~ Job Chapter 9 - Job replies to Bildad’s first speech/God is very great Verses 1-2 Job repeated here Eliphaz’s idea in Job 4:12-21. People are weak. That is, everybody does wrong things against God. Bildad had said that God would help a good man (Job 8:5). But Job knew that nobody is perfect. Nobody deserves God’s help. We should be humble when we pray to God. Verse 3 Job himself wanted to argue with God about his situation. Job discusses this further in verses 14-20. Verses 4-10 Some people may think that they are strong or powerful. But God is much more powerful than any person. The Bible says that God made everything (Genesis chapter 1). He made our wonderful world. He placed the stars in the sky. So nobody should suppose that they could control God. We see his great deeds, so we are humble. We should respect him and obey his commands. Especially, we should confess our evil deeds to him. And we should invite Jesus into our lives. Verses 11-12 Often we are not aware of God’s work. We do not realise what he is doing. But God is not far away from us. God’s Holy Spirit is working in our world. And he will work in our lives too, if we allow him. Verse 13 No enemy can successfully oppose God. See Psalm 2. - A man cannot argue with God Verses 14-15 Job realised that God is the greatest judge. Job wanted to explain his problems to God. But Job did not know what to say to God. Verses 16-18 In these verses, Job did not realise that God cared about him. Job did not know about the events in Job 1:6-12 or Job 2:1-6. So Job did not know that Satan (the devil) caused Job’s troubles. And Job did not realise that God knew Job personally. Jesus taught that God knows everything about us. God knows each person. And he cares about us all. See Matthew 10:29-30. Here, Job could not even imagine that God might speak to him. Or, that God might help Job with his troubles. But God did these things in Job chapters 38-42. Job thought in verse 17 that God might use a terrible storm to punish him. And there was a storm before God spoke in Job 38:1. But this storm was not a punishment for Job. Instead, God used the storm to teach Job about God’s great wisdom (Job 38:34-38). Verse 19 Job would not have said such things if he knew God’s words in Job 2:3. The truth was that Job would not need to explain his troubles to God. God already knew Job’s problems. God cared. And God would rescue Job in the end (Job 42:10-17). Verse 20 God is so perfect that even an innocent man would feel guilty. This is partly true. God is so holy that even his special servants in heaven cover their faces (Isaiah 6:2). But, in the future, we shall live with God (Revelation 21:3). We shall know him perfectly, and we shall be glad to see him (1 Corinthians 13:12). - Job thinks that God causes people to suffer Verses 21-24 In this life, good people often suffer. But God is not responsible for their troubles. Sometimes the devil caused the troubles (as in Job 2:7). Sometimes evil people are responsible. And sometimes natural events cause troubles. We might ask why God seems slow to help us. 2 Peter 3:9 answers this question. God is not slow, but he is patient. At the right time, God will destroy this world. He will replace it with a new heaven and a new world. There, everything will be good and right (2 Peter 3:13). But now God is patient. He is waiting for people to confess their evil deeds to him. He is waiting for us to invite him into our lives. Verses 25-27 Job could hardly remember the time when he was successful. And he thought that he would die soon. So his life seemed very short. Verses 28-31 Job knew that God was his judge. But Job did not think that he could defend himself. Job thought that his situation was hopeless. - Job needs someone to help him Verses 32-35 This is a wonderful passage. Job wanted someone, like a lawyer, to help him to speak to God. These verses describe Jesus’ work (1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is God (Hebrews 1:3). But he became a man (Hebrews 2:14). He suffered like us (Hebrews 2:18). He is the great priest who helps us to meet God (Hebrews 4:15-16). Job lived centuries before Jesus was born. But even while Job was suffering, God was teaching Job about Jesus’ work. The books of the Bible are not the result of the authors’ imagination. God showed them these things by his Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:33:02 +0000
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