim to innocence? It is a lie. What is his desire to hear from the Lord? Impertinence, pride, ignorance!

Job 25:5 NIV “Theirs is the light and purity but of creatures; His of the Creator.” (A. R. Fausset)

Job 25:6 (The NIV uses the term human being) In this verse we come to an important phrase, son of man. To the Christian, this is a term of endearment, In it we hear Jesus’ words,
For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. (Luk 11:30)
Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luk 12:40)
…and so many others.

Though this is the second time in the Bible that this term appears, it perhaps antedates the first mention in Numbers spoken by Balak (Num 23:19), if we accept that the book of Job is ancient, and that Job was a compatriot of Abraham who lived about 700 years before Balak.

A first-mention of a word or phrase has special significance.

This term is used in many books of Scripture but because of its association with Christ, we may see it here as a provocation. Satan wants to rile God and to insult the Lord who is wonderful and not a worm, and of course, he is doing his utmost to discourage Job. As a first-mention, the Holy Spirit is warning us about Satan's wily ways.

Satan, through Bildad, is proposing that the ugly human who has no hope of purity, born of flesh, putrid in essence, is in a realm so far from God that he has nearly no relation. But the truth is, man was made in God's image, and Christ was born a man to raise us from sin and death to eternal life. This divine plan was in place from the beginning. We worms have hope!

God's distance from us is very great yet small, for by his mercy, we are sons of God (John 1:12; Rom 8:14, 19 et al), heirs through Christ (Gal 4:7)

Kept from falling

13 September 2020 AnneT Blog, Job An ordered list of links for each blog series is on the Archive page. (0)

Job Sees The Light - Seventeenth in a series

Hover over the Scripture references to read the verses under discussion

The reader of the book of Job may ask the question that Job asks as Chapter 16 opens.

Job 16:1-3 NIV What is the purpose of these lengthy monologues? Job and his friends should stop bickering. They have been sparring for 12 chapters — and they will continue for another 16. Then a younger man will attempt to teach them for six chapters until at last the Lord speaks and has the final word.

A total of 36 chapters of God's Word are a debate or discussion over Job's righteousness and God's mysterious ways, which is why this book is set among the Bible's wisdom books. Chronologically it could be near the beginning, but by its content it belongs with the Books that seek to answer man's deepest perplexities such as why God permits human suffering, and with those writings that praise Him for who He is.

Job 16:4-5 NIV Christ said, “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4), so we know that each word in each chapter of Job has eternal import. One great result of suffering is that it creates in us a heart of compassion. Job is being converted from a sympathetic friend to one with empathy.

Before his deep trials he could comfort the afflicted with a sincere word and a twinge of understanding, but now he can truly feel the pain of the bereft, the mourner, the depleted, the disenfranchised, the forsaken. He understands how it feels to be the one in need– the one without hope, whose brokenness is beyond repair. Now he would know exactly how to comfort the most miserable sufferer; his compassion is real.

Job 16:6-14 NIV Neither defending himself nor enduring the insults and accusations of his friends brings Job any relief. The pain he feels is not lessened by answering their charges nor by quietly ignoring them. He views their venom as God's further tearing at his heart.

It is understandable how Job has identified the Lord in this aspect of his long trial. He has accepted that his devastation is God's doing. Therefore, the cruelty of his friends is also God's work.

However, while God is permitting all these influences to wear away Job's inner strength so that he might attain a new way of seeing, it is Satan, not God, who is provoking Job's friends to attack and wound him. In similar straits, we must be clear on who the enemy is. Confusion and emotional instability quickly take over when faith in God's goodness is lost.

Job 16:15-18 NIV Job is suffering and grieving profoundly, and he views himself as an innocent sufferer, pure in heart and clean in his prayers. He sees his plight as unjust and challenges the earth — "Do not cover my blood —"! This reminds us of God's words to Cain after Cain had murdered his brother Abel. "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cried out to me from the ground…"(Gen 4:10-12) It is as though the earth refuses to be an accomplice to an unjust death.

Job likewise wants the earth to testify for him, for like Abel, he has been murdered —but wait —is Job saying that God has murdered him?

Job 16:19-22 NIV On the brink of rebellion, a prophetic word is shared. Job is rescued from harsh thoughts about God by the concept of a special friend interceding on his behalf. He then returns to crying out to God, seeking the help he needs to be restored.

We are reminded the Lord is our shepherd; our souls will be restored and we will dwell in his house forever.

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