Job 4 December 6, 2007

Now for some reason, hitting “enter” doesn’t seem to work in Safari, so bear with me please (haven’t had time to download anything else yet).In this chapter, one of Job’s friends is speaking — Eliphaz the Temanite.  Everything that he says actually makes sense, but it’s really not something that great to say to Job at the moment. He’s saying that those who are innocent are not punished by God — implying that Job has some hidden sin in his life that he needs to confess.  He starts by confronting Job about his attitude towards his trials — he pretty much says to Job, “Hey! You were strong for all these people all the time that they were down-hearted! But as soon as tribulation comes to you, look what happens!  You’re all unhappy.”  Which I think is completely unfeeling of him!  I mean, really.  Job has lost everything he has except for his wife and his life, and Eliphaz is telling him that he’s too down-hearted about it.  I would completely have killed that man right then and there.

On the other hand, a lot of the things he says are good in principle. If he wasn’t talking to Job, they would be really good things to say. I mean, how often do we give all this cheesy advice to people (“You’ll make it though, just trust in God” — honestly, how does one trust in God? — not meaning that God isn’t trustworthy…meaning how does one apply that practically) and then when we find ourselves in the exact same situation….and finding out just how hard that particular piece of advice is to put into practice.

Eliphaz also says a lot of truth about those who don’t fear God. He mentions a lot of things about what will happen to them and how hopeless their plight is and all this other stuff. Most interestingly, he says something that is echoed in Romans 3:23: “Can mankind be just before God? Can a man be pure before His maker?” I have to say, the answer to this is a complete and resounding “NO!” Which is, of course, where the miracle of salvation comes in. So, in a way, this chapter kind of foreshadows the coming of Christ! That’s definitely cool.

Job 3 and Snow December 4, 2007

So today is my day to write about Job 3.  This is the first chapter that Job begins to question various things.

Job curses the day he was born in this chapter.  The language here is highly poetic.  He talks about where he would be if he had never been born or had died at birth — it’s great literarily.

The most interesting verse in this chapter is verse 23.  “Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in?”  He’s questioning the meaning of suffering in this verse.  Now, since I already know the end of the story, I know what it is that the ultimate answer to this question is.  But it’s interesting to know that Job struggled with it.  Job is always presented as a righteous man…but he also questions things like the meaning of suffering.  It’s not just those of us who really aren’t all that righteous.

It’s also interesting that through all of this Job doesn’t commit suicide.  He keeps saying, “It would be better if I were dead!” but he never actually kills himself.  It’s kind of intruiging.  It also tells us quite a bit about the ethics of suicide, I think.  Job had every reason to kill himself, according to today’s society.  Many people in less desparate positions have committed suicide, but Job — who had lost everything he had except his wife and his three friends — didn’t.  Job is counted as a righteous man.  It’s interesting that he didn’t.  It seriously does tell us a lot about the ethics of suicide.

Well, that’s all for Job 3.

Beyond the “Read More”:  thoughts on snow

Many Things December 3, 2007

I’ve decided that my blog’s title is particularly apt for my personality and the way I think, haha! Today I have three posts that I could write. One is on Job 2, one is on Jeremiah 42:6, and one is on evolution. Decisions, decisions, decisions…well, I think I’ll start with Jeremiah 42:6, because it just popped out at me, and do one of those spiffy little “read more…” things when I get done, and do Job 2. Evolution can wait for a later date.

 

So, then, Jeremiah 42:6.

 

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.

I think this verse really speaks to us today. A lot of the time, Christians just want to listen to the part of the Bible that they like, that is comfortable for them, and they don’t want to have to do any other part of it. It’s become so that Christianity is all about ourselves. That’s why it’s so shocking to us when God asks us to do something we really don’t want to do. We’re all like “No! I don’t want to do that!” and go off and do our own thing. (which, in fact, is what the isrealites end up doing. They’re wanting Jeremiah to go talk to God so that he can tell them what God wants…and then they end up doing the opposite because they were stupid.)  That’s the pleasant or unpleasant part by the way.

Another interesting thing is that the Israelites are indeed sending Jeremiah to talk to God.  I realize that things were different back then and all that, and that there were different rules and regulations on who could talk to God because Christ hadn’t come yet and so on and so forth, but it’s just a little bit strange, don’t you think?  Like they were too afraid to go talk to God themselves.  It definitely strikes me as odd.

 Then the last part: “so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.”  I think that’s a concept most people have trouble getting their hands around: that it actually will go well with us if and when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.  It actually will.  No matter how inconvenient following God’s law seems, it’s actually the best way to live.

Wow I managed to get three paragraphs out of once verse, haha!