Getting to Know Your Bible | Limited observations limit beliefs (Job 15-21)
Getting to know your Bible can seem daunting, overwhelming, even downright scary! If Esther taught you anything, it is that each step toward something holds value and importance. If Job has taught you anything so far, one lesson might be that we need to know our Bibles to understand who we worship!
The book of Job is chock full of lessons: seeing God’s sovereignty, how Satan acts with God and us, how to wisely choose friends, standing up for your beliefs even if your friends don’t agree, and many more. One really important thing the book of Job indirectly teaches us really well is the importance of knowing our Bible.
It’s never too late to start….
Limited observations…
Keep in mind, scholars are unclear at what point in history Job lived but it’s thought by some to be after Abraham and before Moses. Within the book, it does not ever mention that they had any writings to rely on for help. They based their knowledge on observations as that is what they had at their disposal.
The problem was their selective memory. For whatever reason, maybe a blind hope, they kept following the reasoning that all people who suffer are evil.
As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.
Job 4:8
Eliphaz was the most compassionate. He tried to correct Job based off his observations. Imagine your friend who comes to confront you, “Hey, so based on what I have seen….”
Yet, his view was limited and selective.
Two sides…
Shockingly enough, Job’s friends had portions of truthful sayings. Their foundation was not solid, but there were some nuggets of truth mixed in.
In Job 11:6, Zophar makes the claim that (depending on your translation) true wisdom is double-sided, many-sided, manifold.
One way to interpret this is with the law and justice mindset. In a court of law, a plaintiff brings a complaint that he was wronged by the defendant. He could say anything he wants really. Except that then the defendant has the opportunity to defend himself, and the onus remains with the plaintiff to prove his claims.
People react much the same as a jury. After hearing the plaintiff lay out their case well, an immediate conclusion is drawn and your mind needs proof against it. There is an emotional attachment to the message you just heard and you internally want justice to be done. Some choose to never truly listen to the defendant at that point since they are set on the belief that the plaintiff is being 100% honest.
Similarly, a gossip usually gains confidence since most who listen accept their words as truth. So also, a toxic person who shares how horrible someone reacted to them (often as a defense to their atrocious nature), will garner people to their side simply because they were first to tell their side of the story. Most people do not listen to both sides of a story before drawing a conclusion. Not to say it isn’t in our nature because we were made with emotions, but it takes a conscious effort to ensure you have a picture of the whole story first.
Remembering one side of the story to fit a narrative…
Job’s three friends so far have reiterated multiple times their belief that suffering is reserved for the wicked. The devastations people encounter on this earth are a result of evil, the losses and tragedies are consequences to sin.
Yet, in chapter 21, Job lays out the opposite of their claims. He agrees that their statements CAN be true, but also that there are countless examples proving the opposite also has been witnessed:
- wicked men growing old,
- multiple children and offspring growing up,
- homes that are safe,
- they are free from fear,
- God is not executing His divine judgment or wrath on them,
- flourishing livestocks,
- they and their kids are happy and carefree,
- their finances are secure, and
- they die in peace.
A selective memory can be a detriment to our faith. Job acknowledges how the evil can be prosperous, he still believes God is sovereign, but that these two truths together make God an even bigger mystery to him. It doesn’t seem right with regard to the laws of sin and consequence.
The three friends chose to see one side and push that. It fit their narrative. Their limited observations meant Job was a hypocrite, a sinner, a liar, and was flat out wrong. They were right. They had to be, after all they all 3 agreed as well as wise men around them.
The blessing we are offered…
While Job endured this painful season, we just read it as though a story. Often the story can be read and taken in through merely an emotional state. It is sad what Job went through, he lost everything, including his family and friends, all while in much physical pain. He wanted to die.
We would be remiss if we left the story with this understanding. We are called to see things from a whole perspective, to analyze and discern. Turn on the logical side of the brain to see what other lessons there are. A couple of the main ones are:
- You need to be careful who you accept advice from.
- A nugget of truth that is twisted is still false.
- Satan wants you to denounce God.
- God is sovereign.
- Our trials and sufferings have the opportunity to bring us closer to God.
- Our Bibles lay out the guide to live through all of the above.
God still speaks to us today… through the Bible. We are blessed to know the ending to Job’s story, how it unfolds. Yet, while living our own lives with its ups and downs, we are in the middle of our own stories. Job serves as a great reminder for holy living in the midst of our lives. He praised God when every blessing was bestowed upon him, and he wanted to understand God better in the midst of his trials.
Getting to know your Bible…
Getting to know your Bible is paramount to a solid foundation.
Your source of truth is the Bible. If you have not read your Bible, how do you know what truth is? Put a pause on your devotionals ABOUT the Bible, and read your actual Bible! Click To TweetToday, we have the Bible in our hands to read and learn from all these real people who walked the earth. Their lives are recorded for our benefit. They may not have had any written word to base their lives off or check the validity of their understanding of God. We do! Yet, how often do we take that for granted? Your source of truth is the Bible. If you have not read your Bible, how do you know what truth is? Put a pause on your devotionals ABOUT the Bible, and read your actual Bible!
Anchored ABode
If you are married, does your spouse know how much you cherish your Bible? Do your kids see you reading it? Do you pass on little nuggets of information to those around you from what you just read? Does it excite you to see the relevance of the Bible with the world today?
If not, why not? One of our greatest gifts we have ever received, after Jesus dying and being raised again of course, is the opportunity to know Jesus better, to learn about the gospel, and how to share it. They all come from the same source, our Bibles.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
Getting to know your Bible is incredibly important. If that concept is lost on you, you need to take time to reevaluate your priorities.
One life on earth…
There is but one life on earth, but there is also eternity afterward. Do you know with full assurance that you will be granted eternal life? Do not delay!
Recently in church, I was reminded of the story of Ananias and Sapphira, their pride and desire for money were the root of their lies to Peter and the early church. They were both struck down dead immediately. What I never thought about until our pastor said it, was that they were not given the chance to repent. We do not know what the future holds for us on this earth, how or when we will die.
We do know there is more after death. How you live it matters. Your life is a witness to those around you, do they know where you stand and what you cherish? Or are empty words driving your ‘religion’?
Getting to know your Bible may be the best decision you ever make in your one life on earth!
Last Week
Job 8 – 14
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The word of God and the souls of people–that’s all that will last. May we put our attention and time into what God values!