Job Part 2 (Job 40:1-14)

Job 40:1–14 NLT

1 Then the Lord said to Job, 2 “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” 3 Then Job replied to the Lord, 4 “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. 5 I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” 6 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: 7 “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 8 “Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? 9 Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? 10 All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. 11 Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. 12 Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. 14 Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you.

What’s Going On?

Remember, Job is faithful in the midst of suffering. He does not curse God. And, remember His faithfulness proves God to be correct in God’s judgement on Job.

However, Job still QUESTIONS why God does what God has done. Job does NOT know about the backstory between God and The Accuser/Examiner. Job, in the midst of his suffering begins to question God’s righteousness and judgments.

Although Job never cursed God, he DID put God on trial for God’s actions and He calls into question God’s actions among the righteous and the wicked. Namely, Job states/questions if God is really dealing with the wicked...

Job 9:22 NLT

22 Innocent or wicked, it is all the same to God. That’s why I say, ‘He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.’

Job 21:29–33 NLT

29 But ask those who have been around, and they will tell you the truth. 30 Evil people are spared in times of calamity and are allowed to escape disaster. 31 No one criticizes them openly or pays them back for what they have done. 32 When they are carried to the grave, an honor guard keeps watch at their tomb. 33 A great funeral procession goes to the cemetery. Many pay their respects as the body is laid to rest, and the earth gives sweet repose.

Job 24:1 NLT

1 “Why doesn’t the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment? Why must the godly wait for him in vain?

I am reminded of the cry of Habakkuk...

Habakkuk 1:2–3 NLT

2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. 3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.

This is the main issue running in the background - IS GOD JUST/RIGHTEOUS? And God enters into conversation with Job...

God Answers Job

Job 38:1–3 NLT

1 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: 2 “Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? 3 Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.

God speaks to Job and informs Job that he has some questions for him, but he does not get to those questions for a little while....

In Job 38-39 God speaks about God’s mighty power in creation.

God’s ability to create

Causing the morning to appear

Causing water to run to the seas

Storing up snow and hail

Causing rain to fall

Causing stars and constellations to move and appear

Bringing forth lightning

Then dealing with animals

Goats giving birth

Allowing the wild ox to be tamed

Giving the speed to the ostrich, but no wisdom and discernment

Giving strength and the ability to ride in battle to the horse

Allowing hawks and eagles to soar as high as they can

It seems odd that in the midst of Job’s complaint about God’s justice, God speaks about Creation and God’s wisdom to create as God did

But, God is highlighting to Job how God’s ways, beginning with creation, are not fully understood.

Isaiah 55:8–9 NLT

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

God starts his speech with Job highlighting that Job has NO CLUE what God is up to in the world. Some of the simplest ideas for God of creation and birth are too vast for Job to be able to understand.

God in rhetorical manner asks Job, “ Do you understand any of this?” and the implied answer is, “NO! I don’t”

And that seems to be the point. Things often appear so simple, yet they are more complex than they at first appear. If that is the case with something as simple as an ostrich, or rain, then imagine how complex God’s thoughts and ways are for other weightier things, LIKE JUSTICE!

God’s Response to Job about Justice

After asking rhetorical questions about God’s power in creation, then God gets VERY BRIEFLY to the point about justice...

Job 40:1–5 NLT

1 Then the Lord said to Job, 2 “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” 3 Then Job replied to the Lord, 4 “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. 5 I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.”

But, Job has declared he is wrong and has nothing more to argue, but God wants to make sure Job understands His point… God continues.

Job 40:6–14 NLT

6 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: 7 “Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. 8 “Will you discredit my justice and condemn me just to prove you are right? 9 Are you as strong as God? Can you thunder with a voice like his? 10 All right, put on your glory and splendor, your honor and majesty. 11 Give vent to your anger. Let it overflow against the proud. 12 Humiliate the proud with a glance; walk on the wicked where they stand. 13 Bury them in the dust. Imprison them in the world of the dead. 14 Then even I would praise you, for your own strength would save you.

Job, are you able to discredit and question my ways?

This isn’t simply in your ideas, but in your power to implement them.

Many people have IDEAS in our world, but do they actually have the power and understanding to implement them? Have they looked at all angles AND then been given the power to put them in place. And, if they DID have the power, do they have the discernment of the timing and that their solution is ACTUALLY the solution?

God says unto Job, “If you believe you can do better, TRY IT!”

BRUCE ALMIGHTY!

In the movie Bruce Almighty, Bruce believes he can do better than God. So, God puts him to the challenge. God bestows upon Bruce divine power (which Bruce at first uses for his own purposes) and gives Bruce the ability to hear the prayers of a select group of people in a specific area of New York. Bruce is overwhelmed by all the prayers and concerns of others. In a quick fix manner, Bruce devises a way to organize prayers through email, and he replies “YES” to all prayers. This creates mass chaos as people begin to argue and riot when they all get what they prayed for. Bruce realizes his error and ultimately realizes that life is best lived NOT by putting God on trial, but by living in ways that brings God’s goodness to the world around us. “Be the Miracle” Bruce would eventually say.

And, Bruce Almighty, reminds me of the story of Job. That Job questions God’s ways, but Job himself does not have the wisdom or ability to do anything different - and that Job does NOT understand what God is doing.

A. Wendell Bowes (Job, 384) States...

IN vv 10-14 God is having some fun at Job’s expense by challenging him to prove that his power is equal to or greater thatn God’s. But the author knows that power is not the real issue in the book. God does not avoid puncihsing the wicked or rewarding the righteous (in Job’s case, restoring his health, wealth, and reputation) because of a lack of power. He has more than enough power to do whatever needs to be done. The real issue is God’s freedom to do as he pleases. When God acts in ways that make sense to him but seem illogical to humankind, he creates and element of mystery about himself. God will emphasize this mystery in the remainder of the speech

And God goes on to talk about the Behemoth and Leviathan (greatest beasts of earth and sea that God is able to tame with God’s power)

It’s not so much an issue of POWER and it is an issue of God’s ability to be God. Who is God in this story? Can God be God, or is God constrained to OUR ideas about God - and then therefore NOT GOD?

When You Point a Finger at Someone...

When you point a finger at someone, remember, you have 3 more fingers pointing back at YOU.4

We have ALL done the same things as Job!

Life goes Off the Rails and we question God’s way of dealing with the world. We don’t get what we want or would like and we look at others and wonder if God knows their dirty past or their dirty secrets and we question WHY God would forget us but bless them.

We ask...

Why me? Why now? Why not them? How come? How long? What about the evil ones in the world? Does God care? Does God see?

I deserve better. They deserve worse... etc. We ALL question God's justice and righteousness And like Job, the question for us is the same… “Are you wise enough, strong enough, powerful enough to play the role of God? No? Well then STOP questioning! God is doing something, and you don’t understand it. BUT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO LIKE IT. BUT GOD IS DOING SOMETHING!

God NEVER Tells Job Why He Suffers

There’s one other thing that needs to be addressed.

God never tells Job the reason for his suffering. This makes me wonder how the author knew about the conversations between God and ha-satan. Maybe eventually God told Job. I do not know. But, in this text God NEVER speaks to Job saying, “Listen Dude. The reason you suffered is because The Accuser wanted to prove me wrong. But, your suffering proved me right. I KNEW you wouldn’t curse me. I KNEW it would turn out just fine for you. And, because YOU remained faithful I was proven right and ha-satan wrong. Yay! Go you! You passed the test. Here’s more blessings.

NOPE - that NEVER happened in what we have to read about Job and God.

So, God never answers the question of WHY Job suffered. And presumably, Job NEVER knew.

Hmmm, what do we do with this?

ANSWER - you also may never know why you suffer!

Sure, we cling to hope amidst suffering that God is working a plan, but we may NOT know why, or we may NOT even see that plan unfold in our lifetime. We may NEVER know why we suffer or struggle or are tested. PERIOD.

EVENTUALLY God vindicates Job...

Job 42:7–17 NLT

7 After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. 8 So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer. 10 When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! 11 Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the Lord had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money and a gold ring. 12 So the Lord blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. 13 He also gave Job seven more sons and three more daughters. 14 He named his first daughter Jemimah, the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. 15 In all the land no women were as lovely as the daughters of Job. And their father put them into his will along with their brothers. 16 Job lived 140 years after that, living to see four generations of his children and grandchildren. 17 Then he died, an old man who had lived a long, full life.

God scolds the friends for their only partially correct advice/discussions

God vindicates Job’s faithfulness for having the friends bring burnt offerings to Job for Job to act as a priest in presenting those offerings to the Lord and having Job pray for the friends.

Then, Job has his fortunes restored and he is CONSOLED by his friends (something the friends SHOULD have been doing all along).

Job is vindicated over and above the judgments of this world. BUT STILL HE NEVER KNOWS WHY HE SUFFERED!

And so it is with us. We may be vindicated, but we may NEVER know the WHY to changed plans, struggles, and sufferings.

Vindication, as mentioned last week, may not come in our lifetime. It might simply be the vindication of eternity with the welcome “Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in the little, now I will give you much more” -Matthew 25:21...

But, we may NEVER KNOW THE WHY to God’s mystery...

Why did Jamie NOT go to India?

Why did our house get broken into twice?

Why did the deal on the house fall through?

Why did I not get the raise or the new job?

Why the disease?

Why the car accident?

Some answers we will NEVER know.

Yet, in the meantime we can learn a lesson from Job...

none of us have the ability to question God’s justice and righteousness. God is working God’s plan and God has the power, wisdom, and ability to do so.

Maybe there is a reason for it, and maybe there isn't. But, God is in control and HIS plan will succeed...

Habakkuk 3:17–19 NLT

17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)

May the ultimate VINDICATION be that we follow Christ. We have our sins forgiven and have been given NEW LIFE. May this be enough for us!