Bible Study Day 31
Job 40:6-42:17
How do you contend with or accuse Almighty God? Do you demand answers when things don’t go your way, you lose a job, someone close to you is ill or dies, finances are tight, you fail, or unexpected changes occur? The next time you are tempted to complain to God, consider how much He loves you. And remember Job’s reaction when he had his chance to speak. Give God a chance to reveal His greater purposes for you, but remember that they may be unfold over the course of your life and not at the moment you desire.
Throughout his time of suffering, Job longed to have an opportunity to plead his innocence before God. Here God appeared to Job and gave him that opportunity. But Job decided to remain quiet because it was no longer necessary for him to speak. God had shown Job that, as a limited human being, he had neither the ability to judge the God who created the universe nor the right to ask why. God’s actions do not depend on ours. He will do what he knows is best, regardless of what we think is fair. It is important to note, however, that God came to Job, demonstrating His love and care for him.
It is foolish for people to think they can stand up against God. It is better to submit to God’s loving authority than to face his wrath.
In response to God’s speech, Job humbles himself. God rebukes the three friends for adding to Job’s suffering by their false assumptions and critical attitudes. Job’s material possessions and family are restored, and he receives even greater blessings than he had before. Those who persist in trusting God will be rewarded.
Job’s repentance was not the kind called for by his friends. He did not ask for forgiveness for committing secret sins, but for questioning God’s sovereignty and justice. Job repented of his attitude and acknowledged God’s great power and perfect justice.
God made it clear that Job’s friends were wrong. Job’s friends had made the error of assuming that Job’s suffering was caused by some great sin. They were judging Job without know what God was doing. We must be careful to avoid making judgments about a person because God may be working in ways we know nothing about.
After receiving much criticism, Job was still able to pray for his three friends. It is difficult to forgive someone who has accused us of wrongdoing. Follow the actions of Job, whom God called a good man, and pray for those who have wronged you.
Jesus said that anyone who gives up something for the kingdom of God will be repaid. Our restoration may or may not be the same kind as Job’s, which was both spiritual and material. Our complete restoration may not be in this life- but it will happen. God loves us, and He is just. He not only will restore whatever we have lost unjustly, but He also will give us more than we can imagine as we live with Him in eternity. Cling tightly to your faith through all your trials, and you too will be rewarded by God - if not now, in the life to come.
The main question in the book of Job is timely: Why do believers experience troubles and suffering? Job’s friends made a serious error for which God rebuked them. They assumed that trouble comes only because people sin. People make the same mistake today when they assert that sickness or lack of material blessing is a sign of unconfessed sin or lack of faith. Though normally following God leads to a happier life, and rebelling against God normally leads to an unhappy life. God is in control. In our world invaded by sin, calamity and suffering may come to good and bad alike.
This does not mean that God is indifferent, uncaring, unjust or powerless to protect us. Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world where both believers and unbelievers are hit with the tragic consequences of sin. God allows evil for a time although He often turns it around for our good. We may have no answers as to why God allows evil, but we can be sure He is all powerful and knows what He is doing. The next time you face trials and dilemmas, see them as opportunities to turn to God for strength. You will find a God who only desires to show His love and compassion to you. If you can trust Him in pain, confusion and loneliness, you will win the victory and eliminate doubt, one of Satan’s greatest footholds in your life. Make God your foundation. You can never be separated from His love.
Reference: Project 365 for Year 2012
Bible Study Day 30
Job 38:1-40:5
Instead of answering Job’s question directly, God asks Job a series of questions that no human could possibly answer. Job responds by recognizing that God’s ways are best. During difficult times, we, too, must humbly remember our position before the eternal, holy, incomprehensible God.
Job’s questions were not at the heart of the issue. Instead, God used Job’s ignorance of the earth’s natural order to reveal his ignorance of God’s moral order. If Job did not understand the workings of God’s physical creation, how could he possibly understand God’s mind and character? There is no standard or criterion higher than God Himself by which to judge. God Himself is the standard. Our only option is to submit to His authority and rest in His care.
Just as armies keep weapons in the armory, God has all the forces of nature in His control. Sometimes He uses them to confound those opposed to Him or His people. Job couldn’t even begin to know all of God’s resources.
God stated that he has all the forces of nature at His command and that He can unleash or restrain them at will. No one completely understands such common occurrences as rain or snow, and no one can command them - only God who created them has the power. God’s point was that if Job could not explain such common events in nature, how could he possibly explain or question God? And if nature is beyond our grasp, God’s moral purposes may not be what we imagine either.
God asked Job several questions about the animal kingdom in order to demonstrate how limited Job’s knowledge really was. God was not seeking answers from Job. Instead, he was getting Job to recognize and submit to God’s power and sovereignty. Only then could he hear what God was really saying to him.
Reference: Project 365 for Year 2012
Bible Study Day 29
Job 35:1-37:24
Sometimes we wonder if being faithful to our convictions really does any good at all. Elihu spoke to this very point. His conclusion was that God is still concerned even though he doesn’t intervene immediately in every situation. In the broad scope of time God executes justice. We have His promise on that. Don’t lose hope. Wait upon God. He notices your right living and your faith.
One theme in the poetic literature of the Bible is that God is incomprehensible; we cannot know him completely. We can have some knowledge about Him, for the Bible is full of details about who God is, how we can know Him, and how we can have an eternal relationship with Him. But we can never know enough to answer all of life’s questions, to predict our own future, or to manipulate God for our own ends. Life always creates more questions than we have answers, and we must constantly go to God for fresh insights into life’s dilemmas.
Nothing can compare to God. His power and presence are awesome, and when He speaks, we must listen. Too often we presume to speak for God (as did Job’s friends), to put words in His mouth, to take Him for granted, or to interpret His silence to mean that He is absent or unconcerned. But God cares. He is in control, and He will speak. Be ready to hear His message - in the Bible, in your life through the Holy Spirit, and through circumstances and relationships.
Elihu concluded his speech with the tremendous truth that faith in God is far more important than Job’s desire for an explanation of his suffering. It is here that God Himself breaks into the discussion to draw the right conclusions from this important truth.
Elihu stressed God’s sovereignty over all of nature as a reminder of His sovereignty over our lives. God is in control - he directs, preserves, and maintains his created order. Although we can’t see it, God is divinely governing the moral and political affairs of people as well. By spending time observing the majestic and intricate parts of God’s creation, we can be reminded of His power in every aspect of our lives.
Reference: Project 365 for Year 2012
