What Will You Answer?

I enjoy reading all of God's Word, but some passages more than others. For the last two nights, I have read one of my favorites, Job 38-41. If you haven't read it lately, or ever, go read it again carefully, slowly, and let each question take time to process. Everyone is home anyway, so it's something constructive to do.

The question most people ask is, "How can a passage in Job be one of your favorites? Isn't the book about a man's suffering?" Yes, it is, but that's not what I enjoy. During Job's interaction with his friends (who are correctly called miserable comforters), he is positive the suffering is unjust and wanted to question God. Job gets that opportunity in these chapters, but only after Job hears 70 of God's quandaries first.

Chapter 38 starts basically quizzing about Genesis 1 with God asking who made the earth and the stars. They continue with asking if Job controls the storehouses of snow, rain, hail, and lightening as God does. Through the following chapters God goes on asking about various animals, describing them very clearly, and who made them. I like the description of an ostrich, that God did not give it much brains, but has blessed it with speed. Other creatures such as the behemoth and Leviathan are not familiar to us today, but looking in the fossil record and ancient accounts of animals reveals likely candidates for these amazing creations.

When Job responds to God's inquires, he puts his hand over his mouth and realizes how great is the Lord. Job repents in dust and ashes and to our knowledge, did not get a response as to the reason for his testing.

Living the quad life, and during times of trouble, it's common to hear people ask that if God is in control, how could this or that tragedy happen. The short answer is that we live in a fallen world where tragedies are permitted (such as Luke 13:1-5). However, other possibilities also exist due to judgment (Deuteronomy 28:58-63 sounds very familiar to today).

Like Job, each and every one of us will be questioned by God upon our death, whether you believe in Him or not. At that time, every idle word and action we have done in life will be reviewed. At that time, what will your answer be? All we can do, like Job, is repent and trust in Jesus alone to cover our sins.