(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
What is the theme of Job?
Intro:
I cried in worship, tears running down my face. I watched the end of a movie I’d started the day before, tears running down my face. And I wrote a poem. All before getting out of bed on an Christmas morning.
Hey Hopeful, I also had a moment on the phone with someone, a non-believer, which turned out to be a moment of spiritual warfare and an amazing Holy Spirit intervention in answer to prayer. I hope you catch tomorrow’s reflection as I’ll share a nugget you can use in that regard.
NEW TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
Today for our NT segment we’ve got Hebrews 7, the chapter where the writer of Hebrews argues that Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. We don’t know much about Melchizedek as he’s only mentioned in three places in the Bible, and I shared a bit back in program #1031 if you want to catch the last five minutes of that one (link in the show notes). We’ll pick up with the last line of ch 6.
Passage: Hebrews 7
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 28
Words: ~638
So what’s the point of the whole argument? “Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them (Heb 7:25, CSB).
OLD TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
To be fair, our Focus Question today — what is the theme of Job — we don’t really get to ‘til the end of the book…but it’s useful to have in mind as we read the book: “true wisdom, true godliness, comes from complete submission to God’s rule, regardless of temporary rewards or suffering.”(1)
When last we were doing our regular reading you’ll recall we kicked off Job and, in that introduction, heard the Adversary, the Accuser, bringing a case before God. And God both notes that Job is righteous and gives permission for everything to be taken from him except for his life. His friends show up, mourn for the requisite seven days, and now everyone starts talking.
Today we begin a whole lot of dialogue which unfolds in three “discourses” from chapters 2-25. I’ll share the section headings (that aren’t actually part of the text) just to help you hear whattup.
Passage: Job 3-5
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 74
Words: ~1271
Eliphaz tried to persuade Job that the world’s moral order was still stable. God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Eliphaz claimed that both experience (4:7–8) and a private revelation (4:12–17) supported his case. He asserted that humans are such lowly and foolish creatures that their lives are naturally full of trouble (4:18–5:7). Still, he urged Job to call upon God, who would hear and help (5:8–27). Ironically, this happened, though not in the way Eliphaz supposed.(2)
Wisdom SEGMENT:
Passage: Psalm 99
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 9
Words: ~148
The bottom line:
The truly wise man, like Job, is one who submits to God’s will and does not call God’s justice into question. God is the Creator, human beings are the creatures, and in the final analysis, their role is to submit to the divine authority. The book teaches that God always does justice, even though we cannot always see it from our limited perspective. As represented in the character of Job, the proper response of God’s people is to submit to God’s will and wait for the return of divine blessing.(3)
Love you! Amen? Amen!
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) John H. Sailhamer, The NIV Compact Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), Kindle loc. 3412.
(2) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 314.
(3) Sailhamer, The NIV Compact Bible Commentary, Kindle loc. 3412.