Monday, September 24, 2018

An Interesting Book

  Have you ever read the book of Job? Though I thought I knew the story, I'd never actually read it fully until recently. When I did, I really enjoyed it, learned a lot, and found so much I never had heard before!


  In the beginning of the book, God is pleased with Job. Then Satan tells God that Job is doing so well because God has blessed him. "If you put forth thine hand," Satan says, "he will curse you." Next, God gives permission to Satan to do whatever he wants to Job, as long as he doesn't touch Job himself.

  First, men come and kill Job's servants. Then, his sheep and more servants are killed by fire. Then more servants are killed, and the camels stolen. Finally, someone comes and tells Job that his children were just killed. The oldest son's house was blown down by wind.
  What did Job do? He rent his robes, and worshiped God. Worshiped God? Worshiping God is not the usual response to hardship, but that's what Job did. "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

  Now Satan told God, if you touch him, he will curse you. God then gave him permission to do what he willed with Job, as long as he spared Job's life.
  Next, boils appeared on Job's skin, from his feet to his head. "Curse God," his wife told him. 
  "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" Job asked her. He would not curse God.

  When Job's three friends heard of his grief, they came, and a week after they arrived, Job began to complain. Why did I not die the day I was born?
  His friends began to talk to give "advice". They told him there must be a sin in his life. If you will repent of it, they told him, God will be with you again. Their advice wasn't true—suffering is not always a punishment for sin.

  All the while, Job is still complaining. If only God would destroy me, then I could have comfort. Job, his friends, and Elihu, a young man whose background we don't know, talk for a long time. 

Then, God talks.

  It says God is talking through a whirlwind.

  "Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 
   "Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.
   Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? Canst thou number the months that they fulfil? or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?" I just included bits and pieces of what God said. As for Job, we can probably assume he's on the ground, trembling with fear.

  Now God wants an answer, but Job does not know what to say.

 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

 Then Job answered the LORD, and said,  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.

  The LORD again tells Job to answer.

 Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?  Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. 


  Then Job answers God, telling Him he understood not things too wonderful for him. He heard of God before, but now has seen Him, and repents.

  At the end of the book, God blesses Job with more than before.

  Was God wrong? No. Job did not curse God even when all of these things happened to him.

  What can we learn from this?
  
  Nothing can happen to us unless God lets it happen. As God's children, we can find comfort in this. 

  God knows better than we do. Job wondered why he couldn't have just died the day he was born, but God had better plans. For reasons unknown to us, God let these things happen to Job, perhaps to help Job grow; perhaps to teach us. While Job saw what was happening right then and there, God saw the whole picture.

  Although I didn't write about it in the post, God was angry at Job's friends. Here we can learn to only teach things we know are true, and that trials are not always a punishment for sin.

  We are also reminded of God's power. Who are we to complain against the God who can number the stars and and sees the streams of the sea?

  At the end, we are reminded of God's love and mercy. God forgave Job, and blessed him with more than he had before!

Have you ever read the book of Job? What is one thing you found interesting from this post or from reading Job yourself?


5 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this, Laura! The last chapters in Job (Job 38-41) are some of my favorites, because they show God's sovereignty. He is GOD. How could we dare to question His ways, the Creator of the universe and the One who put the seas in place? And yet somehow He loves us... and I'm left in awe. ♥ Thank you for the reminder today.

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    1. After reading them, I really love them too. Thanks for stopping by!!!

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  2. Great post!!!! Loved the lessons you pointed out!
    -Brooklyne

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  3. Yes, the book of Job is so interesting! Especially the ending... <3

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