Month: July 2024

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Blessed is the person who delights in the Word of God and meditates in it day and night. The law of the Lord is the Torah (the five Books of Moses), and by extension it refers to the whole Bible as God’s unfolding revelation is completed. Delighting in the Word is the opposite of the man who lives in the way of the world (the ungodly, the sinners, and the scoffers). He does not walk, stand, or sit among them. Instead, he pays attention to God and His Word.

Our response to God’s Word is to be in the Word regularly. We go to church, attend Bible study, and spend time alone with God daily. We do not associate regularly with the unbelieving people of the world in order to avoid living and thinking their way. Our thoughts during the day (and night) are with Jesus. We strengthen our faith relationship with God by remembering God and thinking of His Word as often as possible.

Listening to God and being with Him leads to a truly blessed life. We may not always see the blessings but we do enjoy them by faith in the Gospel. The life of a believing Christian is truly blessed and a blessing, especially when compared to the life of the unbelieving world.

Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

When Almighty God appears, touches us, and speaks with us, the natural response is to despise oneself and repent in dust and ashes. God appeared to Isaiah and he said, “Woe is me, for I am undone.” Jesus called Peter after the miraculous catch of fish, and he said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.” Then the Lord extended mercy to both of them, as He did to Job.

Throughout the story the friends asked Job to admit his sin. When Job did finally repent, after God’s appearing, Job did not ask forgiveness for secret sins but for questioning God’s sovereignty and justice. Job repented of his attitude. We sin when we ask, “If God is in control how could he let this happen?” We cannot know the mind of God or the reasons for everything that happens. We must often choose between doubt and trust. Trust God with your unanswered questions.

Every day God confronts us. And daily we repent. Repentance and faith is the regular pattern of our lives.

Job 40:4-5 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken, but I will not answer: yea twice; but I will proceed no further.

When Almighty God shows up, reveals Himself, and speaks to Job, he is overwhelmed. He knows he is wrong to question God and argue with Him. He sees that he is of small account, that he is a sinful creature, that God is God, and that He is always right.

Job has stopped rebelling and fighting with complaints that God is in the wrong and that he is right. No man, even a so-called good man, can claim righteousness before a Holy God. Job sees that now when confronted with His Presence. We also have come to realize that we cannot stand before a Holy God unless we are covered in the blood and righteousness of Christ.

After we have heard and believed the Gospel we shut up, submit to His will, and trust in Him alone for good. The Holy Spirit teaches in the school of experience using the Word of God to convict of sin and bring us to Christ. Then we are thankful for grace and stop complaining and fighting against God. We listen. We speak only of God’s goodness instead of ours.

Job 40:2 Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.

After God appeared to Job in a whirlwind and He asked him about a hundred questions, God basically said, “Just who in the world do you think you are? You are arguing with Me? I’m the Almighty Creator, and you’re not. Are you going to tell me how to run my universe? You are rebuking Me, as if I am doing it wrong. You can’t even answer My questions about Creation. How in the world are you going to answer questions about My morality and character?”

Who is in the right and who is in the wrong? The creature, much less the sinner, cannot know what’s in My mind unless I tell him. I am God, and I know what I am doing. I have kind intentions for you. You just can’t see it now. You just have to learn to trust Me, that I am good and I have your best interests in mind. When you see my Son and hear the Gospel, then you will know. For now, Only Believe.

As sinners, we may also argue with God when things aren’t going as well as we want. To ask “Why?” is to challenge Him and make ourselves equal to God, even becoming gods ourselves. “God is wrong to do this to me. I don’t deserve this. I am not that bad. If I were God….” In our prideful stupidity we actually think we would do a better job than He is. So we argue with Him and rebuke Him. And we do it in many different ways, instead of letting God be God and surrendering to His will. We pray, “Your will be done on earth (in my life), as it has already been determined in heaven (where You live).” It takes the miracle of faith to say, “God is good, and He working all things together for my good.” God said it. I believe it.

Job 37:14-16 Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God….Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge.

Elihu admonishes Job to stand still, listen, and meditate on the wondrous works of God. It would do us all good to respond to tough times by stepping back, taking a breath, pausing long enough to consider the wondrous works of God. Hearing the thunder, seeing the sunset, and many other natural phenomena remind us to stop and consider what a great and good we have. And it also works a great good in us when we meditate, however briefly, on the wonder of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Whether things are going well or ill, it will always do us great good to go to church, participate in group Bible study, and spend time daily with God in the Word and prayer. We can listen to the Lord in the general revelation in nature and see how powerful and wise God is; and we can listen to God in His special revelation in the Word and see how good and merciful God is. In both ways, we take the time to listen and consider. God is good, and we need to hear that as often as possible. We can never hear the Gospel enough.

Job 37:1-2 At this my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place, Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

After describing God’s greatness just in clouds, rain, and thunder, Elihu trembles at the natural revelation of God’s creation and awesome power. The purpose of God’s revelation of Himself in creation is to cause godly fear in the heart so that we would listen to Him. Hear attentively the Word of God in Law and Gospel, and let the Law drive you to fear God and seek Him for grace and mercy. God gives kindness and mercy in the Gospel of Christ. Our response is to listen carefully to His voice and His mouth.

All the experiences of life in this sinful yet beautiful world are are designed by the Lord to move us to seek His face and listen to Him. We “search the Scriptures to find eternal life, for they are they which testify of me.” Words of Law and of Gospel move us to hear His Word and to study the Bible regularly in public and in private. The Bible will assuredly lead us to Christ and His gospel of salvation. We listen to the Lord in His general revelation in nature and in His special revelation in the Word. We respond to His Voice in fear and in love, which changes our lives for eternity.

Job 36:26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

One theme in the Book of Job is that God is incomprehensible. We have some knowledge about God, for the Bible contains many details about who God is, how we can know Him, and how we can have an eternal relationship with Him. But because we are created creatures we cannot know Him completely. We can never know enough to answer all of life’s questions, to predict our own future, or to see how all His purposes fit together. Life creates more questions, so we must constantly turn to God for insight and for strength for each day.

The Lord God has revealed enough in His Word, and preeminently in His Son, for us to live and die on. But the things we do not need to comprehend are still hidden from us. For instance, we cannot really understand eternity (“the number of His years”). In the Bible God tells us what we need to know for life and salvation. But that still leaves mysteries we cannot see. God is so great that the human creation cannot really wrap his head around it.

With the Spirit’s help we can believe what He has revealed, and so we can trust Him for what we cannot fully comprehend. Some mysteries are still hidden from us, but some are revealed so that we may trust Him for what we do not know. Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord, but the things that are revealed belong to us.” Our response to life’s questions is to dig in and study the Word to hear what God has revealed. This we can know and believe, and it is sufficient.

Job 36:11-12 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

Elihu spouts the conventional wisdom about rewards and punishments for good or bad behavior, assuming that Job must have done wickedly. He is right in one sense but wrong in his assumptions about cause and effect in regard to Job. It is true that obeying God brings blessing as a natural consequence of obedience, and that disobedience naturally results in a bad life.

Our disobedience was punished at the cross of Christ and the obedience of Christ was given to us by grace. But the presence of Sin in a messed up world rains injustice on both the good and the evil. So there is no direct correlation between the sins we commit and the sufferings we experience. All suffering is the consequence of sin generally, just as death is the wages of sin for all humans.

We don’t enjoy God’s favor and blessing because we have been good, but rather because of Christ. We perish because of Sin, not because God is being mean. The problems we experience is our fault, not God’s. God does not punish a lie by giving us a cold. We all suffer sicknesses and injuries as “little deaths” because we are sinners sentenced to death. But thanks be to God, who gives us victory in Christ. Therefore, we daily repent and believe the Gospel.

Job 35:6-8 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? Or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Martin Luther once said, “God does not need your service, but men do.” We serve God by serving people. “Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these my brethren ye have done it to me.” God is self-existent and does not need the help, service, or good works of anyone to live well. But humans do need our service.

Elihu says that if we sin it doesn’t diminish God and if we do right it doesn’t increase Him. Our sins may hurt humans and our good works may benefit others. We respond to the needs of others because we love God. We love Him because He first loved us. Life works like this: God’s incredible love for me causes me to love Him; my love for God causes me to love people. Then life is good, and human relationships run smoothly. God gave the Ten Commandments for our blessing and benefit. God is pleased when we live righteously; He is pleased because He loves all people and wants to love them through us.

God forgives our sin and produces in us love and kindness toward others. We respond to His love and forgiveness by loving and forgiving other people.

Job 34:31-32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Elihu is right in calling for repentance and turning, but he is wrong in accusing Job. Job in the end does repent after God speaks to him, but here he still maintains his innocence. Surely it is good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places confess sin and make a commitment to stop sinning and do better. Ask the Lord to use the Law to show you sins you did not even know about. Repent daily and turn to God. For Christ’s sake He forgives and the Spirit uses that power to change our ways and turn to God for help.

We have a better chance of actually turning and changing in response to the Gospel than in response to the Law. The Law shows us our sin to lead us to the Gospel, but does not give the ability to repent. The Gospel gives the power to repent and turn. Romans 2:4 “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” The Law changes the mind and admits that God is right and I am wrong. The Gospel changes the heart and grants the desire and power to do better.