THE LORD SPOKE (August 2)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Job 35-38

The sovereignty of God. It make some people shake their fist at the heavens. Others think they can resist it. Or ignore it. Or explain it - even to the point of explaining it away. Many multiply words in a feeble attempt to justify or quantify it. Or figure it out and fit it neatly into their outlined notes.

Job’s friends had been doing all of that for days on end. They had mouths full of theological dust, unproven conclusions, and untried solutions to all of life’s problems. In this passage, Job’s counselors hear a vindication of Job and are “put in their places”. How humiliating to read God’s words from the point of view of one who has been yapping and blabbering quite a lot of nonsense in his advice to Job. God seems to say to each of them, “Who do you think you are?”

Job, on the other hand, hears something else. He hears no words about his suffering, no words about his questioning of divine justice, and no words of vindication before his friends’ accusations (that comes later). He also hears no words of condemnation or humiliation, though he had said rather brazenly in Job 31:35, “Let the Almighty answer me.”

Well, here comes the answer and it’s framed in a series of rhetorical questions to which Job (and all of us) must plead ignorance. After you’ve had to say “I don’t know” dozens of times you begin to feel like you really don’t know.

• How did I make the universe? Were you there to tell me how to do it? (Job 38:4)
• On what does the world hang? Have you checked out the foundations? (Job 38:6)
• Why don’t the oceans flood everything? Who tells them to stay put? (Job 38:8)
• Who makes the sun come up every day? (Job 38:12)
• Who made all the water and dirt and air? (Job 38:16)
• How does light work? Where does it come from? (Job 38:19)
• How can every single snowflake be different? Who does that and why? (Job 38:22)
• Who makes the rain and why does the garden grow? (Job 38:25)
• Why don’t the stars get all in a jumble? Who holds them and everything else in place? (Job 38:31)
• Where do all the animals get their food? And what makes them hungry in the first place? (Job 38:39)

So, are you sure you want to challenge the Almighty? Don’t your words sound very puny? By the way, while you’re down there on your knees, see that dog hair stuck in the carpet? Check out the toenail on the left back leg of that nit crawling up it. He stubbed it on a grain of sand yesterday and I’m making it heal right now. Isn’t it neat how he’s already not limping so much? He loves me too.


New Testament: Hebrews 10

The Law was “only a shadow” but it did very well in that which it was intended to do: it revealed sin, it revealed man’s inability to save or even improve himself, so it revealed the need of atonement, and was a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Gal. 3:24). But, the Law was never intended to remove sin (Heb. 10:4,11) so when the proper time came in God’s plan, it was “set aside” (Heb. 10:9) and the job was accomplished “through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 4:10).

That whole argument in the opening verses of this chapter is followed by a “therefore” (Heb. 10:19) and a passage that has sometimes been called the “Let-us Patch of Scripture”. The remainder of the chapter is a call to persevere:

• let us draw near to God (Heb. 10:22) - This involves our APPROACH to God. It is His purpose and it should be ours. He has done His part, now we need to do ours. For this, four conditions are given for this: (1) a sincere heart, (2) full assurance of faith, (3) cleansing from a guilty conscience, and (4) bodies washed with pure water (a figure for inner cleansing, not baptism).
• let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess (Heb. 10:23) - This is our AFFIRMATION of faith. Decision leads to declaration and it must be followed by deeds (see next point). Our hope in God must be without doubt or hesitation.
• let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24) - This is the ASSISTANCE that we’re called to give. To consider something means to take some time to think about it and come up with a plan. How may we be a catalyst to others in this area?
• let us not give up meeting together (Heb. 10:25a) - This calls for our ASSEMBLY together with other believers. Alone we are likely to fail. Community strengthens commitment. When we are together with others who share our faith in Christ, we are better able to uphold one another. The Greek term here speaks of desertion or abandonment - a common problem among Jewish believers of the first century and not unheard of in our own day. (Take a look at Heb. 10:38-39!)
• let us encourage one another (Heb. 10:25b) - This involves ADVOCACY. Rather than afflict, we applaud. Rather than cast down, we cheer up. Rather than intimidate we inspire. Rather than repress, we refresh. The Lord’s return is the greatest incentive for this.