10/31/2011 8:42:36 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Three Painful Questions
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Job 9:1-10:22
Message of the verses: I will take this second main point from Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary on different days. Today we will cover the first sub-point under this main point.
“How can I be righteous before God” Job 9:1-13: “ 1 ¶ Then Job answered, 2 "In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God? 3 "If one wished to dispute with Him, He could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4 "Wise in heart and mighty in strength, Who has defied Him without harm? 5 "It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, When He overturns them in His anger; 6 Who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; 7 Who commands the sun not to shine, And sets a seal upon the stars; 8 Who alone stretches out the heavens And tramples down the waves of the sea; 9 Who makes the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, And the chambers of the south; 10 Who does great things, unfathomable, And wondrous works without number. 11 "Were He to pass by me, I would not see Him; Were He to move past me, I would not perceive Him. 12 "Were He to snatch away, who could restrain Him? Who could say to Him, ’What are You doing?’ 13 "God will not turn back His anger; Beneath Him crouch the helpers of Rahab.”
In his introduction to this second main point of chapter three Dr. Wiersbe points out that what is on Job’s mind is a legal trial, a trial in which he takes God to court. Dr. Wiersbe points out that there are ten different words or phrases that show this to be true. I will give these words and their meanings:
1. Contend = enter into litigation
2. Answer = testify in court
3. Judge = an opponent at lat, accuser
4. Set a time = summon to court
5. Daysman = an umpire, an arbitrator
6. Reason = argue a case
7. Order my cause = prepare my case
8. Plead = Dispute in court
9. Hear me = give me a legal hearing
10. Adversary = accuser in court
We must keep in mind that these words are from the KJV of the Bible as that is the
Bible version that Dr. Wiersbe uses, however for the most part I use the NASB95 version of the Bible unless I identify any other version that I use.
The three questions that we will be looking at over the next SD’s are “How can I be righteous before God?” “How can I meet God in court?” and “Why was I born?” These three questions do connect, for Job is righteous, but he has to prove it, and so how can a mortal man prove he is righteous before God? He must take God to court, but how can that happen? So if God does not step in and defend Job as to being righteous before God then what is the purpose of all this suffering? Why was Job born?
Now we will look at that first question “How can I be righteous before God?” Dr. Wiersbe points out that this is not a question about salvation (“How may I be justified?”) but about vindication (“How can I be declared innocent?”) Job realizes and will find out later that if a man would take God to court that he would be unable to answer one question in a thousand, yet he feels that is the only way to prove that he is righteous before God.
We see in this section some of the attributes of God, His wisdom and especially His power, for God has all wisdom and is all powerful, so why would anyone want to go to court against God who is all powerful and all wise? God is so powerful that He can shake the earth at His will and so wise and powerful that He created not only the earth but the entire universe, including the stars.
God is also invisible, so how could Job stop Him and give Him a summons to court? It would be impossible for that to happen. Now just in case someone is wondering about the term “Rahab” it is another mythological creature like “Yam” and also “Tannin” that is mentioned in the seventh chapter.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I would suppose those in my thoughts at times that I would like to take God to court. Since I live on the other side of the cross and have a completed Bible to read and study I do understand more things than Job did, and have the advantage of reading his story in the Bible. There are still those times when I have to ask the question “Why,” even thought I know that I am to trust the Lord through all circumstances as He will work things out for my good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28). I also know that God is compassionate and is merciful, and therefore He will help me through these difficult times that I go through, and for that I am very thankful.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Trust the Lord to see me through the tough times in life that they may bring glory to God.
2. Continue to learn contentment.
10/31/2011 9:28:19 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment