I’ve been reading Job of late and to be honest I didn’t understand the majority of the discussion between Job and his 3 mates.
I get the general idea of the book – that even through his suffering Job won’t give up on God… but he does question him quite a bit. His three mates are convinced Job’s done something wrong, and I think overall they just miss the whole mark on who God is and how he treats people.
Then God shows up and basically says I’m the man, why are you questioning my actions Job, and you three… get your act together.
I’ve heard Job used in many sermon illustrations always as an example of someone who got deal a bad hand but kept following God.
He sure did that, but he was still such a human, down to earth character. He questions why it’s happening to him, what he’s done to deserve it – and maybe even as far as to say God didn’t have much right to do that to him.
I think that’s sometimes left out in the telling of Job, and also that God does eventually answer all his questions (maybe not with the answers Job was expecting).
Also God makes him even more well off in the end. By the end of the book Job has more cattle, more land and the most beautiful daughters around. God blesses him so greatly because of his faith.
We never seem to hear about that in sermons as well. God giving Job material possessions as a blessing for his faith. Where does that fit in our consumerism doctrines?
So Job? Some more in depth explanation would probably do me good – but that’s what I got out of reading it this time round.
Am I right? Nearly there?? Or completely off the mark???
Monday, 6 August 2007
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4 comments:
Great book, and really interesting if you can get past all the waffle between Job and his three mates in the middle. Did you know its the oldest book in the Bible? Job was written before Genesis! (just an interesting fact) I think the best verse in Job is in Job 13:15, where he says, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him." I think the whole point of the book is simply to say, we are the creation, he is the creator; whatever we think we know about justice or fairness or what's "right", He's still God. We are in no place to question or doubt him, in fact, the best thing we can do is trust him, because, after all, He is God.
yes that's the general idea i got from it too...
but during a bit of that 'waffle' (like the term mate) Job does to a bit of complaining and questioning.
But never forsaking.
is that the key?
also whats the 'Bohemeth' that God talks about creating? Dinasaur?????
Job is an awesome book of the bible. I never knew it was the oldest in the bible - thanks Ben for that fact.
I like your summary too Ben - He is God, and I don't think we can ever come close to understanding his purpose in things.
Job lived up to some high expectations. I love the fact that at the beginning of Job God was gloating 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." (Job 1:8) & 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. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." (Job 2:3) How awesome would it be to have God say that about us?
I think it's ok to question God and be real with him. God does answer, and like you said Dean, not always in the way we want him to.
But at the end of our day, what matters is what we do with God. Do we want to follow God regardless of the cost or try to take the easy road here on this earth that leads to destruction?
I think it's important to remember that God didn't have to bless Job, but that he chose to. God saw that Job had passed the test and decided to reward him. It's not always the case. Many christians have served God their whole life and have nothing material to show for at the end. But how great will their treasure be in heaven?!?
There's a lot in the book. I think the Bohemoth could be a dinosaur - but whatever it was, I think it's long been extinct. But it definitely would explain some of the fossils people have dug up over the years! Hmm... I love controversy.
yeh i posted a bit about elijah in another post. we were looking at that at my bible study wednesday night.
elijah basically says to God... you said you were going to do this if i did what you said. I did what you said so now you;ve got to do your bit.
we discussed this... and i felt that God always keeps his word so Elijah had every right to remind God when he'd done what God asked him.
I guess the same thing goes with Job. God was saying how blameless Job was... if God was saying it then it wasn't like how we sometimes feel blameless but really aren't. Job really truely was blameless.
so he had every right to say to God - I've done nothing wrong... why are you doing this.
Not because God hands out bad stuff when we do stuff wrong. But Job had kept Gods commands so in a way he'd earnt the right to question God.
How many times do we search ourself before we question God??? Are we blameless???
I think that's where the difference between Job and Us lies.
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