We Know Practically Nothing About God - Job 25-26

Job 26:7-14 (ESV)

He stretches out the north over the void

and hangs the earth on nothing.

He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,

and the cloud is not split open under them.

He covers the face of the full moon

and spreads over it his cloud.

He has inscribed a circle on the face of the waters

at the boundary between light and darkness.

The pillars of heaven tremble

and are astounded at his rebuke.

By his power he stilled the sea;

by his understanding he shattered Rahab.

By his wind the heavens were made fair;

his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,

and how small a whisper do we hear of him!

But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Job, once again, is confronted by one of his comforters.  Bildad has come before him and described him as a maggot, as a worm, in the proceeding chapter.

Job 25:5-6 (ESV)

Behold, even the moon is not bright,

and the stars are not pure in his eyes;

how much less man, who is a maggot,

and the son of man, who is a worm!”

Bildad wants Job to know how pure God is.  He rightly says that, compared to God, we are nothing more than a worm; if even that.   Job is not debating with Bildad, however.  

In the above verses Job, himself, confirms the mighty power of God. He confirms how awesome God is and how little we actually know about that awesomness. Notice how Job describes God:

Verse 7 - He is powerful enough to hang the earth in the universe on nothing. 

Verse. 8 - He has puffy clouds hold tons of water. 

Verse 9 - He hangs the moon in the sky.

Verse 10 - He can keep light from dark separated.

Verse 11 - He shakes the heavens with thunder.

Verse 12 - He can make the entire sea calm, but can completely destroy a city. 

Verse 13 - His breath can be a fair breeze and yet by His hand He controls even the lowly serpent. 

In the last verse we read Job’s main point.  We know all this about God and yet we know nothing at all.  All we know about God is like the pop of an old child’s cap-gun compared to the destruction of a neutron bomb.   

Job is not moved any more by his friends’ words of comfort, hat are more like darts in his eyes.  He is moved by the power of God, which is like arrows in his heart.  

  

Meekness is NOT Weakness - Psalms 36-38

Psalms 37:10-11 (ESV)

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;

though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.

But the meek shall inherit the land

and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Psalm 37 is all about the contrast of how God will care for the righteous and correct and condemn the wicked.   The psalm starts out like this:

Psalms 37:1-2 (ESV)

OF DAVID.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

and wither like the green herb.

We don’t know when David wrote it, but there were plenty of times in his life this could be applicable.  Apparently he caught himself fretting over the prosperity of the wicked.   God’s message to him was, “I got this!”  

In the above couple of verses we are simply told that there is going to come a day when we glance over at the prosperity of the wicked and they are not there.  As we turn and change our glance to a gaze we will find that they are really not there.  God will remove them and as hard as we search, they are simply gone.  God will correct, condemn and remove them wicked. 

In contrast we have the statement about the meek inheriting the earth.  This, of course, is where Jesus was quoting in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:5 (ESV)

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

In contrast to the wicked’s pride, the believers meekness is rewarded with great benefit.   The meek inherit the earth.  

The world sees meekness as weakness.  It is often defined as timidity.     Yet, note what Jesus said about himself here:

Matthew 11:29 (ESV)

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

The word gentle in the above verse is translated meek in other translations.  Jesus defines himself as meek.   Meekness is power under control.  Meek people don’t have to flex.   They don’t have to push out the chest and elevate their chin.   They are okay in their position because they KNOW they will inherit the earth.   That is our designed and divine posture.  

Take Initiative For God - 1 Samuel 11-15

1 Samuel 14:12-15 (ESV)

And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel.” Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him. And that first strike, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, killed about twenty men within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic.

Jonathan is often an overlooked figure in the story of his father Saul and, who will become Saul’s enemy, but Jonathan’s best friend, David.   Jonathan is portrayed in Scripture as a strong, loyal and courageous figure.   The above story, however, demonstrates his initiative. 

At this point in history the Philistines and Israel are in back and fourth battles.  They each seem to get their victories and each their defeats.   When Israel asked for a king, God accommodated and gave them Saul.  Johnathan was one of his sons.   

In the above story we see Jonathan doing something courageous for God; stepping out on his own.   He and his armor bearer attack this Philistines outpost and God gives them a great victory.   God will use this to strike fear into the Philistines,   Saul does not know Jonathan is on this expedition.   This shows his initiative.  God uses him to strike fear into the Philistines.  

The truth to learn here is that using one’s initiative to trust God can be used by God to capture the hearts and minds of others.  We don’t have to wait until we are directed to fight God’s fight.  We can conquer in our lives and that allows God to conquer through our making ourselves available to Him.   

God Turns Hearts of Kings - Genesis 48-50

Genesis 50:4-8 (ESV)

And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.’” And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen.

God put Jospeh in such a unique spot.   He was a 17 year old boy when arrived in Egypt.  He became a household slave who eventually was falsely accused and convicted of a rape charge.  In prison he rose to a high level of responsibility, but was still in prison.  Now, decades later the entire Egyptian royalty returns with him back to Canaan to bury his father, where it all started.  God turned the hearts of great Egyptian leadership toward Joseph’s favor.  Our favor among men is in the hands of a powerful God.   

Later in the books of history we will see God turn the heart of a king toward Easter.  We will see God turn the heart of a farmer toward Ruth.   We will see God turn the heart of a king toward Nehemiah.  We will see God turn the hearts of a nation toward the message of Jonah.   

God turns hearts.  If we have favor with men, it is God who turns their hearts toward us.  It is not us who creates these moments.  

Let Him/Her Go? 1 Corinthians 7-8

1 Corinthians 7:15 (ESV)

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

What a tough verse to live out in practice.  Since I personally experienced the above, I can attest to the struggle it is to obey this verse.  

When my first wife left me I was then free and under no obligation.  She walked away, declaring she wanted no relationship with me (and, at the time Christ).  I was free to move on.  My struggle to hold-on to that relationship, however, might have violated what Paul is saying.  God has called us to peace.  Because I was so obsessed with her and didn’t want to “let” her go, I actually violated Paul’s command in the above verse. 

We can get so blinded by our love for someone in this situation that we suddenly fail to see what God is trying to teach us.  When she walked away my goal should have been to keep peace.  Instead, for a length of time I kept up the “war.”  

This entire section from Paul is about the marriage relationship.  He is writing to those married, unmarried, separated and divorced.  The principles are sound.  But the principles are true, as well.  And they are to be followed and obeyed, no matter your feelings and emotional connection.   God was actually writing this to protect us.  When we fight to keep someone who is going away we often do more harm than good. I do agree we should fight for our marriages.  But if someone has moved away it is often a fight that brings more harm than good and can violate the principles of God’s word.  

Be A Teacher of God’s Word - Mark 3-4

Mark 4:1-3 (ESV)

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

Jesus had a heart to teach those around them.  He certainly did miracles.  He certainly did discipleship.  He certainly did raise from the dead.  But one of the ministries highly overlooked in the scriptures is the amount of time He simply did teaching.  

In the above verses we see him sitting in a boat and teaching those on the land. In those days the teacher sat and the audience stood.  Some have stated he was in the boat to have space from the crowds. Some say because it was a natural way to increase the acoustics of His voice.  Whatever the reason the setting offered Him a chance to teach.  

God has used the method of teaching to convey His thoughts and His ways.  It is a great privilege, honor and high responsibility to teach God’s word. Our example and mentor is Jesus.   Note James’ warning about this:

James 3:1 (ESV)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

The entire Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 is an example of great teaching. It is the only complete message we have of Jesus.  It takes less than 30 minutes to read the entire narrative.  Jesus set the example of what a great teacher looks like.  Follow His steps. 

The New Heaven - Isaiah 62-66

 Isaiah 65:17-25 (ESV)

New Heavens and a New Earth

“For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever

in that which I create;

for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem

and be glad in my people;

no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping

and the cry of distress.

No more shall there be in it

an infant who lives but a few days,

or an old man who does not fill out his days,

for the young man shall die a hundred years old,

and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;

they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They shall not build and another inhabit;

they shall not plant and another eat;

for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,

and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor in vain

or bear children for calamity,

for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the LORD,

and their descendants with them.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are yet speaking I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;

the lion shall eat straw like the ox,

and dust shall be the serpent’s food.

They shall not hurt or destroy

in all my holy mountain,”

says the LORD.

The above is where all this is headed.  God is going to establish a place that restores what He created in the Garden of Eden.  The one thing that is not listed in the above passage is sin.  If God were to remove sin from this world, right now, the above is what it all would look like. But sin has destroyed this earth.  Jesus needed to redeem us from sin and eventually will return to destroy all remnants of sin’s destruction.  He will create a new heaven and earth that looks like the above.   That is where we live for eternity.   Imagine!!