Job 39

Job 39 ...

Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?
Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?
Do you count the months till they bear?
Do you know the time they give birth?
They crouch down and bring forth their young;
their labor pains are ended.
Their young thrive and grow strong in the wilds;
they leave and do not return.
Who let the wild donkey go free?
Who untied his ropes?
I gave him the wasteland as his home,
the salt flats as his habitat.
He laughs at the commotion in the town;
he does not hear a driver's shout.
He ranges the hills for his pasture
and searches for any green thing.
Will the wild ox consent to serve you?
Will he stay by your manger at night?
Can you hold him to the furrow with a harness?
Will he till the valleys behind you?
Will you rely on him for his great strength?
Will you leave your heavy work to him?
Can you trust him to bring in your grain
and gather it to your threshing floor?

God continues to give Job a tour of the natural world.

Check this page out and this one for some of the creatures that live in modern Israel.

Am guessing this Yael is some kind of goat?



image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:YaelEilat_ST_07.JPG

The wings of the ostrich flap joyfully,
but they cannot compare with the pinions and feathers of the stork.
She lays her eggs on the ground
and lets them warm in the sand,
unmindful that a foot may crush them,
that some wild animal may trample them.
She treats her young harshly, as if they were not hers;
she cares not that her labor was in vain,
for God did not endow her with wisdom
or give her a share of good sense.
Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs at horse and rider.



image source: http://www.spectacularplanet.com/tag/ostrich

Do you give the horse his strength
or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
Do you make him leap like a locust,
striking terror with his proud snorting?
He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength,
and charges into the fray.
He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
he does not shy away from the sword.
The quiver rattles against his side,
along with the flashing spear and lance.
In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground;
he cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds.
At the blast of the trumpet he snorts, 'Aha!'
He catches the scent of battle from afar,
the shout of commanders and the battle cry.




Image source: http://www.freedesktopwallpapers.ru/desktop.php?pid=1878

Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom
and spread his wings toward the south?
Does the eagle soar at your command
and build his nest on high?
He dwells on a cliff and stays there at night;
a rocky crag is his stronghold.
From there he seeks out his food;
his eyes detect it from afar.
His young ones feast on blood,
and where the slain are, there is he.



image source: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/wallpaper/red-tailed-hawk-flying_image.html

And so Job was sitting there with his friends, amidst the ashes of his life in pain and sorrow ...



image source: http://www.biblicaltheology.com/job/job_01_01.html

... gets a zoology tour from God ... ?

A couple of months ago, I heard a sermon at church and the speaker mentioned the children's story, The Runaway Bunny.

Amazon.com summarized the story:

Since its publication in 1942, The Runaway Bunny has never been out of print. Generations of sleepy children and grateful parents have loved the classics of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, including Goodnight Moon. The Runaway Bunny begins with a young bunny who decides to run away: "'If you run away,' said his mother, 'I will run after you. For you are my little bunny.'" And so begins a delightful, imaginary game of chase. No matter how many forms the little bunny takes--a fish in a stream, a crocus in a hidden garden, a rock on a mountain--his steadfast, adoring, protective mother finds a way of retrieving him. The soothing rhythm of the bunny banter--along with the surreal, dream-like pictures--never fail to infuse young readers with a complete sense of security and peace. For any small child who has toyed with the idea of running away or testing the strength of Mom's love, this old favorite will comfort and reassure.

We all face hardship in a cold hard world. Job was not the first nor the last to feel the weight of crushed dreams, wealth disappeared, death of loved ones, lost health and sorrows which doesn't not sleep.

And so where is comfort found?

Is it in theological answers? Is it in any intellectual answer?

I suspect the only comfort is knowing that God is greater than all the great creatures of this world and that he stoops to meet us.

Job didn't get an answer, he got a visit. First, from his friends and then from God.

Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to this world. Thanks for visiting Job. Thanks for revealing yourself to Moses and to other people of faith over the generations. I don't have answers to every question but I have You. And that is enough. Amen.

Job 38

God speaks...

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!

We do know a lot more about the natural world these days compared to when Job was written down.

Here is something from KidsGeo.com about how big the earth is.

Or who stretched the line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?
It takes on form like clay under a seal,
And stands out like a garment.
From the wicked their light is withheld,
And the upraised arm is broken.
Have you entered the springs of the sea?
Or have you walked in search of the depths?

With modern technology, humans have found the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean: 10,924 meters (35,840 feet) deep in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench.

Have the gates of death been revealed to you?
Or have you seen the doors of the shadow of death?
Have you comprehended the breadth of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.
Where is the way to the dwelling of light?
And darkness, where is its place,
That you may take it to its territory,
That you may know the paths to its home?
Do you know it, because you were born then,
Or because the number of your days is great?
Have you entered the treasury of snow,
Or have you seen the treasury of hail,
Which I have reserved for the time of trouble,
For the day of battle and war?
By what way is light diffused,
Or the east wind scattered over the earth?
Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water,
Or a path for the thunderbolt,
To cause it to rain on a land where there is no one,
A wilderness in which there is no man;
To satisfy the desolate waste,
And cause to spring forth the growth of tender grass?
Has the rain a father?
Or who has begotten the drops of dew?
From whose womb comes the ice?
And the frost of heaven, who gives it birth?
The waters harden like stone,
And the surface of the deep is frozen.

I would imagine in Job's day they did see small bodies of water freeze over. They would know of snow capped mountains. I wonder if they had seen or had heard of from other peoples from other parts of the known world of icebergs?


image source: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/02arctic/logs/sep6/media/icebergs.html

Have you seen icebergs calving into the water? Its pretty impressive!



Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades,
Or loose the belt of Orion?


Image source: http://www.pleiade.org/hubble_m45-large.html

Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season?
Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you set their dominion over the earth?
Can you lift up your voice to the clouds,
That an abundance of water may cover you?
Can you send out lightnings, that they may go,
And say to you, ‘Here we are!’?
Who has put wisdom in the mind?
Or who has given understanding to the heart?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom?
Or who can pour out the bottles of heaven,
When the dust hardens in clumps,
And the clods cling together?
Can you hunt the prey for the lion,
Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions,
When they crouch in their dens,
Or lurk in their lairs to lie in wait?
Who provides food for the raven,
When its young ones cry to God,
And wander about for lack of food?


image source: http://www.zazzle.com/hungry_birds_poster-228272826118380415

We do know a lot more about the natural world than Job did. And so have we in our knowledge gotten so full of ourselves that we think that that knowledge has killed God?

Or do we ponder still ... that there might (must) be something far greater than ourselves?

In the sermon at church yesterday, the speaker spoke of how humans fall into several categories: those of us stumbling in the dark looking for God, those stumbling in the dark looking for something but not quite ready to call that something God and those who don't even know they are in the dark in need of anything.

His take home message was that God was found in the place people least expected: Jesus on the Cross.

Lord, the wonders of the natural world are marvelous and grand and beautiful and wonderful. They stir in me a sense that there is something far beyond myself out there. Thank you that you came to us in the Cross to bring us back to yourself. Amen.

Job 37

Elihu makes his closing remarks ...

At this my heart pounds
and leaps from its place.
Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice,
to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.
He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven
and sends it to the ends of the earth.
After that comes the sound of his roar;
he thunders with his majestic voice.
When his voice resounds,
he holds nothing back.
God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;
he does great things beyond our understanding.
He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'
and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'
So that all men he has made may know his work,
he stops every man from his labor.
The animals take cover;
they remain in their dens.
The tempest comes out from its chamber,
the cold from the driving winds.
The breath of God produces ice,
and the broad waters become frozen.
He loads the clouds with moisture;
he scatters his lightning through them.
At his direction they swirl around
over the face of the whole earth
to do whatever he commands them.
He brings the clouds to punish men,
or to water his earth and show his love.

Even the ancients understood the "water cycle" of steam, water and ice. They attributed these things and various meteorological events to God's direct action. Of course, today, we know (though we can't predict) these phenomena are a complex interaction of various physical forces.

Does this mean God has nothing to do with them?

Some feel that as we discover more of the natural laws, God disappears. But what if God put in place those laws?

Elihu continues this theme of God at work in nature ...

Listen to this, Job;
stop and consider God's wonders.
Do you know how God controls the clouds
and makes his lightning flash?
Do you know how the clouds hang poised,
those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?
You who swelter in your clothes
when the land lies hushed under the south wind,
can you join him in spreading out the skies,
hard as a mirror of cast bronze?
Tell us what we should say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness.
Should he be told that I want to speak?
Would any man ask to be swallowed up?
Now no one can look at the sun,
bright as it is in the skies
after the wind has swept them clean.
Out of the north he comes in golden splendor;
God comes in awesome majesty.
The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power;
in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
Therefore, men revere him,
for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?



Beyond our reach ... exalted in power ...

The charge is leveled at God that because evil exists God must not exist.

The traditional response is the mystery of free will.

If there were no human beings on the earth, would there be injustice?

So much of what ails the world today is what humans do to other humans.

No one would say it is unjust for a lion to eat a kudu. The lion has no free will in the matter: she has to kill an animal lower in the food chain to live and feed her cubs.

But we feel injustice when humans kill weaker humans.

We have a sense of "ought-ness." We ought to do this; we ought NOT to do that. And we feel that God OUGHT to do something about it when things go wrong.

And so we wonder why God is waiting around and appears silent.

Beyond our reach ... exalted in power ...

If God is good then somehow it will be "fair" in the end.

If in the end, there is no God then it was all just a dice throw as to what happened in our life. But if there is a God at the end of all this, then all the above that Elihu said makes sense. Scriptures gives us a peek at the end of the story or the whole story. Of course, it requires faith to believe that that story is actually true.

Lord, quite a choice? I suppose one could say I'll live rightly even if there is no "rest of the story" because it makes me feel good to live right. But I do feel it is more compelling to live right whether it feels good (sometimes it does) or not because you are bringing about the "rest of the story." And so I look at the wonders of nature and its vastness and think: we are either in this alone or there is a mighty and loving God who actually cares what is happening to little people on this pale blue dot. Strengthen my spirit to live rightly. Bolster my sense of ought-ness in terms of doing what is right. Amen.

Job 36

Job 36 ...

Elihu continued:
Bear with me a little longer and I will show you
that there is more to be said in God's behalf.
I get my knowledge from afar;
I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
Be assured that my words are not false;
one perfect in knowledge is with you.

Hmmm ... Elihu self-described as "one perfect in knowledge" ... don't know about you that sounds a bit arrogant!

God is mighty, but does not despise men;
he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.
He does not keep the wicked alive
but gives the afflicted their rights.
He does not take his eyes off the righteous;
he enthrones them with kings
and exalts them forever.
But if men are bound in chains,
held fast by cords of affliction,
he tells them what they have done -
that they have sinned arrogantly.
He makes them listen to correction
and commands them to repent of their evil.
If they obey and serve him,
they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity
and their years in contentment.
But if they do not listen,
they will perish by the sword
and die without knowledge.
The godless in heart harbor resentment;
even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help.
They die in their youth,
among male prostitutes of the shrines.
But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering;
he speaks to them in their affliction.

This is the picture of God I think most people have: the unrepentant bad guys get punished and those who stumble but turn back to God when God prompts get restored.

And when we look around and don't see this, we wonder if God is really around.

This feeling that "this is the way it ought to be" is an interesting one.

In the natural world, the strong survive and the weak die. Yet, in the "soul" of the human being, there is a urge to protect the weak. Where does that urge come from?

Where does our sense of "this is the way it ought to be" come from?

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress
to a spacious place free from restriction,
to the comfort of your table laden with choice food.
But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have taken hold of you.
Be careful that no one entices you by riches;
do not let a large bribe turn you aside.
Would your wealth
or even all your mighty efforts
sustain you so you would not be in distress?
Do not long for the night,
to drag people away from their homes.
Beware of turning to evil,
which you seem to prefer to affliction.

And indeed, we have this sense of "ought-ness" and we then have to decide: do we trust in God who at times feels distant and unseen or do we trust money we can see?

And so Elihu then dove into a recitation of God's power especially displayed in the natural wonders of the world ...


image source: http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/fall05/ymaini/thunderstorm.htm

God is exalted in his power.
Who is a teacher like him?
Who has prescribed his ways for him,
or said to him, 'You have done wrong'?
Remember to extol his work,
which men have praised in song.
All mankind has seen it;
men gaze on it from afar.
How great is God - beyond our understanding!
The number of his years is past finding out.
He draws up the drops of water,
which distill as rain to the streams;
the clouds pour down their moisture
and abundant showers fall on mankind.
Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds,
how he thunders from his pavilion?
See how he scatters his lightning about him,
bathing the depths of the sea.
This is the way he governs the nations
and provides food in abundance.
He fills his hands with lightning
and commands it to strike its mark.
His thunder announces the coming storm;
even the cattle make known its approach.

God, the world is in chaos. Crazy dictators build bombs and missiles and starve their own people. Schools that should be places of learning are endangered by drugs and violence. There are many injustices and tragedies in this world. Lord, I trust that you will one day restore this lost and dying world. Until then, help us who call you Lord to work in your name to win what victories we can for justice and mercy. Amen.

Job 35

Job 35 ...

Elihu continued ...

Then Elihu said:
Do you think it is right for you to claim,
‘I am righteous before God’?
For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me?
What’s the use of living a righteous life?’

As you can see, am using a more contemporary translation today!

Elihu seemed to be putting up a bit of a straw man here. I don't know if Job has gone this far. I guess I'd summarize Job's situation as, I'm not perfect, without sin, but I've tried to live rightly and right now it seems that whether I live right or not, I'm suffering!

I will answer you
and all your friends, too.
Look up into the sky,
and see the clouds high above you.
If you sin, how does that affect God?
Even if you sin again and again,
what effect will it have on him?
If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
What could you possibly give him?
No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
and your good deeds also affect only humans.

Elihu seemed to overstate here. On one hand, if we sin or don't sin, that doesn't change who God is. God is God and what we do or don't do has no impact on God's "godness." On the other hand, we have ample testimony from the rest of Scripture that God is pleased when we live rightly and saddened when we sin. Thus, in that sense, what we do matters to God.

People cry out when they are oppressed.
They groan beneath the power of the mighty.
Yet they don’t ask, ‘Where is God my Creator,
the one who gives songs in the night?


image source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/hubble6.htm

Where is the one who makes us smarter than the animals
and wiser than the birds of the sky?’
And when they cry out, God does not answer
because of their pride.
But it is wrong to say God doesn’t listen,
to say the Almighty isn’t concerned.
You say you can’t see him,
but he will bring justice if you will only wait.
You say he does not respond to sinners with anger
and is not greatly concerned about wickedness.
But you are talking nonsense, Job.
You have spoken like a fool.

Elihu backtracked on his earlier remarks that God doesn't care. Indeed, God does listen and justice will arrive (not necessarily on our timetable) and those who are evil who seem to escape now will eventually be called to account.

Lord of the universe, thank you that you have cared for us on this earth. You have given your laws in Scriptures and in our consciences. You have sent your Son as a demonstration of your love and initiative to restore your lost people. Injustice remains an ill in this world. I trust one day you will bring it fully to pass. Until then, help us who try to follow you to do justice, love mercy and do both with humility each day. Amen.

Job 34

Elihu continued in Job 34 ...

Elihu further answered and said:
“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

As a tangent, I can't but help but feel that in today's society, words seem to mean less. It is so easy to send an email where it is informal, casual and often filled with misspelled words and poor grammar. I'm guilty of this. Or text messaging where everything is truncated into short hand abbreviations and other moves to say keystrokes.

Elihu, agree or disagree with him, recognized that words have weight.

For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my justice;
Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
What man is like Job,
Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’

Very pointed pokes by Elihu. He restated Job's lament. Yes, a good key to communication; reflect back the content and emotion of what you have heard!

But the second half is a pretty severe beat down of Job. Not such a good thing to do in communicating with someone who is suffering.

Leaving aside the head slap, what theological point does Elihu bring up next?

Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

Bottom line from Elihu: God is not evil and won't do injustice and so Job's claims that God is unfair is rebutted.

Elihu continued ...

If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him who is most just?
Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands.
In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

More defense of God "the most just."

The strong defense of God's justice resonates with the intellectual part of me.

But I must say, I am moved by the word pictures of the fragility of human existence in the last part of the last two paragraphs .

If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
.....
In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.


image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/Sand_sculpture.jpg/250px-Sand_sculpture.jpg

I can craft my life ... but fast or slow, it will be swept away.

For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
Because they turned back from Him,
And would not consider any of His ways,
So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted.
When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

Theologically, God is considered omniscient.

Recently, some theologians in the open theism movement contract the meaning of omniscience away from God knowing the future. I'm not sure that is a valid move logically. Because since Elihu argues for a linkage between God's justice and God's omniscience (e.g. God's justice can only happen because God is omniscient). Thus, would taking away God's knowledge of the future be injurious to God's justice?

I have sympathy with open theism's attempt to address free will and theodicy but I am concerned it might compromise God's justice. Thoughts anyone?

Elihu sums up this part of his monologue with more hits on Job.

For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.
Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.

One of the things we have to remember when we call the Bible, God's word: there are human words and actions which may run counter to what God wants. And so those negative things are in the Bible to show us deeds and ideas that are wrong which we should learn to avoid.

I think Elihu makes some good theological point but he seems less than helpful in the sympathy dimension. But he hits an important point here at the end: Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom. Job is without knowledge of some parts of Job 1-2. Now, would that knowledge make him feel any better? I don't know. Maybe not. And because of his deep physical and emotional pain, he is brutally honest with God and so should we expect his words to be "wise?" The point maybe not so much about answers to suffering but expressing how a faithful man wrestles with suffering.

Lord, I look around the world and see wickedness in every corner. I have to trust that you see all of this and will one day bring about justice. Grant me wisdom to do what little I can where I can to bring justice. Enable me with insight to know when to share theology with people in love and when to simply share love. Amen.

Job 33

It is Holy Saturday as I write.

In the season of remembering what Jesus did on the Cross, Holy Saturday is the one I know the least.

In the Southern Baptist church that I grew up in, the special days of these season we marked were Palm Sunday which recalls Jesus entry in to Jerusalem. Good Friday, the day of Crucifixion. And Easter Sunday, the day of Resurrection.

In more liturgical churches, there is also Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. The ashes marked on the forehead in the shape of a cross is a sign of repentance which is an essential element of preparing the believer in remembering the events of holy week.

There is also Maundy Thursday which recalls the last day before the Crucifixion with emphasis on the foot washing of the disciples, the Last Supper, the prayers at the Garden of Gethsemane and the betrayal by Judas.

And lastly, there is Holy Saturday where in the more liturgical churches the services held are very sparse. This is in line with what the disciples would have felt on that day after the death of Jesus but prior to the Resurrection.

And so, I find myself drawn back to the tale of Job.

In a sense, we live in Holy Saturday. The work of Jesus, the Christ has been done on the Cross, yet we await His return in full glory. We live with trust in the significance of the Cross and anticipation that His Return will release us from the sorrows of this life.

And so onto Job 33.

Elihu had been silent until Job 32. He would speak from Job 32-37.

Elihu is bold in his addressing Job directly:

But now, Job, listen to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.
I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;
my lips sincerely speak what I know.
The Spirit of God has made me;
the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Answer me then, if you can;
stand up and argue your case before me.

But I do appreciate Elihu's humility in the next few lines:

I am the same as you in God's sight;
I too am a piece of clay.
No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.

Nonetheless, Elihu is concerned about some of the things Job had said in his monologues.

But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
I am pure, I have done no wrong;
I am clean and free from sin.
Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.
He fastens my feet in shackles;
he keeps close watch on all my paths.
But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than any mortal.

Thanks to the study notes in Zondervan's NIV Study Bible, I'm reminded that Job did not actually claim to be sinless (see Job 7:21 and 13:26) but rather that as far as he knows he has acknowledged all his sins and that he has avoided egregious sins.

Why do you complain to him
that he responds to no one's words?
For God does speak—now one way, now another—
though no one perceives it.
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they slumber in their beds,
he may speak in their ears
and terrify them with warnings,
to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride,
to preserve them from the pit,
their lives from perishing by the sword.

Elihu tries to counter Job's assertion that God is silent.


image source:
http://www.ncbusinesslitigationreport.com/danger%20sign.jpg

Indeed, one ongoing question for those who believe in God is how does God "speak" to me?

Elihu here seems to be arguing that God speaks to us in the voice of the conscience to keep us away from wrongdoing, pride, the pit and perishing by the sword.

Elihu continued on this theme:

Or they may be chastened on a bed of pain
with constant distress in their bones,
so that their bodies find food repulsive
and their souls loathe the choicest meal.
Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.
They draw near to the pit,
and their lives to the messengers of death.

And thus, pain is another "messenger" of God to steer us onto the correct path.

Reminds me of a C.S. Lewis quote ...
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

Elihu then addressed the possibility of rescue apart from "self rescue."

Yet if there is an angel at their side,
a messenger, one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,
and he is gracious to them and says to God,
'Spare them from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom for them—
let their flesh be renewed like a child's;
let them be restored as in the days of their youth'—
then they can pray to God and find favor with him,
they will see God's face and shout for joy;
he will restore them to full well-being.
And they will go to others and say,
'We have sinned, we have perverted what is right,
but we did not get what we deserved.
God has delivered us from going down to the pit,
and we shall live to enjoy the light of life.'
"God does all these things to people—
twice, even three times—
to turn them back from the pit,
that the light of life may shine on them.
"Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, for I want to vindicate you.
But if not, then listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

The great "R" words of the Bible: rescue, ransom, renewal, restoration, reconciliation.


image source:
http://www.outtatown.com/photos/06site2/wp-content/photos/the_cross.jpg

And so Elihu is telling Job that rescue, ransom, renewal, restoration, reconciliation is all possible.

For us today, on this Holy Saturday, we know that it has been done at the Cross. But we still suffer. We await the completion of the rescue, ransom, renewal, restoration, reconciliation.

The prayer for Holy Saturday from the Book of Common Prayer:
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the
crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and
rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the
coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of
life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Job 32

Job 32 ...

So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

Elihu appeared on the scene without prior mention in Job 2:11. Job had been having a back and forth with those three friends. The short version of what was said would be: Job saying, as far as I can tell, I've lived rightly with his friends saying, since you are suffering you must have done something wrong.

Elihu, apparently, quietly listening all this time, decided to enter the fray.

So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

I am young in years,
and you are old;
that is why I was fearful,
not daring to tell you what I know.
I thought, 'Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.'
But it is the spirit in mortals,
the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
It is not only the old who are wise,
not only the aged who understand what is right.

His remarks made me think of Joel 2:28-29,"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit."

Certainly, we should respect our elders but, of course, wisdom can come from youth when it is directed by the Spirit. And so Elihu continued to set up his remarks ...

Therefore I say: Listen to me;
I too will tell you what I know.
I waited while you spoke,
I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his arguments.
Do not say, 'We have found wisdom;
let God refute him, not a mere mortal.'
But Job has not marshaled his words against me,
and I will not answer him with your arguments.
They are dismayed and have no more to say;
words have failed them.
Must I wait, now that they are silent,
now that they stand there with no reply?

Though this passage doesn't advance a particular argument at this point, I think it is an interesting window into the dynamics of the discussion.

Like Elihu, in reading much of the preceding prior chapters, I felt dissatisfied. At times, it all seemed repetitive. In some cases, the rhetorical flourishes were interesting but the point was essentially the same.

And so I await what Elihu will say... but first a bit more drum roll by Elihu!


image source: http://www.7gadgets.com/2007/11/28/wine-bottle-holder/3593


I too will have my say;
I too will tell what I know.
For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.
I must speak and find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.
I will show no partiality,
nor will I flatter anyone;
for if I were skilled in flattery,
my Maker would soon take me away.

I suppose one lesson I can draw from this passage is in light of my role as a youth group volunteer. The adult people in the group do our share of teaching and we should. But clearly there are times when the youngsters are ready to speak up and we should give them that opportunity.

Lord, help me to teach others with wordless actions and when words are used may they be with humility mixed with boldness. Help me to encourage young people to explore your words and be open to give them the opportunity to express themselves in questions and a receptiveness on my part to learn from them. Amen.

Job 31

Job 31 ...

At this point, it feels like Job is making a closing argument in his own defense ...

I made a covenant with my eyes
not to look lustfully at a girl.
For what is man's lot from God above,
his heritage from the Almighty on high?
Is it not ruin for the wicked,
disaster for those who do wrong?
Does he not see my ways
and count my every step?

The opening remark in his closing statement is the basic premise of all that has gone on before:
Doesn't God see my righteous ways?
Shouldn't ruin befall those who sin?

At the moment, Job wonders has God seen the good he has tried to do in his life?

Job wonders, why has ruin befallen me who has tried and mostly successfully to live rightly?

Next follows NINETEEN "if" statements ... go ahead and read it and get into the rhythm and cadence of Job's argument. I'll try to summarize at the end.


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If I have walked in falsehood
or my foot has hurried after deceit-
let God weigh me in honest scales
and he will know that I am blameless-
if my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled,
then may others eat what I have sown,
and may my crops be uprooted.
If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door,
then may my wife grind another man's grain,
and may other men sleep with her.
For that would have been shameful,
a sin to be judged.
It is a fire that burns to Destruction;
it would have uprooted my harvest.
If I have denied justice to my menservants and maidservants
when they had a grievance against me,
what will I do when God confronts me?
What will I answer when called to account?
Did not he who made me in the womb make them?
Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?
If I have denied the desires of the poor
or let the eyes of the widow grow weary,
if I have kept my bread to myself,
not sharing it with the fatherless-
but from my youth I reared him as would a father,
and from my birth I guided the widow-
if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,
or a needy man without a garment,
and his heart did not bless me
for warming him with the fleece from my sheep,
if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,
knowing that I had influence in court,
then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
let it be broken off at the joint.
For I dreaded destruction from God,
and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.
If I have put my trust in gold
or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,'
if I have rejoiced over my great wealth,
the fortune my hands had gained,
if I have regarded the sun in its radiance
or the moon moving in splendor,
so that my heart was secretly enticed
and my hand offered them a kiss of homage,
then these also would be sins to be judged,
for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.
If I have rejoiced at my enemy's misfortune
or gloated over the trouble that came to him-
I have not allowed my mouth to sin
by invoking a curse against his life-
if the men of my household have never said,
'Who has not had his fill of Job's meat?'-
but no stranger had to spend the night in the street,
for my door was always open to the traveler-
if I have concealed my sin as men do,
by hiding my guilt in my heart
because I so feared the crowd
and so dreaded the contempt of the clans
that I kept silent and would not go outside

17 if statements here!

Then there is a parenthesis which explicitly casts Job in the role of a defense attorney

("Oh, that I had someone to hear me!
I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;
let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,
I would put it on like a crown.
I would give him an account of my every step;
like a prince I would approach him.)-

Then two final if statements...

if my land cries out against me
and all its furrows are wet with tears,
if I have devoured its yield without payment
or broken the spirit of its tenants,
then let briers come up instead of wheat
and weeds instead of barley."

The statements fall into groupings as follows:

One set focuses on the general image of Job trying to live rightly with statement like these where Job is arguing I haven't ...
walked in falsehood
turned from the path
been led by my eyes
allowed my hands to be defiled.

The next group stresses that Job didn't take advantage of others by saying I haven't ...
been enticed by a woman
lurked at my neighbor's door.

The third cluster concerns Job's doing justly toward others where he said I haven't ...
denied justice
denied the desires of the poor
kept my bread to myself
others to perish for lack of clothing
worked against the fatherless.

Job though a wealthy man didn't regard wealth over God and so he didn't ..
put his trust in gold
rejoice over his great wealth
regarded the sun in its radiance or moon in its splendor.

I thought it was interesting that he juxtaposed wealthy with worship of the sun or the moon. Perhaps, in that time many people worshipped the sun and moon in a form of idolatry?

The next set of statements shows Job's graciousness to others for he
doesn't rejoice at my enemy's misfortune
made sure those under his care got their fill of Job's meat nor any stranger had to spend the night in the street.

He knew he was a sinner and he thus didn't ...
conceal his sin.

A word about that. I don't think we have to take out a billboard and show our sin to the world. I think what he means here is that if he sinned he brought it to God and if it involved another person, he brought it to the person he wronged.

Finally, Job defends his life by describing his fairness to the land he utilized by personifying the land ...
would the land cries out against me
would the land feel he devoured its yield without payment.

Part of Adam and Eve's charter besides be fruitful and multiply was to care for the land and here Job took that seriously.

The words of Job are ended.

Lord, how I would love, at the end of my life, to be able to go to you in peace knowing I've tried to do justice, love mercy and walked humbly with you. Help me to live today like the way Job did way back when. Amen.