(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better — today’s a good example of that — and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
What’s the risk of wealth?
Intro:
If you look out at the world, what percentage of Americans do you think believe the following statement:
“God will grant good health and relief from sickness to believers who have enough belief?”
Hey Hopeful, welcome to Monday.
A recent article by a professor at Western Theological Seminar claims it' is 56%. Now I didn’t have time to go fact check his source, but for a moment let’s assume that it’s true that half of the people around us believe that. What happens when they get sick?
In a way, that’s part of the journey through the book of Job. Except instead of 2021 it’s thousands of years ago. Just believe, be good, and God is like a cosmic vending machine that’ll grant you what you want.
When we last touched on Job we heard that
The former, calm assurance that he understood life had been shattered. The old order of his life was in ruins. He now had to look to God and not to his own wisdom about God.(1)
And I pray that God will grant you, us, the courage and clarity to seek Him today.
NEW TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
Our NT segment wraps up Luke’s part of the Jesus story where new community is forming, yet Jesus eating with sinners, so he’s being questioned by the self righteous.
Passage: Luke 6:1-26
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 26
Words: ~556
So today’s focus question is, “What’s the risk of wealth?” In the context of what we just read, it’s trusting in self and now instead of God — who points out that for centuries people have thought too highly of themselves and too little of those around them. Interestingly the risk for the poor is to think wealth (or something related) solves their problem, too. Jesus said, “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Take note—your reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets” (Lk 6:23, CSB).
ORIGINAL TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
Today’s section in Job wraps up Job doing a lot of talking about “the power of God, place of wisdom, and path of integrity,” and when this speech began we heard him recount “the mystery and majesty of God’s ways (26:1–14), a claim to integrity and a wish for vindication (27:1–23,” and a poem or song asking the profound question of “Where is wisdom found? (28:1–28).”(2)
Today that speech maps the map or trajectory of Job’s life and ends with what is sometimes called a “negative confession” — telling God all the things you didn’t do.
Passage: Job 29-31
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 96
Words: ~1579
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Our focus question today is, “What’s the risk of wealth?” Don’t make the mistake that just plagues people of means…it’s a risk for the poor as well.
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) David S. Dockery, ed., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 319.
(2) Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 873.