Then the LORD said to Job, “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Then Job replied to the LORD, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.” [Job 40.1-5]
If we understand nothing else of Job's story, we should understand this: God rebuked Job and Job repented.
This understanding provides the foundation upon which to seek understanding of everything else that precedes it.
When a person rejects teaching that implies that God wants everyone to be healed and provided for, their most popular rebuttal of that teaching comes out in this question: "What about Job?"
So, what about Job? God rebuked Job and Job repented. What's more, after Job repented, God restored all that Job had lost!
When our lives encounter loss as did Job, it would behoove us to simply repent. Elihu, the only character of Job's story who was not rebuked and was not required to repent, said this:
“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’? [Job 34.31-32]
For all those who believe Job's story is about God's right to smash people if He wants to, I must disagree to this end: God indeed has the right to smash people if He wants to because "He wants to" in order to deliver them from sin!
But by means of their suffering, he rescues those who suffer. For he gets their attention through adversity. [Job 36.15]
It is not ironic that the statement above was also made by Elihu, who was not rebuked and was not required to repent! (In other words, Elihu was completely right in what he said!)
The real mystery (tragedy, really) of Job's story is how people claim to understand its lesson about God's sovereignty but never conclude that repentance is the application!
Father, help us to understand Job's story - the full story, and not just part of it!
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