JOB - the first book of Wisdom
These books are called the
books of wisdom. Herein is the wisdom of God. To find the cause of the seen we
must look to the unseen. The solution to the riddle of life is spiritual not
physical. You cannot think your way out of a spiritual difficulty. Job and
Daniel would teach us that if we wish to affect things here we must address
ourselves there. Events happen here because they are allowed there. But
remember, Job was under the protection of God
First
everything was protected
Then only Job was protected
Then only his life was protected
The permissive will of God
in Job may be too high for us – How can we understand it? For all that has
happened to Job he is still under the protection of God - But what about Jesus?
There the fence was completely taken away: ‘He
that spared not His own son, but freely gave Him up’.
Main Arguments
3 men have come to visit –
they are joined by a fourth. Initially they are dumb in the face of such a
calamity. Then words, words, words (for
35 chapters). 20 chapters for Job, 4 for Eliphaz, 3 for Bildad, 2 for Zophar
and 6 for Elihu. There are fourteen speakers, The Lord, Satan, Job, Job’s wife,
Job’s friends, four messengers, a spirit and a horse. Remember, the debate
takes place among those who know nothing of what has happened in heaven.
The arguments presented by
these men are drawn on such resources as they have – their own experience, the
experience of others, what they have heard from their fathers.
BUT THEY - LIKE JOB - ARE IN THE PRESENCE OF SOMETHING
THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND
There is wisdom here – there
is truth here. It may be truth generally but it does not help Job. Human wisdom is insufficient to light up the
path of the godly. “He knoweth the way
that I take”.
As for God, His way is perfect
He maketh my way perfect.
Is this what you want? For
God to make your way perfect – even if
it means living for God when life is an enigma?
They all fall silent one by
one.
THEN GOD SPEAKS
Next Time - The Answer of God
