WATCHWORD:
13 But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
Whatever he wants to do, he does.
14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.
15 No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me. Job 23:13-15
32 “God is not a mortal like me, so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
33 If only there were a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together.
34 The mediator could make God stop beating me, and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
35 Then I could speak to him without fear, but I cannot do that in my own strength. Job 9:32-35
25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.
26 And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God
27 I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought! Job 19:25-27
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Psalm 111:10a
Meditation:
2000 Years Before Jesus?
The Book of Job. Theologians call this part of the Old Testament difficult and theologically sophisticated. One writer quoted Virginia Woolf as saying: “I read the book of Job last night. I don’t think God comes out of it well.” One theologian has written that the book of Job should be read as a parable or a folktale. One wonders if it was written during the Babylonian exile, a period in Israel’s history of great anguish and loss.
How does one develop a devotional based on scripture in which God and Satan enter into a divine contest, using Job as an unwitting pawn? Think about this, ten of Job’s children are killed off in the first chapter! But, wait, in the last chapter they are replaced with ten more children! (Amazon has a children’s exchange in 2000 BC?)
How do we respond to a book in which God answers Job’s anguish by seemingly browbeating him into submission at the end of the story? And yet, as difficult as this book is, it has spoken to people of faith through the centuries. In the face of all kinds of adversity, Job holds on to God with fierce faith, and he does not let God off the hook for the suffering that so often darkens this world.
Do you see Christ in the above passages? Can you hear Job pleading for a mediator to intercede on his behalf? That would be Christ. In the second passage, “I know that my redeemer lives” is such a familiar phrase, referencing Jesus. Here we are, many centuries before Jesus walked the earth, God injecting the future savior in the life and prayers of Job.
Throughout this book, we are introduced to the distinction between fear and being afraid. There is a difference. On one side, we have fear that is represented by Psalm 111:10, which states that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That puts that kind of fear in the same basket as deep respect and love.
Now, being afraid is not the same as fear. Being afraid is an emotion that produces anxiety, insecurity, suspicion of others, sometimes anger, sometimes withdrawal. Being afraid is a form of not trusting God, and serves to separate us from Him.
The measure of Job’s trust in God can be plainly seen in the Job 19 passage. He not only says that he knows his redeemer liveth, he also clearly states his belief in eternal life, and seeing his God even after “my body has decayed”. The faith of Job, strong, unwavering, tenacious, supporting him through adversity. That is the message we take away from the story of Job. May our faith match the faith of Job. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
Humor for the day — The warden catches Seamus leaving the vicinity of the reservoir with a bucket of fish. “Aha! I’ve caught you poachin’ fish red-handed,” says the warden. “What do you mean, red-handed?” says Seamus. “You’ve got a bucket full of ’em right there. You can’t talk your way out of it this time.” “Oh, you don’t understand,” says Seamus, “I’ve not poached a thing. These are me pet fish. I bring ’em to the reservoir once a week for exercise. After they’ve had a good swim, they come back to the bucket and we go back home.” “Do ya expect me to believe such an outlandish tale?”
“I can prove it.” say Seamus. So they walk back to the reservoir and Seamus dips the bucket in and the fish swim away. They stand in silence for 20, 30, 40 minutes – no sign of the fish coming back to the pail.
“Ha, ya lying rogue!” shouts the warden. “Where are your fish?”
“What fish?”
Closing Prayer:
Father God, open my eyes, not to see the world more clearly, but to see You. Open my eyes to see you working around me and in me. Nothing happens by accident. You orchestrate every day of my life. Allow me to see your hand in the mundane and the fantastic. Thank you for the unmerited favor of your love. It is because of the faith you created in me that I have been saved, set apart to do your work, and received your grace. Through Christ, I have received grace upon grace. Father, I sometimes miss the mark and fall short of your will. Thank you for the grace you lavish when I falter in my faith. Help me to trust in what I cannot see, and believe in Your invisible presence.Praise You for grace upon grace. Amen.
