Hi, guys!
Been wanting to share another little tidbit of a study from God's word, on the order of the Leviticus notes.
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1. Job, a godly man (Job 1:8, 2:3), was sorely afflicted by God (1:21, 2:10) and
lost everything (1:13-19) because of a controversy between God and Satan (1:8-12, 2:3-6).
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: Things happen on earth because of reasons in heaven we know nothing about.
But Job did not sin by
charging God with
wrongdoing (unfairness) - 1:22.
2. The NT reveals that
man charges God with unfairness for two reasons:
- a) he misunderstands the meaning of fairness (Mt 20:8-15)
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: Fairness does not mean giving everyone the
same, but means giving everyone his
due (what he is
owed, a just
debt).
- b) to justify his own sin (Mt 25:24-30) - the wicked lazy servant (v.26) charges his master with unfairness (v.24) to justify his laziness as prudence (v.25).
3.
The NT assumes man will question the fairness of God's sovereign choices:
- Ro 9:18-19 - How can he condemn us? Who can resist his will (sovereignty)?
- Paul's answer to man's charge of unfairness against God is
- the same as Jesus gave in the parable (Mt 20:15); i.e.,
- to assert the authority of God (Ro 9:20-21).
4.
God's answer to man's charges of unfairness:
Your ways are not
my ways,
My ways are higher (
better) than your ways (Is 55:8-9).
I do no wrong (Dt 32:4),
All my ways are just (Da 4:37, 9:14; Ps 145:17),
and I do what is
right (Da 4:37, cf v.35)
- PERSONAL APPLICATION: We must decide who is right, and whom we will believe, man or God.
5. Paul's response to God's sovereign choice
- not to grant faith to Israel, his covenant people (Ro 11:7-8), but to cut them off (Ro 11:17, 19-20, 22) and
- instead grant faith to the Gentiles, who were foreigners to the covenant (Eph 2:11-12) is
- Ro 11:33-36 -
How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond finding out!
Who is wise enough that he should instruct God (Isa 40:13)?
And who has given to God that God should owe him? (Job 41:11)
6.
Back to Job: While Job did not sin in what he said (Job 2:10), because he did not curse God (1:11, 2:5), he did:
- feel he had a right to an explanation, which God owed him (Job 9:16, 10:2, 13:3, 22-23)--presumption
- complain because God afflicted the righteous but not the wicked (24:12)--discrediting God's justice.
7.
God responds to Job:
charges Job with
- ignorance (chps 38-39),
- casting shadows of ignorance over his wisdom (38:2), and
- discrediting his justice (40:8) in order to justify himself to his friends (6:29, 13;12-19), who were using his affliction as proof of his unrighteousness (22:4-30, 34:10-12, 31-37, 35:12-16, 36:8-17)
challenges Job (40:7-8) to
match him in
- justice (40:8)
- power (40:9)
- majesty (40:10) and
- dominion (40:11-14).
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: We do not question God (Ro 9:20), he questions us (Job 38:3, 40:7).
- We do not judge God (Is 10:15), he judges us (Job 40:2).
- Nor do we call God to the bar of our reason (Ro 9:20; Is 45:11-12)
to judge him based on human understanding and human ways (Job 1:22)
- The Bible calls that "turning things upside down as if the potter were thought to be like the clay." (Is 29:16, NIV)
8. Job is
- humbled (42:3), repents (42:6) and embraces the sovereign actions of God (40:2, 5), although
- he is never given an explanation for his affliction (see #1, Biblical Principle).
- Job no longer needed an explanation (42:3), for he had experienced the glory of God (42:5, cf 19:26-27), which far surpasses anything found on earth (Php 3:8-10).
9.
Outcome of Job's trial:
- deeper heart knowledge and realized fellowship with God (42:3, 5, 8, cf 19:26-27; Ps 42:1-2, 63:1, 84:1-2).
- double possessions (42:10)--foreshadowing of spirituall possessions (Heb 10:34; 1Pe 1:4-5),
- long life (42:16)--foreshadowing eternal life (Jas 1:12).
10.
Parallels between Job and Christ:
- the Righteous One (Ac 7:52, 3:14),
- sorely afflicted by God (Is 53:3-5)
- because of a controversy with Satan (Ge 3:15; Jn 12:31; Mt 12:29; Lk 10:18-19),
- who was emptied and humbled (Php 2:5-8)
- for his greater glory (Heb 12:2; Php 2:9-11; 2Co 4:17), and
- exalted to intercede for his friends (Ac 2:33; Heb 7:25, cf Job 45:7-10).
11. God's answer to man's objections regarding his absolute sovereignty:
I am all wise and all just (Is 40:13-14; Ps 89:14),
I do what is best and what is right (Dt 32:4; Ps 119:68; Da 4:37).
TRUST ME, and lean not on your own understanding.
PERSONAL APPLICATION: The sovereignty of God requires our trust, not our understanding. (Ro 11:33)