JOB: Conclusion "Blessed be the Name"

Conclusion

Job 40-42

Do you really think about what you are singing in church on Sunday morning? Matt Redman has a song called “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord”. Here is a sample:

Blessed be your name, when the sun’s shining down on me

When the world’s all as it should be, blessed be your name

Blessed be your name, on the road marked with suffering

Though there’s pain in the offering, blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out, I’ll turn back to praise

When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say "Blessed be your name"

You give and take away, you give and take away

My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be your name

In the book of Job, as in life, attitude is everything! We miss the point if we seek to find the answer of why there is suffering in the world. As this song points out, our attitude should be that we will bless the Lord regardless of our circumstances. If you recall at the very beginning, the Deceiver/Adversary Satan seeks to assume the nature of Job’s trust in the Lord. First, it was his possessions. Second, it was his own flesh. We discover that all along, Job was a man who placed his trust in the Lord with the proper attitude and perspective he established in Chapter 1 “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20-21)

The book of Job is heralded as a book with universal appeal because of the fact that everyone suffers. But Job is more than a book of suffering. This is a chronicle of the journey in faith of a man who knew God. Job provides us with an example of what a proper attitude toward suffering should look like. If our struggles are handled properly, the suffering will increase our faith just as Job’s faith was increased in the end. God invites us into a relationship with Him, so that we can tell Him about our struggles and draw meaning from them. When we seek answers to the question of suffering, we are seeking a religion, just like Job’s friends... a religion that had become their god. But, when we seek to trust in God, despite our circumstances, then we transcend the intellectual pursuit of God and enter into a fulfilling relationship with the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer and Friend of Job.

Lord, Blessed Be Your name!

JOB: God – The Judge Enters His Court

God – The Judge Enters His Court

Job 37-39

Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:2)

As God enters the courtroom, we realize that He has been listening to all of these speeches from somewhere behind the scenes and knows all of the participants in this drama. His full attention is directed to His beloved Job. The Lord does not enter softly, but within a whirlwind and directs Job to get off his ash heap and prepare himself like a man. We can tell right away that this will not be a light and casual conversation between Job and his Creator.

Just like in a court of law there are many questions asked. God looks at Job and says “You claim to have so much understanding, so where were you on the day when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (my interpretation of Job 38:4 - Just like a scene from Perry Mason). For the next two chapters, God recounts His mighty power so that He can give Job some perspective beyond his current condition. We see that God is in control of the earth, the sea, the stars and the sun. In poetic language, the mysteries of the universe are extolled and all of God’s creation is put up for exhibit. Exhibit A is that He is Creator of all things. Exhibit B is that all things are under His control. Exhibit C is that there is a purpose for all things which He has created.

God draws our attention to some very strange animals like the Ostrich – a bird that does not fly and will abandon her eggs. The Behemoth and Leviathan are also mentioned in greater detail. There are numerous ways to interpret these unknown beings. Some believe that this is an ancient description of dinosaurs. Others see them as mythical figures, and still others believe that they are similar to the hippopotamus and crocodile. Regardless, God is describing his creation in such a way as to demonstrate His power through His creation.

Job has still not received answers to his questions, but when he experiences the Presence of the Lord, nothing else seems to matter. Job realizes his insignificance when compared to the deeds of the Almighty. He lays his hands over his mouth (Job 40:4). I think sometimes that is the best practice of our faith. In the words of the Christian rock band Petra, “Seen and not heard, Seen and not heard, Sometimes God’s children should be seen and not heard. There’s too much talk and not enough walk, Sometimes God’s children should be seen and not heard.”

Job probably wished he had maintained his silence when he spoke “words without knowledge” (Job 38:2), and he was blameless and upright! Are there times when you wish you had kept silent?

JOB: Transcendent Faith – An Emerging Character

Transcendent Faith – An Emerging Character

Job 34-36

In an earlier blog posting, I introduced a character to this courtroom drama called Traditional Faith. In many ways, faith is on trial and is seen as the defendant. Job and his three friends wrestle with their faith through their understanding of wisdom and their subscription to what is known as the Deuteronomic Formula. They believe good always prospers and the wicked are always punished. As the drama of Job unfolds, we find that this philosophy is not a true faith, but a failed doctrine.

The emerging character that takes over at the conclusion of the book of Job is referred to as a Transcendent Faith. Like the caterpillar that withdraws into a cocoon for a period, Job must struggle so that he will eventually emerge as a new creature. My 5^th grade science teacher taught me that if someone tries to help the caterpillar by cutting through the cocoon, the transformation will not be successful. Similarly, Job’s suffering helps to produce a faith and a character that is a transformation of all his empty philosophies and earthly wisdom.

He endures not only the loss of his family and possessions, but the scrutiny of his friends and the ‘supposed’ abandonment of his God. Job believed that God was the source of his suffering. Obviously God did allow Satan to plague Job, but God wanted to give Job the opportunity to grow. Job had the choice of good over evil in order that God could be glorified. In His infinite wisdom, God knew what Job could handle, and if he was to grow into this new and transcendent faith, he needed to go through the pains of growth.

For us, the question is not why did God allow Job to suffer? Rather, how did he respond to suffering? Much of Job's response was indeed human and flawed. However, he went through the ordeal and gained a clear vision of the God of creation. Many of us feel that God is removed from our sufferings, but He is not. As God instructs Job, He states that He even provides the food for the raven's young (Job 38:41). Meaning, how much more will He provide for us - His prized creation.

Job 28 contains a hymn of wisdom that gives us a glimpse of what this transcendent faith should look like. This faith reveals that true wisdom is found only in God Himself. Even though Job never knows the story behind the scenes in heaven, he realizes the error of his ideology in Job 42:1-6 and repents so that he can place his trust completely in his God.

Sometimes we get so tied up in philosophy, earthly wisdom and even religion, that we make them into our god. We can learn from Job that God desires to free us from anything that stands in the way of enjoying a relationship with our Creator. How do you respond to suffering?