Job 31-33
Today we have Job's final argument of innocence to God. His friends will finally be silenced, but unknown to us they brought along a young disciple who really has been listening. Elihu has seen the error of both Job and his friends. Elihu is a little off track too, but he will show Job some things he had not considered. Because of this, Job remains silenced and is ready to hear and be humbled when God speaks.
Job 31
IF you are having a hard time keeping up with Job, or IF you are falling asleep, highlight the word "IF."
In looking at the things Job avoided and the things Job did, you have to look deeper than the "if." He lists these actions along with other words also. So, you'll see a lot of "If….and" combinations. And then there is "let."
V. 23 Deeply ingrained in Job's thinking toward God was fear. We could use more fear in our thinking about God. We still have it in our thinking that God is just a good old boy who chuckles at our sin and looks the other way, and now even more because of grace. Job's fear of God was at the root of what both he and his friends didn't understand about God. They were focused on blessing and punishment having a one-to-one relationship to God's justice. God's sovereignty, wisdom and eternal plan weren't part of their thinking. That God could do things that didn't make sense, and that He could bring pain without judgment and allow the wicked to grow and prosper wasn't yet in their thinking. Trusting God's wisdom, love and sovereignty brings health to our fear of God, and it brings maturity to our view of God and our place on the planet during this time.
Job 32
Enter Elihu.
V. 2 Notice that Elihu caught that Job never justified God for this. It never entered Job's thinking that what God was doing could be right, not because of justice, but because of his eternal wisdom and understanding.
V. 6 The rest of this chapter is Elihu, in some convoluted near eastern way asking permission to join in the debate. When we think of Elihu being a young man, remember that this is in comparison to Job and his friends. If they were all in their 80s or older, Elihu could have been the youngster at 60.
Vs. 11-14 Notice that Elihu had been carefully listening.
Vs. 18-19 At that time the belly, not the heart, was the seat of emotions. Interesting imagery.
V. 22 This is basically saying that he has no agenda. What he'll say is simple and sincere.
Job 33
V. 1 What is interesting is that Elihu is the only one who uses Job's name.
Vs. 1-7 He is asking Job to listen, and telling Job he will not hammer him like his friends did.
Vs. 8-11 He has been listening. He repeats the kernel of Job's argument back to Job.
Vs. 12-33 This is the key to Elihu's entire word to Job and he doesn't beat around the bush.
First, God does speak, just not the way we might think, or the way we might like. Can you see the ways that Elihu suggests that God speaks?
Second, Elihu suggests that God speaks to warn us and to keep us from doing stupid stuff before we fall into it. This was something that no one had thought of. Elihu is saying that God uses pain to get our attention before something happens, not as a judgment, but as a help, a warning. In the coming chapters, God's actions will be described as going even deeper than just working with us. Yet, isn't it cool that Elihu gets right to the matter and gives Job something to think about immediately?
So here we are as disciples, working in the harvest and something "bad" happens. Here is the real question: How long does it take you to understand emotionally that it was God and not others who blocked you? I say "emotionally" because it is easy to "think" the right answer and still get incredibly depressed and bitter. How long does it take us to redirect our following in the harvest once we grasp this, or do we mourn for the door of opportunity or season of life that just closed? Even as I write this, I know how important and hard it is to learn these lessons. I've gotten better, more mature, but I still bear some scars from not having grasped this years ago. But then, the Lord knew I needed those scars to learn. So even in failure there is victory if we learn to love Him, if we grow to know Him better and trust Him as we keep on following in the harvest. I had a little motto above my desk in Germany: The only way to fail in Christ, is to quit. Boy, did I learn the truth of that the hard way. And happily, I'm still learning and trusting and following. Christ is enough and that's enough.
2 Corinthians 3
V. 1 After describing how the Lord worked in his heart, Paul realized that talking about himself like this was going to cause some of his critics to voice this complaint against him again.
Apparently, some of these critics were very Jewish and demanded that visitors who came to the church should bring a letter of recommendation stating that they were "kosher."
Vs. 2-3 This is very simple and powerful. The work of God was done by God through Paul & Co. God was their recommendation and the Corinthians were proof, like a letter. The work of the Holy Spirit cannot be faked. What happened to the Corinthians was proof that Paul was genuine. I'm wondering if the critics had fruit. I wonder if they could show that God had used them to save the lost and to make disciples who made disciples, or were they "teachers" and not "evangelists." Jesus said, "by their fruit you will know them." There are a lot of Christians who are all argument and opinion, but no fruit.
Notice here that Paul uses the tablets of stone vs. human hearts. That suggests that these super apostles were very Jewish, trying to bring the church back to a more Jewish look. God promised in the OT He would give the Jews hearts of flesh. That would be the work of the Spirit.
Vs. 4-6 Notice how Paul refers again to his weakness and that God brings about the blessing almost involuntarily.
Vs. 7-18 This seems to be Paul expressing that the law was work and that it didn't help. The old covenant couldn't be realized without the new covenant and the freedom of the spirit.
V. 18 There is not a lot of ritual and strain involved in standing before the Lord with an unveiled face. It is the freedom of knowing Christ. It was the Spirit that gave Paul the power for bearing fruit in ministry, not Paul himself. Salvation and living for Christ doesn't come from works, but from the Spirit.
Psalm 43
Vs. 1-2 The trial of waiting on God was intensified because of others. We've seen this in Job.
Vs. 3-4 The prayer for God's guidance and light. This yearning for God is tied to the altar (cleansing and worship) and the presence of God.
V. 5 As we read yesterday in Psalm 42, the head might understand; but the soul, the emotions of this body of death, can still be in turmoil. As Job learned, we have to have total trust in God. He is our hope and our salvation.
The very fact that we have psalms like this, inspired by the Spirit, means that God knows we will always struggle with our emotions and with waiting on Him. The struggle brings us closer to the Lord. I guess that is a part of what Elihu was telling Job.
This song is a good reminder to rest in Christ as we follow and go through stuff like Job and Paul did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIgVU_5FsqA
Proverbs 22:8-9
Amen.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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