GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 5 ~  ~ John 8:47 ~ ~ “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

We are starting a new chapter in Dr. Michael Youssef’s book, “How to Read the Bible”.   Part !!! is entitled,  ”The Wisdom of the Kingdom”

Chapter 7 is “Job’s Kingdom Faith”

Section:  “Accepting God’s Sovereignty” and “A Glimpse of the Courts of Heaven”

The Wisdom of His Kingdom

The wisdom books of the Old Testament are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.  They consist of saying, dialogues, and poetry.  These books focus on how to live a virtuous and rewarding life amid trials, temptations and pressures.  Because true wisdom comes from and points to God, the themes of the Kingdom of God and His New Covenant can be found throughout the wisdom books, as well as the rest of the Bible.

Chapter 7 ~ ~ Job’s Kingdom Faith:  Accepting God’s Sovereignty

The book of job is the first of the wisdom books in the Old Testament.  Job addresses the oldest, most troubling question in the Bible:  Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?

In theology, the study of the problem of evil, suffering, and injustice – and the vindication of God from blame for those evils – is called “theodicy” – from the Greek words “theos” (God) and “dike”, (“trial”) meaning “God on trial”.  The book of Job squarely addresses the questions of theodicy through the sufferings of the story’s hero.

In a perfect world, sin and injustice should be punished and righteousness should be rewarded,  But we know all too well that in the REAL world, the righteous often suffer and the wicked often prosper.  Why does God allow such a moral imbalance?

“A Glimpse of the Courts of Heaven”

The book opens with these words:  “In the land of Uz there lived a man whose nae was Job.   This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.”  It goes on to tell us that Job had a large family and great wealth.  He was a righteous man, and he was very blessed.

The scene soon shifts to the courts of Heaven, where we see God and His angels.  Then comes the adversary, Satan, the malicious fallen angel, who states that he has been roaming the earth.  God asks Satan if he has noticed His righteous servant Job.

Satan replies:

“Does Job fear God for nothing?…..You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But now stretch out Your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.” (Job 1:9-11)

God permits Satan to afflict Job by taking away his herds, servants, and even his sons and daughters.  Job goes into mourning – but he does not curse God as Satan predicted.  Instead, he worships God, saying:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.  The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”  (Job 1:21)

Amid  all his sufferings, Job did not sin by accusing God of wrongdoing. 

So Satan asks God for permission to afflict Job in his body and his health, saying that out of his physical pain Job would “surely curse You to Your face.” (Job 2-4).  God grants permission, so long as Satan spares Job’s life.

So Satan inflicted painful sores on Job, prompting his wife to urge him to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).  Job replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman.  Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”  In this response, the Scriptures tell us, “Job did not sin in what he said.” (Job 2:10)

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John 10:27-29

My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.  My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

Romans 8:38, 39

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jude 24, 25 

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present  you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.  To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.  Amen

Isaiah 40:26

Raise your eyes on high

And see who has created these stars,

The One who brings out their multitude by number,

He calls them all by name;

Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,

Not one of them is missing.

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