Job Chapters 13-16

400th POST!!! Wow, it has been a while now... year or so more and we should be through the bible.

13:15 - Job maintains a really incredible attitude during his time of suffering. He understands that God is in control and while WE know that God did not cause the harm that fell on Job (He did allow Satan to act freely), Job did not know that...in his mind God has put him through the pain he had experienced - yet he maintains that God is his only hope. Great example of faith.

14:1-2 - What a depressing, yet true, outlook on life! A single human beings life on earth is very short when you think about it in the context of "the big picture." And though there are plenty of god things that happen, life is also full of trouble for flawed humans - we get caught up in sin every day and the world is roiling from the consequences of human sin. Yet we can put our trust in God who is offering us a life with Him that is eternal ad perfect. These short/imperfect lives we live are not the ultimate end we were created for...as C.S. Lewis said (my version), "When we are in heaven, our lives on earth will seem like a bad nights stay in a cheap hotel."

14:16-17 - Job longs for a time when his sins are gathered up like trash and thrown away, and when his failures will be covered by God's grace. Unbeknownst to Job - that was God's plan all along! The blood of Jesus covers over our failure and God forgives our sin debt.

15:2 - These guys are totally relentless! This guy, Eliphaz, basically calls Job a windbag with nothing valuable to say.

15:7-9 - Eliphaz actually says things that are very similar to what God says to Job later in this book. He asks Job, "Were you around before God created the mountains? Have you hung around with God and received council from Him?" He uses rhetoric to show Job how crazy it is to question God. As before, his friend is "right" BUT way off base in his dealing with Job (And not very loving).

15:20 - Here is a clear articulation of their sin theology. I their view: sinners get punished and the righteous get blessed - period...end of story. We know from the story of Job, that it really isn't that simple. In fact, it is often the blessed who arrogantly turn from God and the suffering who desperately reach out to Him. Sometimes, for the sake of your faith, it is better to suffer.

16:19-22 - Job knows that though the whole world (friends and family) have turned against him, that he has an advocate in heaven who knows his conscience is clean. He knows that God knows the truth of his heart, and just doesn't understand what God is doing. Read these verses again...Job may not have fully understood what he was doing, but he is clearly describing the advocate that we all have in the person of Christ Jesus. Jesus blood covers our sins and he stands before God testifying on our behalf...it is through his witness that we are proclaimed "not guilty." Praise God!