What is the Point of the Church?

Purpose: noun pur·pose \ˈpər-pəs\

: the reason why something is done or used : the aim or intention of something

Product: noun prod·uct \ˈprä-(ˌ)dəkt\

: something that is the result of a process[1]

Let me ask you a question: What is the purpose of the church? Why does it exist? What is the “aim or intention”, to quote Mr. Webster, of the body of Christ? And before you answer you can’t say “to glorify God” or “reach the nations” or something churchy like that.[2] I would like for you to think about it and give me a specific answer. Also, I would like you to support your answer from the Bible, (of course). What can you point to in order to show the exact purpose of the church?

While you’re thinking about let’s get even more specific. What should be the product of the church? What should be the “result of the process” of the body of Jesus Christ? If the church were a factory, what should you see coming out of the end? If you went to the Coke building and went around to the back you would see bottles of sweet and delicious Coca-Cola[3] being loaded onto trucks for delivery. If you went to an IPhone factory you should be able to see IPhones at the end of the production line. The purpose of a Coke factory is to produce Coca-Cola. A phone factory should produce phones. So what should exit the back door of the church factory? Even more troublesome would be to ask what is the church actually producing?

Maybe you feel like you have the answer already in your mind. Maybe if you can’t resort to a Christianese answer, you’re suddenly not so sure. Keep in mind the answers you are probably thinking of, i.e. to glorify God, reach the nations for Christ, are not bad answers, but I would challenge you to provide an answer based on the sum total of the New Testament writings and provide supports for your answer. Could you do it?

The goal of these articles will be to explore the answer to the question: what should be the purpose and product of the Church? Now I can already hear you asking, (because I have enormous ears), the following questions: “Why do I need to know? This seems like a boring question that only people who like studying theology would ask.” “Why does it matter? My church is doing quite well thank you very much?” Or “Who cares? I would rather hear about how I can be a better husband[4] or how I can survive my work without going off on my boss.”

            I understand your concerns and I think these are valid questions. Why does it matter what “the purpose and the product” of the church is when I’m dealing with much more down to earth issues? Why should I, a regular Joe[5] care about something that only seems to concern pastors, preachers, and super-smart people?

            The answer is: the purpose and product of the church was and is very important to God and to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave his life for his bride, the church. God spent the entirety of the Epistles in the New Testament talking about and to the church. The apostles wrote about how the church should function, what it should look like, and what it should believe. The simple fact of the matter is that the identity, beliefs, and behaviors of the church are of utmost importance to God; therefore it should be of utmost importance to us, his children.

            Furthermore, as Christians we live and function within the church on a regular basis. Shouldn’t we know what we should be expecting each day, week, month and year? Shouldn’t we be alert and unsatisfied if the church we are a part of is not acting in accord with the designs and purposes of God? Shouldn’t we pursue God’s very best as a member of the body of Christ? We certainly want to pursue God’s best as husbands and wives, parents, employees, and children of God. We take time to study the Bible, read books, and receive counseling and discipleship to make sure we are in line with what God wants for each area of our lives. Why wouldn’t we make the same effort to ensure the very body of Christ with which we associate ourselves is walking in line with the designs of its creator?[6]

            Therefore in these articles we’ll try to walk together through the pages of the New Testament, particularly the Epistles, to determine what the purpose and product of the Church should be, according to God. My aim is not so much of a dry and boring Bible study, but an invitation for you, the reader, to discover with me through God’s living word what God wants from His Bride.

            First off, some clarification is in order. My goal is to determine what should be the purpose and product of the Church. I am not going to spend time addressing the make-up, offices, or identity of the Church. These are worthy discussions and studies to be sure, but they are separate studies altogether. Secondly, I am going to try to get down into the heart of the answer to the question about purpose and product. Therefore we’re going to have to review carefully the verses in the New Testament to make sure we are looking at those passages which actually speak to the answer we seek. There are large portions of the Epistles which cover attitudinal or behavioral aspects of the Church but do not speak directly to the purpose and product of the Church. We will not take those passages into consideration. For example, 1^st Corinthians 14 deals with the issue of tongues in the church. Paul is spending time on a very important issue that affected, and still affects, the church of God. However, this passage does not necessarily speak directly to the purpose of the Church. There are also other passages about giving, loving each other, or obedience to society’s laws, (just to name a few), which are also important behavioral issues but don’t necessarily speak to or answer our question. In the same way there are various passages about how a Christian should think about himself, the Lord, the Second Coming, etc. These are no doubt incredibly important and foundational issues, but they won’t answer the question proposed in this article. So we’ll have to be selective as we study to make sure we’re looking at the most pertinent verses and passages to answer our question. As always, it is up to you, dear reader, to be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) and test to see if what I have said correctly lines up with the Word of God.

            So there you go. We’re off to see the wizard…I mean, we’re off to seek out what God desires from his church. I hope we both leave this endeavor encouraged, challenged, and maybe even uncomfortable with what we find. Do you think you can handle it?[7]

---

[1] Thank you, Mr. Webster

[2] This is my article so I make the rules.

[3] I am a Southerner, i.e. I love Coke.

[4] Wives would like to know how their husband can get better too.

[5] Or Joann

[6] So yeah, it’s kind of important.

[7] Do you see what I did there? I threw that in to mess with you competitive types and keep you reading. You learn how to do these things if you’re a savvy journalism major. 

Job 42:7-17, The Final Job Blog and the Final Word

Job has been humbled by God in a mighty and tremendous fashion. He is now restored to a relationship with God who loves him. He has been humbled from his arrogance and doubt against God's sovereign rule over life, death, and suffering. He has repented in dust and ashes. Now God and Job are restored in their relationship. Each is in his right place, God as the Lord and Job as the humble servant.

Now about those three friends...

Much of the book of Job is set up as a court room drama. Each party has presented their case like a trial lawyer. Job held firm to his righteousness. His friends claimed that a man's righteousness before God can be clearly seen by the good or bad state of their circumstances. Ergo, since Job was suffering, he was a clearly a dirty rotten scoundrel. If we were back in the courtroom in Job 42:7-17, we would now see Job's justified by The Judge, (God) and we would see the three friends trying to quietly slip out the back door. Thankfully, The Judge, (see what I did there?), catches them before they can make their escape. 

"After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: 'My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take...and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.' So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the Lord had told them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer," (Job 42:7-9).

I wrote out quite a lengthy portion of verses here because they are quite significant. Firstly, see that God mentions "my servant Job" four times in just three verses. He also says on two occasions that Job had spoken rightly about God while the three friends had not. Do you think God is trying to make a point here? Job, despite all he had suffered, (and it was A LOT of suffering), actually had the favor and esteem of God. He was viewed as the servant of God who had spoken rightly about the Lord. Job's friends thought Job was in God's doghouse because of the suffering he was enduring, while in fact Job was viewed all along as special and worthy of God's praise. 

Helen.

Me: "Take a note here Helen". (Helen is my new secretary)

Helen: "Yes Mr. Hendley." (She's very professional). 

Me: "A person may be suffering tremendously and yet be highly esteemed in God's eyes. Suffering is not an indication of God's displeasure in a person's life. See also Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jesus, and the apostles." 

Helen: "Yes Mr. Hendley." 

Me: "Thank you. And bring me a sausage biscuit when you get a chance." 

Helen: "Yes Mr. Hendley." 

Helen is great. She also only exists in my mind. Oh well, back to Job. Job is called the servant of God. He is also commended for speaking rightly about God in contrast to the three stooges who tried to give Job advice. Now I must confess that I struggled here to understand how Job spoke rightly about God when God just spent four chapters (38:1-42:6) putting the smackdown on Job for his bad attitude. John Piper offers some helpful insight here.

"Now God had accused Job of darkening counsel without knowledge (38:2; 42:3), so he doesn't mean that everything Job said had been right. But when it comes to the basic dispute between Job and these three friends, he was in the right. They had said that the wicked suffer and the righteous prosper. Job had said that the world proves no such thing: the wicked often prosper more than the righteous and the righteous often suffer more than the wicked. Job was right...So God humbled these three friends by showing them that the very one they condemned was in fact the better theologian even if he was not perfect." (John Piper, sermon on Job, 8/4/1985, link here). 

Here's a second big point from this passage: Job becomes a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. Follow me here. Job's three friends have sinned against God. They spoke wrongly about God and his character. God could treat Job's friends as they deserve and let his anger burn against them and thus destroy them. All along the three friends have said that the sinners on earth get what they deserve. In a delicious twist of irony, God could give them what they deserve and wipe them out. Now these same friends find themselves needing the mercy of God to cover their sins and avoid judgment. They must go to a righteous man, i.e. Job, present a sacrifice, and that righteous man would intercede to God for the sins of the unrighteous sinners. 

Robert Duvall, because he's awesome.

Men and women have sinned before The Judge. We have not obeyed God's commandments, loved him as we ought, nor loved others as ourselves. God has revealed in his Word and in his creation who he is and what is good and right for men. Men and women throughout history have instead rejected God and his moral standards. The result has been death, destruction, and alienation from their Creator. People throughout history find themselves in the same place as Job's friends. God's anger burns against them. They rightly deserve punishment and judgment. People find themselves needing the mercy of God to cover their sins and avoid judgment. They must go to a righteous man, Jesus Christ, for salvation. Jesus Christ, the son of God, came to earth and lived a sinless life. This same man presented a sacrifice to God for sinners, (just like Job). Instead of presenting a burnt offering like Job, Jesus presented himself as the sacrifice. He died on a cross, suffering the punishment and judgment which was rightly due to wicked men. Jesus, like Job, became an intercessor on men's behalf, submitting his righteousness for the unrighteousness of sinners. If men come to him, like Job's three friends came to Job, they will avoid the anger of God against their own unrighteousness. Men must come to Jesus, not on the basis of their own works or efforts, but Christ's, (just as Job's friends could not come on their record, but Job's). So we see Job, some 4,000 years before Christ, as a foreshadowing of the sacrifice and intercession that Jesus would one day give. Job, a righteous man, intercedes before God for the wicked by the sacrifice of a living animal. Thus the wicked are forgiven because of the sacrifice of the intercessor. 

Pretty cool, huh? 

Me: "Helen, hold my calls. We're reaching the conclusion here." 

Finally, Job's fortunes, family, and reputation are restored. "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before," (Job 42:10, cf 11-17). Job was restored in his relationship with his family, who came to him and comforted him for the trouble he had endured. He is restored in his fortunes, having twice than he had previously. God grants him to have children for the ones he lost. He had seven sons and three daughters. Job lived a long life, seeing four generations of his children before he died, full of days. 

Here's the final application. God's people, in the end, will be vindicated and blessed. In the end, Job is vindicated as a righteous man and lives a full and blessed life. In the end the nation of Israel, God's chosen people, will have the kingdom established on earth and Christ will rule as their king over the nations. In the end, Christians who are today vilified and hated on earth will be glorified and blessed in heaven. God's people may go through indescribable suffering, persecution, and murder on earth, but ultimately they are exalted and restored in heaven.  

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!