Well, God showed up, (pt 4)

Have you ever been speaking with a friend and you're trying to convince them of something or share how they hurt your feelings and they say, "Fine", or "Whatever"?

When someone says that to you do you really feel like things are fine? When someone says "whatever" do you feel like you've gotten your point across? No, not really. Today Job is going to tell God "whatever," and it's not going to go over well with the Almighty.

In the last section God exposed to Job that there are things in the universe Job can neither control or understand, that there is mystery and power in the universe. Now God is going to stop and allow Job a chance to respond. As always, please read along in your Bible, Job 40-41.

"Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it," (Job 40:1-2). God is giving Job a chance to say, "You're right, I was wrong." He is giving him an opportunity to admit his limited knowledge and understanding. How does Job respond?

"Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will not proceed further," (Job 40:4-5). At first glance this looks good, right? Job says he is small and he's not going to talk anymore. But do you know what's lacking? "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I repent of thinking you don't know how to run the universe. I repent of saying you're unfair." Here's what Matthew Henry has to say about Job's attitude. "Job was greatly humbled for what God had already said, but not sufficiently; he was brought low, but not low enough; and therefore God here proceeds..."

So Job gives the Old World equivalent of "whatever" to God. The problem is God desires that the relationship between he and Job be restored and "whatever" isn't going to cut it. It's the same way if you're arguing with your husband, wife, child, or friend. You know that things are not okay if they say, "fine." You want things to be restored. You want things to be okay. God loves Job and wants their relationship to be fixed. Since Job doesn't acknowledge his wrong, God continues.

Behemoth? Maybe...who knows?

The conversation in Job 40-41 centers around two creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan, the greatest creatures of the land and sea. Now if you read any other commentators about Job you will get a long diatribe about whether these creatures were real or mythological and what exactly they were, (a dinosaur, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, elephant = Behemoth and crocodile, shark, dinosaur of the sea, dragon = Leviathan). I'm not interested in the debate. For our purposes I'm assuming these were real creatures that actually existed in Job's day, (whatever they were). They were the greatest creatures of the land and sea.

So why does God bring these incredible creatures up in his conversation with Job. The key verses are 40:7-14 and 41:10-11. The rest of the verses describe Behemoth and Leviathan. Let's look at the first group of verses. "Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?" (40:8). This is exactly what Job had done. He had condemned God, stating that he was unjust in his running of the universe. He had concluded God had erred in how he operated in the world. He had declared he was a righteous man and didn't deserve to suffer. God had messed up. Then Job had challenged God, a la Matlock, to explain himself. God continues in his response.

"Do you have an arm as powerful as God's and can you thunder with a voice like his? Look at everyone who is proud and bring him low...Hide them all in the dust together...then will I also acknowledge to  you that your own right hand can save you," (40:9-14, selected). Job had challenged God. Now God challenges Job. Can Job humble the proud? Can he destroy the evil? Can he stand with the same power and might as God? Can he shaken the heavens and the earth and bring them to nothing by the voice of his mouth? The point God is making is this: you have no business challenging how I run the universe when you can't challenge me in strength comparable to mine.

Leviathan? I don't know, but this movie kept me out of the water until I was 14.

God goes a step further in exposing Job's impotence when discussing the Behemoth and Leviathan. His point in describing these creatures in such detail is connected to Job's limited power. Behemoth and Leviathan are the greatest creatures of the land and sea. Job cannot challenge or stand against created beings of the earth and sea who live and die just like Job. How, therefore, can Job challenge the ways of a God who is eternal and almighty? What right has Job to tell God how to run the universe? If Job can't even stand against a Brontosaurus or Jaws, (I'm guessing here), then how can he stand against and accuse God of failing to act with justice.

Job is just a created being. He is small, finite, and will one day die. He is weak and limited. God is infinite and limitless. He has no beginning and no end. God is eternal and immortal. God is Almighty and Sovereign. Job stands before THE LORD as one limited in knowledge and power and he is challenged to bend his knee to him. Job cannot control or manipulate God or his designs anymore than Roy Scheider is going to hurt Jaws with that tiny stick. In other words Job is going to need a bigger boat. "Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is MINE," (41:10-11, emphasis added).

Job had challenged God, stating that he didn't run the universe fairly. He had professed his righteousness and stated he should not be suffering because of his righteous character, (and God never refutes Job's righteousness by the way). Job told God that he had messed up. Job wanted to stand before God and get his "why" questions answered. He wanted God, the holy creator, to come before him like a common litigant and give him answers on why he had suffered, why God ran the universe like he did, and why he (supposedly) messed up in Job's life. Job wanted answers. God responded by asking Job 70 questions exposing Job's limited knowledge and power. He challenged Job's ability to even stand before lesser beings, much less the God of the universe. In the end, God showed Job there was a limit to his knowledge, understanding, power, and authority. In the end, Job was shown he would not get the answers he sought. In the end, Job would have to submit to the only one who did have the knowledge and power to run the universe. In the end, Job would have to trust the Lord.

Now how will Job respond?
"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted...I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes," (Job 42:1-6, selected). Job, instead of just being silent, admits his folly. He admits the purposes and plans of God are too high for him to understand. He admits his knowledge is limited. He acknowledges the sovereign control, purposes, and wisdom of God which is higher than a man's comprehension. He turns from demanding God reveal and explain himself and humbles himself in repentance and nothingness. The relationship is now restored between Creator and the created one. Job kneels in humility not from fear or show of force, (which God could have done), but from the exposure of his own limited knowledge, understanding and power.

Final thoughts and blogs on Job coming up.

Well, God showed up, (pt 3), Job 38:39-39-30

Mystery and Power. What are they? A mystery is something that is hidden, unknown, or can not be understood. Power is the force which makes things happen, move, or work. Mystery and Power are the themes of God's speeches to Job. God is reminding Job of the wonder and force within the universe and will reveal to him how the mystery and power in the created world around him relates to his questions about good, evil, suffering, injustice and ultimately, God.

Remember where Job is, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. He lost everything he owned. He lost his servants. He lost his children. He lost his stature within the community around him. They considered him a wicked and evil man because they thought only the wicked suffered. So he has spent the entirety of this book trying to find meaning in his suffering in light of the presence of God. He asked God where He was in the midst of Job's suffering. He asked why God allowed the righteous to suffer and the evil to thrive. He couldn't understand how these things had happened in his life when he had been a faithful and God fearing man. He finally concluded that God was unjust, having somehow erred in the way he had treated Job. He wanted God to give him an answer. Well, in chapters 38-41, God shows up and answers Job quite a bit.

The classic Scooby Doo walking scene.

In the last chapter God confronted Job about the things in the natural world that he could not comprehend or control. He asked Job several questions about the sea, the stars, the created earth, the sun, the snow, the light, and the rain. Through these subjects he showed Job that there were things in the created world Job could neither comprehend or control. There was mystery and power within the created world. Now God turns to the animal kingdom in Job 38:39-39:30. Please read along in your Bible.

Job 38:39-41 - "Job, do you have the power to feed the lions and birds?"
God asks Job if he has the power to provide for the creatures on earth. Does Job supply their needs? Can Job make sure they are fed, nourished, and cared for? The answer, of course, is no. Job is a man of limited power and control. However, God is there and he cares for, provides, and feeds the beasts of the earth by his infinite power and understanding.

Job 39:1-4 - "Job, do you understand how and when the goats and deer give birth?" 
Okay, this seems like a weird, gross, or irrelevant question. I mean, seriously, who cares how and when the deer give birth? However, God is showing Job there is mystery in the created world. Animals are made to create, bear, and nurture their young. All of this happens apart from man's influence and control. This too is evidence of something outside of Job's comprehension or power, yet God understands and cares for these creatures by his wisdom and power.

Job 39:5-12 - "Job, can you control the wild donkey and the ox?" 
The donkey and the ox both live independently of men and rail against man's control. They live alone in mountains and the salt lands, free from men. They resist men's stables and fences. God is reminding Job that there are animals in the created world who cannot be controlled and ruled by Job or any other man. These animals do not serve men, but live according to their own purposes. Even so, God reigns over these animals as their creator, ruler and caretaker.

Yep, there's an ostrich.

Job 39:13-25 - "Job, can you comprehend or control the ostrich or the war horse?" 
(I must confess, I know little about ostriches except that they don't fly and they stick their heads in the ground. I've never read about how they treat their eggs. However, let us just assume that God knew what he was talking about and Job would know what God was talking about? Okay? Good.)

God says a ostrich is a strange bird. It will lay its eggs on the ground and then leave them unprotected. Why, (asks God), would an animal act this way? Can Job understand how a mother bird would forsake its young to destruction? Job doesn't have the capacity to understand this creature. It is mysterious and confusing. Yet God is not confused. God is not frustrated by the strange actions of this bird he created.
Furthermore, can Job control or understand the war horse? Can he understand how this animal is excited by battle and destruction? "He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; he does not turn back from the sword," (22). Can Job control the fearful strength of such a powerful creature? "With fearfulness and rage he swallows the ground;" (24).
Yet again there are animals in the created world Job cannot comprehend or control. Only God can understand and control such confounding and powerful creatures.

Because Batman flies...like the birds in God's illustration.

Job 39:26-30 - "Job, how to birds fly?"
Finally, God directs Job's attention to the birds of the air and their powers of flight. Can Job comprehend how the hawk and the eagle soar above the earth? Does he know how they glide above the air and make their home up in the mountains? Does Job command the eagle to fly where he wills it? How can a bird fly in the air and reject the laws of gravity? Once again there are creatures Job cannot comprehend or control.

Comprehension and control. Mystery and power. Throughout this chapter and God's discussion of these creatures, these themes have resonated over and over and over again. God has been beating a dead horse, (not literally), in his discussion of the animals of the earth. Job is a being of limited control and understanding. There are things in the animal kingdom which Job cannot control or fathom by his limited knowledge and resources.

Once again, the problem is not Job's lack of knowledge. Job was aware of these things. The problem is Job's understanding the ramifications of the knowledge he already had. God reminded Job there were creatures he could not understand or control. God also showed the mystery and power of the created world in chapter 38. So what's the point? God was trying to get Job to see that just as there are animals you cannot comprehend or control, so there are things in your life you cannot comprehend or control. There is mystery and power within the world you live in. There is going to be suffering, wickedness, confusion, injustice and weirdness to your life. Yes, bad thing will happen and you will not be able to understand them or control them, (just as bad things happened to Scooby-Doo that he struggled to understand and control).

Now, if we just stopped there we would all need to go home and either drink ourselves into a stupor, immerse ourselves in mindless pleasure, or take a lot of drugs to ease our pain. How else could we live in a world where God acknowledges there is chaos and confusion and men have no control over what happens in their lives? If that is the case, men should eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow they die. If this is all God had said then men should live as they please, do what they please, and disregard any moral or spiritual authority because there is no purpose or hope for life.

However...this is not all God had to say. God raised several examples in the animal kingdom which exposed Job's lack of understanding or lack of power. Yet for every example God was neither confused or out of control. Does God have the power to provide for the lions and the beasts of the field? Yes. Does God understand how animals create babies and nurture their babies to adulthood? Yes. Can God control the wild donkey, ox, or any other created animal which exists? Yes. Does God understand ostriches and why they act so weirdly? Yes. Does God understand the war horse and can he rule over the wildest of animals? Yes. Is there any creature on the earth outside of God's control or comprehension? No. God rules with total wisdom, mercy, and power. He is God. There is nothing outside of his power or understanding.

Therefore, Job, (and consequently you and I), do not have to go home and drown ourselves in tequila and Scooby-snacks. We do not have to submit to sorrow, anxiety, or despair. There is a God who is there. There is a God who rules in control of the universe. There is a God who is in control, who is never confused, and who is never frustrated. God reigns over the universe with wisdom, power, and love. We may not have the capacity to grasp what he is doing. We may not like what is happening in our world, but we can know and rest in a sovereign Lord who runs the universe with complete wisdom, mercy, and power. Nothing is mysterious to God. Nothing is outside of his power. This is the message to Job and to you and I.

To be continued...

Well God Showed Up, (pt 2), Job 38:1-38

"Then the Lord answered Job..."

Before we dig in, I'd invite you to read through Job 38:1-38, just so you get the backdrop of what's happening here. As you do, ask yourself: what kind of tone is God taking? How do you think Job feels at God's response? What do you think God is trying to expose? What is God's point here? What is the subject of God's questions? Go ahead, the blog will still be here waiting for your return...

Welcome back. As we look at this chapter, it's important to note what God says and what he does not say. Firstly, he shows up and answers Job, which is very important. The Creator and Lord of the universe doesn't owe Job or anyone else an explanation for how he runs the world, but yet he shows up anyway. The very fact God showed up and gave Job an audience shows his kindness and compassion for Job in light of the suffering he has experienced. God could have just squashed Job and moved on with running the universe, but he didn't. He didn't necessarily answer Job the way he wanted and he wasn't exactly gentle in his answers, but God did step in and answer. (Mental note: God doesn't necessarily answer us the way we want him too). Secondly, God does NOT condemn Job for any sin he has committed to justify his suffering, (which is what his three friends would have expected). "Clearly, then, God holds nothing against Job; not even his wild words, (6:3) are a matter for reproof", (Bruce, 545). Perhaps what is most important is how God does NOT provide an explanation for the suffering Job has experienced, which is what Job wanted. He doesn't explain the "why" questions Job had been asking.

Baby Eating a Watermelon: "So Travis, what then does God actually say if he doesn't answer the "why" questions?"

Me: "Good question, Baby Eating a Watermelon. Let's look at the chapter and see."

"Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me," (Job 38:2-3). Uh oh, this is not starting out well for Job. Throughout the next three chapters God is going to ask Job over 70 rhetorical questions. As you read through these I want you to realize that the purpose of God's interrogation is both to teach and humble Job, not to condemn or embarrass him. He is giving Job an opportunity to come to a deeper understanding of God, evil, injustice, and life.

Job 38:4-7; 8-11; 16-18. God starts out by asking Job if he understands how the world was created? Was he there? Does he know how God formed it from nothing? Does Job know who set the boundary of the oceans? Does Job understand the way the waters were made to go so far upon a continent and then go no further? Does Job comprehend the depths of the oceans which no one has ever seen? Has he seen the deep and hidden parts of the earth? Why did God make the earth? Why did he make mountains here and rivers there? Why did God make continents and not just one big land mass? Why did he make volcanoes? The answer to these questions reveals there are things Job cannot comprehend. There is knowledge beyond Job's understanding.

Job 38:12-15, 19-21. Does Job command the sun? Does he know how the planets revolve around a

burning ball of incredibly hot gas? Does he comprehend how the sun perfectly sends rays of warmth and light to a planet which is 92,956,050 miles away? Does he know how it rises and sets each day? Can he comprehend how God brings light and darkness, goodness and judgment upon the wicked who are on the earth? Why did God make 9 planets? (Yes, I know there's only eight, but I refuse to give up on Pluto). Why did God make rings around Saturn? Why did God put little green men on Mars? (Hey, you never know). Why did God make only one planet inhabitable for humans? There are things you cannot comprehend. There are things beyond your control. There is knowledge beyond your understanding.

In 38:21 God gets sarcastic. It's never a good sign when the Lord of all the universe is using sarcasm with you. "What is the way to the dwelling of light...You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great!" Uh oh.

Job 38:22-30. Do you know how God makes snow, Job? Do you know how he chooses to bring the snow storms at the times of his choosing? (Heck even in the 21st Century our sophisticated weathermen can't figure that out?) Do you understand how he reserves destructive weather to punish the wicked in the time of trouble? Can you comprehend how God sends the rain, thunder, and lightning upon the earth? How exactly does lightning work, Job? Why did God make lightning? Why does it rain on one part of the city but not the other? Do you know how God provides rain and nourishment to a dry and thirsty land so that plants may grow? How does God make ice, show, and frost? Why does he do that? There are things you cannot comprehend. There are things beyond your control. There is knowledge beyond your understanding.

Job 38:31-38. Do you know the workings of the stars? Can you rearrange them to make your own constellations? Can you change the Big Dipper so that it looks like Snoopy instead? Do you understand how God set the stars in place? Why did God make stars? What purpose do they serve? Why did God make Orion in the heavens? Can you control the clouds? Why are there tiny wispy clouds and big fat rain clouds? How did God make clouds? Why do they look that way? Can you control the clouds and make it rain when you want it to? Can you control the very forces of the heavens? Does the universe work at your whim? There are things you cannot comprehend. There are things in nature beyond your control. There is knowledge beyond your understanding.

God is not necessarily teaching Job new information here. Job himself had already shown a solid grasp of the greatness of God in his earlier statements. Job was an intelligent guy and he was a man who feared God. Surely he had contemplated the wonders of God and his glory in creation. God was not telling Job new information about God, man, or the world in which he lived in. What God was doing was trying to get Job to think about the ramifications of the information he already had. In other words, Job knew about the sun, its brilliance, and its heat. He also knew that he had no control over the rising and setting of the sun. God was asking Job to look at the incredible and mysterious events of nature, (like the sun), and see there was a correlation between nature and suffering, good, evil, justice and God's control. Just as there are things in nature beyond Job's understanding and control, so is the outworking of the will and plan of God beyond a person's control and understanding. Man may not understand, but there is a Lord who is wise, good, kind, and purposeful who is directing the events of the universe. They may not make sense to men, but it makes sense to God.

Brian Regan is not sure what to think about all of this. Well hold on, because God's not finished. His next topic will be animals. (It's good, trust me).

P.S. I plan to come to a meaningful conclusion and application of all the information God's dumping on Job, but it seems appropriate to wait and do that once God is done talking in chapter 41 before I start doing that.

Brian Regan...that guy is funny.

Well...God showed up, (pt 1)

One of my favorite movies ever is Forrest Gump. If you have never seen it I suddenly feel very old and my illustration for this entire article is now meaningless. If that's the case, just play along. If you have seen the movie, you will remember Gary Sinese's character, Lieutenant Dan. (I'm going somewhere with this, just hang on). Lieutenant Dan is originally Forrest Gump's commanding officer in Vietnam. Forrest eventually saves Lieutenant Dan from dying in battle. Lieutenant Dan would have preferred to die in battle because that's what the men in his family had always done and the battle wounds he suffered caused him to lose his legs. Lieutenant Dan, (you always have to say the full name, "Lieutenant Dan", in case you're wondering), becomes bitter and angry because he's now a cripple. He's angry at Forrest. He's angry at life and he's angry at God. Forrest, on the other hand, maintains his childlike faith in God.

Ultimately Forrest becomes a shrimp boat captain and Lieutenant Dan becomes his first mate. He and Forrest are having quite a hard time catching shrimp because neither of them really know what they're doing. There's a scene where in his frustration with life, God, and shrimp that Lieutenant Dan looks at Forrest and says, "So where's this God of yours?" It is at that exact moment, as Forrest says so eloquently, "that God showed up." There is a tremendous hurricane that hits their boat while they're out at sea and Lieutenant Dan takes to screaming at God throughout the whole thing. For the rest of the story you have to watch the movie. But I will tell you that Lieutenant Dan gets new legs and gets over his anger issues...and they catch a lot of shrimp.

I've been waiting to use the "God showed up" quote ever since I started this series on Job. It perfectly captures what happens here in chapters 38-41. Job has been wanting to have a word with the Almighty ever since about chapter four. Now God is going to show up and speak his peace to Job. Surprisingly enough, Job is going to get a little more than he bargained for.

As this is the climax of the entire book I am going to take my time to go through what happens and make sure we understand what God says and what it all means. This may take a couple of articles to complete. I'm okay with that because I want to handle these chapters with all the wisdom and grace I can muster, (which isn't much if you're a Journalism major). Let me also say that I am tentative to engage such an amazing passage of Scripture for several reasons. For one thing, it's an awesome passage of the Bible. It is probably the longest speech God ever gives to a human being in the entire Bible. In it God reveals himself in a dynamic way that is seldom seen. I am nervous about being unable to do justice to God's words. Secondly, and perhaps more personally, I understand we have reached the end of the book where we will get the answers, in a sense, to Job's questions about good, evil, suffering, and God's purposes in this world. In other words, we're getting down to the heart of the matter. I realize these are sensitive issues for folks, including me. I/we may not like the answers God provides. My goal here is to be faithful what God has said, but also sensitive to the realities of the questions we all struggle with. It's kind of a big deal. But as Forrest Gump didn't fail to go back in the jungle to save his buddies, so I will endeavor to dig into these chapters without fear, (segue!)

First, let's recap the parties involved and their philosophical understanding of this situation:
Job: Job asked where was God in my suffering? Why did God allow this in my life? I was faithful to God, fearing him and turning from evil. Why then did he bring such evil into my life that I didn't deserve? Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Why?!

Not even ice cream could cheer up Lieutenant Dan...or Job.

Job's Conclusion: I have not failed to honor and fear God. There is no reason to justify my suffering, therefore God has been unjust in his dealings with me and has messed up in my life. I want God to show up so I can argue my case with him and find some justification for what has happened to me.

Job's Three Friends: The believed only the wicked experience suffering; good people do not suffer calamity. God sends suffering and destruction on a person's life to punish them for their sins. Therefore Job must have committed some evil act that God is now punishing through this suffering. However, if you repent of your evil, God will then bless you abundantly. In the eyes of Job's friends, suffering was a cause and effect relationship with God due to a person's evil. If people are good, they are blessed. If people do bad things, God punishes them. Bad things don't happen to good people and vice versa.

Elihu: He stated that suffering is not necessarily a cause and effect due to sin. He stated God is always fair, but he is mysterious. Just as we cannot understand how God uses the storms to both nurture a land and punish the wicked, so we cannot understand all of God's ways. Ultimately, God's purposes in suffering are educational. He seeking to teach, humble, correct, and yes, even judge a person through suffering. Our job as humans is to submit to what he sends our way and learn from it.

Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihu have said all they are going to say about that. Now God is going to show up and have quite a bit to say about that, (movie quote). See you next time.

Job 36-37 - Where Elihu gets to the Point...and Pickles

Why Pickles, you say? I say why not? 

Have you ever listened to someone talk but the whole time you kept thinking, "Just get to the point!" They just kept talking and talking, not actually saying anything, or giving you way too many details about non important things. When they finally get to the point you're thinking, "Okay, I see what you mean, but why didn't you say that 10 minutes ago?" That's what happens with Elihu in Job 36-37. He finally gets to some solid points, but the whole time we're thinking, "But why didn't you just say that earlier?" We are finally at the end of Elihu's speeches, (yay!). As always, please read along in your Bible, Job 36-37.

Background: Job looked at his life, his righteous character and the way he feared God and said, "I have feared God and turned from evil. Therefore I should not be suffering. God has erred in my life by bringing suffering, difficulty, death and loss into my life." Job's three friends said he was a sinner who got what he deserved and he should repent. Now Elihu comes to the summation of his arguments.

Job 36:1-23 - The funniest line in all of Job, and then some thoughtful insight. The funny part is when Elihu says, "Bear with me a little, and I will show you...one who is perfect in knowledge is with you," (1,4). HAHAHAHAHAHA! "Bear with me 'a little'"? This is a guy who has been unable to stop talking for the last three chapters! "One who is perfect in knowledge"? Oh boy, that's a good one! Whew, I needed a good laugh. Thank you, Elihu. Also, thank you, tiny pickle. Okay, let's continue now to the actual substance.

Elihu's view of suffering/loss: God is mighty and merciful. He acts in wisdom and justice in his dealings with men and takes care of the righteous and humble. "Behold, God is mighty, and he does not despise any...He does not keep the wicked alive, but gives the afflicted their right," (5-6). He may bring sorrow and struggle to a person's life, but his goal is to redeem, teach, correct, and protect people from foolishness and sin. "Then he declares to them...their transgressions...He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they return from iniquity," (8-10). A good and wise man will submit to God's instruction and learn from his suffering. A foolish and/or wicked man will refuse to learn from the trials he is experiencing and instead stiffen their necks in pride and anger, (11-23). Elihu's point is through suffering God is trying to teach or instruct men in ways they do not understand. Job should submit to the will and instruction of God and learn. If he chooses to reject the works of God in his life, he will both miss a divine opportunity and experience further judgment from God. (Now why Elihu didn't just say that earlier, I don't know).

At first glance this advice can seem mean and heartless. Would you tell someone who just lost a child to cancer that God was trying to teach them something? You wouldn't if you had any sense. But we have to remember that these men are trying to come to a philosophical understanding of suffering and loss. Job said there was no rhyme or reason; God just does as he pleases without purpose or justification. Job's friends said suffering was all due to sin and punishment. Elihu is saying that God sends suffering to teach and grow people, not necessarily to punish. Is Elihu's view ultimately correct? Not quite, but at least it's more thoughtful than whatever Job's friends have said. We also have to remember that these men had little more than oral tradition to teach them about God. There was no Bible. There was no Moses. They were trying to make sense out of the Almighty but they didn't have a whole lot to go on. It's like a man trapped in a tiny pickle, who doesn't know he's trapped in pickle. (Did that illustration make sense? No. But I bet it made you smile).

Not a pickle, but it seems more appropriate.

Job 37:1-13 - God is awesome in his control of nature. He gloriously works amid the wonders of nature to accomplish his purposes. One has to wonder if there isn't a literal storm brewing while Elihu is talking here because thunder and lightning are referred to so frequently in chapters 36-37, (10 times overall). Perhaps Elihu was picking up on the surrounding circumstances to make his point. He shows God as in control of the awesome and mysterious forces of weather. "God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend. He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. They turn around and by his guidance, to accomplish all that he commands them," (5, 11-12). God does all these things according to his sovereign purposes which we cannot always understand. "Whether for correction or for his land or for love, he causes it to happen," (13).

Not a pickle.

Job 37:14-24 - You cannot understand the sovereign works of God. Therefore be humble before his power and wisdom. "Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God. Do you know how God...causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? Do you know the balancings of the clouds?" (14-16). Look Job, God works wonders in nature. Do you understand Him? Do you know how God makes lightning work? Do you know how God causes the clouds to fill up with water and nourish the earth? "You whose garments are hot when the earth is still because of the south wind? Can you, like him, spread out the skies, hard as a cast metal mirror?" (17-18). In other words, Job, you're a small man who is dependent upon God for a cool breeze on a hot day. You cannot control the winds and weather, only God can. God is bigger than you and me. He is glorious, sovereign, and mysterious. What then should Job do? "The Almighty--we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate. Therefore men fear him; he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit," (23-24). Elihu tells Job that God is great, powerful, and just. We cannot understand his ways or come into his presence to demand he given an account for his actions, (which is what Job wanted). Men must trust God is just and righteous in his dealings with us and humbly submit to his ways. Elihu's call is for Job to be humble, fear God, and trust his character.

So Elihu has talked WAY too much, but in the end he actually has some thoughtful things to say. He defended the character of God as just, mighty, and wise. He advised Job that God uses suffering and loss in life to teach us, humble us, and protect us. He showed God to be awesome, mysterious, and incredible, working in the ways of weather and storm to accomplish his purposes. Although we may not agree with everything Elihu said or how he said it, we have to commend him for being different than Job's other friends who told him he should just repent and everything would be gravy.

Now the table is set. All of the smaller speakers have had their say. Mere men have tried to give an answer to the God's purposes in suffering. In the next chapter God shows up and speaks for himself. LLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEETTTTTTT'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Job 34-35, Elihu, Disney, and the justice of God

I beg your pardon for the delay in finishing Job. First of all, the family and I took a much needed vacation to Disney. Secondly, I really don't like writing about whatever Elihu has to say. But here I am: refreshed, ready and willing to continue on with Job. We're so close to the end now! Today we are looking at a couple more chapters of wise words, (cough), from Elihu. Please keep your hands, feet, arms, and faces in the ride at all times. Parents, please supervise your children. As always, please read along in your Bible.

Recap: Job, a righteous man, suffers terribly. Job asks God "Why?" Job's friends say it was because he was a rotten sinner, etc. Job refutes all of their arguments and philosophies. Job's friends then shut up. Now Elihu has stepped forward to offer his advice. Elihu talks and talks and talks, saying very little. Now consider yourself caught up. Let's continue.

Job 34:1-9 - Job has spoken wickedly about God by saying God was unjust. Elihu says that Job stated God had acted unjustly in his life. Job said he was a righteous man and God caused him to suffer anyway. At the same time there were wicked men who prospered. Therefore, (according to Job) what point was there to serve God? "It's all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked," (9:22-23). Elihu sees Job calling God unjust and will therefore spend the rest of the chapter defending God's justice. Elihu calls Job a sinner, not because of his deeds, but for calling God unfair. "What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God," (7-9).

Does being the biggest guy = justice? No. 

Job 34:10-15 - God is just because he's the biggest guy on the playground. Here Elihu proclaims the justice of God, but bases his statement not in God's righteous character, but rather in the might of God. "If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust," (14-15). In other words, God is just because no one can stand against him. This doesn't really make any sense. Elihu doesn't vindicate the justice of God, he just proves no one can stand against him. In other words, Might = Right. This is not a very good argument. Then again, it's Elihu we're talking about here. Let's just move on.

Job 34:16-20 - God is just because he is impartial. (At least this is a better argument). Elihu asserts God could not possibly be unjust because he is impartial in his decision making. He treats young and old, rich and poor the same. "Who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?" (19). Disney World is also impartial. No matter what country you come from or the color of your skin, they will accept your money. :0)

God = all knowing. Doug = knows little. 

Job 34:21-28 - God is just because he knows all things and he will not fail to exercise just judgment on the wicked. God knows all. "For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves," (21-22). God is also faithful to execute judgment on the wicked. "He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see," (26-28).

Through all of this the point Elihu is making is God is just and he will never fail to act fairly in the lives of men. God is impartial, omniscient, all powerful, and faithful to judge. Job, according to Elihu, is wrong to assert that God has acted unfairly and should repent of his wicked words and attitude. Job wants God to fix things, but should God make things right in Job's life when Job is acting this way? "Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent?" (33, see also 35-37).

Job 35:1-8 -  Job says there is no point in being obedient. Elihu says Job shouldn't expect anything. In chapter 35, Elihu changes direction in his comments and now seeks to refute Job's claim that it is pointless to serve God. In Job's eyes there is no reward for obeying God if he's treated the same as the unrighteous. "That you ask, 'What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had sinned?" (3). Job thought God should treat him in accordance with his faithfulness. If God was going to treat him so poorly when he had been faithful, then there was basically no point in Job being righteous. Elihu's response is that if Job chooses sin instead of righteousness, he will only hurt himself, not God. "If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?" (6). If Job should live righteously, does God then owe Job? Is God somehow indebted to Job for his obedience? Elihu is again attacking Job for his poor attitude and words towards God.

You know who else has bad motives? 

Job 35:9-16 - God is not answering Job because Job has corrupt motives. Elihu says that people indeed pray to God when they are suffering, but they only do so because they want something, not because they love, fear, and are devoted to God. "Because of the multitude of the oppressions people cry out...but none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night," (9-10). "Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it," (13). In other words, God is not answering Job because Job is asking for help with crooked motives. Job is not asking in righteous repentance, but out of his pride.

Job has asserted that he was righteous before God and therefore God has been unfair in his dealings with Job. Job did not think he should be experiencing suffering. He could find no reason to justify the trials he was enduring. Therefore he asked God "Why?" and said that God had somehow messed up. Elihu, seeking to justify God, told him the Lord was always fair and Job had bad attitudes and motives towards God and should therefore repent. Elihu did not accuse Job of sinful actions in his life, but rather in his heart and mind. Job has raised honest questions about God, suffering, right and wrong, but has gotten no adequate response from anyone around him.

Yep, it happened.

Most times when you read the Bible or hear it preached there will be some sort of application for you to follow, lesson to learn, or new thought to think. In these chapters it is hard to draw an appropriate application, because Elihu is talking. I don't say that to be rude. My point is it's hard to learn something from a guy who doesn't really know what he's talking about and in fact, talks too much. It'd be different if someone like Elijah was talking, but it's not Eli-jah, it's Eli-hu, as in Hu's on first.

So I'm afraid I can't leave you with any words of wisdom here. We're fighting through all of the dumb responses Job's friends have given to justify Job's suffering. We're also having to endure their awful answers to Job's heart-wrenching questions. Perhaps you have heard some of the same dumb and unhelpful responses in the face of your questions. Perhaps you have asked spiritual people, "Why?" and gotten no help. Job finds himself in the same place. In two chapters Job is going to get all the answers he can handle. Until then, we wait. Hang on, the storm is coming.

My wife, the CEO

The following is an illustration of how decisions play out between my wife and I.

Something is going to be purchased, like a gift for one of the children. I know I can count on my wife to do all the research on the gift and read reviews from previous owners of the same. She will speak with friends, other parents, and church goers to get their opinion on the item. She may even poll children in our neighborhood to get their opinion on the positives and negatives of said product. My wife will stress over the different options for the same product. Should she get item A or item B, which are similiar to product X? Item X was her first choice, but has some slight differences in the way their doo-hickeys and what-nots interact with one another than items A and B. My wife will also compare the prices for each of the products. Product A may have more bells and whistles, but it is over priced when compared to product B. Then again, there's item C, which is in between the prices for items A and B, but has a few other doo-hickeys that might appeal to our child, so that may be a good compromise.

Then there's the child in question. Will this child like Product A? Our firstborn might really like Product B, but our second would not care for Product A or anything in the same neighborhood. Then again, the second born child changes moods and interests faster than you can turn on the lights, so she may like Product A after you buy it, even though she doesn't like it now. You also have to consider whether you would be able to resell the item in question in the future. Maybe item A can be resold while it would be impossible to resell item B. You have to take these things into consideration, (or so I'm told). My wife will spend days going through the internet, scouring the different options available. Nights will be spent in anxious pondering about which product to buy. Prayers will be made, asking the Almighty for perspective and guidance on the purchase to be made. I say this with the highest praise for my spouse. She wants to pick the right product for the right child at the right price so that everyone in the family will be happy.

Here's the great thing about this. I know that whenever my wife comes to me with a decision that she's already thought through every possible contingency, price, review, opinion, perspective, positive, negative, and whatever in between. It's like putting a math problem into the IBM Watson computer. Every variable and possibility has been considered and Watson spits out the answer. The only difference between Watson and my wife is that Watson takes .00000001 seconds to come to a conclusion, while the female mind may take a bit longer, (don't ask me about a male's brain). The point is, whenever my wife comes to me and says, "I think we should do/buy X", that I know all I have to say is "okay", because I know she's thought about this 900 times more than I will ever possibly be able to do. I also know she's smart, careful, considerate, kind and respectful in her decision making, so there's only a .000000000001 percent chance that she'll be wrong. It's like if I asked Watson the answer of a calculus equation. I could spend time checking Watson to see if he was right, but I would just be wasting my time. It's the same with my wife.

So I've basically determined that my wife is the CEO of our household. My wife will analyze, study, research, compare, calculate, stress, question, and review the important decisions that need to be made for the Hendley Company. Hours, days, yea even weeks will be spent on the process of calculating the decision. Meanwhile, I am the president. The CEO will walk into my office and say, "I think we should do X". All I have to do, if I have any intelligence at all, is say "okay". (It's kind of like Tony Stark and Pepper Potts without the money, goatee, billions of dollars and Iron Man suit, but I digress). Regardless, at this point in my marriage I don't spend a lot of time asking if she's considered X,Y, or Z because I know she's considered X, Y, and Z to the 4th degree of consideration. I may ask if she's seen my sunglasses, because I can't find them, but that's about it.

Obviously other husbands are not likely to be as blessed to have a CEO like I do. Each woman and man, husband and wife are different in their strengths and mental/emotional make-up. In some marriages the decision making functions may be totally reversed. For me, I know I can trust my CEO to make smart, wise, and well thought out decisions. As the President of the company, I sometimes have to keep my CEO from freaking out about the decisions that need to be made, but it's a burden I'm willing to bear. As President, sometimes you have to do hard things like that, (which includes looking for your sunglasses while the CEO is doing her job). Otherwise, I just have to stamp "OK" on whatever paperwork my CEO brings to me. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.