Job 38-42 (God speaks)

job

After 38 chapters of job and his friends talking, finally God speaks. And what does he say? He doesn't explain to Job why those things had happened to him, he didn't tell Job anything. All God does is remind Job and everyone else concerned who HE is. He reminds them of His character and His power.

We think we need to know all sorts of stuff. We think we need God to tell us all sorts of stuff. What we actually need is to know more of God.

After a few chapters of God reminding everyone how big He is. Job and his friends seem satisfied and humble in response. Whether being commended (Job) or rebuked (friends), the encounter with God has left them all in no doubt who'd in charge and they just do as He asks. When you encounter God, you don't feel like arguing anymore, you just do as He asks!

job 22-37 (debate round 3)

job

Job's friends and Elihu spend ages talking about how God is so far above us, how He is always right, always just and how dare we presume to know better than Him. That's all correct. So why are they so adamant that Job must have sinned to recieve this "punishment". They don't seem to be able to accept that not everything God does is logical or explainable to us. And we shouldn't expect it to be... but we can be confident that He knows what He is doing!

Job 15-21 (debate round 2)

job

One of the mistakes that Job's friends are making are that they are trying to explain something that they, or Job, can't really understand - why isJob suffering.

When people are suffering and crying out to God asking why, I hope I don't follow Bildad's example and start a theological debate. There are some things we can't explain about why God does or doesn't do something and that's alright. He wouldn't be much of a God if humans could get Him all worked out. We might not understand, but we know He's in control and He knows what's best for us far better than we do.

Job 3-14 (debate round 1)

job

all four of them talk about how powerful God is and how holy/righteous He is. None of that is disputed. The difference is that his friends claim that Job's suffering must be occuring because of some sin. Job knows that His suffering is being allowed by God, and he doesn't question God's right to do it, he just doesn't understand why, and that's what he's wondering out loud about.

Job 1-2 (prologue)

chapter one

v1 Job is described as:

• blameless - the word used (tam) literally translates as perfect, used to describe the animals without blemish needed for sacrifice. When it's used to describe humans does it actually mean sinless and pefect? because surely thats impossible. either way, obvioulsy Job was a man of integrity in his relationship with God.


• upright - following God's laws


• God fearing - "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom" (psalm 110:10, proverbs 9:10, proverbs 15:33)


• evil-shunning - again, integrity

v4-5 were job's children party animals? Job's sacrifices were general sacrifices of atonement, not necessarily to do with specific sins, but its obvious that he took his family's relationship with God very seriously.

v20-21 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

This is absolutely amazing. He's just lost pretty much everything including his children, he's obviously gutted about it (tearing robes, shaving head) but he worships God. I think I know what God should or shouldn't be doing/giving to me. But God gives and takes away and who am I to think I know better? Why are more of my prayers about God resolving specific situations than about praising Jesus for who He is? This scene shows why God thinks so much of Job in the first place, He is totally loyal.

chapter two

v11-13 I tend to always think of Job's friends as not really good friends because of what happens later in the book but its obvious from this that they do care for him. Sitting in silence with someone for 7 days to share their grief is hardcore.