Job’ s principal objection was that God was unresponsive to him, that He was not properly acknowledging his righteousness.
God challenged Job, suggesting that he try to tame a sea creature, a great beast that was“ made without fear”( Job 41:33-34):“ Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?”( Job 41:1-3; Job 41:4-10).
In the end Job saw that the basis of his problem was his lack of understanding and excessive confidence in his own righteousness. Then his view of God’ s fairness changed. He saw that His critical attitude toward God was wrong:“ I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know... I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes”( Job 42:3-6).
Job’ s experience is recorded in great detail so we can learn the folly of holding too high an opinion of ourselves.“ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud”( Proverbs 16:18-19).
Job’ s experiences can explain why righteous people may go through discouraging and traumatic times and be tempted to resent God for not obviously and quickly intervening on their behalf. Like Job, we can fail to understand that God sees far more than we see.
No matter how severe a trial is, we should never assume God isn’ t listening or doesn’ t care. He sees lessons we need to learn that are beyond our present understanding.
We need always to remember some excellent advice from King David:“ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!”( Psalms 27:14).
We should learn from Job’ s experience to maintain patient respect and trust in God even in the midst of our sufferings( James 5:10-11).
Jeremiah 30:17
' For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, ' Because they have called you an outcast, saying: " It is Zion; no one cares for her."
Job’ s principal objection was that God was unresponsive to him, that He was not properly acknowledging his righteousness.
God challenged Job, suggesting that he try to tame a sea creature, a great beast that was“ made without fear”( Job 41:33-34):“ Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?”( Job 41:1-3; Job 41:4-10).
In the end Job saw that the basis of his problem was his lack of understanding and excessive confidence in his own righteousness. Then his view of God’ s fairness changed. He saw that His critical attitude toward God was wrong:“ I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know... I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes”( Job 42:3-6).
Job’ s experience is recorded in great detail so we can learn the folly of holding too high an opinion of ourselves.“ Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud”( Proverbs 16:18-19).
Job’ s experiences can explain why righteous people may go through discouraging and traumatic times and be tempted to resent God for not obviously and quickly intervening on their behalf. Like Job, we can fail to understand that God sees far more than we see.
No matter how severe a trial is, we should never assume God isn’ t listening or doesn’ t care. He sees lessons we need to learn that are beyond our present understanding.
We need always to remember some excellent advice from King David:“ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!”( Psalms 27:14).
We should learn from Job’ s experience to maintain patient respect and trust in God even in the midst of our sufferings( James 5:10-11).
Jeremiah 30:17
11
' For I will restore you to health And I will heal you of your wounds,' declares the LORD, ' Because they have called you an outcast, saying: " It is Zion; no one cares for her."