The Bible Recap - Day 014 (Job 38-39) - Year 6

Episode Date: January 14, 2024

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Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. Finally, God speaks! I don't know if you read the headings in your Bible or not, but when I saw the heading of chapter 38 that said, The Lord answers Job, I was so relieved. This is who I wanted to hear speak, not Job's friends. You probably felt the same way. And if so, we can rest assured that Job

definitely wanted to hear God speak even more than we did. I hardly want to touch a recap on these chapters honestly. I kind of just want to enjoy them, but I will point out a few things in God's reply to Job. First of all, you may have noticed that when God responds to Job, the word Lord is in all caps. And you may remember that what we learned about the word Lord in all caps in day one, when we read Genesis 1 through 3,

was that that is God's personal name, Yahweh, Jehovah. So right out of the gate here, we see that God is being very personal with Job. This flies in the face of what Job's friends said would happen next. They said Job would continue to get God's silence and even more harsh consequences if he didn't repent. Well, Job didn't repent,

but here God is speaking to him directly, intimately. When God first starts speaking to Job, you might've noticed it had nothing to do with Job's problems. He didn't answer any of his questions. He actually starts out by establishing who he is. That's because everything else is secondary to who God is.

He establishes himself as the creator and commander of everything. He initiates, sustains, and fulfills everything in accordance with his plan. And he makes it clear that his attention isn't just to the things we consider to be of utmost importance. He even ordains and orders the predator prey food chain in the animal kingdom. The lion hunts at his command. He is the one who feeds the raven. He tells eagles where to build their nests. Speaking of straw,

I think we encounter a prophecy of Jesus in Job 39.9. It says, is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger? Because a few thousand years later, Jesus was born in a cave where the animals were kept at night and Mary laid him in a manger, which was the feeding trough for animals.

There's a good chance an ox kept him company on that night. Another thing you may remember is that earlier in this book, Job got sarcastic with his friends. And in 3821, God speaks to Job in his own language by using a little sarcasm as well. He's been asking Job all kinds of questions about the creation of the universe. And he said to Job,

"'You know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great.'" God wasn't calling Job old. He was calling Job out for not being eternal. Almost like, listen, were you there? I don't remember seeing you there. Oh, right, I hadn't made you yet. So he puts Job in his place, and rightfully so.

He's God, he invented Job, the one who is now questioning him. So Job gets a bit of a subtle, firm rebuke here, but you know what he doesn't get? He doesn't get God's anger. God doesn't strike him dead. Instead, he patiently reminds get God's anger. God doesn't strike him dead. Instead, he patiently reminds Job of the truth. That's where my God shot was for the day.

I loved seeing God draw near to Job despite what everyone said. And I loved seeing God respond to Job's questions, even if he didn't answer them. We can question God. That's part of what happens in a relationship. He's not threatened by your questions, but he's also not required to give the answers you're seeking.

So hold your questions with humility. Ask them with reverence. Remember who made you. Remember who loves you. Remember who feeds the ravens. And remember the God who drew near to Job, even after Job questioned him. He's your Creator, He's your Father, and He's where the joy is.

Okay Bible readers, it's time for our weekly check-in. How's it going? If Job has been hard for you, hang in there. We've only got one day left before we finish this book. Then we're back to Genesis again to meet a man named Abraham. And by the way, no matter when you're listening to this, even if you're quote-unquote behind in the plan, I want to remind you, you're right on time. Keep looking for God as we read. What he loves, what he hates, what motivates him to do what he does. He's revealing a lot about himself in this conversation about Job.

We'll continue that tomorrow, so keep looking for your own God shot each day, digging in to see his character in the midst of these stories. He's where the joy is. Happy New Year! Maybe you've pulled out a journal to write down what you want for 2024, or maybe you've posted about your New Year's resolutions on social media. It's always wise to have a vision for the future, but we don't want to be so focused on our own plans that we fail to think about God's purposes for our lives. Thankfully, God has already revealed some of the things he has for us.

To find out more, click the link in the show notes for some words from my friends at Hope Nation.