Job 40:1-8 MSG 1-2 God then confronted Job directly: “Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?” 3-5 Job answered: “I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” 6-7 God addressed Job next from the eye of the storm, and this is what he said: “I have some more questions for you, and I want straight answers. 8 “Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong? Are you calling me a sinner so you can be a saint?
Observation
The Book of Job is one of the Wisdom Books of our Bible (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are the others). As I see it, Proverbs generally tells us that embracing Wisdom and submitting obediently to God will bring blessing and honor in this life and after; in other words, the evil suffer, the righteous are rewarded, life is fair and God is just (according to our sense of justice). Ecclesiastes, on the other hand, tells us that life is not always fair, the evil may be unjustly rewarded in this life, the innocent may suffer unjustly, life is as meaningless as a puff of smoke without the fear of God and God is just (regardless of what we think). Job tells us God never promised life would be easy or make sense or seem like a just reward for our obedience, but, nonetheless, regardless of circumstances, God has purpose is our lives and is just.
Throughout the book of Job, we find his friends are preaching Proverbs (suffering indicates sin in your life so admit it and quit it so God can bless you) and Job is preaching Ecclesiastes as he scrapes his boils (What did I do to deserve this?! I am innocent and being unfairly treated!). Both propose that God’s response to us is performance-based. If that were so, why did God allow the Satan to inflict such suffering and pain on Job? God called him righteous.
We have to wait until the end of the book of Job for God to weigh in and bring perspective! ““Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7 NIV)
God essentially asks Job what man is qualified to question why He does what He does and how He determines if the cost to us is worth the price of fulfilling His eternal plan for the ultimate redemption of all creation. Our perspective is so small and limited, usually only extending to the limits of the cost to us. In the book of Job, God is asking Job (us) to fully submit to Him (period). He is asking us to trust in Him absolutely – His wisdom, His justice, His love for us – regardless of the circumstances we may face.
Impact on Me
The book of Job has always been a challenge for me. I would read through feeling uncomfortable with Job’s accusations of unfair treatment by God and being thankful that I didn’t have boils to scrape and friends like his to encourage me. None of the friend’s arguments seemed like a realistic life view to me. If life is fair and we get just what we deserve, why did God allow Satan to afflict Job – “Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”?
For me, the Wisdom Books swing the pendulum from the Proverbs view of “life is fair & God is just” to the opposite Ecclesiastes proposal that “life is vanity and you can’t expect it to be just or fulfilling without God” to the Job center “whether I am blessed or troubled, I will trust in and rely on God’s justice and His wisdom regarding how my life can best serve His will and purpose”.
Jesus did not promise me that life would be full of only blessing and favor. As a matter of fact, He promised quite the opposite, predicting I would run into trouble and fail (thank you, God, for inventing repentance, redemption, and reconciliation because I need it every day!) while allowing Himself to pay the price for it all. Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may find your peace in me. You will find trouble in the world—but, never lose heart, I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33).
My dearest heart’s desire is to give Him joy in His heart by trusting in His wisdom regarding my life and how I serve Him. I want to be content in my calling and set aside judging what is fair or unfair – what I think I rightly deserve according to my efforts, skill, or level of investment, coveting the giftings of others while neglecting my own, questioning His wisdom regarding the weight of my burden, my cross (or bounty of my provision or reward) as compared to another.
Life is not defined by Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Job alone. So, I need to:
- accept that there is no simplistic, formulaic, entirely predictable course to the beautiful and perfect blessed life free from trouble for me!
- recognize that Satan is the source of suffering and God the source of grace, comfort and deliverance.
- choose to honor and obey God regardless of the circumstances of my life, letting God choose how He can fit me into His perfect plan.
The bottom line for me is God is sovereign and just – period.
Prayer
Lord, God, Creator of the Universe, Faithful and Just, to You I give all praise, glory and honor. This is what I want to learn from the book of Job: Because God is just, He loves everyone equally. He has written me into His story, His plan for redemption and, when called upon to do my part, I want to say, “YES!”, and be faithful to follow through whether it leads to blessing or sacrifice here on earth, knowing that He will be with me always providing the wisdom, strength and ability to do what He is asking, so I can “count it all joy” as I endure to become that good and faithful servant. In Jesus’ name I pray.
James 1:5-8 JBP. [The Christian can even welcome trouble] When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realise that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God—who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty—and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not. The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from God, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 